LouieM

Maybe one of you guys is interested in a car near L.A. that I'm not gonna pursue:
1967 Corvette roadster, 60K original miles, 350hp/350, 4-spd, yellow/black interior, nice driver, $15,000 (805) 929-3910.

Grey Ghost

Hi Louie,

Have you seen the car, talked to the owner, or have any pics ? I would be interested as long as it is not some hobbled up mess. My problem - I'm in Georgia.

Thanks,
Jerry

LouieM

Jerry,
This is ironic, since most of the cars I get interested in are on the east coast. I haven't called about the car or seen any pictures. The 805 area code is just north of Los Angeles, and I'm 300+ miles to the north of that, so I'm not able to look at the car for you. Wish I could help.

Any Forum person in the San Fernando Valley or maybe Ventura who can look at the car?

Louie

LouieM

Jerry,
It just occurred to me that you could call on the car, and if it sounds right, then post a request here for someone in L.A. to look at the car. Worth a shot.

Louie

Grey Ghost

Louie, I understand, I thought you may have talked with him or seen the car and that was the reason that you were passing on it.

I'm in NW, Georgia. About 70 miles N. of Atlanta, and 40 S. of Chattanooga, Tn. Let me know, if anything comes up in this area that you are interested in.I'd be happy to check for you or anyone else !

Take care :cheers:

LouieM

Jerry,
I've had to stop looking for a 67 roadster because I'm about to leave on a trip to Siberia where I'll be living in a tent for a month, and there sure are a lot of details to take care of.

I'd be happy to give a first look at a car for a Forum member too. I live about 35 miles south of San Francisco and 15 miles north of San Jose. But there sure aren't a lot of midyears for sale around here.

Louie

Grey Ghost

Have a safe trip, Louie. There is bound to be a 67 with your name on it on your return. :cheers:

LouieM

It's never been easy finding just the right old Vette, but if I don't see it at the Monterey NCRS convention it WILL be at Carlisle-- I've got my reservations all done for my first trip there. Been to Bloomington once but not Carlisle. Have you been there? Do you happen to have any tips on a strategy for buying a car there---in this case a 67 327/350 4-spd roadster? Or does it come down to "arrive early with lots of money"? :rolleyes:

I look forward to doing geology each summer in Alaska, N. Canada and Siberia. We have to be concerned with riding in helicopters in poor weather, camping with grizzly or polar bears around, climbing up and down steep hills, crossing rivers, being trapped by weather, etc. But, that stuff is at least simple. It can be dangerous but we are never foolish. We *don't * worry at all about normal daily hassles. No telephones, no radio or TV, no snail or email, no meetings, no interruptions, no keeping your wife happy, no household maintenance, no neighbors, no daily :crazy:, no outside obligations, no computers---the modern world just drops away. Just work like donkeys and enjoy all the good and bad nature has to offer. It's always weird coming back to civilization :nonod: and getting back to the "petty" concerns we all have to deal with all the darn time. Well, enough about that. I hope you find the midyear you are looking for, and soon! :chevy

polyrocks

. I live about 35 miles south of San Francisco and 15 miles north of San Jose. But there sure aren't a lot of midyears for sale around here.

I'll second that! Thank god Louie and I are looking for different colors or we would be racing each other to every 67 within a 300 mile radius of the bay area! :D

polyrocks

The car has been sold :(

Grey Ghost

I went to Carlisle in 1999. Booked late and had to stay over in Harrisburg. I don't think Carlisle is the place to buy a car. It is mostly overpriced dealers with cars for sale. It is great for parts and to look and see every possible combination of colors you can think of. Lots of cars to look at, but prices always seem to be too high. Of course, we know that we will get a better deal from an individual anyway. I am seriously considering going again this year just for the fun of looking. Not sure, if they still have an auction ? They also have a parade downtown that is nice, but I missed it in 99. Hopefully, we will all find our 67, conv, 327/350, side pipe, 4 speed car :D

I do Civil War reenacting. Talk about leaving computers and the modern world behind ! It is the best escape that I have found. When you return from such things like you and I are talking about. It makes you really appreciate some of the modern things though. Being warm, dry, having cold and hot food and beverages, a shower, clean clothes, etc...Siberia, man, I just can't comprehend what that must be like. What an adventure ! I bet it really makes you feel alive !

joevette57

GreyGhost,
I have to respectfully disagree with your opinion about buying cars at Carlisle. At least in the car corral. There are some stratagies to be had. First, the early bird gets the worm. A lot of the good buys are bought as soon as they arrive usually either by dealers or car flippers. Some of these cars are sold and resold before they ever leave the corral. But if you keep your eye open, it might be you that gets one of these cars. Second, you have the h o r s e s from Pro-Team that will swarm every straight axle, mid- year and big block and badger the sellers until some of them relent and give thier car away only to be offered again under the pro team sales tent.
Third, and I guess I have to put myself into this category, are those who come just to buy a car to take home. I usually fly up to Carlisle with a round trip ticket, but the last two years I have been able to rip up the return ticket and drive home (back to Fla) with a nice shark car that I bought very reasonably. I drive the car for a while and then resell. I've been at least able to recoup my trip costs as well as the mid year parts I bought by doing this.
Fourth. The auction is back this year. This year it's being run by Dana Mecum. Mecum Auctions conduct a great auction where it is easy to buy. The nice thing is they have a flat sliding scale commission rate rather than a percentage of the sell price. You know up front what your commission cost are going to be. I've bought two cars from them at the Winter NCRS show in Orlando, and felt I recieved a good deal both times.
The important thing is to buy with your head and not with your emotions. As knowledgeable as I am about these cars, I still seek outside opinions from some of the folks I know that go to Carlisle as well before I plunk down my cash. But make no doubt, there are some deals to be had.




