I bought this car today and have already paid a $2,000 deposit and sent back the signed buyers agreement. Darwin emailed me my CC receipt and the buyers agreement this afternoon. The auction is still showing active but he should get it ended tomorrow.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350303956452&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I hope it turns out to be a good car, I am sure it is not as nice as the ones many of you guys are driving but it is exactly like the one I had back in 1969 when I was in college, yellow 4-speed bench seat. They are installing new seat covers in the car and will be shipping it to me when it is ready. Man I am really excited about getting this car home and seeing it in my garage.

Best Regards
Steve

happy 4 u!!

Good deal on such a clean car, happy for you.

Tommy

Do not want to spoil the party but there has been just about as much bad posted about this bunch as good. Most people that have been burned are like you buying sight unseen. You might be well advised to get the car inspected before you front any more money.

Good luck.

sweet car.....good luck with it.....

I sure hope your deal goes well. I don't see how folks can be willing to spend that kind of money on a car without an independent inspection. I thinks its too risky but hope you are one of the lucky ones. I have bought cars long distance but I had independent eyes on it before any of my money became involved.......
Good Luck. Keep us informed on your deal please.

Congrats on the purchase!! :thumbsup:

In the past few years, I've bought three different cars directly from Ebay auctions.
All three cars were actually better than what was described online.

Just curious....you live in FL and the car is in Clearwater, right?? Why not pick it up in person?? :confused:

I sure hope your deal goes well. I don't see how folks can be willing to spend that kind of money on a car without an independent inspection. I thinks its too risky but hope you are one of the lucky ones. I have bought cars long distance but I had independent eyes on it before any of my money became involved.......
Good Luck. Keep us informed on your deal please.

Will do Jeff, I tend to trust people a lot more than I probably should but over the years I have been pretty lucky with all of the cars and aircraft I have bought long distance. I got the car for a pretty good price so if it needs some work I won't really mind, it is the car I wanted. The last two cars I bought without seeing were an Avanti and Shelby GT500 both turned out really good.

Best Regards,

Steve

There are a lot of things that are not original. Probably not a big deal. If it is all they say, then it should be a blast to drive.

The only thing that would really concern me is SS verification and the rattle can paint on the underbody. That won't last long.

Hard to tell by the pictures, but I don't think the trim rings on the wheels are correct. I didn't check to see if they are 15".

Congratulations.

Steve I will touch on this again, do not take anything for granted with these guys. I give you this based on personal experience, a friend's experience, and all the others that have posted here and all over the web.

I like it ! Good luck on what appears to be a nice car. :yes:

Looks like a nice car. Keep us posted.

I echo John's comments. I bought my car from these guys in 1995 and wish I hadn't. I did check it out first though so some of the blame rests with me. Good luck!

Thanks Everyone, I appreciate your comments. It is a done deal (balance wired this morning) and now we will have to wait till the car gets here to find out what I really have. I have reasonable expectations for the car for what I paid. I think it will be a pretty good car for around $20,000, when you get in this price range you cannot expect matching numbers, 100% originality and show condition paint and documentation.

I feel reasonably sure it is a true SS but only time will tell. I do know that it is the car I wanted yellow, bench seat and 4-speed so barring a major disaster I think I will be pleased with the car when it arrives but I will be sure and post some detailed feedback and pictures for you as I know many people are wondering what the outcome will be.

I know it is not as good a car as what most of you have but I think I will enjoy it and look forward to help from the forum in making it even better down the road. I expect small things will pop up and I hope I will find the support I need here from all of you. The Studebaker forum has been a tremendous help with our Avanti and I think I have found a good home here for this car.

Thanks Again

Best Regards
Steve

car looks nice...

But i just have to comment, After hearing the funny computer female voice on the ad, did anyone else mentally place that voice over the image of ebay girl? I couldn't help it, it just popped in there and now i can't get it out!!! AAAAAAAAAAA
:D

Looks like a super nice car to me, but still have to wonder why you wouldn't inspect it in person. Looking at the plate on the front of it, I wonder if it was featured in Chevy High Performance magazine? If it was, and you can find that issue, it may have the prior owner or builders name. Might be able to track them down and ask about the car, they'll probably be happy to know it found a good home. Good luck, Jim.

