Brenda1

Hello- I am in the market for a C2 Corvette (again) and would like input on the best place to find my new car. Any dealers that have a good reputation and charge fair prices? The FS section of this forum is pretty slow this time of year. Since I am located in Arizona we are right in the middle of cars show and driving season.

1snake

While some "may" be better than others, the bottom line is that they all are nothing more than used car salesmen. Believe NOTHING they say, get everything in writing and if you don't have the knowledge, have someone who does check it out first. Good luck in your search.

Brenda1

Good advise Snake, about 6 months ago I came this close to buying the car, already sold stock for the funds. Then I had an inspection done prior to sale and it was a wrecked car selling for a premium price. Will get that inspection for sure! All I know about C2's is that I look good in one

1snake

I'm sure you do.

karkrafter

No, bad advice snake...Do you judge black people or Polish people or women the same way you 'judge' used car salesman? Are they all liars?

What do you do for a living? Let me find the worst one in that profession and attach all their deeds to you...

Maybe you guessed it by by now, I'm a used car salesman and I'm proud of it. We bleed red, we cry when we hurt and we laugh when we are happy. We are no different than any other person on this earth, no better but more importantly no worse.

Randy G.

John at GM Downunder in Costa Mesa, CA. Excellent reputation. He's also an NCRS judge.

http://www.gmdownunder.com/

65hihp

He said some are better than others. He must have been referring to you.
But still, his advice is sound.

He was talking about this guy.

1snake

Sorry if I offended you. I stand by my opinion based on experience and the stories my wife told me when she was the general sales manager of a Chevrolet dealership. The business motto is "car salesmen would eat their young for a sale".
As far as what I do for a living, I'm now retired after almost 40 years as a professional firefighter.

68hemi

Sent you an email about one I knew of for sale locally recently.

karkrafter

Yeah I take offense to it all..

Do your due diligence on ANY purchase of anything...get things in writing from you BROTHER. If you are to believe nothing then ask no questions.


So post a picture of a stereotypical portrayal of a sleazy car salesman and that somehow makes it ok..

Walk a mile in my shoes.

Some of you just don't get it...and never will. And I don't mean your prejudice against car salesman, I mean your prejudice again another human being.

I'm done, you are big boys [and girls] and have had a lifetime to get it right..and failed.

tuxnharley

Wow - preach much? You dare to equate racism and sexism with generalizations about used car salesmen? That is EXACTLY the kind of exaggerated hyperbole that people find so disappointing in many used car sales types.

Congratulations - you have learned your trade well.

PS - the OP said it was good advice based on her prior experience......

big block ken

Those "celebrity" status classic car dealers sitting in the front rows at Barrett-Jackass auctions are there for one reason. They could care less about the history of a car that someone cherished for years. Provenance is just some paperwork that adds to the profit in their pocket.

Yes, stereotyping and profiling of anyone IS wrong. And I'm a former cop. But it's those soul-less flippers who only see a special Corvette (or other classic) as a quick buck, make those of us who have a true passion for these works of art .. sick.

I have my deceased brother's '66 big block that he bought new when I was 12. I'm 63 now, and have NO desire to sell this original Top Flight beauty, with full documentation. And it's that obnoxious slob, wearing a gold chain, who pulls up in his dealer tagged car that asks me if it's for sale, AFTER I tell him how I got it, who makes Corvette lovers (with a heart) feel the way they do about dealers getting their hands on these treasures. I've owned 12 prior Corvettes, bought private and sold private, for this reason.

leif.anderson93

Brenda,
Don't think you will find a more honest classic dealer than Greg Wyatt. Give him a call after looking over his website.

www.vintagecorvettes.com

ricks327

As far as car salesman, check any national survey of professions and let us know where cars salesman rank with the general public. Right alongside politicians. I would trust a new car salesperson before a used car salesperson but that is not saying much.
Just my .02

Brenda1

Thanks Lief. I just check out the site and found an amazing 1960 with grey coves and a red interior. Wow, what an attractive car! That's the hard part about corvettes, just when you decide it's got to be a C2, you see a C1 that calls to you in a bad way! I just wish they posted prices!

provette67

Many here will say to stay away from the dealers and only buy from a private seller. Both have plus and minus. The dealers have more cars to look at. They have a website that makes it easy to get some info. They also are licensed. If there are issues the buyer can get some legal help vs them. The private seller may have insight into the car's history. They also should have first hand knowledge of how the car runs and drives. Sometime the price maybe less expensive. But if a issue arises you may not get much help. If the issue is a big one you are going to be in a tough spot. Tough to get money from someone without it no matter a legal judgement.
No matter the seller make sure that you know what you are buying. Some think that the dealers know everything about the cars that they are selling. Many times they know what they are told about the car when they buy it. If that was at an auction that info is limited. Not much more from a private seller. The dealers mostly buy on cosmetics. They usually do not buy projects. Then restore the car to sell. They are looking to do as little as possible. So if someone looks at a car from a dealer and it turns out to be less than expected you get the "salesman is a liar" BS
Private owners can have thoughts about their car that are less the facts. Most times they think that they know the car. But some, even with long time ownership, do not know as much as you would think. Maybe they have glorious memories that have faded over time. Here is an example that I ran into a few months ago with a private seller.
Even when dealing with "the" original owner you can't be certain. Recently I received a call from the original owner of a totally unrestored '67 400hp air four speed roadster, "never hit,nice untouched original paint,nice untouched original interior and all original under the hood including the radiator hoses". The seller said that 'he was moving to Florida and his family did not want him driving the car that far". The price was a "firm" $125K.
The car is 2hrs from me. So I was there 2hrs later. When I arrived the owner and his son informed me that they had three other buyers who have been trying to buy the car for 10yrs. People from Barrett Jackson have called about the car. Again the price was firm because they have researched the car's real value. They showed me the original title from May of '67. Now I can't wait to get inside the garage.
Inside I find the "unhit" body to have four flairs. The "original" paint is dark blue metal flake. The "nice original interior" has a set of Camaro buckets. Under the hood is a 454 from a '76 truck. If possible to add insult to injury the car was not an air car. When I asked about the air I was pointed to the air pull vent. I pointed out the many issues with the car and was told "the price is still firm". When I left I was told that I should not have wasted their time if I could not afford the car. I just wished them good luck with the sale.
So again no matter the seller make sure that you know what you are buying.

SBR

The best piece of advice I can give you is hire someone reputable to inspect any potential purchase. Lots of nice cars out there but plenty of bad ones too.

hedgehead

I sure you do too, but in all honesty, who doesn't?

William Buckley

Greg Wyatt is a "USED CAR SALESMAN" Take my word for it because I bought one from him and it cost me plenty to bring the car up to decent condition.

C2 Jeff

The way I look at it, you can have a bad experience with either a private seller or dealer....it's just that the bad dealers have practiced their craft which makes them harder to uncover.
Neither one should be able to escape a qualified corvette inspector....When you are spending anywhere from 30K-100K on a car, $500-$1000 for a detailed inspection from an expert is more than worth it.

It took me 8 months and 3 false starts to find the car I ended up purchasing. Of the 3 losing cars, one was from a dealer and two were from private sellers. The cars had deal-killer issues from a one piece non-gm front end that was overly shimmed (along with the front suspension) to a car that had so many little things wrong with it it wasn't worth the price.

I've been around and under cars all of my adult life, but in hindsight, I am very glad I spent the close to 2K to find a car that was right enough for me.