An interesting trade

[IH2LOSE]

So last week I had shared the visit I had from 2 of my Dads supiriours,they came up to inspect my 66 and just speak about vettes. Well one of the fellows contacted me last night with and offer,

Now I think I understanding pricing,I also gauge the BJ scotsdales pricing and understand that is the high mark,and most cars will sell way under thoses pricing.My car is not for sale and I made that clear,But this fellow has made me an offer I just cant refuse,He wants to pay me for my car ( A figure higher then what I would ask) and I can pick one from 5 different driver quaility cars,(all small blocks) It seems none of his cars are perfect,as he describes it, there just average corvettes that have had maintnence to keep them going over the last 35 years.Quoted "if a hose broke I put a new one on,if a brake went bad I took one off the shelf and put it on"He explained he has other cars but these 5 cars he will offer to me are all firehouse show cars.I could get in and drive.He said one may have a wrong manifold or missing its sheilding or has a set a headers on it and he would be able to give me the correct stock parts depending on what car I pick.

I personally could not afford to replace my 66 if I sold it,its paid for and cost me nothing except about 300.00 a year in insurance,and a bay in my garage.

I asked him why if he has that kind of disposable income and he has soo many vettes why he doesnt restore one of his cars,or pay to have it done.He answer was that he is past the age of being able to restore a car he should have done one 10 years ago and he is afraid he would drop dead the week before the car was ready to come out of the restoration shop and he would never be happy with the quality of the car when it was done (its an unknown) Also as for the pricing he has offered ,he would be only paying half of what he offered because the other fellow is part of the deal and they would be partners on the car as with all of there other cars and wouldnt I purchase my car at half price?

I refused his offer,and gave him my drive line to find a car,I also offered to go with him to a NCRS meet and make a deal on a car after it top flights.I also explained his offer is very generous and high and he will find a better car then mine to purchase.

 

[1KULC7]

I happen to thing you made not just the wisest choice but the best choice. When a person put so much blood, sweat, and tears into one of these cars, it almost becomes part of the family. I think we eventually become emotionally attached to these buckets of glass and metal, and it becomes harder to separate as we go along. So base on the emotional factor, and then the factor you would have to start all over again (just like building a new relationship), I think you pretty well know the correct answer and I happen to think you did the right thing.

Do you ever know some people how have disposible income seem to beleive the world is make up of items with price tags on them, and everything can be bought. I happen to believe, and happen to be one of those people, who thing many items can't be bought, regardless of the price, as they cannot be replaced.

I know I am rambling on...but its such a releif to see somebody who treasures what they have now and not looking for what else the can have....cheerish the moment as it never repeats itself again....Good Job...

 

[Grizzly]

Members of the Family

I happen to thing you made not just the wisest choice but the best choice. When a person put so much blood, sweat, and tears into one of these cars, it almost becomes part of the family. I think we eventually become emotionally attached to these buckets of glass and metal, and it becomes harder to separate as we go along. So base on the emotional factor, and then the factor you would have to start all over again (just like building a new relationship), I think you pretty well know the correct answer and I happen to think you did the right thing.

Do you ever know some people how have disposible income seem to beleive the world is make up of items with price tags on them, and everything can be bought. I happen to believe, and happen to be one of those people, who thing many items can't be bought, regardless of the price, as they cannot be replaced.

I know I am rambling on...but its such a releif to see somebody who treasures what they have now and not looking for what else the can have....cheerish the moment as it never repeats itself again....Good Job...

I couldn't have said it better!

 

[Z28Canuck]

The gentleman obviously made a generous offer that shows he appreciates a quality job, your time and effort, blood, sweat and sacrifices. I have said it before that there are a very select few out there with the skills, knowledge and resources that can attempt, never mind actually do, a complete quality restoration. It is refreshing to see someone acknowledging this respect by offering a respectable price that considers your countless hours of work put into it. There are a lot out there with the resources to buy a completed car because they lack the skills or just don't have the time to do a restoration but sadly some feel the offer should cover "costs" of materials not reflect the countless hours sacrificed from family etc.
Your heart and soul go into these restorations and it's now part of you, it's different if it were a business with a turnover for profit.

