Dellrose

Fellas,

Legendary Motor Car has what is listed as a full frame off 1965 coupe. Could ya’ll give it a look and give me your opinion on the condition of this car?

I’m particularly interested in the pics of the frame. Are the welds in pics 59 and 60 patchwork, or correct? Does this appear to be a quality frame off resto? I’m thinking about flying up there later this month and am contemplating purchase. Before I make the trip, I’ll also need advice on a Corvette focused pre purchase inspector to assist as well.

https://legendarymotorcar.com/invent...oupe-2731.aspx

Vet65te

For me, not enough illumination to really see the frame welds. The only thing that looks odd is the tachometer. That low yellow/redline is what you'd see for a base 250 horse or L75 300 horse 327, not an L79.
Car looks clean but if someone did the gauge cluster, they installed the wrong tach face.
Mike T - Prescott AZ

Nowhere Man

Where was the picture of the trim tag and engine stamp?

dplotkin

When I see an obvious goof like that on a high end car a dealer has, I don't consider how it happened or its innocuousness , Instead I ask what else is wrong, or not correct or misrepresented. And I move on.

Dan

Dellrose

This is what I’m here for. Finding a C2 that someone did a quality complete restoration on for less is getting really difficult. So, I’m still in the optimistic phase, but the tach is concerning as it relates to the rest of the work.

Nowhere Man

ask for good detailed pictures of the trim, vin tag and stamp pad.

3JsVette

I don't have the knowledge to comment on how correct this car is but I'll add my thoughts. Desirable color combinations and cleanliness are very distracting when trying to determine where the faults are hiding. Emotion is a terrible distraction. At the six figure price point an expert 2nd set of eyes and ears are IMCO a must.
provette67 where are you?

Dellrose

I’m in central Florida and agree with you completely which is why I mentioned finding a vette focused pre purchase man to assist. My steps are toss it up here for you fellows to pick it apart and IF it is still somewhat attractive, engage the dealer for numbers pics etc. and clarification of the forum findings. The car is in Canada, so before I invest in a qualified pre purchase, I figured this the best course.

leif.anderson93

Appears to be a stunning Corvette. However, without some serious documentation I don't see how this particular car is worth $99000. Even with docs, this is all the money and then some for a non A/C coupe. JMHO

Factoid

Are you looking for correctness or niceness or both?

Dellrose

Thanks! Again, this is why I love this forum. If all the documentation was forwarded from the dealer, and all forum questions answered sufficiently, followed by a pro pre purchase inspection to confirm, I might be able to negotiate a number that makes sense.

When engaging a dealer, I’ve always found it best to limit communication. Get all the knowledge you can, justify a serious offer to purchase and have them accept or come back to do so sans a bunch of superfluous sales chat.

Dellrose

Both…

I want to buy an as delivered C2 corvette in all its correct glory and drive the hell out of it. I want the time machine experience my father had.

Big-K

PBR56 just listed a wonderful restored 67 convertible that is a benchmark car. You should look at that one just for getting a feel for the car I think you are wanting but in a coupe. Big-K

Dellrose

Yeah…that is a real stunner, but I’m looking for a coupe. I’d much prefer finding a coupe in the condition of his convertible from a forum member, but I’ve been looking for six months for the “right” car and have yet to find it in the FS area.

Patience is a virtue, but holding $$ is a fools game in 2024. Everything is going up…

ChrisBlair

Well prices usually go up. In my experience, I have never been disappointed by holding out for what I want. However I have been disappointed by settling for what I could get.

Drummer Boy

One thing I might add for you to consider is that when you purchase from a dealer you pay the sales tax on the entire Price of the car. In a private sale, in AZ for example, you dont. I was pleasanly surprised to discover tis when I got my 62. I paid 35.00 in sales tax. When I was recently looking to purchase 60 from a dealer I discovered that I would have to pay 8.5% on the full purchase price --asking 85K. Big difference.

Fortunately for me that dealer----One of the biggeies we all know about---never responded to my e mail querries--" Hello, I am in AZ and am seriously interested in this car. Would you please send me a few more photos, esp the under body, frame and engine compartment." The a few questions regardin rear end etc. I sent them four e mails and never received a response.

This, I found to be quite common with these dealers. There must be some psychology at work here that I dont know about--not want to.
Will be curious to seehow this all shakes out.
Wishing you better luck with them I I had.
Eddie

Tampa Jerry

No doubt, the car is stunning. As others have said, this car was not born the way it is presented. That does not make it wrong, just be aware of the inconsistencies and price accordingly. You live in Florida and it's a black coupe. Add a few thousand more for a Vintage AC install. My black/black couple is sweat hot box to drive during much of the year. If really interested, have it professionally inspected and make an offer. Keep an eye on the continuous thread of cars for sale here and the for sale section of this forum. Where are you in Florida? Good luck. Jerry

dplotkin

Dealers are middlemen. They do nothing for a car that you can't with tire shine and wax. They do nothing for the purchase experience beyond a comfortable chair in which to sit while you press hard with a pen, there are three copies in which the large print giveth and the small print taketh away.

I don't intend to impune all dealers but for goodness sakes, when buying an expensive antique automobile a dealer is the last place to go. Beyond aggregating a selection of cars under bright lights in a showroom bedecked with cheesy auto memorabilia dealers do nothing for a buyer beyond marking up the price of a car whose history is often obscured by a lack of paperwork and bullshit. Who needs this? None of us here. Dealers exist largely to sell cars for too much to eager, excited and easily enticed buyers who know too little.

Best course is to hire a pre-purchase inspector to look at several cars in private hands. Even a large auction with dozens of Corvettes or more, Mecum's Kissimmee for example, is a better bet than a dealer. Best is to use this forums advertisements or advice from some of us here who know about a car one of us has. C2 Corvette coupes are far from rare and as owners age out more of them become available.

Be patient. Use discretion. Avoid a dealer.

Dan

Dellrose

Yup…the sales tax is apparently of the state you’re registering the car in, so Florida would be 6%. I would very much prefer private sale as engaging the dealers has always been an **** pain.

Dellrose

I’m now in the Eustis area on an acre with a small lake adjacent to the back of the property. I’m a stereotype, but it works for me.

I’ve always tolerated the heat well and have enough fun vehicles to focus driving a new non-AC car during the sweet six months we get here in the middle of the state. I actually don’t view AC as a pro or con for my next vette. Again, it works for me….