My son Bradley is filling out applications to college. In just a few months, he’ll be leaving the nest and be on to the next big adventure in his life.
Currently on his list are McPherson College in Kansas, the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon State University in Corvallis, and Arizona State University in Tempe.
He won’t take a car with him, preferring to get acclimated to his new home first. He has made a decision on selling a car, and so it is time for the 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector’s Edition to go.
Frankly, I was the motivating factor behind our buying the car. Now, all his life, Bradley will be able to say, “I turned 16, got my license, and the next day I bought a Corvette with my dad.”
I’m sure that story will get told more than once.
Our restoration guru Chip Starr found the C3 and put it into fine fettle. It has just under 100,000 miles, a 4-speed automatic, Cross-Fire injection and all original paint and interior. It has new tires, the A/C compressor was replaced (so you don’t have to read “just needs a recharge”) and a full tune-up. Everything works, including the often-problematic rear hatch. It also comes with over 20 years of records from the previous owner.
He also replaced the shocks. There is a repro window sticker that indicates the car originally came with a factory CB/cassette/radio unit, but that is no longer installed.
I find its two-tone gray attractive, and it cruises easily at 80 mph. The transparent T-tops are a nice touch.
It’s definitely a fly-in and drive home car.
He has shown it at the Forest Grove Concours and a few Cars & Coffees. I’m not a Corvette pricing expert but I think it is a $15k to $18k car, which is less than we have “invested” in it (but that’s the way collector car math works).
What are your thoughts on how best to sell it? With top-flight BaT sellers, the prep costs and commissions involved with a sale of a cheap car can eat up a considerable part of the proceeds.
However, I dread the thought of the zoo that is Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
Are there Corvette websites or clubs with classifieds that you recommend?
I look forward to your suggestions.
If you enjoyed this, consider subscribing to Sports Car Market with this special offer. Save $56 over newsstand prices, get all the bonus guides and never miss an issue.
Read my previous blogs here.
I would recommend keeping the car. Especially if you have that much more into it and you have the history with it.
Park it in your garage, take the unnecessary insurance off it, and let your son decide what to do with it after he settles in to his new life.
Being stock, with good original paint, try a specialist Corvette site.
It sounds too nice for it to become someone’s quick flip and it ending up as “just a used car”.
If you really want a easy sell, ask The Chevy Store (a long time purveyor of Corvettes and vintage bowties) in Portland what they’d give you for it.
They might even take it on consignment.
It would be easy for you and probably better for the car.
Why not use the SCM Marketplace?
Definitely call The Chevy Store. With your records and documents, it would be the right place to sell your car a minimum of fuss and expense
BaT is $99 to list a car ($400 if you have them send out a professional photographer) and I believe Cars&Bids is free to list. My suggestion would be to pick one, spend $200 on a decent detail, have an SCM staff member with photography skills shoot the car, and then use your strength Keith – drafting a writeup and documenting the history and work you’ve had done. Promote it here, and more importantly be an involved seller when the auction is live. You’ll do fine with it.
Why not list in on BaT yourself, and forgo the BaT specialist? That’s the way I would go.
I’m not saying the Corvette is the right car to take, but if he ends up going to MacPherson, he’s gonna want a car, I would think. I’m sure it’s changed since I’ve been there last, but I bet it doesn’t have a *robust* public transportation system.
I say Craigslist. One of the downsides of BaT etc.. is that many interesting cars that would have been sold locally are no longer listed there. Give the local area a shot first at no cost and if that fails you can try a national or specialist site.
If he goes to a school where he can do without a car, don’t bring it. A Corvette in college parking lots is a disaster waiting to happen. I had a 1958 Mercedes 190SL when I went to college six hours from home at Florida State in 1973. The thought of beating that thing six hours each way and leaving it in a college dorm parking lot after spending the better part of a summer making that car perfect was too much to bear. I left the car at my mom’s house and rode to college with friends. By summer, I had had my mom’s 69 Ford Ranch Battle Wagon, a safe and bulletproof beast that I drove almost until I went to law school. If someone opened a door on that, it didn’t matter. If a car matters, don’t bring something you like to college!
Keith, You would be a repeat customer at the Chevy Store!
Kind of hard to argue with the SCM classifieds, isn’t it?
How about Hemmings Auctions or classifieds??
Facebook marketplace works for me. I sold 2 of my cars there.