Glad you decided to keep it. I think you would have questioned your decision for years if you had sold it and probably not put the same effort into the next project. I'm also glad for you the offer shows his respect for your efforts and clearly compliments your quality of work. Just my thoughts and again thanks to you guys who detail these restorations for all of us to enjoy with you. They are so informative and a pleasure to follow.

 

[studiog]

The gentleman obviously made a generous offer that shows he appreciates a quality job, your time and effort, blood, sweat and sacrifices. I have said it before that there are a very select few out there with the skills, knowledge and resources that can attempt, never mind actually do, a complete quality restoration. It is refreshing to see someone acknowledging this respect by offering a respectable price that considers your countless hours of work put into it. There are a lot out there with the resources to buy a completed car because they lack the skills or just don't have the time to do a restoration but sadly some feel the offer should cover "costs" of materials not reflect the countless hours sacrificed from family etc.
Your heart and soul go into these restorations and it's now part of you, it's different if it were a business with a turnover for profit.

Glad you decided to keep it. I think you would have questioned your decision for years if you had sold it and probably not put the same effort into the next project. I'm also glad for you the offer shows his respect for your efforts and clearly compliments your quality of work. Just my thoughts and again thanks to you guys who detail these restorations for all of us to enjoy with you. They are so informative and a pleasure to follow.

I agree 100% and I would respect any decision Larry made regarding the sale of the car.

 

[Z28Canuck]

I agree 100% and I would respect any decision Larry made regarding the sale of the car.

Yes you're right. If Larry or any of you ever sell your cars it is only you who can decide what is a fair acceptable price and a decision you should be happy with once it's made. A hard choice to make regardless how good the price is after all those hours working on it and it's a part of you now. Owners down the road will be looking through the history of the car and your name and efforts will proudly follow it, who ever the owner is. Nice thought!

 

[firstgear]

Better to avoid "sellers remorse" than to make a quick buck and never be able to get it back again.......

 

[1KULC7]

You know the funny thing that I have found about taking on one of these projects. As you go through it, many times you find the prize you bought really isn't as in great condition as you first thought. Then as you dig deeper you start questioning your own knowledge about what you bought...did you do the right thing? But the point is you continue fixing and replacing. Finally you reach the point which are are almost building a new car for ten time or more the amount the car sold for. But the most interesting thing is, most people don't give up, nor do they lose their love for the car, for some strange reason the you end up not wanting to sell the car, against all better judgement. In my humble opion, you have started a relationship with this car, and almost feel its your responsibility to make it right and "SAVE THIS CAR".

Strange as it seems, to some people, many I know can relate to what I am talking about. Many of you have followed and continue to follow my complete restoration of my 63 Coupe..... I know many of you know my frustration, dissappointment, and my doubts, but never did I consider for a nanosecond that I would patch up the car and sell it to buy something else. I just rolled with the punches, bit my lip, took a second out on my house (I really did), and continue with the process of completing this car. After almost three years I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the major restorations being finished, and hope to have the car judged by NCRS for the first time in May....

But you know, I look back and am very proud of being so fortunate to be able to resurrect one of these cars back to its original showroom condition, and you know all the pain was worth it....although it did not feel like it going through it. Something else too, during my restoration process, I had a person offer me almost twice what I paid for the car, cash on the spot. And without hesitation, I refused and offered to help him fine one, the same thing that Larry did. Larry I really relate to you and what went through your mind.

So for those sitting on the fence...keep the faith and follow through what your insides are telling you. Temptations are always abound, and yes the reason why you are being offered good cash is because the people who wish to purchase your work respect and admire what you are doing. So treat it as a compliment, and offer to help the person....

Again sorry for being long, but this happens to be a very important slant to me about restoring a car and the age old statement of you never get back what you put into a car, cars are the worse investment one can make....my position is and has been, I am not doing it for an investment, I do it or the love of the car.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Thanks for all of the very KIND and honest words of wisdom. It seems we have a special group of people here and maybee thats why I feel so comfortable here sharing this story,Me personaly I am in it for the cars.I just wanted to share a long phone conversation that I had with this fellow,


I may got to see some of his cars very very earley on this Sunday.

