C1 purchase advice $$$

[Randy G.]

I have a budget of around $70,000+/- and I'm struggling. I love the 1955, but also love the 1957, 1958 and 1960. It's a major investment for us and I want to be wise about the decision.

In this price range I see 1955's that need work, are missing parts or don't have original major components. They are project cars in my book but I'm up to it. I just don't have the room (3 car garage). We love the Penant Blue and would like to find one.

1957 has fuelie vs 2x4's, 3 speed vs 4 speed. Also, we'd like to find a Cascade Green one if it could be found (with both tops?).

1958 or 1960 has more room in it (I'm 6'4"), but I had a 1960 30 years ago when I was in college so I feel like I've stared at the cast metal instrument panel before. I like the dash in the 1953-1957 better. Tasco Turquoise. Why we pick the odd colors is beyond me, but in my day EVERYONE had a red, black or white Corvette. We'd like to be original but different.

This is an investment purchase for us. Otherwise we shouldn't be spending that much on a car. But I want to be able to drive it down the street once a while, too.

Do I look for a rare combination (57 Fuelie) and pay more but figure on getting dirty and spending time hunting parts, or should I save my money and call a place like Pro Team and spend the $$ for a frame-off #'s matching recent resto like a 1960 for $85,000 or so?

Thanks, guys and gals, for your valued help!

[Gary F.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

Randy,
I suggest you go with a 58 or newer Corvette with more room. IMHO 6'4", plus advancing age, makes it too hard to fit one of the 53-57's. Also look for one that has been mostly restored, or has most of the parts. Depending on the parts missing, the cost can be quite high for replacements.
Regards.
Gary

[Wayne P.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

I agree with Gary. I'm 6'3" and I can't drive a 53-55 with the top on. I can almost fit a 56-57. Neither is comfortable. I fit a 58-60 fair, but a 61-62 is quite comfortable. Your choice, be cool or be comfortable.

[Roy B.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

This is a great question concerning C1's
Cutting to the chase I took a while thinking about your question and how to answer it in simple words. First your too tall , must have been raised with to many dairy products , most people in the 50"S averaged 5,7" it was unusable to see some one over 6 feet. But back to your question.

Like the C2's a high % of them are be coming Bogus, built up,, added on, changed and coming up with all the documentation you can ask for, you name it and wont it right now no matter weather they made ONE only or not it's documented to be original. That is about all that is talked about to day among Corvette guys.( have you ever seen so many BB , FI,L88's and one owner ) Corvette in your life for sale lately?

For C1's we are now seeing FI, Big brake, 2x4. Tanker one owners also.
SOOOOOOOO this bring me to the 55 you mentioned, it's not one that can be altered,the 55 is 55 and a restored correct 55 is now bring 150K to 200K ( look at (Pro-team). It will always hold it's value the serial number is easily controlled they only made 700.

You cant add a BB engine, FI, Big brakes,or make it a tanker , or get a repro serial number, trim tag, tank sticker,or what ever els they repro.
OK I like 55's, 54's ant to bad to owne and 53's pricing is losing ground as 55's are climbing. Yes if you would like to drive one change the steering column to 58 up and get after market seats giving you more room . But keep the original column and seats so that it can be changed back.
I'm short 5"6 so I collect parts to replace the parts that I might need down the road because I drive the heck out of my 55. I've never had any one ask me in NCRS is it a "real" 55 Corvette.
I have plenty of head room, and yes I live in snow country.

[Philip C.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

Randy no one has the answer only their opinion, mine would be 56 57 or 58 a nice driver 2x4 stick (or FI if your knowledgeable)a concourse car can biodegrade quickly esp.if it was done for resale. Buy a car from word of mouth if possible stay away from e-bay and fast dealers. Go to car shows, everything is for sale. Good luck my two cents Phil 8063 (If I saw a 55 with that top on it I would not ask any questions either)

[Randy G.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

I stuck my head in a 1955 to take a look and it took me 10 minutes to get it back out after lotsa Vaseline and plenty of pulling.

I sure appreciate all your comments. If anyone else has any advice or words of wisedom I'd like to hear from you.

Is there a source for color chips to verify actual early colors like "Tasco Turquoise, Cascade Green, Venetian Red, Roman Red, etc.???

Thanks,

Randy

[Verle R.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

Randy,

There is one thing in your post that concerns me that no one else really addressed.

"This is an investment purchase for us. Otherwise we shouldn't be spending that much on a car. But I want to be able to drive it down the street once a while, too."

Purchasing a car as an investment is a risk. Unless you can afford to take a loss you should proceed with considerable caution. The "collector car" market, including Corvettes, is high and increasing now but is unlikely to continue forever. If you are not aware, the same market took off in the late 1980's and took a significant dive in the early 90's.

Most of us own Corvettes because we love them. If the market goes up, fine, but many would not sell regardless of the price.

I encourage you to buy a car because you love it, not because it may appreciate, because it may not.

Good luck,

Verle

[Larry S.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

Excellent advice.

