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OK, let me start by requesting no snide comments, I have heard them all.
The owner of the car has suggested she might be willing to sell this car for the first time that I can recall. She was never open to selling the old Corvettes from her late husband before. These cars have sat around like this for 30 plus years.
Anyway, what we have is a rough 1963 Corvette convertible. The main body has been pieced together from two separate cars (in about the middle of the car). The chassis under this car was restored to a driver quality about 20 years ago, and it has sat like this ever since. The engine is a Tonawanda 1963 or 1964 passenger car 300hp, automatic (S suffix code). There is a manual transmission in the car, but I cannot determine what it is.
I (this afternoon) laid eyes on the following extra parts that will go with the car:
1. C2 hardtop (year unknown)
2. 1964 instrument cluster with all gauges
3. C2 rear valance with exhaust trim
4. Ecklers one piece hand laid front clip (from wheel openings forward)
5. Headlight assemblies
6. Master brake cylinder
7. Side trim pieces
8. One seat (I think the other one is there, but buried under other parts)
9. 65-66 big block hood (needing work)
Also I have seen other parts in the past that may or may not still be available
1. Pair of convertible doors
2. C2 dash assembly with 65-67 gauges in it
3. Soft top assembly
4. Aftermarket 63-63 hood (new)
I am sure there are other parts, but these parts have been buried in a couple of buses, and garage upstairs attic for decades.
OK, what do you think all of this stuff, as a package deal is worth. Include the parts I saw today in your evaluation, but not the parts I have yet to locate.
Alabama does not title cars this old, but the owner does have all of the paperwork (Alabama current registration in her name) and will provide that with a notarized bill of sale to the buyer. That will get you a title in any other state (that does title cars this old).
OK, here are the pictures. I do NOT know why the VIN tag is riveted on, or where the trim tag is.
Before anyone asks, none of the other Corvettes are for sale.
Also, the final deal would include EVERY part that would actually fit a 63/64 Corvette, but only enough for one car (i.e. if we locate 4 headlight assemblies, the buyer would get their choice of two of them, not all four).
if that heap and all the parts was already stacked on a flatbed trailer, and the trailer was included, $8,000.
As it sits you must provide the trailer, $6,000
Last edited by 65hihp; 01-10-2019 at 05:16 PM.
Reason: delete snide comment
$5,500 and piece it out. Time and cost to bring it back to life will cost more than it is worth when it is finished. Make a rough estimate of what parts can sell for, then offer her half of that or less.
OK, is this a trick? You already know the answer to your question, and you are just trying to waste our time?
I am trying to come up with a reasonable price for this car to suggest to the owner as a selling price. I don't spend any time looking at the market for cars like this, but I figure some of you do, and will have a better idea of what the market is like.
I also checked Ebay to see if anything "like this" has sold recently. I saw the one car I posted a link to. There was another car that was also similar in condition, but neither car had a VIN tag or any paperwork.
So to answer your question, no this is not a trick. I do not already know what the asking price is going to be. If this is a waste of your time please don't put any effort into it. I have been tasked with suggesting to the seller what a reasonable asking price is. The seller is willing to sell the car, which is pretty much the first old Corvette she has been willing to sell.
I have nothing to gain from this. I will not get a commission, or a fee for my assistance. I am honoring a promise I made to her late husband just before he passed away.
I have helped her sell about 50 or so project cars over the years. Everything from a Model A Ford 2 door to a 1970 Monte Carlo. I took pictures of all of these cars, and I decided to put it all together in a Shutterfly book, which I took out to her today. This is the first time we have spoken in about a year, and that is when she mentioned possibly selling the 63.
She doesn't need the money, and she won't give the car away. The number I come up with (actually more probably a range) is what she will ask. And she will get that or she will keep the car.
The car has lots of issues, but is does have a restored chassis (not sure how good it is now) and a VIN tag with paperwork. I am looking for a reasonable number, not top dollar, and not a giveaway price.
I helped her sell her 1953 Corvette a few years ago. If was in about the same shape as this 63, but it went for quite a bit more money.
I would offer that car for $5,500 with all of the parts included and I would expect it to sell for that price. Not to any of us on this forum but maybe someone who has a lot of extra time to piece this back together at his/her leisure who is looking to have a Sting Ray that will never be "correct" but would make a fun driver. The buy-in would have to be pretty cheap, retirement project/father and son project, etc. No snarky comments from me, I think that price would reasonably work.
