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I have begun to do my research on what to look for as far as buying a C3. I have been watching a lot of videos as well as doing a lot of reading to help figure out exactly what I want in a C3.
I have also never bought a car from a private seller either. All my cars have some from dealerships so all of the following were taken care of.
Here is where I have some questions:
1. I am from Rhode Island. If I buy a car out of state how do I get the car home? Now obviously if I buy it across the country or somewhere down south I will have it transported home. But my real question is, how would I go about driving the car home if it was in close proximity from where I live? How would I register it, plates etc?
2. Would that all have to be done before I drive the car home?
3. What would I need as far as documents so I wouldn't get pulled over while driving?
I am sure I will have more questions as time goes on, but here are a few starters. Want to try to get my ducks in a row so the transaction is seamless as possible.
Drive it home. The PO should leave the old plates on unless they were personalized. If so, I believe most states will let you print a temp plate (like when a dealer sells you a car). If you got stopped you would need your insurance card and a Bill of Sale, title in hand wouldn't hurt either. I know State Farm has a grace period where they will cover any car I buy without a prior notification. 10 days I think. However, as long as you are obeying traffic laws then why would a cop bother to pull you over?
Last C3 I purchased I put insurance on the car , Hagerty and drove it home 70 miles. Took 10 minutes, as any car you buy is covered if you have their policy on another car.
Another C3, a friends car, We had put on a trailer and shipped home. He had it insured it before it was shipped.
An older friend ( late 70's) purchased a C1 at Carlisle. Insured the car - Hagerty again and drove it home , 250 miles , with a plate from his C2. Hs went through 5 toll plaza's with no issues .
Give the guy some money to drive it to your house and drive him home. Most people will help you, many friends have done this. I did it with my C4, 50 miles, all he wanted was a good hero at a local Italian shop. We still talk and I see him with his GTO at car shows.
Find the car you like, buy it and stop overthinking how to get it home... enjoy the car - best of luck.
Last edited by BLUE1972; Jan 22, 2021 at 11:13 AM.
IMO, I would rent a U hauler trailer and trailer it home. Insure it before you buy and carry bill of sale and insurance documents with you while you travel.
Despite the seller's best intentions and no matter how honest they are, you are taking a chance getting off to a very bad start driving it home yourself before a through checkout. As a seller, I have driven a 68 to the buyer some 2 hrs away, but any problems were on me, the seller. Also I can not think of a better way for the seller to show confidence in his product by driving it to the buyer other than maybe a warranty which I can not do.
Personally if it were me if the drive was over what my AAA would cover I would trailer it. As was eluded you just don’t know even though the seller was as honest as could be. These cars are at best 40 years old and stuff happens.
If you do decide to drive it talk to your DMV. There are different laws and processes depending on the state. In Maryland for example you need to have the vehicles title in hand (IE already purchased) plus insurance etc. Dealers and notaries have provisions that the regular Joe doesn’t have ready access to so getting temp tags might take a few days particularly if you don’t have a DMV close.
So I’d look at what your DMV suggests and go from there. I might take a few days just to get tags.
Drive it home. The PO should leave the old plates on unless they were personalized.
Check your local laws. In many cases, if you buy a car from me, and drive it home with MY plates on it, and you wreck it or hurt someone, it will be ME who gets sued.
This happened to a kid in my hometown many years ago. Richard buys car from Ken on Friday. Ken leaves his plates on for Richard, just for the weekend. Richard runs a stop sign, two people killed. Families of BOTH deceased sue Ken.
If I sell a car, there`s no possible way it leaves my driveway with my tags on it! You bring your own, or a trailer.
I wouldn't leave tags on any car I sell either. Last year I traded in a car at a large dealer and left the tags on. Got a red light ticket a month later - didn't have to pay because I had already told the DMV I sold the car but it was still a hassle.
Well okay, in Texas we have a form to fill out & send to the DMV that states you sold the car and who to. Absolves you of any issues. Never pulled the tags off a car once when selling it here.
I have begun to do my research on what to look for as far as buying a C3. I have been watching a lot of videos as well as doing a lot of reading to help figure out exactly what I want in a C3.
I have also never bought a car from a private seller either. All my cars have some from dealerships so all of the following were taken care of.
Here is where I have some questions:
1. I am from Rhode Island. If I buy a car out of state how do I get the car home? Now obviously if I buy it across the country or somewhere down south I will have it transported home. But my real question is, how would I go about driving the car home if it was in close proximity from where I live? How would I register it, plates etc?
Local laws vary. I would simply get the title and a Bill of Sale from the seller. I can't imagine a trooper or local law enforcement that would write you a ticket for trying to get from point A to point B with a just-purchased car. When you get home go to your local courthouse or DMV office with the paperwork and register / tag the vehicle. ALSO ... call and get insurance BEFORE you move the car. In most states it is illegal to operate without insurance, not to mention that it is foolish.
2. Would that all have to be done before I drive the car home?
Check the oil level, tire pressures, coolant level, and anything else you can think of that might cause a problem.
3. What would I need as far as documents so I wouldn't get pulled over while driving?
Running without tags is likely going to get you stopped by any LEO that sees you. Have the title and a Bill of Sale with you, as well as some way to prove you have insurance.
I am sure I will have more questions as time goes on, but here are a few starters. Want to try to get my ducks in a row so the transaction is seamless as possible.
Use common sense. Most of this is just simple common sense. And FWIW after seeing a couple of the replies above, there is no way I am going to allow you to leave with my tags on a car I sell you. Some may think that is OK. Opinions vary.
I have begun to do my research on what to look for as far as buying a C3. I have been watching a lot of videos as well as doing a lot of reading to help figure out exactly what I want in a C3.
I am sure I will have more questions as time goes on, but here are a few starters. Want to try to get my ducks in a row so the transaction is seamless as possible.
Many good points here regarding transport, but before you get to this point you'll want to have any potential purchase thoroughly inspected by an individual who specializes in Corvettes. There are many unique pitfalls associated with these cars that you'll want to avoid. Search this Forum and you'll find horror stories about rotted frames and birdcages, faulty braking & electrical systems, suspensions/trailing arms that are shot, etc. These conditions can exist on cars with brand new shiny paint jobs.
You may reach out to a local Corvette chapter wherever you locate a car to see if they can help with a referral. Trust me, this a vital step in the process that you'll want to follow through on. Any honest seller, who is a serious car owner will agree with this process. Someone with something to hide will not.
Best of luck on your quest. After 20 years of owning a Corvette ('72 convertible), I have zero regrets. Much of it luck, but much credited to my own diligence when searching for the perfect car for my situation.
Last edited by seacliffe301; Jan 23, 2021 at 09:54 AM.
TXSteve gave you great advice above. Not sure about RI, but our local DMV is closed due to the Pandemic.
My buddy bought a C1 recently, I helped him out by finding a shipper and taking delivery. The car had been serviced a month before the sale [receipt came with car], but on the test drive after I took delivery, the fan belt came off and the car overheated!
Turns out, the water pump bearing was shot. The seller only lived 3 hours away, but that would not have been a good 1st drive for my buddy!
The best advice I can give you if you're going to drive it is make sure you check the brakes closely. The calipers are prone to leaking and will give out unexpectedly. Look underneath at all the wheel areas for wet spots. This is after you've checked it over for rust. Pump the brake pedal and hold it for 30 seconds to see it leaks down. I've had rebuilt stainless steel sleeved calipers blow out a seal after sitting for a few months.
Buying a C3