I just spoke to some car collector folks who were explaining the same thing to me about the collector car market in the 80's and the 90's I guess I was not enough involved with the dollars aspect of the collector cars back then. But this guys were explaining they feel its about to implode again and like hot potato some will be left holding the bag with a car they are upside down in.

I am saying no, Its with other makes and models not the corvette. They then explained that's every body who owns collector car thinks its the other car camp who will be hit by the correction. Now i have been hearing this same thing over the last couple of years but every one believes its going to happen soon.

Apparently a respected auto magazine has just recently had an article about this same subject that has gotten the fear mongers talking again

[Kevin M.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

Roy,

Nice Chains sign. Let Me know if ya ever have to get rid of it.

Kevin

[Patrick H.]

Re: C1 purchase advice $$$

"respected auto magazine"

Isn't that an oxymoron?

Either way, he should buy the car he likes. If his dream is a 230 horse Powerglide car because then his wife will drive it, don't buy a 270hp 2x4 4 speed that will be difficult to drive and tune.

Patrick

[Loren L.]

Be sure to buy a car you love - you may have

it for a long time.

If you can't settle on a particular car, investors are still needed for my new Ocean Marina in Wikieup Arizona.........

[Randy G.]

Re: Be sure to buy a car you love - you may have

Verle:

I really appreciate your comments regarding our "investment."

A little history. I bought a 1960 Corvette when I was in college in 1974 and had it a couple years. When I sold it (big mistake) I kept a copy of the registration showing the VIN telling myself some day I'll find it and buy it back. In the mean time I have watched (with great interest) the values increase at a steady rate. I couldn't tell you about any other car. I've only watched the 1958-1960 Corvette market for over 30 years. BTW, I did a moderate search of VIN's and have no idea how to locate it.

The 1960 I bought 32 years ago was in a basket when I got it and I enjoyed putting it back together. I don't know if I want to go through all that again, but we sure loved our Vette.

I see the muscle car market popping when the baby boomers move on. Like Brock Yates said, the guy paying a million $$ for a hemi cuda is the guy who couldn't afford to buy one when he was in high school. Now he's got some money and will spend whatever it takes to have his "high school sweetheart" he never got to have when he was a kid. 5 years ago I don't think Barrett Jackson wouldn't have accepted entry to 10% of the American made muscle cars for their auctions that they do now. And that may change again. Real estate has softened so now the money moves to the investment quality cars. Also, a lot of people are using their home owner equity credit lines to buy these cars and when interest rates go up...the interest in the cars will go down.

Older Corvettes appear to have steadily increased due to what I call a cult following. My wife and I are die hard Corvette freaks having owned 6 now. Other than the 1960, they have always been the current model. But my heart aches for empty spot in the garage that my old 1960 should be filling. We talked about it and decided to see if we could find a C-1 that we could hang on to for the next 30 years. We just aren't sure which C-1 to get.

Like a house, if you keep it, it doesn't matter what the values do while you enjoy living in it. The only time it matters is when it's time to sell.

I think "investment" was probably a bad choice of words. Long lost love might have been a better choice. Just need to bring her back home where she belongs.

Randy

[Bob B.]

Sounds like a '60 is your car!

Randy,

It sounds like you have a great fondness for the '60 with some personal history, and maybe that is the one to get. I am restoring a '60 and I had another for one year during which I drove it 9K miles. If you want to drive it, the base engine with single carb is better on gas than the two fours, and I am told that the low-HP fuelies are gas efficient. If it is a weekend local driver, then gas mileage doesn't matter. Starting with 1960, they had front and rear sway bars and traction bars, so handling is better. Again, it depends on how much you want to drive it whether handling matters.

Interior color can often be verified by looking at the overspray way up under the dash where most people don't remove it. The bulkhead behind the trunk division panel between the trunk and gas tank area has the body color written in paint stick prior to paint just down to the left of the right hinge. It will be oversprayed but can usually be read. Of course, someone doing a repaint can sand it off and put another color on it. Also, once you own the car, the body color overspray will also be underneath the engine compartment blackout and you can remove a little with acetone to see. But, if someone changed the color and did such a superb job of getting rid of all evidence of original color, then it won't matter!

As to restored or not, after nearly finishing now on my '60, I'd always go with a fairly complete, unrestored car if you are going to restore it. For a driver, get one you like. If you want one of the ones advertised as "restored," beware of the terms "restoration" and "body off" because they are often rennovations and not true restorations at all, and a lot of the originality is just plain gone. Even Top Flight cars can have a lot of good parts removed before they are sold. A base-engine car is more likely to be unmodified than the higher performance ones.

Bob

[Verle R.]

Re: Be sure to buy a car you love - you may have

Randy,

With that clarification, go get that lost love.

We did that a few years ago, went and found my first love, a 57 Corvette.
"Value" doesn't mean a thing to me, I'll not sell. Our kids will have to fight over what to do with it some day.

Good luck,

Verle

[Randy G.]

Re: Be sure to buy a car you love - you may have

Verle:

Some time ago we heard a story about how some wealthy guy made arrangements to be buried in his favorite car whenever he died. That would certainly keep the kids from fighting over it.

Thanks,

Randy