Tell us about the one that got away. The Corvette that sold the first day it was listed which was everything you had wanted.

It could be a Corvette your first offer was rejected, then when you called with a higher offer it was already sold.

Or maybe a seller changed his mind and decided to keep their car.

You might have even lost a bidding war. Which was the Corvette that was within your grasp, but slipped away?

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It has been a long time ago (about 1970), but I saw a pair of 1960's for $600. One was a nice driver and the other was a parts car that could be restored pretty easily.

I didn't have the money for it back then, but I still kick myself for not getting them.

 

I was second in line to buy a 1953 Corvette basket case in Long Island NY for $800 back in 1973. I was out of town when the seller called and told me I could have it. My brother didn't go get it for me because the brakes were not working. He wanted to tow it with a rope.

 

Heres a good one I was in my 20s in the early 1980s and was looking for a vette to fix up My friend tells me about his buddy who is building a house and needs cash and is toying with selling his 63 split window.
We go look at it its outside at a body shop in ct and its interior is out and there is a mutt junk yard dog tied to the car. I end up checking it out and he wants 6 grand I agree get the cash and come back the next day im totally siked over this. He calls his wife to come down to the shop with the paperwork and she says dont sell it he hangs up the phone and says not for sale and hands me my money back.

 

That '63 would have been a great purchase - too bad it fell through.

 

My Luck:

Saw an add on CL for a 2000 that had some decent mods and new tires . Clock is about 140000 but car looks nice. The asking price 7K cash due to foreclosure and needing money ASAP due to 24 hr notice.

I wait to call until 630 AM as I saw the add at about 5 AM.

Dude says he just let it go for 5500 cash and I should have called when I saw it.

 

The year was 1974. I was looking for another car. One dealer had a 1970 Porsche 914, and another dealer had a silver 1963 Corvette 4 speed split window coupe. Both cars were about the same price (really). Guess which one I bought? To this day I'm still kicking myself in the a$$.

 

My story is just the opposite. I'm the guy that got the car.

The Z was listed on Craigslist on Tuesday evening. I called on it around Noon Wednesday. The sales guy tells me someone is looking at the car right now and seems very interested. I tell him that I would still like to see the car.

I pull in the lot and immediately know this is "the one." I ask the sales guy what the status is and he said the previous person said they wanted to buy it but didn't leave a deposit.

I ask him if the car is sold or not and if I can test drive it. He says the guy did say he wanted the car but he hears that all the time from buyers who never come back. I told him that I'd test drive the car and if it checks out and my credit union agrees on the loan, I'll buy the car this afternoon.

He agrees, I drive, I talk to the credit union, and now I'm sitting at the sales guy's desk waiting for him to get off the phone and give him my deposit when a third person comes in and says "I'm buying that Z." Needless to say, my negotiating ability on the price of the car went to nil. I still got a good deal and the car appraised for more than I paid.

The original interested party returned two days later. The moral of the story is; if you're serious about a car, put a deposit on it or get a contract signed before you leave the lot.

 

In late summer of 1971, I had just gotten hired as a work/college co-op at a large company. I was to work full-time during the day, and take work related college courses at night. This meant two things, A) I'd have a steady income, so I could finally buy a decent car, to replace the "hoopty" I had at the time; and B) my next car had to be reliable.

One of my father's friends was settling a relative's estate, and contacted me, as he found out I was looking for another car. Part of the estate was a '61 (I think) Corvette, with a 283 engine and 2 four barrel carbs, backed by a 3 speed transmission. It was a unique car, to say the least, but it was more of a "fixer-upper" than I was looking for, so I passed on it. I don't think that it was "beaten", since it was owned by an older gentlemen, just not "pampered', and time had taken its toll...

 

Or perhaps just put down a deposit you're willing to lose. If you put $500 down on the spot (and what's 500 on a $15-30k C5?) I would think a reputable dealer would have to determine your disposition before anyone can sign a contract.
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Thats the wait it is a lot of the time money talks BS walks.

 

You apparently was looking in the wrong place because around the same time a guy that I knew was selling his red 63 Split window to get money to send his son to college and had it advertised in the Pittsburgh paper for $5,000. and couldn't sell it . At the time I had money spread all over the place on other deals and passed on it. Talk about regrets ?

 

I purchased my 2004 MSG vert new in the summer of 2004. While shopping, I was limited to dealer stock/dealer trade because C5 production had stopped with the new 2005 C6 models hitting the lot.

When I decided to purchase a Corvette, my first choice was a Mag Red II with black top/interior. I found one at a local dealer and wanted to sleep on the deal. I went back the next day and it was gone.

I eventually found my MSG vert and I'm very happy with it, however I did not even consider MSG until I saw it in person and after I exhausted the search for a Mag Red II with a black top/interior.