The range for many C2s can be quite wide. For example, 67 435s can range from roughly $100K (green cars) to mid $700K (Black with blue interior) depending on color, originality, and condition.

 

And "cash is king'" is a fantasy; I'm betting that the sales of classic cars with owner financing is a fraction of a percentage. If somebody can wire money to my account on a sale; its better than hard cash and safer. NOBODY is getting a $10K discount on my car because they wave hundred dollar bills in my face (its been tried more than once).

You would have to be a pretty damned, unsophisticated seller (or trying to "hide" some money) to be swayed by that nonsense...

 

I didn't mean to say that $70 k cars need to be perfect. My guess was just that those under $50 k cars that look like good buys may very well be good buys and fine drivers, but I strongly suspect they are in need of body and paint work in order to be higher rank and worth more. A small block that needs valve seals doesn't scare anybody, - one that needs paint is a months long project, which baby boomers are no longer interested in pursuing.
Very sorted and interesting cars can hold above $65 k even with some body needs if they are still "lookin' good".

 

I don't find anything here to disagree with.

 

IMCO I also feel this is an accurate prospective of the market. Pictures don't always show all the details. Putting qualified eyes on the car can reveal a lot that may not show otherwise. On top of that not every buyer shares the same vision of "lookin' good". Some Corvettes seem to be for sale forever. Is it because the asking price is way too high or has the seller just not found the "right" buyer?

 

So true

 

You dissing my green car again?

 

If you only look at the dealer listings on eBay, Collector Trader, etc., you would think prices are accelerating, but they bought them from private sellers and marked them up in most cases. There are still good deals to be found, but don’t think some gimmick like cash in hand or your slick negotiating prowess is going to get you a steal. I and many others would simply add an idiot premium to our selling price.

 

Yeah! Let Us know how that works out!!!

 

Heck with that - if you like green cars and you're buying a C2, I call that an opportunity. Same with the yellow C2s.

I'm fond of the dark green metallics myself (as in Bullitt Green) and had a '67 Cougar that color in high school that I still salivate over the idea of.

 

I agree. Green would be my first choice, followed by dark blue followed by yellow followed by maroon. Black, White, Red, not desirable to me on a mid-year. And black with a blue interior would be my last choice. I'd at least rip out the interior and change it to red, like it should have been in the first place!

 

Take some time and look at the most recent Mecum auction from Kissimmee. Just looking at auction pictures on line and results will just get you confused. They all look the same in pictures and on TV. But there are reasons that some sell for more than others at the same auction. From four of my friends who are all very experienced Corvette shoppers. They all used the same word when I asked about prices at the auction,"Stupid".
This goes right along with I have been seeing in the market. Another indicator in the market. In 2019 I did 22 pre purchase inspections throughout the country. Last year I did 53 and the farthest away that I went from my home in the Cleveland area was a 6hr drive one way. I probably turned down close to that many other inspections because I was not interested in flying like I normally would. Very good cars are bringing very strong money. Good cars are bringing strong money. Average drivers or below are bringing what would have been considered strong money in 2019. Even project cars are selling for more money.
My advice to a buyer is take your time and really narrow search to what you really want. Year or years. Coupe or convertible. Colors and options. Then unless you can do all of the work yourself buy the best example of that car that you can find and afford. You will be money ahead in the long run. Just ask someone who has paid to have his below average driver or project car to be restored.

 

Was that the Corvette with the low-riser hood?!?!?

 

Yep, no bulging hood and silver paint.

 

Really great advice and special emphasis on "buy what you can afford". And, don't assume you are smarter than every seller.

 

Really, L88 1969 sold for 610k at BAT last month, i think the market is going to be great for the rare Cars with proper history and documents.

 

No disagreement there, but that car was an entirely different animal (a unicorn survivor car). The original question was about midyear drivers.

 

Since I just spent the money and look in person at at least 7 cars and drove a few 1000 miles to look at them.

There are cars for "sale" and there are cars that need to be sold. The cars for "sale" are people who are fishing and the accurately represented cars that need to be sold go quick. Cash being king in that you can drive up pay and be on your way and not lose a car to someone while you finance. No savings to be had. The Corvette market is very stable cars have known values and they hold them because restoration is more expensive than buying a finished car and there are almost no cars really left to be found by people who don't know the values. Makes it hard to get a deal but makes the resale about the same as purchase if everyone is honest.

Are there really good drivers in the 50-60K range absolutely but the quality is all over the place and driver means a lot of things. I was able to get something with darn near perfect paint, body off restoration but likely the least stock not completely over the top C2 in the last couple months for sub 50K. I got fantastic paint, fantastic interior, amazing non stock mechanical but some seriously questionable body modifications and style. For the 40 hours of work and the ~4K in parts it will take me to make it presentable I got a fantastic deal but in the days they car was up there were tons of call to buy and I just made the drive out to save time on an inspector,

I also saw at least three cars in the 70's that were sold as "body off restored" that were black paint slapped on a frame and some cheap interior refreshes that would fool most people at a car show but not anyone here.

 

I have arguably the very least collectible midyear: a '64 Saddle Tan convertible with no power options, no A/C, and a Powerglide. My car is further devalued, in many eyes, by a non-original short block and a non-original frame. It also has a front-end repair that is good and solid but can be seen if you look for it. These are the downsides.

The upsides are that the frame replacement was done right and every nut and bolt is new, every suspension system and driveline piece is rebuilt, and the brakes are 100% new from M/C to the wheel cylinders. The birdcage looks great. The 30-year-old repaint is very very presentable and the interior is super nice and mostly original. The top is very good (though a little shrunk from being stored in the down position too long). The car looks bone-stock down to the Spring Ring battery cables and fake tar top. And it is mechanically 100% sorted. New timing chain, water pump, and many many other new pieces including heater core, blower motor, every hose, new exhaust front to back...I could go on.

For me, the upsides far outweighed the downsides, and I felt like I got exactly what I wanted; a really clean and stock-looking car, but without the extra cost of being a numbers-matching car. And the frame on many cars, even some nice ones, is a source of worry. This car's frame will never, ever be a concern for me.

Now, as to market; I feel like this is the absolute bottom line in terms of what you could buy if you were going after a stock-configured car versus a crate 350/MSD/blue spark plug wires/Cragars kind of car. You know what I mean. And I paid $39K - what I felt was a very fair price for a turn-key car. I bought about $1000 in goodies which I wanted for it, just to put the icing on the cake, but I could have driven it just the way it was. So- $40K for a stock-looking driver which would impress anyone, even an NCRS guy, though of course not be a Flight car.

I have seen quite a few cars in the high $30s which were nice drivers but which I would spend $10K on to get them how I wanted them. I have never seen a car under $35K which did not need paint. And I have never seen a decent, driving numbers-matching car under $35K. Someone will now show me 10 of them and prove me wrong, perhaps, but that is just relating my experience with the low end of the market. I have looked at the upper end much less because that is not the kind of investment I want to make in a car, owing to all of my other wants and needs.

 

Dino Bob,
Very solid outlook, good for you, as you got what you wanted and didn't diss anyone with your post.