I have a 69 Coupe, LeMans blue with blue interior, 427/400 Tri-Power with factory AC and 4-speed. The car is all matching numbers except for the alternator. I bought the car in 87 with 80k original miles to restore to NCRS specs. The car even has the smog control assembly and the bracket and solenoid on the tri power. Have lots of GM NOS parts purchased in 87 also. The frame and subframe are rust free. The car is disassembled. It is ready to prep for painting and reassemble. I am 79yo now and will not finish the car. My dilemma is whether to sell the entire car or part out a matching numbers car. Any ideas what the car is worth as it is?

 

Sorry to hear you are faced with this situation.

How “disassembled “ is the car?

 

Completely. Doors, hood and headlight assem. are attached, body sitting on frame.

 

I’m 72. I’ve owned my 69 coupe for 51 years and “completely” disassembled it back in the ‘80s. Every nut, bolt and washer and nearly every rivet was removed. Frame and ‘cage are near original condition. Went totally OCD so am still paying the price today. I painted it in ‘87 and it hasn’t seen sunshine since. Interior is down to bare fiberglass, no electrical installed but all OE panels are in excellent condition. New Al Knoch seat covers/foam.a I rebuilt all of the systems. All instrument panels have been rebuilt. I do all my own work, including paint.

I pulled the body off the frame for the 3rd time in 2019 and replaced the bushings for the second time. Built a differential to handle the power of a clone L-88. Today, the chassis is partially reassembled and the whole car waiting for me to devote some more time to it so I can relate to your situation.

That said, what have you done to your car? Would be very helpful to have some pictures and a short summary of the scope of work/condition of the major areas and related material to try to formulate an estimate for you.

 

Don't separate a numbers matching car with any of it's parts. That's a desirable car with a/c & a big block. ONLY, sell it as a complete disassembled car & someone ( maybe me ) i'm sure for the right price will be happy to put it back together. Does it have any documentation ? PM ME with some photo's, more info and an idea of price please.

 

I have the Protect-O-Plate.

 

Try downloading Corvette DNA for a rough idea

 

To get to a meaningful value, clear detailed pictures would be necessary. Pics of the engine pad, documentation, etc.

You would likely be in for a tremendous amount of work parting out the car. Probably as much work as if you put the car back together. Easier to sell it as a package, you’ll save time and trouble and not even sure you would get more money, but you’ll spend way more time.

Did you check for a tank sticker? You had the car fairly early in its life. If it’s there that will add some value and make the audience for the car much larger. Good luck.

 

Parting it out is an option.....but it takes alot of work. I would prefer taking some financial loss and see it go away all at once than over the next five years. Dealing with advertising, shipping,....and buyers.....no, not for me. And.....you will never sell it all and pieces of it will be in your possesion for years. Plus.....the car deserves to be rebuilt and driven.....not cut up.

 

I agree my description was vague. I'll try put together more info. I really hate to part it out. I have a ton of NOS GM parts for the restoration. Most came from GM in 1987, more came from swap meets ect.. I have a working knowledge of what the parts are worth today, I'm just not sure what the disassembled car is worth today, I realize parting the car out will be a lot of work but it is still a good option financially. I want to decide what to do with it before leaving my two kids to deal with it who have no knowledge of vintage Corvettes.

 

Think about what you are saying in this sentence. “I realize parting the car out will be a lot of work but it is still a good option financially.”

Is it? What is your TIME worth. The hours you spend on parting out the car should be figured into the value. Is it still a good financial option? Lots of time dealing with people. Price hagglers. Lots of time packing and shipping or meeting people in person for the sale. Or waiting for buyers that don’t show. If that’s what you want to do at 79 years old then have at it. I and others are looking for lots of parts. I have a list ready. And your kids will still have plenty of parts to go through. Because once you start, then the leftover “whole package” deal becomes much less attractive for anyone to want to take especially after most of the good stuff will go first.

 

Can you hire someone to come put it together? Put it together and you can drive it a bit. A couple years. My dad's 87 and drives all over the place, hour long trips (one way) rather frequently. He's out and about every day.

It sounds like it's not THAT disassembled. You might contact your local corvette club.

 

Personally, there is no way I would part it out.

One option might be to sell it on Bring a Trailer. Projects show up on it all the time..

 

Another vote to NOT part it out…..that would be a tragedy. Reassembling stuff is fun. You’ll find the right guy. Posting here was a smart good first step.

 

Knowing what parts are worth, and selling them are two different things. I'm 69 and I've been dealing in Corvette parts for 45 years, full time from 2000-2020, part time before and since. As an FYI I have parts laying around (reproduction, NOS and used), that I've had for more then 25 years that haven't sold yet.

