All the stuff you deal with when buying a car out of state
03-02-2005, 11:31 AM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
All the stuff you deal with when buying a car out of state
Hi, I just started shopping for my first C1 or C2.
I've been reading the forums for a few months and finally got an account. There's been a lot of good commentary here about authenticity, price range, various dealers, and avoiding fraud.
Some of the remaining questions I have are about the general logistics of purchasing a car out of state from a private party (or dealer). I mean the whole process of fly in, inspect, arrange payment, arrange transportation of the car, etc.
I'm sure a lot of the members on this forum have done this more than once. Who do you generally use for shipping when the car is too far away to drive, or not in running condition; do you use wire transfer/cashier check/etc. for the purchase; what's your favorite airline
; what are some best/worst experiences you've had when doing this kind of purchase...
Assuming people do their homework, avoid scams, and have a reasonable grasp of what they can afford, what are some good tips for making a transaction like this go smoothly?
Thanks for any input you might have,
-Rich
I've been reading the forums for a few months and finally got an account. There's been a lot of good commentary here about authenticity, price range, various dealers, and avoiding fraud.
Some of the remaining questions I have are about the general logistics of purchasing a car out of state from a private party (or dealer). I mean the whole process of fly in, inspect, arrange payment, arrange transportation of the car, etc.
I'm sure a lot of the members on this forum have done this more than once. Who do you generally use for shipping when the car is too far away to drive, or not in running condition; do you use wire transfer/cashier check/etc. for the purchase; what's your favorite airline
; what are some best/worst experiences you've had when doing this kind of purchase...Assuming people do their homework, avoid scams, and have a reasonable grasp of what they can afford, what are some good tips for making a transaction like this go smoothly?
Thanks for any input you might have,
-Rich
03-02-2005, 12:14 PM
#2
Can be costly
Make sure car is decent first - the cheapest thing to do is to pay someone to look at the car ($150-$350). Seems costly, but alot cheaper than you traveling to look at the car yourself.
If the screening person says the car seems decent, you then go look at the car (travel costs and time incurred). If you buy it you then have to transport it ($500 to $1500 depending on distance).
The best scenario is to find a car that's not to far from where you live. Easier said than done.
Given the difficulty in finding a decent C2, your best bet is to pay the bigger $ and buy a documented good car. In the long run you will probably save alot of time, money, and aggravation.
If the screening person says the car seems decent, you then go look at the car (travel costs and time incurred). If you buy it you then have to transport it ($500 to $1500 depending on distance).
The best scenario is to find a car that's not to far from where you live. Easier said than done.
Given the difficulty in finding a decent C2, your best bet is to pay the bigger $ and buy a documented good car. In the long run you will probably save alot of time, money, and aggravation.
03-02-2005, 04:55 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
My last 2 C2's were bought out of State. My current 66 was bought in Knoxville, TN and I live in Scottsdale, AZ. After finding the prospective vehicle, I had a local NCRS person inspect - once the car checked out I took the next available flight to see the car in person. I took some cash with me (arranged with the seller before) and went and inspected the car. Once I was satisfied that this was the car and reached a sold price with the owner, I left a deposit. I then wired the money to the seller and he overnighted the title to me. Make sure you have a bill of sale and deal with a bank/credit union. I then had the car transported to Arizona. To some people, this was alot of work/time/dollars spent, but you must be able to travel to find the right car! Good cars are getting harder to find, so be prepared up front!
A good source to assist you not only finding the right car, but with local people to inspect the car is Jim Gessner. He has a small business assisting people find the right car and he is very well connected with people all over the US to assist with inspections, etc. Jim can be reached at 909-557-4870. You can search the forum for more information on Jim and his service.
Good luck with your search! Ron
A good source to assist you not only finding the right car, but with local people to inspect the car is Jim Gessner. He has a small business assisting people find the right car and he is very well connected with people all over the US to assist with inspections, etc. Jim can be reached at 909-557-4870. You can search the forum for more information on Jim and his service.
