mystery why my 85 isnt selling give me some feedback please
Discussion
As some of you may know I have a white /red 85 Vette for sale - its got a top end problem - probably sticky or burnt valve and is popping in the plenum.
Otherwise its a good example of a used early C4 - its so cheap its worth more in parts (£2500)
I dont have the time to repair the car - its simply in the way - cant get my 80 or the Callaway out of the garage.
My question to you all is - what is keeping people away from the car - maybe I am too close to the Corvette scene to knowthe reason for the lack of slae - IS IT TOO CHEAP ???? OR IS IT COZ ITS WHITE
Any feedback (polite or otherwise) woulds be appreciated guys
Thanks Keith
Otherwise its a good example of a used early C4 - its so cheap its worth more in parts (£2500)
I dont have the time to repair the car - its simply in the way - cant get my 80 or the Callaway out of the garage.
My question to you all is - what is keeping people away from the car - maybe I am too close to the Corvette scene to knowthe reason for the lack of slae - IS IT TOO CHEAP ???? OR IS IT COZ ITS WHITE
Any feedback (polite or otherwise) woulds be appreciated guys
Thanks Keith
Presentation,ive always found even if something needs repairing if its washed,polished,hoovered and had some detailing just before its paraded then it looks like its been cared for and makes whats wrong seem passable,in comparison if it looks unloved and broken then you start to think what else could be wrong with it.
HTH.
HTH.
Car is polished, cleaned ,engine bay tidy and int vacuumed and clean - currently on Ebay
I am aware of presentation and of course I would like ot think my rep is good - there is no point for me to lie about the car - it woulds come back and kick me in the teeth.
Thanks for your feedback
Keith
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl
I am aware of presentation and of course I would like ot think my rep is good - there is no point for me to lie about the car - it woulds come back and kick me in the teeth.
Thanks for your feedback
Keith
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl
Early C4's are probably the least popular of all vettes and as you know the market in the UK is small for good vettes let alone ones with problems.
Most people don't have the skills or confidence to take on a project like this which limits your market even further.
I don't think it's the price but then again you can buy an early working C4 for not much more money.
Most people don't have the skills or confidence to take on a project like this which limits your market even further.
I don't think it's the price but then again you can buy an early working C4 for not much more money.
eurovettes said:
Car is polished, cleaned ,engine bay tidy and int vacuumed and clean - currently on Ebay
I am aware of presentation and of course I would like ot think my rep is good - there is no point for me to lie about the car - it woulds come back and kick me in the teeth.
Thanks for your feedback
Keith
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl
I am aware of presentation and of course I would like ot think my rep is good - there is no point for me to lie about the car - it woulds come back and kick me in the teeth.
Thanks for your feedback
Keith
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl
Sorry Keith,my post was in no way meant personal,more general as i know you have a good reputation.
Car looks great now i can see it,maybe it is lack of mechanical knowledge that is holding buyers back and i find many fringe buyers are held back by lack of real facts on these cars and in any case how many people would believe me if i told them i got 26.4 mpg (US gallon) out of a stock 91 ZR-1 with a 5.7 litre V8 such as i did last sunday.
The looks i get when i tell them that is nearly 30 to the gallon.
Also some people arent aware of the low mechanical maintenance thes cars require.
Edited by ZR1cliff on Wednesday 12th July 16:27
Keith - have mentioned it to a few (currently non Corvette) chums, who have experience with mechanics etc. - I think so far they have been thinking about it.
I think there are a few barriers to be overcome for someone to say yes, if it's an average person they'll want a car they're not scared of breaking down (selling a car with a fault is going to put them off, they can't see that once this is out of the way it'll probably be quite relaiable).
If it is someone prepared to take it on (i.e. mechanically confident) then the issue that hits them is (sounds like the same issue you've got) space and time. Where do you put the car and when do you get to work on it. I guess that if you're looking for such a bargain you probably don't have a house with lots of space/big garage.