If you want to part it out consider what goes into selling parts. First you have to find buyers for everything, which means you have to advertise it all someplace like the NCRS Driveline, eBay, the parts for sale section of the Forum, etc., or haul it all to swap meets. Next you'll have to come up for a fair value for everything and if your advertising it you'll likely have to photograph all or most of it. Once you decide where to advertise it you'll need to be ready to deal with phone calls and emails, and be prepared to negotiate prices. Once you find a buyer you'll need to decide how you want to be paid. Are you willing to chance checks or money orders, or prepared to except PayPal, remembering that both PayPal and eBay will take a percentage of the selling price from you. Now that you've found a buyer you'll need to determine what it will cost to ship the parts, and the best way, USPS, UPS, FedEx, and you'll need boxes, packaging material, and shipping tape to seal the boxes. A scale and ruler will be helpful too because shipping rates are based on both weight and dimensions. Finally, once something is sold and boxed, you'll have to make regular trips to UPS or the post office, because buyers expect things they've bought to be shipped in a timely manner.

Selling at a swap meet isn't any better. At minimum you'll need a truck to haul everything to and from, and you'll have to load and unload everything over and over. Most states now require you to have a sales tax number and pay if you're vending at a swap meet and they check. Swap meets aren't cheap to do either. Besides paying for the swap space, you'll have gas and tolls, hotels, meals, etc. It costs me between $1500 and $2000 to do Corvette Carlisle (5 swap spaces, 4 nights in a hotel, gas and tolls and I'm only 150 miles from Carlisle). Things don't sell that well at swap meets anymore either. The internet has taken a big bite out of swap meet sales and it doesn't help that most of us in the hobby's a lot older now then 20 years ago, and not as willing to walk 10-12 miles a day to scrounge through piles of old parts looking for the bracket they order on their computer for the same price, without dealing with rain or a sunburn.

Sell it all as a package. To figure what the car's worth, I would say a disassembled numbers matching big block is still probably worth about the same as a similar assembled project car ($10,000 -$15000??? as a guess without seeing it or knowing more about it). Next figure out what all the parts are worth at retail and then take 25-30 percent off the total for selling them as a package. Add what you figure the parts are worth to whatever you determine the car is worth and you'll have a ballpark asking price. That's how I came to a value on a disassembled 62 409 Bel Air and boxes of NOS parts for it I sold about 15 years ago.

 

Parting it out IMO is foolish at this junction. I would document everything you have get the stampings off the motor, transmission, carbs, everything that means something and also get a ton of pictures. If you have the tank sticker that would be fantastic. That would more definitely prove the DNA of the car.

I would post it on something like bring a trailer or something like that. In your late 70’s I’m going to be honest with you. If you start parting it now you’ll never get rid of the physical majority of it. You’ll be left with a hulk of parts and pieces that are a dime a dozen that your kids will have to deal with once you’re gone. How do I know this? We’re still cleaning up my dad’s projects, and he’s been gone 2 almost 3 years at this point.

Do your research, know roughly what it would be worth if it was in A+ condition assembled and then be willing to let it go for 1/3rd of what you think the whole complete car would have been worth.

These super high dollar big blocks are big money because they are complete and numbers matching. You start parting it and then it’s worth a fractions of what you could have gotten.

 

Still awaiting, for more info. Please PM ME & maybe we can work something out as one complete fast, easy package ?
Can't tell what you have & what i'm getting into until then. Thanks.

 

I just sold a 69 convertible project,.....body completely debonded from the frame, frame completely restored, no engine or transmission or differential,....and lots of rusty parts for $15,000. I sold it here on the forum. So.......I suspect you could get at least $15,000 for it.....maybe more, although my frame restoratation and parts installed had alot of value and was the primary selling point.

I suggest you put it up for sale here on the forum with pictures, and put a price on it like $20,000 and see what happens. Parting out will be a big mistake, its simply too much work for not enough reward. I just watched the project drive away yesterday on the trailer.....and there was great relief in having it gone. Even if you lose money....having it gone has great value.

 

I'm going to jump into the camp of don't part it out, sell it as a project car to someone who has the energy and passion to put it back on the road.

 

OP, I get where you are, and as we age we get to the point where we realize that our physical abilities won't live up to our ambitions, young at heart but not in body...My daughter and I were having a drink in my garage this summer and she said, You know what scares me-what am I going to do with all this stuff when you go....You probably figure all those extra parts have value over and above the actual car parts...and they probably do... I'm in the same boat with motor cycles, I'm still fit but not enough to go blasting around like I used to... I'm keeping one and getting rid of the other and all the stuff that goes with it and there is alot... A clean slate so to speak... I'm doing it as one big deal, I want it done with, peace of mind is worth more than cash as this point...
Life is full of compromises, sell your stuff, get it done, maybe take the money and buy a running C5 or 6(add some cash) and be happy driving around.... don't drag it out...

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