Love that color, it looks real clean. I know you will enjoy it!! I think its a good deal

Like I said before, the quicky rattle can underbody paint would bother me. You can see overspray on the yellow from the sloppy spray can job. What were they hiding? Rust most likely. I would have viewed this car in person first for sure.

Good luck with your new car, hope everything turns out for you!!!:thumbsup:

So which set of wheels does it come with? Those A.R. TorqII wheels look real nice on that car. It sure is a purdy Chevelle, I hope you enjoy the hell out of it.

The only thing that would really concern me is SS verification and the rattle can paint on the underbody.

It's not a numbers matching SS 396...it has a 454 in it, so any "verification" is a moot point anyways.
Therefore, he needn't bother himself with worrying or fretting about that.

I think the underbody looks fine...very nice, very clean.




It is the car I wanted, yellow, bench seat and 4-speed.

Then that's what matters Steve, you got the car you wanted. Congratulations.




I know it is not as good a car as what most of you have but I think I will enjoy it.

Actually, it's in a lot nicer condition than many cars that I've seen pictures of out here.

It's a really nice looking Chevelle Steve, top to bottom.
It'll turn a lot of heads when you're out cruising in it or filling up at the self serve gas station.
Plus, with the condition it's in, you won't be spending days...or months...laying underneath it on a mechanic's creeper.

Congratulations, I know you'll enjoy it.
Remember to post pictures out here when you take delivery.

Regards,
-Greg

Congratulations!

I bought my 72 Chevelle on Ebay sight unseen. I talked to the guy that had it 3 times for over an hour each time before I bought it. I had the car shipped to me and when it arrived I found the car to be a little nicer than what he told me it was.

I'm sure you are going to enjoy your new Chevelle.

Looks like you made a good purchase.. It's hard to see body work in photos but it sounds like you are prepared to fix whatever might be wrong. Good luck and enjoy the car, way to many people sweat the small stuff and miss out on what really counts. If you are only in It for 20k finding out it is a real SS will be a bonus! Congrats on the purchase.

Enjoy your new car Steve,I think you done good.:thumbsup:

Looks like a nice car Steve. I have actually been to that classic car dealer myself in Clearwater Florida. It is a family run business and the owner is from Canada. He has been in business for quite some time so I'm sure your car will arrive alright. I hope it is what you expect or even more. Good Luck.

I bought a car once site unseen and would never do it again. :noway:

With that being said, I think you did good as long as it's not full of mud!

Congrats and have fun with it! :beers:

Nice you have found your "Dream Car"! Hope it's all you want & then some. That will make for some great cruising days this spring.

Dan

That will make for some great cruising days this spring.


Dan, his location is listed as Florida...he can cruise year-round in it. :thumbsup:

Regards,
-Greg

It's not a numbers matching SS 396...it has a 454 in it, so any "verification" is a moot point anyways.
Therefore, he needn't bother himself with worrying or fretting about that.

I think the underbody looks fine...very nice, very clean. Regards,
-Greg

I'll agree that it does look nice.......now. But in a couple years, I'd suspect that rust specs and spots will be showing. You'd really need to know what prep work was done and how. I see paint overspray from what looks like a rattle can. On the underside of the front fender is most evident. I you put a car on a rack and tape off what you don't want painted, you can rattle can some black on there no problem. But usually a rattle can paint job is just to hide rust. I'd much rather buy a car that was unmolested on the underbody and then I'll know what is underneath. Time will tell, but most of the time quicky rattle can paint jobs like this are done for a quick "detail and sale". Hey, I just made that up. Pretty good huh ! Anyway, I've seen plenty of these quickie restos and they don't look so good after 2-3 yrs. Especially in a moist environment.

What would cause the dents in the underside? Did a u-joint fail and the driveshaft slapped the floorpan a few times?? The wy the dents are it's hard to tell what did that.

I don't mean to put a wrench in the deal. Just pointing out what I see. I assume the buyer put this on here so that he would get different opinions.

Don't get me wrong. It's real nice looking. Hope it turns out to be worth the coin.

