RAO-3

Posted this in OT and someone suggested I post it here for better tips...

I'm thinking of purchasing an older Corvette (C1) and have come to the conclusion that I will need to look at cars in other states to find what I'm after. I'd like to know how others have successfully gone about doing it, from determining fair market price and what to offer, to inspections and getting the car back to where I live. How far away can I realistically look?

How does one do it successfully?

Ray

Frankie the Fink

My '61 was bought two states away after the ebay ad failed to meet reserve. I personally flew up and inspected it before finalizing the sale. Nobody should plunk down thousands without doing so. These cars are notorious for dangerously old wiring, rotted out frames, and, bad body repairs (such as whole front clips put on crooked). Get a knowledgeable inspector if you can't do it yourself.

Personally, I try not to get enamored of cars that I can't drive (or take a short plane ride) to see. Shipping costs and sales tax (6% in Florida) must be considered.

76rich

I have bought and sold several cars from out of state. It is just like buying local. You need to do your due diligence. I knew what I was looking for. You can't fly out to look at every car you are interested in, but with a few phone calls, emails etc. you can gain some trust in the seller. Write out all your questions ahead of time so you won't forget when asking the seller. Buy yourself the Corvette black book and get familiar with the cars in question. Read this board and search out problems with C1,s. Documentation can be very important and you can always hire an appraiser that is familiar with a C1. In most cases I just wrote a check for the car and hired one of the top carriers to bring it home for me. The last one I bought, the seller wanted to haul it to me and I had my bank transfer the money to him. He stayed with me until his bank said the funds transferred. It is like any other used car deal. If you are not comfortable with the seller or the situation, don't hesitate to move on down the road. You need to be comfortable with the pricing in your area. You don't have to buy a car across the country if it is 20% higher than local prices. But the best advice I can give you, is to buy the best car you can afford. This isn't a cheap hobby and be realistic about what you can do yourself when it comes to working on the car.
Good Luck,
Richard

vettebuyer6369

I buy most of my cars out of state. Never buy a car sight unseen, especially if you are new at this. $300 for a plane ticket is very cheap when you avoid making a $50k mistake.

As FTF says, be prepared for shipping costs. Some states where you buy require sales tax paid- some dont, often determined by whether the car is bought from a private party or at retail. However, even if you dont pay tax at purchase, that usually means you will pay it to your state, in the form of sales, use or excise tax. Taxes paid to other states are credited to your state when that bill is due. Check your states laws to avoid surprises.

A third party inspection is a good idea if you dont know what you are looking at, but be sure that person knows what they are looking at. Many "inspectors" are mechanics or people who do "any classic car" and they may know absolutely zero about Corvettes specifically.

Personally, if I were new at this Id be more interested in an inspector who knew if a '61 nose was mounted on a '58 rather than someone who can test the compression.

RAO-3

All good points; I like the idea of having someone who is impartial doing an inspection of the car as well; how does one find someone that is good at it?

I was also thinking that I may be better off spending a little more to get one that has been restored as the overall condition may well be better. Thoughts on this?

I recognize that I will be paying for costs to ship it back, and am accounting for that in my budget.

Anything specific to avoid?

AZDoug

I thought the '58-'61 front ends were identical, other than some emblem holes?

Doug

Railroadman

There are guys on here who will do inspections for a fee. A hundred or two is cheap peace of mind.

I suggest you spend some time reading the back pages here, you can learn a whole lot and it's amazing how many of YOUR questions have been asked by others before you - so don't feel alone.

Lastly - they are old cars. You WILL have something go wrong with it sooner or later. If you can avoid the major deal-killers, and just have "normal" issues, you will be fine.

By the way - it's an unofficial, official forum "rule" that because we helped you, when you get the car you MUST post pictures here!

Frankie the Fink

Before I knew anything I paid an inspector to examine a '61 in Ft. Lauderdale and I passed on the car based on his recommendation. Cost a few hundred to avoid losing thousands - a bargain. Did the same thing on a first generation Z-28 Camaro that turned out to be a fake. Best money you can spend.

Anyway - frame rust on C1s is the kiss of death; particularly the kick up area (see picture); wiring can be dangerous but completely replaced for a thousand bucks or so. Body repairs can be rectified reasonably unless they are way too egregious (e.g. crooked front clip, etc.)

CA C6 Fan

These guys have some Corvette C1s (and others).

http://www.myhotcars.com/newandusedc...x?ClearAll=1&~

emccomas

Not exactly.

While I am certainly not an authority on this, I do know that 58 front clips have a reinforcing strip under the top of the front fenders. One of the first things I look for on a 58.

I have also seen this strip added to later year cars.

Donald #31176

One other method of finding an acceptable C-1 is to hire an experienced person. One such person is Jim Gessner.

emccomas

"C1" covers a lot of territory. Basically the C1 cars break up into major body styles as such:

1953-1955
1956-1957
1958-1960
1961-1962

53s are impossible..serious collector cars only
56s (especially early 56s) are tough because of one year only parts
58s are less tough, but still have some expensive one year only parts

To many variables in this questions

Decide which of those body styles you like, and the ask some more questions.

You have done the first really smart thing...asking questions before you buy a car. Keep at it, we will be here to help.

C-1 Generation 2

If you haven't already you might want to start by going to local car shows and cruise and put the word out that you are looking for an early Corvette. I see them all the time for sale. In fact I was at a Corvette /Mustang car show Sunday and had a 57 fuelie parked a few cars from me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daddy_rah/9491122276/
There's also another 57 that I see around Illinois that's that is also white but not a fuelie.

