If this split window Corvette looks familiar, that’s probably because we featured it back in July when reader Brian T found it abandoned in an L.A. parking garage. He was able to track down the owners and made them a strong offer, but they turned it down, you can read that story here. It would seem that his offer got the owner’s thinking, as it has just popped up here on eBay in California and is clearly being offered by the original owner’s family. While I feel bad for Brian, I’m glad that this car is finally being pulled from the parking garage and is hopefully destined for a good home where it will be restored and driven!
Brian was able to gather quite a bit of the car’s history, which he shared with us, but it’s great to hear it from the owner’s. It was a gift from their father to their mother as an anniversary present. They even remember climbing into the back to go for rides around Los Angeles. They still have all of the original paperwork that came with the car and even have photos of it from when they were kids!
Even if this wasn’t a split window, it would be an amazing find, simply because of all the history that comes with the car. While I’m really glad they’ve finally decided to let it go to a good home, I really feel for Brian. They told him they wouldn’t ever sell it, but I guess they had a change of heart when they realized how desirable and valuable it is. Given the condition, I think his offer was a good one. Being a 300 horse automatic car, I don’t think it’s worth much more than that. It’s going to be costly to restore the body and there is rust in the birdcage. It will be interesting to see what this one goes for. And maybe Brian will be able to buy it for less than what he originally offered them!
Silly me…We re-stamp blocks, market more ’57FI vetts than the factory made, doesn’t anyone sell a “split-window” piece to fit these poor suffering StingRays ?
The problem with making an offer on something like this, is that often you only get one shot at it.
If you shoot low, you run the risk of insulting the person, or getting a door slammed in your face. If you shoot high, you may get it, but you may over pay by a wide margin.
Of course, sometimes the offer is just right, and they will still say no for various reasons, and it will remain sitting right where it’s always been till someone dies and it changes hands or gets scrapped or completely abandoned.
It never hurts to ask, however and that is the only way to actually get a chance at owning something.
When I was renting a storage lot at a small town wrecking yard it was fascinating how many things they simply got for free by asking. Someone gave them a pair of Stutz Package Cars, the last thing Stutz ever produced before going under. They look like a strange little rear engine utility van and are exceptionally rare.
There were a number of neat old cars I saw around town that they ended up with, and many of them went directly into the crusher, regardless of year, make, or model.
It’s just how this stuff works. It’s a bummer for the guy who missed out on this, but that’s a very hard game to play when dealing with something like this era Corvette. The odds were not in their favor for scoring this, but there was at least a slight chance and I applaud them for taking a crack at it.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out and what it sells for.
Looks like another set of wealthy brats collecting on their deceased parents assets. If they really cared about their parents memories, they’d have it restored and enjoy it.
Brian offered $65,000, and they didn’t accept. I’m guessing the reserve is atleast that number.
$65K!!! Lot of money for. “pig in a poke sack!”
Tv shows have bought split Windows for less. I doubt this will get bids over $30k. Just my humble opinion…,,,,
And the Powerglide kills it for most C2 aficionados.
Save the Powerglide and drop a THMatic in it. It’d transform the car in a totally reversible way.
Powerglide only decreases value by $5K. You can easily convert a power glide car to a 4sp period correct muncie for $5K and not many folks will complain if you kerp the matching nos PG.
That said, $65 K was more than all in for a car like this. Pic is of my wife’s 327/ 340HP 4sp car.
I think that these people will see that Brian made them a more than fair offer. I personally think 65k was too much and don’t think that it will reach that on ebay. He may even be able to get a better deal when the auction falls short and they realize they made a big mistake not excepting his offer. I’ve seen this happen more than once.
Agreed. I recently made an offer on a ’74 Norton Commando of $5,400. Gentleman turned it down flat out and decided to take his chances listing it in a no-reserve, online auction. That same Norton was then bought for $4,700. and now sits in my garage… Sometimes – with a bit of patience – things work out in your favor. HA!
I hope you gave the seller a great big smile when you paid him for the Norton. After paying him $700 less he also had to take a big hit on the sale price from the auction site as well. Likely he gave up well over a grand by gambling on the auction price.
Nuts!! The listing was ended by the seller. I wanted to watch and see what it went for.
The car game will break your heart.
Hmmm, it’s already been pulled. Maybe they accepted Brian’s offer?
8 bids made by 8 different bidders in an 8-hour span, from $30K to $45K, then the auction stopped “because there was an error in the listing.”
Looks like exposure of a CA car on Ebay brought a buyer in despite it being a 300HP Powerglide car. The median auction price paid on these has been $85K. Too bad we don’t know what happened next.
My once-in-a-lifetime deal happened last summer when I responded to a Boston Craigslist AD for a ’72 MGB. That car had no rust but otherwise needed a full restoration. It was parked next to another car the owner was selling, a mint 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS. The timing belt had snapped while idling and it hadn’t been touched since. Maybe some bent vales, etc., but the best part was the price: $15,000. You read that right. The seller knew it was worth a lot more but just wanted her garage space back. The car belonged to her Dad who had recently passed away. I didn’t buy it because we were moving soon and I couldn’t scrounge up the cash, but mostly because I’m an idiot. So now I compare every other used car deal to that one. It really puts things into perspective. Some of the best bargains are never advertised.
I don’t know man, that 308 isn’t worth that much, and the unknowns could have been crippling.
I’d be looking at it as “must not have been meant to be”.