Good luck with your search! Ron
03-03-2005, 04:58 PM
#4
Intermediate
Member Since: Dec 2004
Location: Los Angeles CA
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jim Gessner
I can vouch for Jim's services. I have always wanted a 58 vette. But as other forum members say it is very hard to find them now a days (unless you want to pay big bucks).....so I hired Jim to help me find that vette. It took us almost 2.5 years....but we finally found here here in California. The car was a good foundation point. Original Regal Turquiose Black plate california car. Its not a show car but with some minor work she is a good driver. It was worth the wait. You cant go wrong with Jim. Tell him Ed sent you.
03-03-2005, 08:53 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
I used Reliable since they have a hub here in Phoenix - was faster - but heard good things about others to include Intercity, Passport, etc. Should be some threads if you do a search in the archives. Good luck.
Ron
Ron
03-03-2005, 10:45 PM
#7
Instructor
Member Since: May 2004
Location: tempe az
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Warped Head
Thanks very much for the information. What company (or companies) have you used in the past for the actual transportation of a car?
03-04-2005, 08:34 AM
#8
Drifting
I just bought a 60 out of town so I feel your pain...
I do not know Jim but I know about him and his reputation as a Corvette Guru proceeds him. We have communicated via email on a couple of deals, nice guy. Guys like Jim are special and have the knowledge to evaluate these cars. If you know these cars and exactly what to look for ok. If you don't then hire someone who does. It could be the best money you ever spend on the hobby. If you want to hear some funny and not so funny stories feel free to contact me.
I have found that many of the private parties selling these cars do not know what is truly correct or incorrect about the car they own. On the other hand I find that every car dealer knows exactly what is correct or incorrect about the cars they sell. The sales person you deal with may not know but the owner or sales manager does. You may get lucky and get an honest used car sales team?
And, yes shipping is another issue. I am never completly comfortable until the car is in my garage or on my trailer. I usually like to drive and pickup the cars I buy.
I just bought another car out of state, Indiana and I live in Virginia. Wednesday I went out to look at it and was glad I did. There were things the owner did not know about that I needed to know before I bought it. It turned out well but I would not have been happy unless I looked at it or hired someone like Jim who does. My car should get picked up tonight and arrive tomorrow afternoon?
I have spoken to many shippers and shipped many cars and have not had a bad experience yet. This is the first time I hired a private transport because he is able to be flexible on the pickup. I will let you know how it goes if you want but I expect it to go well.
Just my .02 worth and sorry for the long post. Best of luck on your buying/shipping experience.
Thanks
Andy60
I have found that many of the private parties selling these cars do not know what is truly correct or incorrect about the car they own. On the other hand I find that every car dealer knows exactly what is correct or incorrect about the cars they sell. The sales person you deal with may not know but the owner or sales manager does. You may get lucky and get an honest used car sales team?
And, yes shipping is another issue. I am never completly comfortable until the car is in my garage or on my trailer. I usually like to drive and pickup the cars I buy.
I just bought another car out of state, Indiana and I live in Virginia. Wednesday I went out to look at it and was glad I did. There were things the owner did not know about that I needed to know before I bought it. It turned out well but I would not have been happy unless I looked at it or hired someone like Jim who does. My car should get picked up tonight and arrive tomorrow afternoon?
I have spoken to many shippers and shipped many cars and have not had a bad experience yet. This is the first time I hired a private transport because he is able to be flexible on the pickup. I will let you know how it goes if you want but I expect it to go well.
Just my .02 worth and sorry for the long post. Best of luck on your buying/shipping experience.
Thanks
Andy60
03-04-2005, 05:31 PM
#9
Racer
If you are shipping on the top half of the US, Northwest is a good and best priced shipping carrier that I have used. As far as payment, a bank check (some type of certified funds) is always appropriate. Find out about your insurance before it is shipped if its covered. Good classic car insurers are Haggerty or American collectors amoung others. If you are looking for a flight, use Orbitz.com or Sidestep.com to find your best price and try to schedule it more than 2 weeks out or the airlines will "tear you a new one" with pricing.
03-04-2005, 06:06 PM
#10
Drifting
Member Since: Feb 2002
Location: Forest Lake MN
Posts: 1,266
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Rich,
I'm not sure if you have read this yet...it is my reply to a thread about an out of state/Ebay car....
I'm not sure if you have read this yet...it is my reply to a thread about an out of state/Ebay car....
