yes its only a 500 dollar deposit and 100% refundable,that's a lot of things that could be not correct, I am currently trying to locate an expert to look at car for me but having tough time locating someone if anyone knows of someone in the montreal area please let me know, thanks again

 

Contact forum member Jim Gessner via a PM and he may be able to get you a phone # for someone up there. And/or go to the NCRS site and see the local chapter list of contacts and see if you can get a chapter member to help.

While you're in the site you may want to join so you can get more info since you're concerns are more towards originality than not. It could give you much more knowledge to help your search if this car doesn't meet your criteria.

Before you fly out there though, I'd recommend you get more data and pictures of what we suggested. It may save you a trip. My gut feel about this car is not really exciting. Some weird stuff about it in just a few photos.

Rich

edit add.....

What is going on here? Is it a optical illusion or is ther about a 1/2" gap at the door post to windshield post?

 

It looks like a pretty driver, but the pictures do not portray an $80K car. Perhaps this the 1 in 10,000 case where the product looks better in person than in pictures, but I have my doubts.

 

All of what Rich says is spot on (of course). I wouldn't even be a strong looker at this car for that price. Between the door gap and windshield-to-door post misalignment those are telltale signs that perhaps the body has been jinked with. Possibly a front clip put on crooked or the like. If so, this is a SERIOUS, hard (and expensive) item to correct.

That radio grill is really a sign of an amateur restoration. That is so "in your face" and easy to make right that it calls everything else into question.

I don't think, as you say, there is "money to be made" on this car if your goal is to flip it.

 

What Vettebuyer is correctly saying is that up until early 1960, there was no VIN stamped on the engine block by GM so there is no way to tell that the engine in the car now was original from the factory. So without original paperwork, it technically is not 'Matching' as in later years where the VIN is stamped on the block. In the early C1 years, everything is just date correct unless you have original docs showing the VIN# with those options. The engine can be the correct casting and dated correct for the car but there is no proof that this car started out with that FI engine. That is why an expert should look at the other telltale FI signs like improper orientation of the FI emblems already mentioned which is one giveaway if true.


Also, the picture of the passenger door may have been taken with the door slightly ajar which would show the door and door post gaps we are seeing. I would ask the seller for another pic of the passenger side making sure the door is closed tight to see if that is the case.

 

There's a LOT seriously wrong with that car, and more will be found underneath causing what can be seen on the outside. Pass on it and keep looking.

 

For 80k I'll give you both of mine.

Larry

 

That door is not ajar as can be seen by the horizontal line at the bottom of the door along the line of the sill. Its closed and the gap is the gap and its really bad.
Move on to something else...

 

durnin corvette out of Montreal is going to have a look at car for me before I make the trip, they claim to have restored many ncrs award winning cars and started the Quebec chapter of ncrs. I am grateful for all observations and comments as I do not want to end up over paying or buying junk I am going to attach the rest of pics I have and see if there are any other concerns with the car. I will be passing all concerns onto Durnin so please dissect the hell out of it , thanks again

 

he has the original fuel filter and door interior door *****

 

80 grand is a lot of money car should be perfect.keep looking.get back deposit.club member by me just bought cleanest 58 I've ever seen.he used a broker to find car.

 

last of the pics

 

Everyone here is giving good advice and pointing out flaws with this car. It's one of those that jumps out at you because it's fresh and has pretty paint and a new interior and top and desirable fuel injection. IMO it's priced high for it's "features", as a car with these options would be worth more, if complete, if real, and if quality was important during the restoration.

I really don't like to criticize the restoration work of others, and I don't mean to be pointing out just the wrong stuff or the bad stuff, but I got involved and have given my opinions as requested, but I'll finish off here.

For the record, every new photo you post is showing more anomalies, more quality issues, and more improper/incorrect parts choices. Here's what else I see that's not what should be on a car of this caliber, and I'll then stop.

-Engine has the wrong oil pan. It's a passenger car pan which has the drain plug on the side. FI Corvettes used a trap door pan with it's drain at bottom rear center.

-Harmonic Balancer appears to be a the wrong type for a FI application, but I may be wrong.

-I suspect the bellhousing is wrong. Something doesn't look right, maybe the rear lower mounts I forget.

-That exhaust manifold has been in deep moisture and scaly rust a long time before it was painted. Some of theose bolts holding it appear to be grade 3 or 5.

-Engine has the wrong front engine bracket(it should not have a provision for a bypass at top/center, the half moon cutout), and it's black. S/B engine color. Poor part choice.

-The steering column color is wrong in the engine bay. It shouldn't be interior color in the bay in '59. S/B black. Only the top area to match interior color where the steering wheel hub mates and under the dash/cluster area.

-It has windshield washers nozzles on the cowl, but the wiper motor does not have the washer coordinator mounted to the motor, therefore the washer system isn't operational or is missing more pieces. This is a very expensive and labor intensive system to get working. BTW, the washers were optional in '59, but standard in '61 up.

-The master cylinder is a low cost non-original type reproduction, with a plastic cap. S/B a metal cap.

-The FI Fuel Meter top cover appears to be leaking in several places, and is a dangerous condition.

-That engine bay photo shows that speaker/bezel mess again. Not only is it a wrong setup, it's going downhill towards to left in the photo. A new dashpad is about $500, plus labor to install it. Keep that in mind.

-The wheels are painted silver. S/B black in '59.

-Appears to have a large gap in the front left side(driver side) of the hood where it meets the top surround. Maybe a optical illusion.

There may be more.

I suggest you save your trip expense and your inspector request, and move on to a more viable candidate as others here have suggested also.

Rich

 

I have hired a corvette specialist out of montreal to look at the car this wkend I will keep you all posted on the results. also another thing I feel I am up against is the possibility of buying even a 40k car, it would take 50k +++ to restore it to very nice condition which puts the car at 90+ and that may not include shipping tax and possibly exchange on the dollar. So I am going to wait for the report back on this car and see where we go from there. again thanks for all the input

 

ok, for those at all interested the 59 vette was as most of you thought , it had a replacement front end and many things were incorrect with the car, It only cost me a hundred bucks to have it checked which is a small cry from flying down there and being pissed right off not to mention the money part. this form had opened my eyes and made me cautious of the things that make buying a vette a nightmare if its not done proper, thanks to all

 

Glad it worked out and you avoided a nightmare.

I'll ad this.

I bet you would have spent another 10K to sort out the 59... you were looking at.

The benefit of the 40K plus 50K to restore, is, you end up with a 90K car that you KNOW is right.

 

IMO.....to bad you spent $100 but you saved thousands. I wouldn't have wasted time on it based on what you showed us.

Revfan is right. 50k well spent on a known car and you have a known result.

So, I keep thinking about what the seller told you about the gap in the pass side door......."It's just he photo."

If that car was real, had a properly installed press molded front end, attention to the little details, etc etc.....IMO would be worth much more than the asking price. Whoever did it over really cheaped out.

But there is a market for it. Somebody will buy it. Glad it wasn't you.

Rich

 

I pretty much said the same thing back in post #24 -- you dodged a bullet pal. The car is an over-priced mess....

 

Earlier in this thread I mentioned a really mint 58 fuelie from local club that was acquired by use of broker.this weekend I learned the buyer paid $152.000 for his 1958 fuelie.that is a trailer queen.
I know 58 is a one year only car but it's not a tanker / bigbrake car no pedigree race history ,or Bloomington certifications I knew of.price just seemed way over the top.