Help with purchasing a used vehicle

Spilchy

Spilchy

New member
How can I locate a used vehicle evaluation service that will go over the engine and underbody with a fine tooth comb and document the cars condition?



I am looking at a vintage Corvettes at a muscle car dealer in my state. However, before I make the purchase, I want an independent Certified Technician to completly review the car with diagnostic equipment etc...



I want a print out at the end of the review so I can use it in the negotiations.



Unfortunately, I do not have a mechanic who I have a relationship with. I get my car serviced at the dealer.



Are there any companies that do this? Any help?? Thanks!
 
Hey Spilchy I would start by running a carfax report at www.carfax.com Make sure you obtain the vin #. There are usually several mobil car evaluation services such as lemonbusters and others. Look in you yellow pages. Good luck. I really like vintage vettes....Andrew
 
Contact the local Corvette club. Ask some of them who they recommend and use for working on the vintage of vette you are looking at (I say vintage because I assume that vettes are like any other model of car and different years have different potential problem areas to check). Contact the shop/mechanic and inquire about paying for a thorough pre-purchase inspection. Indicate that you would like documented all the problems and the cost to bring the car up to your specifications. Usually this will cost $200-300 dollars depending on the region. I don’t know much about vettes but I bet a compression and/or leak down test would be in order which may increase the inspection cost.



If you are really paranoid or are paying a premium for a nice car a trip to a body shop that has lots of Corvette experience would be in order to inspect for possible damage repairs.



Carfax is unreliable at best. If a problem shows up walk away but it comes up clean don’t think the car is clean. I ran a carfax on my one owner Integra when I sold it just for fun and it showed no history, event though the car had been involved in 3 accidents with significant repair work done.
 
I would go to a few local body shops in your area and ask them who the best body/mechanical restoration shops are for the type of car you're looking at. A good resto shop will know what to look for and point out any problems based on their vast experience.



Once you've determined who restores them, ask the shop if they will inspect the car the way you want, I'm sure for the right price they'll do it.



Good luck and let us know how it turns out.:xyxthumbs
 
I agree with those who suggest finding a Corvette expert to inspect your potential purchase. There are plenty of people out there who know certain cars in and out, all ya gotta do is find them. I like the suggestion of contacting your local Vette club or a local branch of the national Corvette club (whatever that is).



I would not take it to any ol' mechanic as they're not gonna be versed in the intricacies of whatever generation Vette you're considering.



I'd also be spending quality time at places like Sportscarmarket.com and any online Vette forum learning about market values and auction prices. Grinding an owner of a classic Vette will not be like grinding an owner of a 3 yr old Chevy Impala. Pay special attention to market forces and auction results. Classic Vettes are collector cars and orbit in a pattern different than plain ol used cars.



Good luck and happy shopping.
 
http://www.corvetteforum.com is one of the best automotive resources available on the web. IIRC, you are looking for a C3, in NJ? There's a possibility someone there knows the exact car. Vette owners are an insanely tightly-knit community.



Spilchy is grinding a dealer. Speaking as a dealer, grinding a dealer is the same everywhere. Hey, we discounted the Dale Earnhart Monte Carlo after it sat long enough. You can't hold onto it forever. Use the money to buy 3 Cavaliers that will sell in 3 days.



Tom
 
Corvetteforum is a great place to hang out. Ask around on there. When I was thinking about buying one, they sent me some links to very very detailed checklists.
 
Thanks fellas - great input.



As luck would have it, my mother's colleague and her husband are DIE HARD Vette fanatics! They are involved with clubs, monthly events and drove their 71' Vette to the Bowling Green event a month go. They work and restore their own car as well.



My mother said she would love to talk to me! NICE!



I'm checking out the links you guys gave.



I've been doing a ton of reading and exploring. It looks like I can afford a 77' - 79' T-Top that is in solid, solid shape. I know they're not traditional Muscle Cars by any means (nothing was in the late 70's!), but I just love them anyway!



My goal is to find a 73' (my birth year) and slowly over time, bring her back.
 
Something to realize with a project like this: It will cost twice as much and take 3x as long as you think it will. Things will NOT be as they seem with the car, shops WILL run into problems somewhere along the way.



I'm not trying to discourage you - but I'm working on rebuilding a 91 MR2 right now, and it took almost 8 months for my new engine to go in (custom built). That's not supposed to be a hard swap, and this is an experienced shop that deals primarily with MR2s....but there were still issues.



It's gonna happen - so if you're gonna do this, make sure you have a 2nd car you can drive around. If you're depending on this for your transportation, don't buy something in need of any kind of resto.
 
Agree with Sick of it all.......



Buy the best car you can afford, restoration costs are significantly higher than purchasing a car that's already been restored or in excellent condition. I was told the exact same thing when I purchased my car last year. Best advice I've ever received.



Good luck and keep us posted as it's always fun to see a person aquire their dream car.
 
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