That does sound a bit high. There are some obvious things it needs as you have out lined. Definitely a couple of thousand dollars just for the obvious. Its the unknowns that could get expensive. If it ran and drove I would say that price would be fair.

I understand a lot of the parts are specific to that year, makes them harder to find.

My guess "as is" would be $12,000 to $16,000.

Jim

 

Alan,
That's one of the best ones I've heard in a while!

 

This is an easy one...hire an independent appraiser who is familiar with Corvettes.

I don't think the bird crap, original or not, will affect the value much. The damage done to the paint by leaving it on there is a different story.

 

I'd agree with this value, if it was running/driving/stopping. Appears to be a low miles car in good original condition.

Certainly no less than $10,000 even before you cleaned it. Splitting the difference to pay for complete brake job, and robust tune-up...

$15,000 is a fair price to pay the estate

Steve

 

Re: price.
Don't try to start it yet. See if you can turn the crank by hand first. Most likely the brake calipers are shot & leaking. Have all the fluids replaced. The carb will probably need a rebuild also.
It looks like an early build, no pull handles on the doors. The interior is in amazing shape and the paint is 100 times better with the cleaning you did. Are there bird nests in the garage?
Did he keep all the documentation? Hope it works out as you'll have a great vette and be only the 2nd owner.
Glenn

 

First of all I'd be all over that car, especially it being a family member's car. I'd be curious as to whether the bird mess has done permanent damage to the paint, although it probably has. Assuming there's no underlying rust though, I think it's a great candidate for a resto, and may even be nice enough to be brought back as a nice driver as it sits. I'll leave the value estimates to people more knowledgeable than me. If I got it though, I'd sort throought the mechanical stuff first, specifically the saftety related, and put it on the road to see what else becomes a problem.

 

Nice Vette to start with that would pay out in the long run later. The interior looks great. To bad this didn't come along for me four years ago. Curious if the documentation is still available.

 

IMHO, this is a great project. There's no way it's worth less than $15k. Can I bid on it?

 

Since he was the original owner, assuming the engine is the original that could be a NCRS Survivor car. It's worth some big bucks, if so! You need to do more research regarding its numbers, and what you want to do about it. See...the more that car is original, the more it's worth and you might want to stop before you price yourself out of a car!

To really do it right, I'd look for a Corvette Club in your area. Speak with them and find out if there is a certified appraiser in the club (usually there's at least one) and get a real appraisal. That's the fair way.

Good luck! I think that's a great car.

 

The vette is original. However like I said it was hit in the left front in
the 70's and has been repainted.I don't think the side mirror is original
but should not be hard to correct.

 

It has been re painted so original is subjective here.....No spider webbing or checking on the paint lead me to believe that it has been repainted at some point......Great car though !

 

Well it feels like a long time but, I finally bought my Uncles Vett. With thanks to Dennis Tracy of Tracy Performance in Roseville Mi.. (He not only did the appraisal but spent all the time I wanted to answer questions.) The appraisal was for $9,000 and that is what I payed. There is more issues than I thought, but not too many to stop me. The rear brakes are locked up so I have some work to do to get it home. As I work on it, I will post as many pics as I can. I will also be asking a lot of stupid questions. I cant wait to get started.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...ilies/rofl.gif

 

I think you got a great deal!

 

panicman
$9K is not a lot of money for a car like that. The big negative is the car having sat since 1984...not good. Low miles don't mean much when you are talking 42 year old everything. Before spending any more money, get some experienced help and try to get it running, just to ascertain what condition the mechanicals are in. If you need to rebuild the engine and just about everything else, you are talking a lot of money. If the car is a truly original BB, matching numbers and has a decent frame/birdcage, then it is worthy of a correct restoration. Decision time...whether to just fix, restore or sell to someone else for a modest profit.

I've spent another $26K on mine since purchasing in 2004 (it had been sitting since 1985, ran good and was all polished with new tires) and I have done most of the work. To finish the restoration with new paint, chrome and interior, I could easily spend another $14K. So my do-it-yourself frame-on restoration will cost at least $40K. If I would have paid somebody to do it, I could have spent a whole lot more. Total frame-off restorations in a shop can cost upwards of $80K, or more. These 390coupes, even if NCRS Top Flight and documented, are not selling for anywhere near that kind of money.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but rather provide you with some information because you admittedly know very little about these cars. If you decide to keep it and work on it, the people on this forum will be more than glad to give you all the advice (and help) you need.

 

It was hit in the right front.(not a good repair).

Front bumper is twisted and spoiler is missing.

Rt. head light assembly is not correct? May be out of a 69(they are not the same)

There is a 3" crack in the rt. ft. finder.

Hood does not line up?

Paint.

All the chrome is pitted.

The four finders are showing the bonding strips.

The engine will not turn with a wrench. I am soaking the cylinders with Breakaway but plan on doing a rebuild.

Rt. side mirror is incorrect.

Ignition system is incorrect.

Windshield washer bottle is missing.

Smog system is missing.

All most all vacuum hoses are incorrect.

Complete chassis rebuild(front and rear).

Needs all body mounts.

Break system, fuel system and power steering.

It is from my father(no bidding).

 

Back in the day I was an ASE certified master tech.
I still have many friends in the business.
My best friend is in the auto body and paint business with the experience necessary for this job.
I will be calling on them.

 

Google "Top Hat John" hes a few miles from your location and can provide all the answers to your questions with an unbiased opinion..One of the best and he goes nationwide.

tell him Wally Knoch referred you

 

I think you got a very friendly appraisal. Just realize that appraisal is not a science, and there is lots of flexibility. If the appraiser understands his client is trying to establish a purchase price, he leans one way. If the appraiser is trying to establish a replacement cost for insurance purposes he might lean the other way with dramatically different results. Your dad fulfills his fiduciary responsibility as executor of the estate and you get a nice vette... win win! I think you got a great deal on a very neat car. A nice 68 390 hp coupe is a relatively rare bird. Far more verts than coupes in 68 and for some strange reason most of the bigblocks you see these days are tripower. Check out the gas door lid for me and see if those rivets are original.

 

i think you got a REALLY GOOD DEAL! looks like a really solid project, with everything pretty much there. i am restoring the exact same car, a 68' coupe, 427/390 4 speed. i will tell you right up front, i envy your project because mine was a basket case when i purchased it, and you would NOT BELIEVE how the parts that i was missing are adding up. (brackets, intake manifolds, exhaust manifolds, you name it)

i pulled the body off, and am doing a complete resto from the ground up. the chasis is almost complete now, and would be happy to compare notes and provide some pics if you are interested! Rick

 

Hi pman,
Putting all the crap behind us now this looks like a pretty nice car. I believe you paid a price that will allow you to put some $$ in the car and still have it make sense.
Take a look at Gregg73's thread with pictures from the Mason Dixon NCRS Chapter meet yesterday. His post has a couple of pictures of a silver 68 BB coupe that will be a real inspiration to you. (That car is tri-power but your compartmet can be just as stunning.
Please keep the questions, updates, and pictures coming.
GOOD LUCK!
Regards,
Alan