 

[Z28Canuck]

....I may got to see some of his cars very very earley on this Sunday.

Are you looking for the next project already? If you do get another vette are you considering one for showing or a daily driver type of car? Sounds like the next project might be an extension on the garage . Nice opportunity on Sunday! Enjoy the holiday
Doug

 

[BarryK]

I may got to see some of his cars very very earley on this Sunday.

come back with pics to post!!

and don't sell your '66 - you know you will regret it if you do

Besides, how many other people can claim to not only own THREE Vettes, but three YELLOW vettes!

 

[BarryK]

You know the funny thing that I have found about taking on one of these projects. As you go through it, many times you find the prize you bought really isn't as in great condition as you first thought. Then as you dig deeper you start questioning your own knowledge about what you bought...did you do the right thing? But the point is you continue fixing and replacing.

boy, ain't that the truth.
When i bought my car last spring, it had approx 500 miles on a just finished body-off restoration. Nice to know the car was done and I really wouldn't have to do anything to it but drive it and enjoy it......NOT!!!!
Don'y know if it was the previous owner who did the work on my car and just didn't know what he was doing or if he sent it out to have the work done and choose the shops to do the work based on the cheapest price quote, but i've had to redo a lot of the things on the car already. Example - we know the rear bearings were replaced during the restoration but they were done wrong and I had to have them replaced myself when they went bad (after only approx 1200 miles on them). That was a nice hit on the wallet! The motor was completely rebuilt, but while it ran ok, it didn't run as good as i think it should have and the timing, vacum, and dwell have been a problem since day one - even after I had the distributor completely rebuilt, and it was in 2 different shops 5 different times and i'm still trying to get it right. The seats were redone, but not correctly and I still want to have them done over. The rear blower exhaust fan never worked and I had to buy a new control cable for it (over $120.00 for a single cable that is really nothing more than a basic throttle cable), the clock and radio need rebuilding, etc. I can go further down my list but you get the idea.
Yes, I started to have a few serious doubts about my choice on the car but honestly, I never considered selling it to find something else. i'll fix the important things as they come up (safety items first!) and eventually get around to everything as time progresses and I can afford to do them a little bit at a time.

Barry

 

[00fxd]

I think if the old guy made a fair/generous offer, good for him. I guess you may get to a point where you realize that you can't take it with you. It beats having some calling and bugging you with a low ball offer for your stuff like I just had at my place today [again].
It's not a good idea tho to sell a car before it's time. I've had many cars/rods that I thought I would never part with but the time came, supprisingly to my wife, freinds and myself. That would be a great time to get an offer like that.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Are you looking for the next project already? If you do get another vette are you considering one for showing or a daily driver type of car? Sounds like the next project might be an extension on the garage . Nice opportunity on Sunday! Enjoy the holiday
Doug

NOPE DEFINATLEY NOT LOOKING FOR ANOTHER PROJECT.

But if something I love falls into my lap I would make a deal! I am not going with my car trailer.

 

[IH2LOSE]

come back with pics to post!!

and don't sell your '66 - you know you will regret it if you do

Besides, how many other people can claim to not only own THREE Vettes, but three YELLOW vettes!

Barry

Any vette I will purchase will be yellow. I have been looking long before project 62 for a yellow 74 big block convertable survivor I have looked at 2 cars in the last 4 years and it seems the term survivor has a different meaning to different folks. Any body thinking of adding a Big Block shark to there stable had better do it soon, it seems the sharks are finally coming into there own,and the prices are rising quickley.

 

[IH2LOSE]

I think if the old guy made a fair/generous offer, good for him. I guess you may get to a point where you realize that you can't take it with you. It beats having some calling and bugging you with a low ball offer for your stuff like I just had at my place today [again].
It's not a good idea tho to sell a car before it's time. I've had many cars/rods that I thought I would never part with but the time came, supprisingly to my wife, freinds and myself. That would be a great time to get an offer like that.

You know you hit the nail right on the head,there kids are all grown up and out of colledge,I think they are at the point where they no longer need to save for there golden years because there in there golden years and now need to start spending and living life,

My Dad was up last night for a short visit and said I better call these guys to explain to them I am only coming for a short visit of an hour or so,The have all kinds of pastries ready for Sunday.And to also bring my son because the guy has a Mini real ride on steam train set like you see at the amusment parks.I did make myself clear it was a short visit but I will call him today to re afirm it.