Originally Posted by batmann
John,
Like you - I was searching high and low for a C2 over the last couple months. I thought I finally found the right car...an Ebay car. It was also a 64. The listing was very detailed...lots of great pictures. I was ready to buy. Fortunately Jim Gessner replied to one of my posts. After reading his reply, I see that he is known as "Vette Finder Jim". I decided to do a forum search on Jim. After reading about Jim - I decided to give him a call. Jim didn't know me from Adam. I told him that I was looking for a nice C2..I told him that I think that I found the one I want on Ebay. Jim goes on to tell me about the ins and outs of a 64...he recommends that I have someone look at the car before I fly down...he gives me the name of 4 of his friends in AZ. One of them if a fellow member of this forum - "rons65". I called Ron to see if he could help me out. Ron was more than willing to help out. He made an appointment with the seller for the following morning.
You have 3 days before the auction is complete - my advice to you would be...find someone to inspect this car ASAP. It may cost you a couple hundred for an inspection - but it is well worth it. If you want Jim's contact info - LMK.
Here is the link to the car...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...529148678&rd=1
Here is the report Ron sent me....you decide how reliable a ebay listing is...
1964 Corvette Coupe
Inspection of the 64 Corvette Coupe revealed the following issues:
1. Body/paint:
· Rear deck chip above license – see photo 612
· Crack at driver’s windshield/top of door – photo 613
· Crack at top of driver’s door – photo 614
· Crack at top of pass side w/shield/top of door – photo 619
· Pass side top surround repair – photos 615, 631
· Driver’s side top surround – photos 618, 632
· Pass side fender to front panel radius not correct – poor repair – photo 616
· Driver’s side fender to front panel radius – poor repair – photo 617
· Pass door rocker area poor repair – 620
· Pass door lock pillar/qtr repair – 621
· Pass door fit issue at rocker - 622
· Pass door fit issue/gap at top – 623
· R/fender top paint issue – 624
· Crack on front panel – 625
· L/headlamp door issue – motor worn out – need to move up by hand – 626
· L/upper control arm with excessive shims for alignment – r side also has issues but A/C compressor hides - 627
· Crack at l/rear window – 628
· Firewall area – wiring splices etc for HEI ignition – area looks like “bubba” did wiring – 630
These are only a few of the paint/body areas that I noted. If I had car on lift, I could have addressed the drive train, rear axle and rear trailing arms/bearings, leaks, damage, etc. The motor sounds good and did not smoke (owner stated he just drove the car so unsure how it would start up cold and if valve guides etc are ok). Air Conditioning blew cold. Aftermarket stereo in dash and speakers bolted in rear compartment. The car has had numerous repairs that were not up to standards in my opinion. Unsure of what you would find once you stripped paint and gel coat, but repairs noted above need to be repaired correctly and car needs to be repainted. This alone will run anywhere from $10K – $20K if nothing further found.
Engine had incorrect decals on valve covers. Carb showed corrosion, incorrect HEI distributor in car – does not have original or correct one. Replacement radiator with aftermarket SPAL electric puller fan – very common for a automatic a/c car to run very hot as trans cooler and AC condenser sits in front of radiator and especially in traffic car will overheat due to not passing enough air through radiator. Since this has elect fan etc, most likely has overheating problem. I know, as my 65 automatic/ac car had the same issue!
Overall car showed to be all there. Stamping on engine pad looked ok, but has been painted and some scraped off, so could not get a good look at brooch marks on pad – correct suffix and date. Date code on block was ok and shows 1-23-64 engine date and trim tag is E31 which should be 1-31-64 for the body assembly.
If you want a car with documentation, according to owner he has original owner’s information and other owner’s as well. Based on the car, value for a 64 300hp coupe, auto with a/c price is not too far out of range. HOWEVER, with the repairs needed to the body as well as a repaint the car is overpriced. You can find a better car for the money in my opinion and these are only the cosmetic areas that I quickly found. Who knows what else is “lurking” that needs attention. Therefore, I would not buy this car for the money being asked and could not recommend that you buy. However, this is your call.
Dave: Good luck on your search. I will keep an eye out for you. Jim Gessner is a great source to keep in contact with.
