[Happinow]

Hi again everyone. This post is for my husband. He is a car fan and is looking to purchase a classic vet. Are there a lot of car shows near TV? Maybe shows in Orlando? Obviously we need to look at the car before buying. They are a bit pricey so buying sight unseen is not an option. He's looking for one either fully restored or one in great condition with lower miles on it. Thanks for your help.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Happinow

Hi again everyone. This post is for my husband. He is a car fan and is looking to purchase a classic vet. Are there a lot of car shows near TV? Maybe shows in Orlando? Obviously we need to look at the car before buying. They are a bit pricey so buying sight unseen is not an option. He's looking for one either fully restored or one in great condition with lower miles on it. Thanks for your help.

The Mecum car auction is held in Kississimee this January 24th thru the 27th. This would be a great place to start because it gives a lot of info as to what the classic car market is doing, plus they have around 1700 cars on the docket. I too love the classics and have a 72 Cutlass convertible which I plan to bring down to the Villages this year. I too will be looking for some car buddies. Go to mecum.com and you can see everything in the catalog.

[keithwand]

Go online to Rogers Corvette sales in Orlando.
I hear they have a great reputation and usually low mileage cars.

[Happinow]

Thanks Penguin. My husband is a big fan of Mecum car auctions. He's been looking at many sites to see what's out there. Kississimee would certainly be close enough to look at some cars. I'm sure when we move to TV my husband will be looking for a few good buddies to talk car talk with.

[keithwand]

I just checked Rogers and they are low on inventory; sorry.
Mecum auction is great.

[mikers31]

Not sure what years you are looking for but I just saw a 1969, 1970 for sale in my neighborhood. I have a 1986 for sale. Also, you may want to come to the Corvette club meeting on Jan. 12 at Coconut, 7:00 pm and state your request. I have also looked in Craigs list - Ocala, Orlando and Tampa. Call 633-0134 if you have questions.

[coralway]

Originally Posted by Happinow

Hi again everyone. This post is for my husband. He is a car fan and is looking to purchase a classic vet. Are there a lot of car shows near TV? Maybe shows in Orlando? Obviously we need to look at the car before buying. They are a bit pricey so buying sight unseen is not an option. He's looking for one either fully restored or one in great condition with lower miles on it. Thanks for your help.

http://dustyoldcars.com/

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Happinow, does your husband have a specific model year range or generation of Corvette that he's interested in? "Classic Corvette" can mean different things to different people. If it's an older Corvette he really wants and all he's wanting to do is just shine it, drive it, and enjoy it, there are lots of decent ones to be had from some model years that aren't really considered (with some exceptions) to be true collectibles at this point. Mid-'70s and newer would fit that bill - will help to keep the cost reasonable. If you go back earlier than that, things start getting expensive pretty quickly in order to get something nice that's all ready to go given the collector value of most of the older cars.

Have a reputable shop (or individual) that is very familiar with older Corvettes check it over thoroughly before buying. It'll cost you a few bucks but you could save thousands of dollars in headaches later on. For example: Hidden frame rust is an issue with older Corvettes, particularly if the car has ever been in a salt environment (winter road salt up north, coastal conditions in FL, etc.). A killer paint job can make the car look great but if the frame is weak/full of holes, you'll wind up with an expensive surprise at some point. It's pretty easy to spot - - - IF you know where to look. Hence, one reason for the suggestion to have a pre-purchase inspection done by a Corvette shop/expert.

Mecum is a very good suggestion as is Roger's. A friend of mine has done business with Roger's in the past and was extremely pleased. Roger's only deals in really nice stuff and as such, prices are on the higher end of the scale. But you'll get what you pay for from them.

Message boards/forums are good places to find out tons of info on a subject, just like right here on TOTV regarding TV! Here's probably the most popular general Corvette forum out there right now:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/index.php

I'd suggest your husband really narrow down his scope to only a particular generation of Corvette (C1, C2.....C6), and probably a specific range of model years within that generation. Otherwise, the expanse of what info/insight he'd need to have in order to be a knowledgeable buyer will be too broad - - - and things WILL start to get confusing after a while!

Lastly, no matter how nice the car is that he might eventually buy, plan on spending more money on it as time goes on, particularly the older the car is. There will always be a little something that will need fixed from time to time, just like any older car!

Best of luck with your search!

Bill

[Happinow]

My husband is looking for a corvette '63-'67. Stingray, probably convertible, and fairly low miles. He's looking for a cream puff! He knows his cars and has wanted a vet his whole life and he thinks that when we move to TV it would be perfect timing. He wants one we can just ride around in and enjoy. Not looking to do any work on it. He's been on various sites looking and has found some but we don't want to ship it when we move. We were wondering if there were many car shows near TV. Penguin said there was one in Kississimee. Will have to check that out. Thanks for the advice. We probably want to spend around 50,000 or so.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Mecum's event in Kissimmee is, as Penguin said, an auction - not a car show per se. But it's a great place to see a lot of really nice cars going up for auction. To buy at those events, you'll need to know the details in advance of attending. Refer to their web site:

http://www.mecum.com/bidder-registration.cfm

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/auctio...TION_ID=FL0112

https://www.mecum.com/infonet/online...dType=standard

For a vehicle in the price range you're talking, a Buyer's Premium of 6% of the hammer price is also added to the deal.

The lowest priced cars in the '63-'67 model year range will, all things being equal, will be the '64s. '67s and '63s will probably be the most expensive as they're generally the most desirable years.

You'd probably need to attend a specialty car show that is Corvette-focused - I doubt you'll see a Corvette of that vintage at any kind of local show that meets the "low mileage/creampuff/needs no work" condition parameters. Most of those don't get street driven any more........but there are always exceptions!

Bill

[CarGuys]

That Car in questions would cost more than their dream Home Pool and lot together!

Finding one with matching numbers is possible but not going to be found at a local auction.

Like Classic T-birds most of them vettes are not every driven just maintained. Some cleaner than the day they came off the line.

Friend in Marcellus went looking in a Barn that the Roof fell in . Underneath a Army Canvas he found a Delorean! Abandoned for years the frame was rotten beyond repair.

[Happinow]

Originally Posted by CarGuys

That Car in questions would cost more than their dream Home Pool and lot together!

Finding one with matching numbers is possible but not going to be found at a local auction.

Like Classic T-birds most of them vettes are not every driven just maintained. Some cleaner than the day they came off the line.

Friend in Marcellus went looking in a Barn that the Roof fell in . Underneath a Army Canvas he found a Delorean! Abandoned for years the frame was rotten beyond repair.

He'll find something when the time is right. In the mean time we're having fun looking!

[Penguin]

Happinow, another food for thought is that Mecum has a all Corvette auction here in St Charles IL in June called Bloomington Gold. They advertise 400 Corvettes. Take your time and you will find the car of your dreams.
.

[angiefox10]

Originally Posted by Penguin

Happinow, another food for thought is that Mecum has a all Corvette auction here in St Charles IL in June called Bloomington Gold. They advertise 400 Corvettes. Take your time and you will find the car of your dreams.
.

Soooo much fun!

[CatskillBill]

Looking for a 'Vette? Here are some beauties for sale from all eras.

"C" your favorites here:

http://www.usedcorvettesforsale.com/...or-sale-2.html