Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

[Bill K.]

Hi everyone, new to NCRS and this forum. I'm sure many of these questions have been asked/answered and I will search the forum threads. That said I'm at a point in life where I'm considering a jump into the classic corvette world.

I'm convinced I want a 67 roadster. I'd like a 427/390 HP car or a 327/350. I plan to drive the car on weekends, enjoy trips through the Texas hill country when the weather allows. I'm looking for information in order of importance to make a good investment in the right car. So here goes ...

How relevant is pedigree/documentation, what should I insist on vs what is "nice to have" etc ? I've looked at all the online web sites, eBay, Hemmings etc and it is clear that you need to do a lot of homework to not get "taken". I see lot's of interesting examples on the market and many cars with similar descriptions have large price variations. I'm not looking to make money off this, but would prefer not to loose a lot either over the next several years of ownership.

Any recommendations on what to read, who to talk to would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill

[Dale C.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Bill, Where in Texas are you? Hook up with the Lone Star Chapter of the NCRS and pick some brains there. Dale

[Greg C.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Figure out what your budget is...
Join Local groups, as A LOT of deals go down behind the scenes... if you are chasing online cars (craigs list, ebay, etc....) you will more often be a day late and a dollar short.
Get the books... Assembly Manual, Restoration Guide etc
Immerse yourself in the Vette Community... If you can make it to the National Convention, or Carlisle in Aug, you will get to see LOTS of cars and meet Great folks

When you find a car, have somebody with knowledge go with you, or go for you to help make the best decision about that particular car.

Pray about it... that should probably be #1. All things work together for good...

[Joe R.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Bill,

The advise that Greg's has given is probably the best and most solid advise ever given on this web-site or any other for that matter. That includes all the technical advise and BS!
One of the most recognized dealers will tell you to purchase the most expensive Corvette (you can afford). Providing it is correct!
Good luck and good shopping!

JR

PS. Just remember these are TOYS! Play hard!

[Edward S.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

I would always agree in what Joe Ray is saying - buy the most correct car you can afford, just get some help as to what the resale value is - so you don't over spend on correctness. Good luck.

[Bill K.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Thanks for the replies ... you are all confirming my worst fears :-)

I'm located in Central Texas. I will connect with the local NCRS chapter. And yes I will read the books. From a couple friends who have cars I have established what I believe is a reasonable budget for both SB and BB cars. It should get me what I'm looking for. My challenge is confirming I'm getting what I'm paying for !

Recent example ... saw an ad for a car, recent restoration, NCRS top flight award, tank sticker, original trim tag, price in budget. After some questioning I found out the restoration took place a few years after the NCRS judging. The color was changed from the original paperwork, side exhaust added at some point. So in this case I would assume the NCRS judging is now obsolete and the car would not score as high given the color/interior is no longer original, and the installed options don't match the available paperwork. All that said, I like the current color and options .. but what do these changes do to the value of the car from a purchase price perspective ?

[Michael J.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Much good advice here so far. If you want the car to hold its' value, documentation (verified by NCRS is best) and how it sits relative to original is very important. Color change, added options not on the tank sticker, etc. are not things that will encourage value retention in the long run and should result in a discounted price. Even today, most people who pay premium for C2 Corvettes want the real deal as it left the factory.

[Tim G.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Bill, we have a strong group of mid-year (mostly 67's) owners that meet in Austin to work on our cars every Saturday. We're just a bunch of guys that have been friends for years, but we have great times every Saturday with great cars. Between us, we have some very nice low mile Corvettes from '65, '66, and '67.

If you'd like to meet with us, we'd be glad to guide you as we've done for many people. We have lots of very original cars to look at, too.

My emial is timg@ccinsurance.com if you're interested. We're getting two cars ready for NCRS Frisco right now.

[Steve B.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Bill, we have a strong group of mid-year (mostly 67's) owners that meet in Austin to work on our cars every Saturday. We're just a bunch of guys that have been friends for years, but we have great times every Saturday with great cars. Between us, we have some very nice low mile Corvettes from '65, '66, and '67.

If you'd like to meet with us, we'd be glad to guide you as we've done for many people. We have lots of very original cars to look at, too.

My emial is timg@ccinsurance.com if you're interested. We're getting two cars ready for NCRS Frisco right now.

Bill, take Tim up on his offer as you will not find a better bunch of guys and cars.

[Bill K.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Thanks everyone. Tim, just sent you an e-mail. Look forward to learning a lot more.

[Greg C.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

This is awesome!

You are already hookin' up with the brotherhood... which means you are on your way!

[Bill K.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Just wanted to publicly acknowledge Tim for his advice and willingness to share information. I feel like I'm overloading his personal email ! We did manage to connect live. He's got some nice cars and is involved with a great group of people who obviously love this "hobby".

Meanwhile, I'm still learning and looking.

[Ara G.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Meanwhile, I'm still learning and looking.[/QUOTE] Aren't we all? Welcome to the best car organization out there...bar none...

[Michael J.]

Re: Looking to buy my first classic corvette, looking for any/all advice !

Meanwhile, I'm still learning and looking.

Aren't we all? Welcome to the best car organization out there...bar none...[/QUOTE]

+1, let me tell you about my SAAC and MCA experiences some time........

[Floyd B.]