Thanks, Ron Martin
Like you - I was searching high and low for a C2 over the last couple months. I thought I finally found the right car...an Ebay car. It was also a 64. The listing was very detailed...lots of great pictures. I was ready to buy. Fortunately Jim Gessner replied to one of my posts. After reading his reply, I see that he is known as "Vette Finder Jim". I decided to do a forum search on Jim. After reading about Jim - I decided to give him a call. Jim didn't know me from Adam. I told him that I was looking for a nice C2..I told him that I think that I found the one I want on Ebay. Jim goes on to tell me about the ins and outs of a 64...he recommends that I have someone look at the car before I fly down...he gives me the name of 4 of his friends in AZ. One of them if a fellow member of this forum - "rons65". I called Ron to see if he could help me out. Ron was more than willing to help out. He made an appointment with the seller for the following morning.
You have 3 days before the auction is complete - my advice to you would be...find someone to inspect this car ASAP. It may cost you a couple hundred for an inspection - but it is well worth it. If you want Jim's contact info - LMK.
Here is the link to the car...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...529148678&rd=1
Here is the report Ron sent me....you decide how reliable a ebay listing is...
1964 Corvette Coupe
Inspection of the 64 Corvette Coupe revealed the following issues:
1. Body/paint:
· Rear deck chip above license – see photo 612
· Crack at driver’s windshield/top of door – photo 613
· Crack at top of driver’s door – photo 614
· Crack at top of pass side w/shield/top of door – photo 619
· Pass side top surround repair – photos 615, 631
· Driver’s side top surround – photos 618, 632
· Pass side fender to front panel radius not correct – poor repair – photo 616
· Driver’s side fender to front panel radius – poor repair – photo 617
· Pass door rocker area poor repair – 620
· Pass door lock pillar/qtr repair – 621
· Pass door fit issue at rocker - 622
· Pass door fit issue/gap at top – 623
· R/fender top paint issue – 624
· Crack on front panel – 625
· L/headlamp door issue – motor worn out – need to move up by hand – 626
· L/upper control arm with excessive shims for alignment – r side also has issues but A/C compressor hides - 627
· Crack at l/rear window – 628
· Firewall area – wiring splices etc for HEI ignition – area looks like “bubba” did wiring – 630
These are only a few of the paint/body areas that I noted. If I had car on lift, I could have addressed the drive train, rear axle and rear trailing arms/bearings, leaks, damage, etc. The motor sounds good and did not smoke (owner stated he just drove the car so unsure how it would start up cold and if valve guides etc are ok). Air Conditioning blew cold. Aftermarket stereo in dash and speakers bolted in rear compartment. The car has had numerous repairs that were not up to standards in my opinion. Unsure of what you would find once you stripped paint and gel coat, but repairs noted above need to be repaired correctly and car needs to be repainted. This alone will run anywhere from $10K – $20K if nothing further found.
Engine had incorrect decals on valve covers. Carb showed corrosion, incorrect HEI distributor in car – does not have original or correct one. Replacement radiator with aftermarket SPAL electric puller fan – very common for a automatic a/c car to run very hot as trans cooler and AC condenser sits in front of radiator and especially in traffic car will overheat due to not passing enough air through radiator. Since this has elect fan etc, most likely has overheating problem. I know, as my 65 automatic/ac car had the same issue!
Overall car showed to be all there. Stamping on engine pad looked ok, but has been painted and some scraped off, so could not get a good look at brooch marks on pad – correct suffix and date. Date code on block was ok and shows 1-23-64 engine date and trim tag is E31 which should be 1-31-64 for the body assembly.
If you want a car with documentation, according to owner he has original owner’s information and other owner’s as well. Based on the car, value for a 64 300hp coupe, auto with a/c price is not too far out of range. HOWEVER, with the repairs needed to the body as well as a repaint the car is overpriced. You can find a better car for the money in my opinion and these are only the cosmetic areas that I quickly found. Who knows what else is “lurking” that needs attention. Therefore, I would not buy this car for the money being asked and could not recommend that you buy. However, this is your call.
Dave: Good luck on your search. I will keep an eye out for you. Jim Gessner is a great source to keep in contact with.
Thanks, Ron Martin
