gold mine for C1s

[Jim Hufford]

Hello Everyone,

I came across a particullar situation. I found a person who has several parts for strictly C1s. I went by there yesterday to see what exactly he had. I could not believe the number of parts in his garage. The person is restoring a 57 and a model T. He wants to move all of his 58-62 parts for 12,000. Just from what I saw there was the following:

Three hardtops (I think he is keeping either one or two of them)
Two or three transmissions
four or so frontends
4 sets of doors
5 or so deck lids
valve covers
4 sets of bumperettes
window glass
kick panels (stack of them)
one frame cut in the front. I think someone was going to put a mustang front end
engines (each dated)
convertible tops
molding
bumpers
lots of interior pieces
steering columns (4 or 5 of them)
body panels
rearends
seat frames and springs
break lights and parking lights

Pretty much everything I would need to build my car, plus ALOT of extra parts. I think most if not all of the parts were off of original cars. The parts were neatly put away inside his garage. He told me he was planning on going to swap meets to sell most of the parts he had since he pretty much has everything he needs to restore his 57. He is not interested in restoring another car. Individually the parts could go for 25-30,000 in the current condition.

DOES this happen often where someone would have so many parts to sell all at once?

[artarmstrong]

Re: gold mine for C1s

Well did you buy them???
Art

[Jim Hufford]

Re: gold mine for C1s

No, not yet. I still have to figure out where I can get the cash (signature loan or a 2nd mortgage). I have several different options to get the money. He wants to do a full inventory of what he has before he sells everything. I wanted to buy some of it right there. I figured I should let my wife know about it before I did.

[Jim Hufford]

Re: gold mine for C1s

I actually got goose bumps from what I had just seen. I could not believe all of the different parts. I was like a kid in a candy store!

My only problem (like everyone else) is cash flow and being married. Don't get me wrong I love my wife. It is just she sees it as an expensive hobby. Everytime I purchase a part she gives me a certain look.

[Dale Pearman]

Re: gold mine for C1s

Be Careful!...........Most of the parts sound NORS which don't resemble original stuff at all and will result in point losses in judging. Just because it's in a GM box doesn't mean it's desirable.

If those bumberettes are sharp-edged or seam welded they are almost worthless.

Dale Pearman

[Jim Hufford]

Re: gold mine for C1s

Thats one of the problems is nothing is in a box. Or an original box. I can tell most the parts are fairly old. Some are well used which leads me to think that the parts came off of wrecked vehicles. I guess is it worth trying to put on used parts?

[tim anderson]

Re: gold mine for C1s

Wife, Heck she MADE me buy the vette! And NO you can't have her!

[Jim Hufford]

Re: gold mine for C1s

I guess I was just at awe with all of the parts that were there. Some of the blocks were dated with tags on them. I think most of the parts were taken out of cars. I saw one fender still in great shape. There was no primer on the fiberglass. I could tell that it looked like an orginal piece from the way the fiberglass had looked like. Like I said all of the parts i saw were not packaged.

[G B.]

The big sell-off is just beginning

I know of several huge personal collections that are mostly old Corvette parts. I'm talking about buildings full of vintage stuff. In every case the owner is a parts hoarder, not a car builder. In other words, he gets a chubby over owning a bunch of parts. He's really not interested in using them to construct or repair anything.

The Corvette parts collectors that I know personally are ALL in their fifties, like me. They aren't about to change their hoarding ways, but they are getting OLD. Again, just like me.

One day I'm not going to be able to work on cars. Maybe it will be my eyes, or maybe my back, but something will give out and I'll cross that "out of service" line. After that, I'll never be able to use my tools again. So what will happen to that shop full of stuff I've got now? Hey, wait a minute! All my friends will be going to the home about the same time. They won't want my FI manometer. My daughter doesn't want it either.

Do you get my drift here? Most old Corvette enthusiasts are OLD. In about ten years, we are going to see more vintage Corvette parts, cars, and special tools come up for sale than you thought were ever made. And there won't be nearly enough folks around who will want to buy them. Do you know many young people today who lust after old Corvettes the way current geezers ALWAYS have? I don't either.

I'm going to use my remaining years (and Corvette parts) to keep as many of these cars going as I can. My parts aren't going to end up being sold at an estate auction by the pound if I can help it.

[Grant M.]

Re: The big sell-off is just beginning

Jerry,

There's a lot of logic in what you say, but I would disagree with you on one point: I think there are a lot of young people out there who would like to have our cars...but there's hardly any who have the inclination to do the work on them themselves. Even most of the souped-up rice burners around here were not customized or worked on by the owners...they saved up their money (or hit on their parents) and paid some custom shop to do all the work. Heck, they won't even install their own aftermarket stereos, something I have less than fond memories of doing on my first cars.

In my neighbourhood (about 200 homes) I've seen only one kid working on a car (a pretty rough 81 Z-28) and he had to give up when the hassle from his parents about tying up the family garage became too much.

All that to say, I'm with you. I'll be using my small parts supply to keep my car runnng and looking good until they haul me away to a home...

grant

[George J.]

Hey Jer

What about this 34 year old that has spent the last 4 years learning everything he could about '65 fuelies? Seriously, I think you are right. These old cars can take a lot of work to keep running and looking good and there just isn't the passion with people my age. In all fairness, though, it wasn't what most of them grew up with. I will be in Monterey with the rest of the Michigan chapter, though. Maybe we can talk fuelies.

George #31887

[Chas Kingston]

Re: The big sell-off is just beginning

Yup. I've had to hang up my JS and farm out my work. I'm now 70 and blind in one eye. Ever try to adjust a carb by Braille? Not fun. And my blood pressure meds were causing a mild depression; just enough that I sold off my '70 350/370. I still drive a '02 to get my jollies, but it's just not the same as a BB C2 with side-pipes.

So, Jerry, I've been where you are awaiting, and it just ain't that much fun.

Geezer


Geezer's Corvettes

[Patrick H.]

Re: Hey Jer

George,

Just remember - you aren't the ONLY 34 year old in the Michigan Chapter who likes fuelies. We'll have to fight over Jerry's manometer someday.

See you this weekend.

Patrick

[Jim T.]

Re: The big sell-off is just beginning

My Grandson wants my 68 red/red convertible L79. He is just 13 now. Have a few more years to think about this.

[Mark Ring]

Re: The big sell-off is just beginning

I think Jerry is more right than we want to admit. This is a sad thread. It would be nice to think about all these rare vintage parts/cars/tools going into the hands of those that will actualy apreciate and use them as there are some enthusiasts out there that want that "old junk". I feel like a minority more every day. Nobody localy stocks the parts anymore, nobody will work on my cars anymore, nobody wants to paint my cars anymore. I could go on and on...

I do know that people will have accidents when they see me in the rear view mirror and stare as I rumble by them while they rear end the SUV in front of them that has stopped for traffic. -HA! It has happened before, it happened again yesterday.

Drive it like it was intended. We can't take our cars with us and our kids will probably trade them in for a Civic with a fart pipe and fat wheels.

-Mark.