I have to say, I'm right with you about the ridiculously low price this car is, it's a symptom of Vette#'s though, very niche market I guess.
I think there are a few barriers to be overcome for someone to say yes, if it's an average person they'll want a car they're not scared of breaking down (selling a car with a fault is going to put them off, they can't see that once this is out of the way it'll probably be quite relaiable).
If it is someone prepared to take it on (i.e. mechanically confident) then the issue that hits them is (sounds like the same issue you've got) space and time. Where do you put the car and when do you get to work on it. I guess that if you're looking for such a bargain you probably don't have a house with lots of space/big garage.
I have to say, I'm right with you about the ridiculously low price this car is, it's a symptom of Vette#'s though, very niche market I guess.
You must have a set of sliver wheels even if its just for some photos to see if they do make a difference....other than that you have to keep trying. 
)))))))))) your advert is possibly too honest, plus reading the details it appears you perhaps have tried to fix the engine and realised the cost.
i would get somebody to do you a quote on repairing the engine so you can provide a price
plus dont forget that people hold off biding until the last minute unless you offer a buy it now price
bennno
The points I would raise are:
1. The C4 is very unwanted at the moment and white is the kiss of death. Friend of mine sold his 1988 white/red interior C4 in perfect working order about 18 montyhs ago for £5500. Someone on another forum just swopped a ropey 2nd gen Camaro worth less than £2k for my old black 85 Corvette in perfect working order.
2. Most people see the Vette as far more difficult to repair than a normal car. They don't rust but fibreglass needs far more money for resprays and so forth. There was a 1989 Vette at a show recently going for silly money which needed new heads and nobody was showing any interest. I think the reason is simple - if it's that easy to fix, why not fix it and sell it in working order. It's pointless saying it's cheap as the suspicion is that it's not. Added to which once the work is done, it's still a hard to sell white Vette and the closer to market value you get on outgoings, the harder it is to move on. In simple terms, it's not necessarily a profit project.
3. People who buy Vettes buy them to go out driving and posing in, not to have to work on them. I know most people do end up working on them but the old stuff is a lot easier to sort out.
4. There is a lot to go tits up on a C4 - including the instrument display and many people will avoid them for that very reason.
5. There are other performance car alternatives out there for £2500-£3500 such as 944s with rhd.
1. The C4 is very unwanted at the moment and white is the kiss of death. Friend of mine sold his 1988 white/red interior C4 in perfect working order about 18 montyhs ago for £5500. Someone on another forum just swopped a ropey 2nd gen Camaro worth less than £2k for my old black 85 Corvette in perfect working order.
2. Most people see the Vette as far more difficult to repair than a normal car. They don't rust but fibreglass needs far more money for resprays and so forth. There was a 1989 Vette at a show recently going for silly money which needed new heads and nobody was showing any interest. I think the reason is simple - if it's that easy to fix, why not fix it and sell it in working order. It's pointless saying it's cheap as the suspicion is that it's not. Added to which once the work is done, it's still a hard to sell white Vette and the closer to market value you get on outgoings, the harder it is to move on. In simple terms, it's not necessarily a profit project.
3. People who buy Vettes buy them to go out driving and posing in, not to have to work on them. I know most people do end up working on them but the old stuff is a lot easier to sort out.
4. There is a lot to go tits up on a C4 - including the instrument display and many people will avoid them for that very reason.
5. There are other performance car alternatives out there for £2500-£3500 such as 944s with rhd.
LuSIfer may have hit the nail on the head about "what else is out there " for very little money nowadays.
E.g. (in a slightly different price bracket) a friend in the trade offerred me a Mercedes 2000 CL500 for "18k or offers" recently and that has actually turned out to be not much of a deal as there are dealers asking 16.5 -17k for them (what are they getting them for?)
Holy smoke Batman, that's a car that cost 70k new and literally has everything. Don't want to get flamed on a Corvette forum but between one of those and a C5 I know what I'd rather have...
