'64 or '65 vert for 17 - 18K? and shop ?

[MarkM]

Great forum, still can't believe how much knowledge you all have to share. Thanks. Have always wanted to resto a mid year (as a driver) and almost gave up with the prices skyrocketing. Planning to start in 1 - 2 years and working now on education. Imagine my excitement when I read August Corvette Enthusiast and saw in the CPI price guide article that 64 or 65 vert in "fair" condition goes for 17 - 18,000. "Fair" is defined as fully functional an able to be licensed and driven.

Does this sound realistic to you? If so, where do I find these cars? Between all the trader books, web, and other pubs, I can't dind anything for this range. I know I have to get the word out too, but heck if I can find one for this price range I'll buy two!!

Here's the basic plan.
1. Continue my education (Bloomington classes, reading, sites like this)
2. Purchase a mid year NOM car.
3. Plan for 1 year rebuild (then triple time estimate). Do some work myself, but swallow my pride on the more difficult stuff (trailing arms for example)
4. When done it will be 63 or 64 (65 - 67 if price permits), front disks added, crate or similar motor, 5 sp if it fits the budget. after that, it's a list of details stuff depending on the condition of the car. Just focusing on 63 or 64 because of price - and since I'm not concerned about future value - just driving value.

Second ? Any recommendations on good mechanical shops and paint shops in, or near St. Louis? ONly one I know of here is Just Corvettes and I haven't checked out their reputaion yet.

Thanks again for the great responses. Will meet you all at a show someday - you'll know me by the squealing tires and huge grin (I'll be one of about 100 similar folks you can pick from)
Mark

 

[allcoupedup]

MarkM,
I think you'll have a hard time finding a fair midyear of any year for 17-18k. You can probably find a decent 63-64 for mid 20s - maybe even low 20s if rough. I'd be real leary of anything in the upper teens unless you have an uninformed or distressed buyer.


Brian

 

[Al 65 Sting]

Mark,
I wish you the best in your quest. I purchased my first Vette last year from the estate of a friend who died. It was not running, had not run since 1988 when he parked it in the garage. It is a non matching nubers car with a wrong color repaint and a nose clip added poorly. Don't get me wrong, the car is solid but in need of a complete rebuild. I was able to get the car for less that five digits before the decimal point. The deals are out there but you can't be in a rush. Sometimes you literally have to wait for someone to die for such a deal. There is a long story behind mine.

So, to this point I have spent about $2,500 in brakes, front & rear suspension parts and new alum radiator. I am lucky in that a friend has a machine shop. So I turned the '69 Camaro 327, that was in it, into a 383 stroker with Vortec heads for under $2,200. Also, I am able to use his shop to press out/in all the bushings. bead blast & repaint all the bolt on parts. I still need to replace most of the factory A/C equipment and heater core. I estimate that will be another $1,000.

Then the body work and interrior needs to be done but I can drive it without doing that. I have not even begun to think about those expenses yet. I can lay out some paint, but can't make anything strait. So for me, the looking pretty body & interrior will most likely be the largest cost. Probably more than the car itself. I saw a nice metalic white paint, factory Nissan, the other day that is killer. Pop on a '67 BB hood, side pipes and she will be looking good. I know that I want TT2s but not sure if I will do 15s or larger to get a nicer tire on it. Total expense including the original purchase, $25-30K, if I paint it myself. I hope, maybe, with no more Florida hurricanes and God willing.

Al

 

[Mikey1]

Other than that you might be alble to buy a "learner" that will teach you how expensive old Corvettes can get once partially apart. But for no means I can bleieve that for this amount of money you will get a driver that does what the name suggests....guess it will be more like real estate...waiting for parts to be repaired !