Good luck .....have fun ...thats what counts .....:beers:

Being critical and weary are solid traits when dealing with old cars but sometimes you guys go over the top and can't seem to moderate your opinions to fit the situation. The guy already bought the car so why don't we wait for him to report back on what he finds when he takes delivery, instead of speculating on all the problems with his new pride and joy? We all know dealers little tricks to increase curb appeal, not every rattle can job is hiding rot. What this car is showing, I'd expect to see on any car sitting on a dealer's lot.

For what he paid its looks to me like he got a lot of car for the money which was $15k if i remeber correctly.

If he paid $30k-$35k which would indicate a #'s car then he would have paid too much for it .

But if the body ,paint etc look as good in person as in the pcis and the NON motor,trans/rear end all run-work well he got a very nice buy fo $15K IMHO.

The seller has over 200 sales all 100% good feedback so there's likely no issues with seller either,not everone is a thief and this seller doesnt look to be one from what i see.

Enjoy it,its look's " very nice " to me but i have to say i prefer the real ss wheels over the aftermarket chrome wheels,to me thse aftermarket wheels look like crap on that car.

scott

i have to say i prefer the real ss wheels over the aftermarket chrome wheels,to me thse aftermarket wheels look like crap on that car.

Scott



+1

JMHO,Looks like a whole lot of fun for 20k,good looking 69,454 with a 4speed!:thumbsup:Hope you drive it hard and have as much fun with it as I do with mine!:beers:

Fantastic looking car. Congrats and be sure to post pics once it's in your hands.

You did good!

Fantastic looking car. Congrats and be sure to post pics once it's in your hands.


Hey Ulysses, I just finally got a chance to see some pictures of your car. Nice job, it looks good!!!!!:thumbsup:

Looks like a really nice car for what you paid. :thumbsup:
Fill us in when you get it. And good luck! :beers:

Looks like a good deal to me also, even better if its an original Daytona Yellow car:thumbsup: Drive it have fun:beers:

It certainly is a nice looking car no doubt.:thumbsup:

Hey Steve, looks like you snagged a sharp ride. I agree with these guys, it looks better with the oem SS wheels. You seem to have your eyes open, so don't expect it to be perfect, you'll need some reasons to tinker with it anyway. Enjoy:thumbsup:

Very nice! Go with the SS wheels...

Congrats!:thumbsup: I really like it! I hope it turns out to be every bit as nice as it appears!

Thanks for all of the comments and observations. I hope to have the car here by next Friday. The dealer told me the seats would be back today with the new covers and be installed. I am currently shopping for an enclosed carrier to bring the car from Clear Water (Tampa) to the Florida Panhandle, any suggestions?

Also it is coming with the SS wheels and white letter tires.

Thanks again everyone.

Steve

Just drive that bad boy home!:yes:

When we bought our car I used http://www.reliable-carriers.com/default.cfm

That is one sweet looking ride. :thumbsup: Enjoy that bad boy.:yes:

I've used Reliable 4 or 5 times in the last year and they have done a super job! Just make sure you stay in their face and you should have no problems. They tend to send to their hub and wait for a truck to depart for the general area. Keep in mind that Mecum is having their auction next weekend and Reliable is their primary carrier. There are going to be TONS of trucks down there.
Scott...

I've used Reliable 4 or 5 times in the last year and they have done a super job! Just make sure you stay in their face and you should have no problems. They tend to send to their hub and wait for a truck to depart for the general area. Keep in mind that Mecum is having their auction next weekend and Reliable is their primary carrier. There are going to be TONS of trucks down there.
Scott...

Thanks,

I just tried their web site but could not get a quote, some kind of error message. Will try them by phone tomorrow AM.

Steve

Steve There is a guy that makes a run from the Tampa area to Texas every week. He does hauling for your dealer and brought one to me. He cannot get to Texas without coming thru your backyard. He has an open trailer but is only a one day drop from you.

The problem you will have is it is really not far from you. Good luck as you never know when it might fit somebody. If you were close to me I would already have it in your garage.

Now about the car. You WILL find things that you wish that had not been overlooked. Everyone that buys one finds them. I looked on the website and saw they had an asking price of $26.5K for the car but in their ad they stated that if it did not sell it was going to Mecum. With that statement and your price of $20K it was evident it had gotten cold on them. They buy a lot of cars up and down the East and Gulf Coast and $5-6K is not uncommon mark up for them. Good for you. If the car is as you expect you will be just fine.

