richopp

Hi,

Is there anyone near Sarasota, FL who is NCRS or otherwise qualified to do a pre-purchase inspection of this car:

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...e/2052999.html

If anyone knows/has owned the car, please feel free to send me a PM.

Cheers!

Frankie the Fink

You could PM rich5962; he's built many a Top Flight car from the ground up and is in that area; he's semi-retired so I don't know but if he'd do it that's your guy...

I spent a lot of time looking at cars at various Sarasota classic car dealers before buying my split window in Ohio....let's just say you're doing the right thing getting some inspection help - there are some dodgy hucksters down that way...

richopp

Thanks very much for the lead. I will try to contact him regarding his availability for this work.

Shady operators in Florida??? I've been here since 1972 and NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING!!

This is a state that is in the running for winning the most criminals and criminal enterprises in the world. My town is running head to head with Palm Beach for the most crooks per square mile, but hey, makes life interesting and is always entertaining!

Thanks again...

Dan Hampton

You are doing it the right way. A few dollars spent, now, will save you innumerable headaches in the years to come. Good luck with your search and when you find what you want, please post on the Forum. I hope your search works out well.

richopp

Thanks very much, Dan. I learned the hard way in the Buick world that a few dollars invested up front is well worth it down the line. The hardest thing is to find someone who actually knows what they are doing. I have confidence that in the Corvette world there are numerous experts around. Buick does not have anything like NCRS or Bloomington to help us out. We do have several super-extraordinary experts who know every nut and bolt on every year car and why, so we rely on them to call ***** and strikes.

Of course, these were production cars, as we all know, so boxes of parts were placed on the line when they were needed, so different bolts on a car are not necessarily bad. The person looking simply has to know what is possible and why and then factor that into the inspection. No 50+ year-old-car has anything like all "original" parts on it unless it is a barn find, and even then there was probably a reason it was parked--blown engine(?)--so knowing what you are getting into seems like a reasonable approach for us who are not in the 1%.

I will keep the Forum informed. In my area, we have Gold Coast Corvette in Ft. Lauderdale. I would probably use them for stuff I can't do or don't understand. BUT, first things first, right??

Cheers,

Richard

Frankie the Fink

I paid a few hundred dollars to a local, well-known Camaro pro to inspect a '69 Z-28 at one of those Sarasota classic car dealers - stunningly gorgeous car - but with a truck block (undisclosed by the dealer of course and NOT reflected in the price) - I passed on the car and consider the money well spent...

richopp

Excellent result! The old saying goes...pay me now or pay me later. Thank you again. The person you suggested replied and is out of town these days, but sent me to James Ranahan who is nearby and owns a Corvette restoration shop. I have sent him a PM and will keep the Forum up-to-date as this moves forward.

Cheers!

Richard

Easy Rhino

Not going to name names or cars, but I looked at a very attractive to the eye C2 on that coast several years ago when I was hunting for mine, and it was priced as for a top flight car, but it would have cost $$$$ to get it to the top flight level in obvious irregularities alone, not even counting the unknown unknowns, and I'm no NCRS expert.

An inspection BY SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THESE CARS is far, far cheaper than a single incorrect part in many, many cases.

GLWP

richopp

Totally agree, especially since I am a total virgin on these cars in every possible way. I can look at the car and see the obvious things, but this is a world that is all its own, and I have no problem asking for all the help I can get! The car I really want is priced out of my range and looks wonderful. It just had "service" to the tune of $26K, so I hear you loud and clear.

Easy Rhino

Good Luck with your prospective purchase!

Chuck Gongloff

Jim Ranahan is a great guy. Very knowledgeable.

richopp

Chuck,

Many thanks for the endorsement! I will be calling him today or tomorrow to see what is what over in Sarasota with this car or any others he may know about.

Really appreciate your post!

Cheers,

Richard

richopp

Just spoke to Mr. Ranahan; what a superb representative of the Corvette world! He was not only knowledgeable beyond anything a person could expect, but also a true gentleman in every way. I am going to go over and meet him even if this is not the car for me. From what he said, his shop is full of Corvettes in various states of restoration, so I foresee a day of me gawking like a teenager!

This is why I love this hobby. When I was redoing and showing Buick GS cars over the past 30 years or so and people came by and called them Chevy's and everything else, it was still a wonderful experience, and I met the nicest people around. Great hobby!

Chuck Gongloff

He's one of the good guys.

Jim's shop is near the Tampa Airport...