general ike

Hello all I am new here so be kind. It looks like a great place to learn!!!

I have been looking for a C3 corvette in the NY area for a while now and cannot seem to find a nice original combo and they all seem to have a premium in cost compared to the rest of the country.

I have been very leary about considering anything that I cannot drive to and see for myself. There seems to be some nice cars across the country. How does one find a "EXPERT" to look at a car for you? How do you know if they know what to look for or that your ideology is the same as yours?
Whom do you use to transport the vehicle? Do you trust them to get the job done?

Then there is the cost for all this added to the car price.

I know this is done all the time , but I guess I worry too much and a bit paranoid, so what does everyone think and thoughts on how to get this all done!!!
Advise, thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Thanks Ike

P.S.: If anyone in the NY area has a C3 corvette in good condition, running with an original setup (motor, tranny and rear) PM me!!!! Thanks again

mpro71vette

You can hire a car inspector and ask if he ever did a corvette. Maybe give him "the ten rules on how to bye a c3" up at the top of this forum.

gbvette62

Where in the "NY area" is the car located?

Generally, the cost to have a Corvette inspected by a knowledgeable Corvette inspector is about $400, plus travel.

Transportation costs vary by distance and the type of transport (open car carrier, moving van, enclosed car transporter, etc.). Generally you can expect to spend a minimum of $800-$1000, to have a car shipped.

PM sent.

general ike

Thanks for the response all.

Gbvette62 I PMed you, thanks for the response but to clarify, I live in the NYC area but are concerned about getting vehicles checkout and shipped from across the country.

Thanks Ike

Hoist66

Where in NY are you. I live in Weirton WV about 5hrs from Buffalo. I have a number matching 350 CI 350 HP 4 speed in pretty good shape needs paint and some gauge work, but mechanically sound.

tpfarm

Do not google "car transporters" with any information or you will receive dozens of " we have a truck in your area " for weeks on end.

Revi

There are various options,

If the car is out of State, you can contact the local NCRS Chapter and see if one of the more experienced Judges would help you out. The car doesn't need to be original, but the Judge would know what to look for.

You may also want to bite the bullet and make the trip to see a car that you are going to purchase. "The cost of doing business" as they say.

For shipping, if the car is within a few hundred miles of your location and you have a pickup truck, drive down, rent a u-haul trailer and tow it back yourself.
If cross country, I would stick with the mainline classic car auto shippers. That's what they do 24/7 and they're pretty good at it. If you try going for the lowest shipping bid, you get Crackhead Bob with a flatbed.

Alan 71

Hi gi,
Welcome!
A Corvette in your future! Great!
I think gbv and revi gave you some good advice.
I think the word needed in describing the person who looks at the car for you is 'knowledgable', and for delivering the car the word is 'responsible'.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

Easy Mike

IMHO always the best practice.

RMVette

When you find your dream car, contact the local Corvette club in that area. I'm sure they'd have a knowledgeable person look over the car and report back on what they found for you. As in a previous comment, the local NCRS chapter would be the best if you're looking at a documented car.

Shipping wise contact car transporters to get an estimate. They'll vary depending on if they are enclosed trailers.

RMVette

Jebbysan

I bought my 72' off of a member on the forum here.....that cut the ice quite a bit and established some trust as he had been a member for 6-7 years......many posts. I profiled him a bit and he sounded solid.
I drove him crazy with pics and video requests.......bought it out of South Carolina. Shipping was $800 and they picked it up Monday morning and had it to me in Texas TUESDAY AFTERNOON!
In the end I got a wonderful no hit car that was relatively unmolested for 20k......beautiful paint, excellent weatherstrips, trim, and many upgrades such as a complete VB&P suspension......NOM but it ran although the engine vibrated.....I was not set back.....I built a bad *** engine for it and detailed it while the engine was under construction.....
I recommend you shop here and do your homework........what you want is out there!!!!!
Do not pull the trigger until your gut says do it.....a little Crown helps sometimes....

Jebby

pigfarmer

I live in southeast NY and know what you are talking about. I’ve heard far more horror stories than happy endings with buying cars at a distance.

Don’t know what year or price range C3s you are looking at but I did find that surfing craigslist for upstate listings in Albany, Binghamton, Catskills etc. produced some reasonable results. Long Island and boroughs are pricier but tend to have more to choose from. eBay seemed to be more expensive overall.

I have family in Wisconsin and regularly looked at listings in some very rural areas. Thought maybe my brother (retired mechanic) could go take a look for me. In the end I never saw anything that justified the extra complication unless you are looking for something specific.

IMO if you have the mechanical ability to evaluate the car yourself and drive it home that’s the way to go.

ddawson

I've purchased many cars from far away.

Have friends inspect it. If you know no one is local ask forum members to take a look.
They can give you the overall condition.

For the Corvette get in touch with the local clubs. I had an NCRS member check mine out. I had to pay him of course.

I've also used mobile inspection services, but that cost money too.

Once you have a good candidate fly out and see it. If you buy it then arrange shipping. I've never had any issues with a shipping company's. If you want the best it's going to cost more but it will be the white glove treatment.

0Executive Auto Shippers

Since you're still in the process of looking for a car, it's also a good time to find a transporter. I would suggest checking Better Business Bureau, Angie's List, and others to see what other people have said. Also check out company websites to see what they offer, like guarantees and such.
Executive has shipped all over the US and its territories. You can get a free quote from us or give us a call and get your questions answered (8am-8pm M-Th, 8am-5pm F, and 9am-12pm Sat CST) 847-557-0200.

Good luck in your search!

Revi

Does Executive Auto Shippers own their trucks and have their own employees driving the trucks or are you a broker?

0Executive Auto Shippers

We are a broker with a network of over 3,000 carriers and have been in business for over 8 years.

general ike

Hey all, sorry for my lack of commenting. I guess being a new guy the administrators are looking over my posts before they got out!!!!
All great stuff, I greatly appreciate the welcome and all the suggestions. I am aware of NCRS and have already spoken to a few of their members. Extremely helpful!!!!!
So I will take all your advise and continue to look locally unless something really nice shows up inn some far away place!!!!

Thanks again all!! Ike

0MoveWheels

Hello! We are shipping cars throughout the USA ot overseas. Discounts for corvette forum members are guaranteed Let me know if you are interested. Visit our page https://movewheels.com/corvetspecialrates/ or simply call/text 904-297-2160 and we will get the best quote for shipping your car.
Thanks. Meg from MoveWheels.

TheSkunkWorks

I've flown as far as both Cali and NY to view cars before cutting a deal. IMHO, worth every penny to have put my own eyeballs on them.