Brenda1

I have been looking for a C2 for a while. I hear the market is soft but as I look at asking prices they seem a bit high to me. Last night at a car show I was talking to a guy that had a beautiful '63 convertible with numbers matching. A few slight mods were made (disc brakes, wheels) but it was a real eye catcher. He had it 5 months and was kind enough to tell me the purchase price: $38,000. Seems all the cars I am looking at are similar but asking price is $20,000 over what he bought the car for. Where is the best place to find fairly priced Corvettes? I have seem Mecum and other auctions and it seems you can get good values there as well. Any suggestion on finding a good value high quality C2 would be appreciated!

capevettes

63 convertibles and 64 coupes and convertibles can be had at a lower price than similar 65-67's. Still great cars. NCRS Driveline I think had one or more in there. Hemmings, Craigslist. They are out there.

The market may be a bit soft right now. Asking prices may be high but sold prices are what matters. One thing I know for sure: When I'm selling, the market is soft. When I'm buying, the market is very strong.

What exactly are you looking to buy and what is your price range?

Crunch527

I think they might be a little bit for the average cars and NOM segment due to time of year. The real cars, the real ones that are truly valuable, BB 435s, etc...will always bring top dollar.

Now where to find fairly priced corvettes? Isn't this the Holy Grail of the Corvette hobby? This is matter of persistence, savvy, and luck...they are out there...they aren't in any particular place, website, or dealer...they are where they are when you find them...usually they are found after much persistence...I have been looking for another 67...I have seen a few 67s go by that could've been had at a fair price...

Keep looking...

Brenda1

In a perfect world my car will have numbers matching or at least era correct drive train. I really love side pipes, spinner wheels and drop tops. Would also prefer a color that is some what unique. I just sold a red Viper so trying to stay away from another red car. I also want the car to be 95 percent correct so everything I take it to a car show I do not have to hear about all the things that are not correct for that model. Buying cars is such interesting process. You can see 10 similar Corvettes in a row but for some reason one calls out to you, like "wow, that's the car!" Strange but true.

GTOguy

I was looking for a C2 in CA for about 4 years, and ended up with a fixer '61. For 30-40k, in California, when one did pop up, it was a basket case in pieces or total junk needing triple it's value to restore. Very recently, the C2 of my dreams showed up, blocks away from my house, where it had been the whole time for years. The owner decided to sell it, and it sold immediately, before I could get the deal set up. The price? 45k....for a car worth at least 65k. Your 38k friend got a screaming deal, just like the guy who bought the '65 coupe the other day for under 40k at auction (posted here on this forum yesterday). There are great deals, but they are NOT the norm. They do come along, though. You have to jump on them when they do. Christmas time is the very best time to buy a 'toy', with springtime being the worst, in terms of saving $$$.

Brenda1

Great advise GTOguy. I read a book :The Richest Man In Babylon" and it gives you wisdom on how to prosper. One of the main themes was winners will act quickly when opportunity knocks and those less successful people contemplate the great deals but act to slowly to realize and benefit from them.

Easy Rhino

I personally don't think that the prices are particularly soft; however, that is probably a function of my frugal nature. It took me about 18 months to find mine, and I looked at a lot of frogs, including many that were seemingly overpriced.

The true rare high value cars tend to buoy all C2 prices to an extent, and you will obviously pay more for a tidy, well-sorted car, and particularly one with matching numbers/parts.

I think that few good bargains come up - this is not a very large market - few buyers and few cars available. I say make the shopping part of the fun of buying one of these. I enjoyed the chase quite a bit, and enjoy having my C2.

How many verifiable anecdotes does anyone really know of someone getting a great deal on one? The one that sold at Mecum Anaheim this weekend seemed like a good enough deal, but at almost 40K, it is not exactly cheap. Plus they can all look pretty good on TV, and have big hidden problems (e.g. birdcage/frame).

I don't think that there is such thing as a nice numbers matching original car and very high quality driver for under about $55K, and that's for a small non-high HP block, with no special options or ultra-desirable color combinations.

65hihp

I wouldn't lose any sleep for having missed the Mecum 65 for under 40.
I bet that underneath the lipstick that one was a real pig.
Screaming deals do pop up sometimes, but not very often at the glitzy auctions.