There are plenty of people out there looking for C2 projects. Of course the top flight types will frown on this car, but anyone with some skill can make a nice car out of it. If it were mine, I would eBay it to reach the largest audience of buyers. I'd start with on opening bid of $2K and a reserve of $10K, which I would not disclose. See how close it gets. If it hits, or breaks $10K, Bingo! If not, go to the highest bidder and make a deal with him. Every C2 is saleable to somebody out there. Just remember, they aren't making any more of them.
Good Luck, Greg
I would offer that car for $5,500 with all of the parts included and I would expect it to sell for that price. Not to any of us on this forum but maybe someone who has a lot of extra time to piece this back together at his/her leisure who is looking to have a Sting Ray that will never be "correct" but would make a fun driver. The buy-in would have to be pretty cheap, retirement project/father and son project, etc. No snarky comments from me, I think that price would reasonably work.
Ray
I appreciate the suggestion, but my limited research (limited to looking at Ebay this afternoon) has pointed out two different similar C2 convertibles.
The one I pictured above sold for $5600.
The other car, a 64 convertible with the link below, sold for $10,701. Car has a VIN and trim tag, and frame is rusted out from the doors back. No drive train.
Let me ask it this way. How do I suggest to her that she sell this car for less than I know similar cars are selling for? I don't have a legal fiduciary obligation here, but I certainly have a moral one. It comes with the promise I made to her husband to not let her be taken advantage of.
She doesn't need top dollar; she needs a fair market price.
There are plenty of people out there looking for C2 projects. Of course the top flight types will frown on this car, but anyone with some skill can make a nice car out of it. If it were mine, I would eBay it to reach the largest audience of buyers. I'd start with on opening bid of $2K and a reserve of $10K, which I would not disclose. See how close it gets. If it hits, or breaks $10K, Bingo! If not, go to the highest bidder and make a deal with him. Every C2 is saleable to somebody out there. Just remember, they aren't making any more of them.
Good Luck, Greg
Definitely a thought, and she might go that way if I suggest it. But we all know Ebay (and Ebayers) can be a real hassle.
In all honesty if every part needed to piece this car back together is in storage and the parts are serviceable, no rot frame and birdcage, full drivetrain, I would say 8,500 to 10,000, the person who buys this car would need to do most if not all of the work to restore this car to driver status. If not and the work is farmed out they will quickly spend beyond what the car would be worth when completed.
I never understood threads like this. Put it on ebay with a start of $2500 with no reserve and laugh when it gets bid up to a crazy number. There are plenty of dreamers out there. I would take the hardtop, master cylinder and abfew body panels and toss it.
Ed, I'm inclined to agree with Greg, eBay does seem like the quickest and fairest way for her to determine how much folks are willing to pay for what she has. Frankly there are just too many unknowns based on the few pictures posted. From the engine to what remains of the drive train. Even the fact that the VIN tag has been riveted on (even with a title), could be risky depending on where the car were to end up.
As you may know Alabama has had a history in the south east, at least during the 70's and 80's when I lived in "LA", as the place to go to buy a title. Back then it was not uncommon to have a title purchased in Alabama, from a less than reputable source, then registered and insured in Florida and shortly afterward reported stolen there. The late 70's was about the time Florida began requiring that in order to register a used vehicle there, the VIN must be viewed and witnessed by Law Enforcement or DMV personnel, largely for reasons like that.
I don't know if the car is even in Alabama or that there is anything untoward regarding it's legitimacy, but folks are just much more cautious about buying a vehicle without a clear clean title these days than they were 20 to 30 years ago. Especially a vehicle they will be investing $1,000's in, only to have it confiscated if something brings its legitimacy into question.
Good luck with your task and thank you for taking a project like this on to help someone that just wants to be treated fairly.
Ebay no reserve and disclose everything in the description so the bidder has no doubt about what they're getting. You'll get the most honest price (Market price) for everyone that way. I would say certainly more than $5K.
As far as this car goes...…..boy...….I would hate to even give it a guess. That car is quite the project.
To fulfill your commitment to your friend, I think I would do just as others have suggested. But I probably wouldn't even place a minimum on it. If you did, and it didn't sell, what would you do next?
I'm guessing it would go up to 7k or so, but.....you just never know. It could go for even more.
01-10-2019, 04:53 PM
What is it worth
