It's that time for me to renew my insurance and wondering if my agreed value is enough for my 82 Collectors edition which is at $22k. So I checked out Hagerty's valuation and something got me thinking. Why the big difference in value from "Excellent" to "Concours"? In my case the jump is 67%! I've been on a mission to mechanically restore mine. With only 13K miles it was mostly dealing with stuff from age like old rubber bushings. Once I fix the leaking hatch and A/C it will be mechanically and functionally like new down to even the tape player! The paint is good from a distance but certainly not perfect once you get closer. So I would assume using Hagerty's scale it would make it an "Excellent"? But are there steps in between excellent and concourse since it's such a big jump?

Another question, how important is originality (for something like a Collectors Edition) when it comes to value? For example, I didn't use rivets for my ball joints and wasn't concerned about about period correct parts. I just used AC Delco or other name brands. So things like my front calipers and alternator aren't numbers matching anymore. My goal has always been to make it something reliable to drive and not for max NCRS points. I can see that stuff for a 70 LT-1 but for an 82?

 

That depends on if you mean:

1- The Concours d'Elegance which is held yearly in Pebble Beach and is considered the high water mark for judging some of the finest cars in the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble...s_d%27Elegance

2- Or if you mean "Concourse" as incorrectly spelled and infamously branded on all Marti Reports supplied to Ford product owners by a fellow who didn't use Spell-Check before having all of his material printed with his blundered slogan.

con·course
/ˈkänˌkôrs/
noun
a large open area inside or in front of a public building, as in an airport or train station.
"the domestic arrivals concourse"





My guess is that you mean #1. The standard of which means the car is virtually without flaw.
Cheers, Greg

 

To be concours quality, the insides of the exhaust pipe need to be finger-wipe clean.

That is to say, a car you never drive, and is rolled on and off the trailer for display.

 

Cars at a Sanctioned Concours d' Elegance all have a operations check as they must start, run and a list of items must operate depending on the vintage.

 

probably did use spell check. only the computer couldn't understand french. so it made it into a bus stop.

 

Concours is a 100 point, better than new restored to original car.
Something almost no car outside of Pebble Beach is.
Most nice cars are #2s. I look at which side of excellent are we talking.
Closer to #1 or #3?...

 

 

Must leak oil and water

 

so what is a 100 point car? NCRS starts out with 4500 points. wo using that standard a 100 point car would not even be a car

 

The Pebble Beach concours starts at 100 points...

 

they must over look a lot of items on a car

 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dict...17ad375ad360f4

most ncrs cars wouldnt be concourse cars. Concours cars are generally museum quality ( Pebble Beach carrs) while ncrs is original. Old scratched faded paint is not concours. Dirty oil stained engines arent concours, rotten 50 year old tires arent concours. When you see a concours car, you are genuinely impressed. take a new car, have it detailed 5 times, then have it cleaned again.....thats usually close but again, none of these cars in either collection are usually driven 5000 miles a summer to the mountains or the beach to do burnouts while showing off with your friends and laughing and enjoying life. But what the wonderful country we live in allows us all to enjoy is, what we want, and when we want as long as "The Freedom OF Speech" is still around. Because enjoying your car and doing what you want with it is an expression of you and your personality, not what I think you should be doing.

Back to the topic, Concours cars are really beautiful examples of the top of the mountain in vehicles should look like. Alan 71s car probably would have been a NCRS car as well as a concours car because it was not only a frame off and detailed down to the last screw but was a beautiful example of a 71 corvette

 

you do know what NCRS stands for right national Corvette restoration society so a true top flight corvette would be restored to like new condition. they judge cars based on how they where delivered . your right Bowtie cars would not do well.

 

yes I went to a NCRS event in Marlboro MA and the cars were original paint and tires and oil stains and all. Most were rolled off of trailers and I wasnt impressed, but again, thats not my cup of tea for a sports car. But thats my opinion and others may enjoy hunting down a date original window or radio sticker or correctly stamped bolt. I just enjoy driving it like it was intended, very fast like my hair was on fire and having a great time doing it. Thats not to say Im not impressed buy a well restored vehicle or an all original low milege vehicle. There was a Mecum Auction car bought and resold to a gentleman in NH at a cruise in friday night. IT was a 69 big block with 30,000 miles on it. Completely original with a repaint but just on the outside so the original paint was in the door jambs. Very very close match. He had an NCRS score card from the previous owner and it said it was a 98.3 percentage car. I didnt read all the scores. I should have taken a picture of that. But I did take pics of the motor because it was very impressive to see what it looked like from the factory. It actually had a 1972 oil change sticker still on the door jamb like I used to see when I was a kid.
He said everything was original including the spark plugs which he just changed except for the hoses which were new restamps. He was an older guy and obviously wants to drive it rather than just stare at it. What really surprised me was that his car had the little overflow tank like a small block and a fuel filter return line because I was told big blocks dont have that, but it is an NCRS car so it must be true. IF anything those guys do take it very seriously so I found out something new. This car was very nice and very impressive. He even pointed out some painting flaws which I wouldnt have noticed but made me look for more.



this surprised me

 

Ditto brother
Staring at a nice original example is fine, but it gets boring pretty quickly.

 

give me stock all day.

 

That's what these were for when we were kids.

 

you just have to be looking for something specific. I am currently looking at engine configurations but would like to see factory heat shielding and how it was attached. Its kind of like a rolling interactive information warehouse/ library. Unfortunately its hard to see the insulation under the car. Like I said I did learn about the fuel return line. A while back I found and all original low mileage 68 and wanted to see how his hood release was set up as I was havng issues with mine. THeres always something to check out. I try to get pics of certain areas but you dont know what info you will need it the future. On a 68 the wiper actuator realy is just above the gills on the inside of the passenger fender. Its a pain to replace as the repop's only last about a year. On the 69 they are right next to the wiper motor. I love that. I may put mine there.

 

I had a shot at a completely stock 69 White small block red interior. All the shielding, smog pumps, stickers and everything was there. But by the time the bank got back to me it was gone. If I had gotten that car I would have had to leave it stock. The second car on the list was 5.5 hours away but it had what I really wanted, L88 hood scoop and sidepipes. Guess what happened next. Well you dont have to guess, you guys all saw what I did, but imagine if you had to guess.

 

And have probably invested twice it’s value in its restoration just so you can win a fancy trophy.
I really don’t believe a Vette should be that, it should be enjoyed on an open road.