It looks like a good car for the money. I always justify it by considering what we will buy for $20k-$40k for transportation these days that will be worth $6-8k in a few short years. These classics will hold or go up in value.

I have used http://plycargroup.com/services.html and was happy with their service.

I've used Reliable 4 or 5 times in the last year and they have done a super job! Just make sure you stay in their face and you should have no problems. They tend to send to their hub and wait for a truck to depart for the general area.
Scott...

The sent my Chevelle to a hub also but I lucked out. The day my car was dropped off a driver that has family in Kansas City seen the car was going to the KC area and picked it up. It showed up a week early :thumbsup:

The car was finally ready for pickup Tuesday 1/26. It took over two weeks to get the new seat covers installed and back in the car. Then a couple of days for mechanical inspection and detailing.

Allstate Auto Carriers has the shipping order and I am waiting to hear when they plan to actually pick the car up. Here are some pictures of the car with the new interior and detailed for shipment.

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/3844/dsc0161.jpg

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/7487/dsc0159o.jpg

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/7752/dsc0154ja.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1189/dsc0153lz.jpg

Man, what a wait, I sure hope they get the car on a truck this week but I think they have anywhere from one to 131 days after the order is placed.:D

I met with my State Farm agent yesterday to get the car added to my insurance and got a very pleasant surprise. It was only $124.31 for six months with very good coverage. I have my other three cars insured with them already.

I hope the car looks as good in person as it does in the pictures, next we will be installing vintage air in it.

The Dealer has been very busy and is selling a lot of cars right now.

Best Regards,

Steve

I think you will be pleased.

Nice car ! I have watched that car for some time on eBay and tried to get my dad to buy it. I'm partial to yellow chevelles. Good luck.

new interior looks great!!

On your insurance just make sure you are getting agreed value insurance coverage. You dont want to find out if something happens to your chevelle that its only covered as a 41 year old chevy. jim

I second what Jim Mac wrote. Make sure your policy is for agreed value. I don't think State Farm has that kind of policy.

I concur on the insurance. If you want go with a collector car insurance company. I just went with Larue Insurance based on the recommendations of guys here and was very pleased with them. I have different carriers for my collector vehicles vs. my normal driving vehicles.

I second what Jim Mac wrote. Make sure your policy is for agreed value. I don't think State Farm has that kind of policy.

Guys, thanks for the heads up. State farm does have an antique show car policy and I was told the car was insured for what I paid for it and I have to bring it by for a full photo package of engine, interior etc.

I also carry one million in liability (umbrella policy) and roadside service (towing) on all my cars.

I would prefer to stay with State farm but I intend to find out what would happen as far as replacement cost is concerned.

Thanks Again,

Steve

Nice car ! I have watched that car for some time on eBay and tried to get my dad to buy it. I'm partial to yellow chevelles. Good luck.

Tony, I like your car as well and those wheels look very nice. Back in the day I remember a lot of guys were taking off the stock wheels and replacing them with American Mags.

Steve

Steve, be sure to read the fine print on your policy. It may not fit your plans for casual driving.

Guys, thanks for the heads up. State farm does have an antique show car policy and I was told the car was insured for what I paid for it and I have to bring it by for a full photo package of engine, interior etc.

I also carry one million in liability (umbrella policy) and roadside service (towing) on all my cars.

I would prefer to stay with State farm but I intend to find out what would happen as far as replacement cost is concerned.

Thanks Again,

Steve


When I first bought me car I had it insured through State Farm. After reading insurance posts on here and reading the fine print on my policy I changed the insurance carrier to Haggerty. As Stikman33 mentioned, I went through LaRue Insurance.
James

When I first bought me car I had it insured through State Farm. After reading insurance posts on here and reading the fine print on my policy I changed the insurance carrier to Haggerty. As Stikman33 mentioned, I went through LaRue Insurance.
James I went through LaRue Insurance also. It would be worth your time to call Larue Insurance and talk with them about classic car insurance.

I had 3 classic cars insured with the company that has my daily drivers until, I started reading post on this site about insurance policies on classic cars.

Run a search for classic car insurance on this site.