Zoomin

You can make a post on this board asking for help inspecting a car in city/state. People on here love to help or recommend.

Always buy the best car you can afford. Now, what the best car for your needs would be depends on your reasons for buying.

If you're looking for something as an investment and not to drive very much, you'll want to buy a car that has documentation, i.e. original sales documents, Protecto Plates, matching numbers (study this forum - books have been written on this). Just be aware on high dollar cars, forgeries are rampant, and it's imperative you get someone who knows what they're looking at. In summary, the paperwork is extremely valuable in this category, and something you should factor in the valuation of any Vette you decide to go after.

If you're looking at something to wow the neighbor and cruise night folks, then you're always better off buying a car that's completed. It's very rare to be able to restore one and get your money back. But again, there are some people that slap a pretty paint job on something and hope someone won't notice everything else that's wrong with it. Use someone who knows what to look for before you jump at a pretty one. Matching numbers and paperwork are nice to have and you should add value if the car has it, but for casual use it's not make or break. It does help on down the line when you sell it.

The next category is something to fix up and tinker on. Be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do. Paying others to do stuff will have you upside down quick, your car will be in someone else's shop and you will be spending more time writing checks than driving if you don't watch out.



When buying out of state, evaluate the seller as much as the car. Avoid auction sellers with little feedback or that are new. They know more about it than anyone and you need to feel like they'll be up front with you. Avoid buying one until you feel like you are sure you know what you want and what the market is like.

Good luck!

vettebuyer6369

I think that '61 grille looks remarkably different from the '58-60.

That's the point I was making.

vettebuyer6369

Lots of great advice here, although we might disagree on minor points.

When choosing a shipper, stick with a larger company with enclosed rigs. If you query a quote from some companies you may be deluged by referrals to all sorts of borderline contractors looking to bid for the job,. Personally, I'd stay away from fly by night guys and open trailers.

Regarding auction sellers, I dont agree that those people with low feedback are a negative. My experience has beeen, many people selling their Corvette on ebay are first time sellers. Thats not necessarily a bad thing. Lots of times selling their car is the reason they just signed up for an ebay account. There's crooks with lots of feedback selling cars. Theres also idiots with lots of feedback from selling hockey pucks and 8 track tapes selling a car or 2. Talk to the seller and make your determination.

Regarding an inspector, talk to Corvette owners... here, at clubs, at events. Get a referral. You will find someone comfortable with the cars.

Remember the little things: LOOK at the title. is it clear? Does it say "salvage"? "Flood?" has it been changed a lot recently... possibly washed? Does your state charge you more tax for a purchase from a business? (mine does... a $60k car will cost me $4350 in tax when I get it home if I buy from a dealer. From an individual its $1500.) Know stuff like this ahead of time. many people act like they are selling their personal car, and then when you see the title its in 'Joes Auto's" name. Or maybe its a skipped title.

tach drive 61

my buying experience may have been different with the knowledge this forum can provide.I bought my 61 4 states away. we drove with a check in hand .I knew I was going to buy a NOM car from the get go .this was my 3rd corvette and i also worked in a vintage vette shop years ago. the car i bought was sound although a older restoration that still shows well today. complete with two owners of records back to 1981 with both owners taking good care of this 61 vette.

Prior to that the bad side of buying was a ebay listing .NOM 1961 big brake car radio delete soft top delete. again check in hand with good conversation prior to a 400 mile one way drive .

Upon arrival in bedford PA the dealer did have this car and a few others in my budget . BUT as i asked for car to be on lift and ready to drive the seller thought it was to much trouble, to bad . we did come up with a # but after a 400 plus mile ride home without seeing that car move or on a lift we passed.

Take your time if i had to buy one today I would look at 20 cars plus !keep in mind paint cost 10 K glass should be perfect windshield is not easy to repair.

Panama 58

I will add a couple of points here as well. C1's take in a lot of model years and there are significant differences that you may want to consider before you decide on a model year. One that comes to the top for me is the driving comfort. Most consider the C1's as not that comfortable to drive,but the later model years beginning with '58 have far more passenger room than the earlier '53-'57. Look at several model years before you decide on which one meets your needs. Also consider whether you plan to drive with the top down, soft top up or use the hard top. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. If you are over 6' tall, this comfort factor should be seriously evaluated before you decide.
My 2 cents worth,
Panama58
PS-Buy fully restored unless you are very mechanically inclined and can do much of the restoration yourself. Good luck.

Larry P

For referance I have attached the link of the build of my 60.
My album has recent photos with the new hardtop and the softtop
frame was restored and powder coated by Al Knoch and installed last month at the bloomington show. Everything was build with NCRS in mind and all glass date coded. It drives perfect. I have it insured for 70K
You shouldn't pay more for a good quality restored car. If you spend 25k for one that needs to be restored, you'll have 65K invested if you do all the work, especially with both tops.

http://www.gatewaycashregister.com/car_site.html
LP

abdo

Agree completely. My '57 gets lots of attention and I love the single headlight styling. My '61 rides better and has much more leg room and room between my body and the steering wheel. Even though the wheelbase is the same on each, the larger and heavier body on the '61 makes it a smoother ride. There is also more trunk space in the '61 and the dashboard layout much better to see than the '57, despite the beautiful symmetrical layout on the '57. There are lots of differences between my two C1s. A buyer needs to drive the different years to really know what they want.