RJ1AZ

Easy, Bum. Not everybody lives on this forum 24/7. The guy's first post (assuming it's not a current member who created a new profile to avoid embarrassment) was only from this morning.

To the O.P.: You asked to "put yourself in my shoes. What would you do to sell it?"

along with many others, put it in a high profile auction. That's where you have the best exposure and shot at landing the big fish it's going to take to buy your car.

Personally, I'd make any further alterations needed to make it the way I wanted it, and I'd drive it.

Honestly, if you can afford to blow 160K on a TOY, then I don't really understand why you're worried about selling it, assuming you haven't had some kind of financial hardship that's changed your lifestyle.

Good luck.

Faster Rat

If I was Carl, I would not be back. He asked for help selling his car but instead got lectured because he dared to admit making a mistake. There are many tri power C3s selling in six figures, just not the hot rods. Some of those cars have been driven regularly enough to enjoy and purchased long enough ago that they are not financial disasters.

Prostreeter1

Carl, you got me at, "ear splitting loud and silver gray paint". I'm in the market for something like this. Would you mind posting pictures so that we can see the car


Oh, and don't beat yourself up on this. I'm upside down on a couple hot rods I own. Just part of this crazy hobby we have.

502 C-3

I've never had a hobby that I didn't throw stupid money at. Ought to try racing for a bit!! I've never added what I have in mine and it's a '74. I'll never get back my money but every modification/upgrade makes it that much more fun to drive. I agree with the folks who say get it to where you want and drive it. Sounds like an awesome car, share some pics if you can.

car junkie

Why not sell the over the top engine and trans and replace with more streetable components. Going back to a small block is not a big deal if you want to go that route. You probably could pay for everything you need with the sale of the 502 and trans. You're going to take a beating on the investment, may as well make the best of it. I get the feeling you have lost interest in the car more than anything else. Doing things on a whim often has that effect.

Torqued Off

I don't see a lot of C3 Corvettes selling for over $100,000, but what do I know.

Scottd

Dude, if you can afford 100K on a car restoration, you SURE AS HELL can afford to drive that beauty until it blows up.

Money isnt worth anything unless you spend it. Sounds like you built a dream car. Drive it like its stolen.

Faster Rat

NADA shows high retail at $164k for an L89 vert or $136k for a coupe. These are not #1 vehicles or trailer queens or museum pieces...which are seldom publicized but rather privately traded. I would take the time to research the auctions for you...but why do I care what you think. Your mind is already made up about this hobby and you do not hesitate to voice your opinion.

Lot 1069 at BJ Scottsdale 2017 sold for $205,700 no reserve...a gold L89 side exhaust convertible...the real deal.

The13Bats

I relate in a way in 88 i started a ground up restoration of my then dd 81,

My nightclub was doing great and in turn so was i and i hired an at the time corvette guy to finish her up, full tilt custom, wide body can am, with engine and suspension to match, even the painted frame was pinstriped, lol,

I just didnt have the time to mess with it the club music biz was demanding from me,

I didnt have any 160k in the car but i had a pile, it adds up when you pay a cat to spin those wrenches, and i used the best stuff,

In 89 the car was done, finished and far more trailer queen than driver and some will understand what i mean by that, but i did drive it, afterall it was just a car,

It did get hit not 2 weeks out of the shop but a top vette body man who worked for roger fixed it flawlessly,

i wasnt scared to drive it i just didnt want to, the car lots its fun appeal to me the car was over built and i over spent doing it, it wasnt what i wanted, i didnt want the hassles that go with driving a trailer queen,

I flipped it for tall money to a sheriff i worked with, he drove it about a year flipped it to roger the same roger with that real zl1, for far less,

The car was sent overseas,

That was 89 early 90s, now if in 2017 i had a pristine 160k 69 i would drive it and not care one obese rodents rectum if i damaged or totaled it,

My 69 i own now will have a fraction of that invested because now i know what i want and dont want, but i do and always will love this car and putzing with it,

In your case to get something out of the 160k you will either have to drive it or just try to forget that investment,

Its a buyers market for top restro mods
Breaking that 100k mark is gonna be super hard no matter how great the build, so drive it.

Or swap it to me for my in comparison pos 69...lol

Greg

Carl, lots of mixed opinions here and lots of good advice from my Corvette brothers. But it's time for some tough love.
I think you knew what the answer would be when you posted here. I agree with most here, drive some of the value out of the car in order to recoup any satisfaction.
Here's what you're up against, one can buy a numbers matching big block car for a quarter of the value you have into your "restomod". The market is backing correct, numbers, codes, etc. cars pretty well. Most (not all) modified cars generally bring less than a correctly restored original. People who've never been in the vintage or muscle car game before have a sense of "numbers = value" today.
As far as selling, I would list the car on eBay in order to reach the largest international market. I sold many of my Corvettes there and always made out well. A listing with dozens of pictures, tons of information and documentation for the work done and a ridiculous reserve of say $100K. DO NOT disclose your reserve or you'll lose bidders.Start your bidding in the basement at $1,000 so bidders get on board. See what the car gets bid up to from the thousands of potential buyers/viewers. That will be the real number for the car. Anything else is just academic.
Carl, I've owned close to a million dollars worth of Corvettes over the years (not all at once of course!) and know what it's like to be upside down in a few of them but I can usually see that coming a long way before I'm finished and try to avoid the iceberg ahead of time.
Drive the car or take it up the a$$ on the sale price. There is no third way.
Good luck whatever you decide.
Greg

LT1M21Vette

I'm going to use this gif again...