[Modified by joevette57, 9:29 PM 7/1/2002]

joevette57

This gets very interesting. I have edited my previous post twice. Using a synonym for a hooker in my description of Pro Team. Yet when after I edit and resave it shows up in my text as "horses".
MY GOD!!!!!! has political correctness invaded the holy sactitity of our Forum???? Please tell me it isn't so.

LouieM

Good to hear that it is possible to get a decent buy at Carlisle. Everyone's experiences are a little different, which makes the Forum so great. It will be nice to experience Carlisle even if I don't get a car there---but I bet I will!-- since I'm not likely to ever make a second trip there. Hot, humid weather just kills me, so it takes a Corvette extravaganza to get me into it. I survived Bloomington in 1991, and bought a 67 A/C roadster that I drove home to CA, so I'll survive Carlisle 2002, though I'll ship the car home.

Is there one place at Carlisle where and dealers and private parties sell, or are the private folks in their own corral? It would be nice to have the dealers segregated away, far away.

joevette57's right on, it is still pretty much impossible to get emotions out of the way when lusting after any year Vette, even after all these years. Thinking about all those "horses" is exciting! :lol:

Grey Ghost: In Siberia we'll be camped so far out (500 miles from anything you would call a town, 100 miles from a village) that all our senses will crank up to maximum in some mysterious way, too keep us safer I suppose. See better, hear better, sniff better, taste better, feel really alive. Something like that must happen when you're charging up Cemetery Ridge! I get a touch of that looking at the world from the seat of a midyear. :D

Grey Ghost

Joe, I did get there a little late around 10:00 a.m on Sat. The best car that I saw was a 66, frame off, SB L79, blue/blue, both tops, hubcaps, for 32,000. Curious about how you handled your transaction though. Did you wire the money to their account ? Carry cash(I would be very scared walking around with that much) ? Did they have title on hand ? Etc....The forum started the anti-badword stuff about a year and half ago. It WILL substitute words for ones it considers in poor taste. It is clever enough even if you vary the spelling.

Louie - Yep, we all need our escapes from the real world :D

joevette57

Grey Ghost
I used to carry cash a few years ago, but everyone treats you like a criminal anymore if you do. Carlisle is has great facilities to do about any transaction you want. There is a bank in one of the steel show buildings that is open until 7 each day. I use a credit card there to get a cash advance or a bank check for the seller, depending on the sellers wishes. There are also several financing agencies there that are more than eager to loan you money.
There is also a notary public office there that charges $50 to issue you a temporary tag as long as you have proof of insurance. They are open until around 6 or 7 as well. They don't charge you any sales tax if you're taking the car out of state. And they give you a bill of sale rather than putting the sales info in the title so depending on where you live you can get a little break on your tax bill.
As far as titles go, I won't buy a car if seller does not have title in hand.


[Modified by joevette57, 8:04 PM 7/2/2002]

Biggus Blockus

Pro Team is one of the worst things about Bloomington & Carlisle if you are looking to buy or sell a nice chrome bumper vette. They cruise around in their golf carts with their stupid polyester "members only" style shirts like a plaque of locusts.

They stopped coming around our booth about 6 years ago in Springfield. I can't really say what happened but it was darn funny! :boxing

Pro Team was :cry and we were :lol: . That sez enough.

LouieM

joevette57,
How, exactly, do you arrange to get something like a $30,000 bank check at Carlisle? Do you first go to your local bank at home and arrange for a line of credit (however that is done)? Should I call the Carlisle bank ahead of time and ask for details, or what? I have the cash for a car, but don't want to carry that much dough around. It used to feel OK to carry cash when midyears were $8K, but not now.

In some previous post I got the advice to get a bank check made payable to me, from my home bank, then sign it over to the car seller in Carlisle to pay for my new toy. That way, I'd have maybe a $25K bank check plus cash to make up the difference in selling price, and to give myself some bargaining room. In your (or other people's) experience, will most sellers take a cashier's check that I would sign over to them? Right you are about having the title in hand before handing your money to the seller.

Does anyone have any recommendations on trucking companies they have used to get their car home? In my case that will be all the to California. Any good experiences or horror stories?

achapman

Louie,

I have used a bank check made out to me and endorsed over to the seller on the back of the check. It worked for me. If there is a bank there they can take the check verify it and for a small $$$ do an electronic transfer.

As for shipping I used Horseless Carriage http://www.horselesscarriage.com/ they are a bit more expensive, but the car is completely enclosed in the back and they specialize in antiques and classic cars. Great bunch of guys!!!

Good luck - :cheers:

LouieM

Andy,
Thanks for the advice. Bringing a cashiers check made out to myself and putting it in the local bank is brilliant! I just borrowed a 2001 Carlisle program and there is an M&T bank at the fairgrounds that supposedly has complete banking services, so that problem is solved.

There is an ad for car transport in the Carlisle program, by the company Road Scholar Transport. They call themselves "the exclusive carrier for Carlisle Productions." Their ad shows enclosed trucks and talks about moving vintage cars. I wonder if that means only they can advertise in the program, or if they will be the only transport company at the fairgrounds? Have you seen Horseless Carriage doing business at Carlisle? I'll call both companies and learn about costs and availability at Carlisle.
Louie