 

[61 Silver]

Feeling Young Aagin

IH2LOSE,



You are right on! I not sure if I am in my GOLDEN YEARS yet, but I am heading there fast. I have worked very hard my whole life and it is time to enjoy the time that is left. I taught my girlfriend to drive standard on a 62 Corvette 37 years ago and just and had to give her a refresher course a few years ago on the 61. (married over thirty-five years to that girlfriend) I get a big smile on my face every time I am cursing in the Corvette and have them golden oldies playing on the radio.



Ray

 

[ZRGator]

You know the funny thing that I have found about taking on one of these projects. As you go through it, many times you find the prize you bought really isn't as in great condition as you first thought. Then as you dig deeper you start questioning your own knowledge about what you bought...did you do the right thing? But the point is you continue fixing and replacing. Finally you reach the point which are are almost building a new car for ten time or more the amount the car sold for. But the most interesting thing is, most people don't give up, nor do they lose their love for the car, for some strange reason the you end up not wanting to sell the car, against all better judgement. In my humble opion, you have started a relationship with this car, and almost feel its your responsibility to make it right and "SAVE THIS CAR".
Strange as it seems, to some people, many I know can relate to what I am talking about. Many of you have followed and continue to follow my complete restoration of my 63 Coupe..... I know many of you know my frustration, dissappointment, and my doubts, but never did I consider for a nanosecond that I would patch up the car and sell it to buy something else. I just rolled with the punches, bit my lip, took a second out on my house (I really did), and continue with the process of completing this car. After almost three years I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the major restorations being finished, and hope to have the car judged by NCRS for the first time in May....

But you know, I look back and am very proud of being so fortunate to be able to resurrect one of these cars back to its original showroom condition, and you know all the pain was worth it....although it did not feel like it going through it. Something else too, during my restoration process, I had a person offer me almost twice what I paid for the car, cash on the spot. And without hesitation, I refused and offered to help him fine one, the same thing that Larry did. Larry I really relate to you and what went through your mind.

So for those sitting on the fence...keep the faith and follow through what your insides are telling you. Temptations are always abound, and yes the reason why you are being offered good cash is because the people who wish to purchase your work respect and admire what you are doing. So treat it as a compliment, and offer to help the person....

Again sorry for being long, but this happens to be a very important slant to me about restoring a car and the age old statement of you never get back what you put into a car, cars are the worse investment one can make....my position is and has been, I am not doing it for an investment, I do it or the love of the car.

Boy was I glad I came to the forum to read this. At times, when you're many bucks in, I think we all question our sanity. However, I agree with the love for the car and the history of the car attitude I read here. The car I bought wasn't as pristine (that's "pristine" not Christine which was some kinda funky Plymouth) and when I first got her I seriously wanted to dump her. Fortunately my loving wife kept reminding me of how I felt about 67's and talked me out of it. After all, I waited over 10 years to get back into my favorite car of all time, the 67 coupe. You guys are right, these pieces of automotive beauty quickly become a part of the family and every one has its own unique personality. This BB coupe is one I always wanted and, no, it is not the same car as the SB I owned before. But, I will make her better. I will save her for posterity and my son.
Also, I'd like to mention that if you do give away your car to a guy who has big bucks, but is lacking the currency of character, will he treat your special piece of automotive art the way he did the previous cars he has? Replace worn out/broken parts with off the shelf replacements?...NO RESPECT!
Good decisions, guys, I plan on carrying on your example.

 

[67HEAVEN]

I get a big smile on my face every time I am cursing in the Corvette and have them golden oldies playing on the radio.



Ray

Freudian slip? Did you mean cruising?

 

[BruceBed]

I know what your saying. I get that often. I have a bone stock original that I have maintained . I have done work over the years and it shows. When I take it out , I always get someone who has to have it. It's not about the $$$$. It's about your own self satisfaction and enjoyment. You can't put a $$$ on everything in life. I know that people say "everything has a price", but it goes beyond that. I'm in the same boat as you. NEVER SELL.......