Scheven_architect

Hello

I was wondering how safe buying a vette on the net really is.
I was looking on Ebay and a lot of almost perfect looking '70-82 cars are priced around 5-8k. As some of them are sold by (thrustworthy) powersellers (99%+ positive rating) I'm kinda dreaming of a good deal . So how honoust are most of these sellers?

Are there other good and safe internetsites to buy a vette? I found out that sites like vettehounds.com, are pretty equal to being ripped off :p

What questions should I ask to make scammers sweat?
Is a reasonable 68-72 stingray under 10k realistic?

Greetings Niels!

Ryan Kitchen

bought my 75 on ebay, it has some issues, but overall it was a hell of a deal. I looked at one on craigslist for 4500 that was a piece of crap, didn't run, cracked window, and needing some body work, and I thought that was a good deal!

If you can inspect the car yourself before buying it, I would definitely consider it a good option.

Bear in mind, anything in that price range is going to need a lot of TLC and investment to turn it into something of real value.

shrekviper

DO NOT buy on the net without inspecting it yourself or having someone that knows about the specific car look at it for you. It doesn't matter how "honest" the seller is, they probably won't tell you about the quirks unless you ask specifically.

Good Luck

The13Bats

I got way lucky after looking 8 months I find my 69 convertible on Fleabay and hit up the seller in private...made my offer he took it...car was a steal.....

Easy Mike

None. The scammers are already way ahead of you. You won't be able to make any of them sweat.

My advice is never to buy a Corvette you have not personally inspected.

20mercury

Bought a couple Corvettes on ebay and sold one on ebay, my 2 cents:

Get educated here (excellent knowledge source!!!) and elsewhere on problem areas and what to look for.

Check out and read how much ebay will back you up and how.

Only bid on cars within distance you are willing to travel to pickup (no unseen transport shipments for me)

Get lots and lots of photos before bidding, ask for extra photos of what you want to see, (yes, the frame kickups, behind the kick panels and behind the windshield trim!, if I am an honest seller, I am happy to show those and discuss.)

Call the seller and discuss car, ask lots of questions before bidding.

Deposit of max of $500. Balance in cash or bank check after satisfactory inspection and pickup.

If you win bid, get agreement if the car is NOT EXACTLY as described, then no final payment and refund of deposit is required at pickup.

Inspect at pickup plus other inspections as needed.

Final payment and get clear title.

Buying any used car from ebay or anywhere including your brother in law, has some risks. These things have worked for me at trying to minimize the risks. Buying any C3 I think has some risk. Good luck and yes I also think lots of positive feedback is worth something as that is really the seller's reputation and the key to continuing to do business.

jtran20

I found my on ebay, but the auction ended before I bid. The guy had a 0% rating. I got his phone number and we talked for nearly a month after the auction going over the car and it's condition. I live in Texas now, but he lived 30 minutes away from where i went to highschool on long island. The guy was super nice and made the transaction go very well.

I sent him a "rating chart" He actually gave things honest scores. Some i even think too harsh for how it turned out. SHipping became an issue, but not his fault. My guy was great and accomodating.

If you choose this route, get a number and establish that personal connection. That's what worked for me.

myoriginal77

I asked "Does the AC work?"
Answer "Yes, blows cold."

Upon arrival 8 hours later, no belt on ac compressor, I asked "I thought you said the AC worked?"
Answer "It works, blows cold, just needs a belt and freon."

Hope that helps,

Frank

GREGG-73

Frank,

I hope you kept your composure and didn't strangle the life out of the POS? ......

Stay in tune...

oldsarge

It is always best that you, or someone who knows about vettes, always, personally inspects it, top to bottom, inside and out, buyers beware, the scammers are there, especially on the internet, just my .02

Mark Battersby

I am looking at buying my first 'vette, and living in Seattle local cars are RARE. This means I have to look at the option of buying some distance away, and likely over the internet. However I will not hand over any $$$$, until I see the car myself. If that means I miss out on a car, no worries, its a risk Im prepared to take.

The internet has made the world so small, which is awesome if you are a 'vette enthusiast, however "let the buyer beware" - is more important than ever before

my 2c

Roco71

It’s like buying fast food. It never looks like the picture.

Mark Battersby

so true!

leetownreb

don't kid yourself. any old car always needs something--even if u thoroughly checked it out. u just can't see everything in one or two inspections. driving it for a short time does not necessarily reveal small problems. I always add $2000 to the price for things to fix for most used cars. Good luck.

ckerch

I would not hand over money until I inspected it.
Bought my last one on Ebay and the pictures did not show all problems.

Ryan Kitchen

Take a look at my resto thread so far.. bubba did good at making her look pretty :P

joewill

buying a car advertised on the net is just like buying a car from down the street.. you ask the owner lots of questions and pass if any answers are fishy.. then you go see the car and look it over with a mechanic.. you do research to see if the car has any chronic problems, you take a test drive, you negotiate a price with the seller, your see the title, you run a carfax, your discuss payment terms...
why should buying form the net be any different.. unless you are suggesting that none of this will be done when buying a car from the net?

mikejpss

I was looking on Ebay and a lot of almost perfect looking '70-82 cars are priced around 5-8k. Is a reasonable 68-72 stingray under 10k realistic?

Greetings Niels![/QUOTE]

Have scanned fleabay daily for the past 12 months, have only seen a couple 80 or 81's UNDER $9k. Doesnt take long studying the pics to understand why they are priced that low.... As the economy sours, I have found the asking prices have started to shift lower.
Currently in a deal for an 81 model but there will be NO MONEY exchange until the car has been inspected. Current owner has already suggested I hire his mechanic to do an inspection? !!! Guess I must sound stupid over the phone? ????
Was burned once on ebay with a dishonest seller, I LOST $4k on the deal and was happy that was all I lost once I saw the car. NEVER trust a seller over the phone. If you cant inspect the car, pay someone YOU pick to view it. My lesson was learned the hard way ( my dad was right).

KALAWAY

$10K is low for a '68 to '72, but ebay will give you the lowest price. You just have to do your homework before you buy. I collect memorabilia from a rock band out of NY and stuff is always cheaper on ebay than at conventions, in the newspaper, Craigslist, etc. Just know what you're buying. Good luck.

66L36Coupe

I've purchased a car and a vintage boat over the net - a '69 L46 Monaco Orange Coupe found on Cars-on-line.com (the boat is a '69 Century Arabian, 440/330hp powered 19'-er - happy with this purchase too). The seller of the 'vette, located in Cupertino, CA, sounded genuine and honest on the phone. He was a 20-year engineer for HP and owned the coupe since '88. His history told me he was probably **** about his toys - and he was (even installed a "pre-lube" oiling system on the car - which I promptly removed...).

After the initial call, I contacted the SF bay area NCRS and found a master judge who volunteered to look at two cars on the same day. The first car was an L71 (with lots of issues as it turned out), the second was the L46 car. He told it like it was - said the L46 was a good car that needed some TLC but was clean and solid. Based on that report, I committed to spending the $12.5k (still a bargain at the time). What I ended-up with was an ultra clean 99% original 100% California car with POP and tank sticker - and a friend in the seller who I still stay in touch with.

My success was based on having a highly knowledgeable NCRS member who was was willing to lend a hand.

Maybe this story can help you recognize the cadence and components of how to do a deal "on-line." If you can't inspect a car yourself - make sure you have an experienced & knowledgeable corvette person do it for you.