If you are going to lose money, why not just drive the car to the ground and enjoy the ride.

Grumpy 427

Open up the door and toss more money into it. lol been there. The sad truth is, unless you find the right guy with that kind of money, you're going to be married to that car till you die. The only way to get big money out of a car is to keep it 100% factory numbers matching. Go out and drive it get your money out of it if you can, cars are the worst investment you can make.

Iceaxe

You obviously haven't been following the resto mod market. High quality resto mods are currently bring some huge numbers, often equal to or higher than 100% factory numbers matching. Resto mods seem to be the current flavor of the month.

bashcraft

Do you have any links to these high dollar cars being sold?

Faster Rat

Let the truth be known....

mortgageguy

He said in in his own post "Bad Decision". I'm not judging the guy, just basing my reply off his post in his own words.

Torqued Off

Ok, well maybe the high priced auctions sell a 68 Corvette over $100,000 for some unique model, but I browse through Ebay and Craigslist all the time and have been for years, and the average care is under $30,000. I went to Hagerty Valuation page today, and they value a 68 Corvette at $18,400. These TV show auctions are more reality show entertainment. Make no mistake, I do believe people are buying and selling these cars for the numbers on TV, I just don't think it represents the real of the market.

The guys who like to pretend these cars are worth $100,000 are the guys who run these con job sales operations, OR have a unique car they want to sell. ie. L88 L36 L blah blah blah. Otherwise, us regular guys deal in reality of what the cars go for in the market. And I am saying that about original number matching cars and retro mods.

Interestingly enough, I think a well restored car IS worth a lot of money, based on the cost of labor and parts it takes to make it well restored. I know, I did it. But normally I get all kinds of pushback that the values are low....which is it? I know how much I am upside down with my 77 but I also know nobody could have the car I have for less money than what I put into it.....its apples and oranges. Yes, you can buy a 77 Corvette for $8000, but its not my even in the same category as my 77. You spend the money and time to build something as nice as my car, it cost money.....but because it doesn't make NCRS guys or the con-job sales operations happy, the car is worth $10,000, according to them.

The real market is different than the TV market, and for this OP and his thread, he invested the money into the car and it cost him this money because he paid a professional to build it. Its just math. But it will take a very unique buyer to appreciate the value, .......a very very unique buyer. The idea that all he had to do was make it numbers matching, and all of a sudden there is a long line of people ready to buy it.....I call B.S. on that.

Prostreeter1

I think we've been punked by the OP.

cv67

Had my eyes opened to reality also, for the most part people arent knocking our doors down to spend a ton of $ on a toy
Look around there are SO many toys for sale not enough buyers. It drives the price down...incredible buys out there right now
Best I could get from a legit buyer right now for my a body after a 10 yr 90k deal is 20k. Plenty who will email and say "hold out, its easily worth 30-40k" but noones stepped up to the plate.

Same old thing the worth is in doing it up how you want and using it;think most of it is fantasyland stuff you see on forums.

I feel bad for someone who is in this for the money not the fun.

Too much work agonizing over what you can get vs. spent, marriage ie easier.

Devs77

.....just stating an opinion. I offer it at no charge and that's probably what it's worth. That said, it sounds to me like Carl fell prey to a pretty common tactic that we hear all too often. The shop he took it to built the car THEY wanted, not necessarily what HE wanted. They made him feel like he was making the decisions, but in the end they were in the drivers seat. For example "You know, Carl this old engine is pretty ragged out. How about we swap it out?" Wasn't his idea, but it seemed like the decision was his at the time. Meanwhile, the shop gets to build their dream car out of his checkbook.

I agree that you have almost no chance of getting your money back out of it. That's just the way this hobby goes, but speaking of the hobby I get most of my enjoyment out of my car when I'm under the hood getting greasy or planning my next financially irresponsible upgrade or modification. Driving her afterwards is the reward for all the hard work in the garage.

You mentioned a midlife crisis in your original post. I think it's time to ask yourself why you bought the car in the first place. If it was to get involved in the hobby, you completely missed the mark, but that's not the end of the world. If you bought it to have a "shiny toy", you got exactly what you wanted, although WAY overbuilt. Either way, do what you can to put the dollars invested out of your mind and DRIVE THE WHEELS OFF OF IT!