Easy Rhino

I think that the Vegas yellow '66 427 for $40K is a far better deal, but is one of those deals you can't count on being able to find and buy. If you are trying to make money on these, go full time, work hard, and be prepared to lose your butt at times. The rest of us give up market returns we could be making with the money we spend on them.

As far as auction "pigs" go, my '65 came through Mecum Kissimmee in January 2013 for 39,200 plus fees (how much is that, I don't know) to a local private buyer, then made its way to a local dealer later in 2013, presumably in a trade, where the dealer offered it for sale initially for 45K, then 40K, turned down 39K, then sold it to me for $36,650 in March 2014.

So somewhere in all that mess, somebody lost some money on my car. I've put about $1500 in it since then, not counting the knock-offs (Thanks MarkC). I'm guessing that the auction buyer had to spend over $40K to walk home with it, and did not get near that when he sold it within the year to the dealer.

GTOguy

The 45k one I missed was a white/red leather L-79 roadster with factory AC, 4 speed, Positraction, factory PS and PB, with telescoping teak wheel....and in excellent condition and numbers matching. Owned by the same guy for decades. I contacted him, and he was so inundated with calls he called me back the next day to say it had been sold. Very polite guy to do that. I would have bought it on the spot. I'd been searching the entire southwest and coastal states, and this car was less than a mile from me. 45k was a give-away price for that car. Nuts! But all you can do is try....sometimes they come along and you do get lucky, but you have to be willing to pull the trigger at the drop of a hat.

deejaydu

Brenda you had mentioned that you were interested in Mattba's 67 car here on the forum. Everything you want including side pipes and great color combination. Did you follow up on his car. Seemed like it was very well priced for what it appears to be. I do not understand why that car has not sold. Maybe someone else does.

Todd H.

There's a blue/black '65 327/365 two top convert for sale in Gilbert, AZ on Revfan's recently updated thread "opinions on these C1/C2s for sale" for $36500. Supposedly comes with a matching block. Probably as close as you're going to get to your price goal.

Todd H.

Yes, if you can adjust your budget upward, Mattba's car looks great. Why it's still available is a mystery to me, too.

Gary's '66

Story of my life too!

Gary

Brenda1

I saw the one in Gilbert, just too much of a project for me. I already have one project car and not really looking for another. I wish I would have taken a photo of the car from last night to post here, it did not need anything. The owner said he spent $4000 on it when he first bought it. I am really not in a hurry but last night did give my enthusiasm a bump.

Easy Rhino

I agree.

Looks like a very solid car for a decent price. Can't imagine why it hasn't sold at that price.

deejaydu

It was in Brenda's budget when she sold her viper according to her post at that time. I think that she has changed her mind and now wants to find a steal of a deal instead of a nice car for fair market value. Just my observation.

GTOguy

Brenda, I know how you feel when you see 'the one'. Glen Green and Laguna Blue mid-years do that to me, if they have 'the right stuff'. Remember, 'In a hurry=paying full price' and 'no rush just testing the waters'=bargain. It always seems that the great deals come out of nowhere, usually directly after you've just made a major purchase. Don't rush, wade in and acclimate to the water...you'll find the right one. Keep us in the loop!

vwtdi

I'm in the same boat as Brenda and agree with the seeing one that "grabs ya". Like GTOguy, Laguna blue, Glen green, Lynndale blue L79 convertible with sidepipes and matching aux hard top would be perfect. Been looking for a year and a half now after selling my 65, have had 3 inspected, serious thinking on several others, but just not quite right, trying to be patient. I've been thinking about buying something just to put in the garage to have fun with while I continue to look...something that would be easy to sell when I found a Corvette. Anybody see that 59 NAPCO Apache?

Brenda1

I think it is rude to question my honor and motivations. I did communicate with Mattsba and explained to him I recently moved from Gold Canyon to Fountain Hills, AZ. The move was very expensive and I had to spend lots of cash in moving and in some updates for the new house. I explained that I still have the Viper funds saved for the new Vette and would have more funds free up in a few months. Till then, if I want to find a car with the funds I have available to me, why is it anyone's business what I want to spend on a luxury item I do not need but want to have. Troll someone else Deejaydudu and leave me alone.