It’s good to see that bike safety isn’t just confined to SE Asia
Well, they may have ended the auction, but the car is listed on Los Angeles CL for $65k OBO. http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/5756497863.html
Wonder where they got that number?
I don’t buy vintage vettes but if I want to buy something the seller needs to let me know it is for sale and if they have a price in mind or are considering offers before I make one. I suspect that the offer has the sellers thinking that 65k it is a lowball and or starting point and that it is worth more and given the escalating offers have the sellers unhappy with the buyers attempt to buy if for far less than they are willing to pay, In this case one many have said “It would be greatly appreciated if you give me the first option to buy and or let me know when you are going to auction it” and maybe even gone so far as to play on their family connection to the car by stating he would take care of it, we used to have etc. as some sellers have an emotional attachment to the point they feel responsible for the vehicle after they sell, which appears to be the case here given the “We know it’s high but we aren’t looking for a fix up and flipper buyer”
If Bryan from here offered 65K, they may think that they can get at least that amount for it. And hopefully, somehow, Bryan may still end up with it? IDK, the front has been replaced, the seats aren’t original (why?) and so on. Hopefully someone that will love the car ends up with it and not a string of owners running it through the auctions til it is way overpriced.
Could be they also realized how much they were going to lose in Ebay fees.
Also advertised on a Corvette message board. Personally, I think Brian deserved this car and find the owners to be a little disingenuous, acting like they’ll never sell and then listing it for exactly the price he offered! I mean, that’ll break your brain. What, did they think he looked funny?
My thoughts also. Life is too short to waste time and energy on people who don’t know what they want for a car—-but they sure know they want more than you are offering, or who jerk you around, play one potential buyer off against another, and end up annoying both.
At times after being turned off by a problem seller I have ended up looking further and finding a better / more desirable car, often at the same or better price. That has told me that I need to value my time, my energy, and my money and not even attempt to deal with problem sellers.
There are enough old cars coming up for sale all the time that it pays to wait until the right deal, from the right seller, comes along.
“There are enough old cars coming up for sale all the time that it pays to wait until the right deal, from the right seller, comes along”…
The best advice you will ever get from an internet comment board, thank you Sir.
“or who jerk you around, play one potential buyer off against another, and end up annoying both.”
Or maybe waiting even longer to get another buyer.
Both jaygryph (above) and Dolphin really summed up my life long car buying observations and experience re: difficult sellers. Walk away. I have invested and wasted too many days of my life chasing people, bending over backwards to be fair, only to be treated badly by greedy uninformed sellers.
Today, we live in a “shoot the messenger” world. Too many fake “reality” TV shows, auction and internet sites have given people unrealistic expectations and false information.
I have followed countless overpriced listings for unsold vehicles for sale on the net, ebay, CL, Hemmings, etc that span over a year. We all have. Common sense should dictate that a vehicle that goes unsold for a long time is over priced. That the offer I made at the outset was fair, honest and reasonable. Instead, these sellers are looking for some foolish, rich pot of gold buyer who will over pay. As Dolphin suggests, we should all learn to walk away from bad deals and greedy clueless sellers. They are a recipe for alot of disappointment and heartache. I have walked away many times and I always felt fine after I got over the initial sting of losing. Wish I could always take my own advice. Do as I say, not as I do…
Maybe they thought his name sounded like another country, non?
So Mark what ever did happen with the car? Got to here the rest of the story.
Brian’s mistake was offering 25K, simple as that. A buyer is much better off to assume that no one in this day and age is totally unaware of the value of something they own. So he bids on it like he’s at an auction trying to hit the reserve without going over. I wouldn’t sell it to him either.
Brian brought his offer up to 65k BudDud. Thats a lot of cheese!
I don’t disagree. It wouldn’t sit right to know someone was out to ‘rip you off’ to the tune of $40 000.
That said I think his last offer was too high, and now they think that’s its value.
That’s how the Porsche market went haywire. A couple well healed guys offered too much and boom everyone saw a new evaluation.
Josh,
Please keep us informed of any activity about this car, and maybe Brian, that you find. Thanks.
Clear title ?
super cute family picture of original owner…….
Listing ended due to error
Ended due to error in the listing? They could have used eBay for the exposure and then both parties made a deal to avoid paying eBay’s fees.
Way too much money for car that had the entire frontend repaired or replaced due to collision. Based on the games being played, hope the kids choke on it. They screwed with the fellow who first gave them a very generous offer. Just sayin’ (at age 77 and with a lot shorter fuse..)
I ended up not buy the car as my story indicates but instead bought a perfect TR4a and I’m eyeing a redone TR 250 ( finalizing the deal)
with the money saved. It’s just as well, as I didn’t know about the bird cage rot. I’m a little annoyed with the seller not giving me a phone call prior to listing it but that’s life. I’m completely satisfied with my decision buying the two british cars ( non American). The seller will soon realize their mistake – lol
Go Brian!
Way to go. Make an omelet out of some broken eggs, eh?
Let’s see some pictures of those TRs when you get a chance.
Buying well is the best revenge.
Craigslist ad flagged for removal when I tried to go look. Odd deal.
Free classified ads sufficiently flagged are subject to automated removal.
Postings may also be flagged for removal by CL staff or CL automated systems.
Millions of ads are removed by flagging monthly, nearly all of which violate the CL terms of use.
Of course no moderation system is perfect, and a small percentage of ads removed are compliant.
Apparently, Craigslist or readers can flag a listing.
Or maybe someone from here flagged it, eh?