Back in the real world there are quite a few cars around for "Eighties C4 money" now too: e.g. BMW 735i, 535i, Merc SEC, Jag XJ-S, X300, XJ-R, Saab convertible, '53 reg Vectra (!). All modern cars that offer huge VFM and are generally quite lovely to drive. Hell a friend of mine even bought a 2000/X BMW 320i 4 door in silver for £6500 last year and even the 3 series coupes are dropping...
I know to us "Vette heads" there are reasons we like our cars and the social aspect of it is a major plus point.
There are some people that will always be into Vettes above all others (I'm generally one of them).
But the point is it's hard to convince Joe Public who will no doubt be scared of one that needs work. Most people are terrified enough of left had drive: "I'd have one if it was right had drive". Sure you will...
Maybe what we're starting to see with historically low C4 values is the realisation that they are old cars now and they are full of electronics. An old C3 is not such a frightening prospect as someone with a fair degree of mechanical competence could rewire one themselves. A C4 is a completely different prospect. All old "electronic" cars seem to get hit hard (Porsche 928, Aston Martin Lagonda...!)
We seem to be a long way from the days when I bought an '84 Corvette for £5500 and sold it 18 months later for £6500 (about 6 years ago, maybe I was lucky. This was my easiest 'Vette to get rid of and it even sold the week before Christmas!!!) It was though, as beautiful an '84 as I have ever seen I have to add.
Keith: I'd be tempted to bite the bullet and fix the car's problems. I'd expect a good running '85 to still get 4k plus.
E.g. (in a slightly different price bracket) a friend in the trade offerred me a Mercedes 2000 CL500 for "18k or offers" recently and that has actually turned out to be not much of a deal as there are dealers asking 16.5 -17k for them (what are they getting them for?)
Holy smoke Batman, that's a car that cost 70k new and literally has everything. Don't want to get flamed on a Corvette forum but between one of those and a C5 I know what I'd rather have...
Back in the real world there are quite a few cars around for "Eighties C4 money" now too: e.g. BMW 735i, 535i, Merc SEC, Jag XJ-S, X300, XJ-R, Saab convertible, '53 reg Vectra (!). All modern cars that offer huge VFM and are generally quite lovely to drive. Hell a friend of mine even bought a 2000/X BMW 320i 4 door in silver for £6500 last year and even the 3 series coupes are dropping...
I know to us "Vette heads" there are reasons we like our cars and the social aspect of it is a major plus point.
There are some people that will always be into Vettes above all others (I'm generally one of them).
But the point is it's hard to convince Joe Public who will no doubt be scared of one that needs work. Most people are terrified enough of left had drive: "I'd have one if it was right had drive". Sure you will...
Maybe what we're starting to see with historically low C4 values is the realisation that they are old cars now and they are full of electronics. An old C3 is not such a frightening prospect as someone with a fair degree of mechanical competence could rewire one themselves. A C4 is a completely different prospect. All old "electronic" cars seem to get hit hard (Porsche 928, Aston Martin Lagonda...!)
We seem to be a long way from the days when I bought an '84 Corvette for £5500 and sold it 18 months later for £6500 (about 6 years ago, maybe I was lucky. This was my easiest 'Vette to get rid of and it even sold the week before Christmas!!!) It was though, as beautiful an '84 as I have ever seen I have to add.
Keith: I'd be tempted to bite the bullet and fix the car's problems. I'd expect a good running '85 to still get 4k plus.
Nige, are these Jap import C4s for real? Or are they actually in stock? The dealers always seem to imply you order a car and wait a month or more for it to arrive.
Sounds dodgy plus think about this: They're selling a '95 'Vette for £4250 or so including shipping it 7000 miles and allowing for a dealer profit?
What are they getting these cars for? A tenner?! Unless of course they have been liberated from their owners another way...
Sounds dodgy plus think about this: They're selling a '95 'Vette for £4250 or so including shipping it 7000 miles and allowing for a dealer profit?
What are they getting these cars for? A tenner?! Unless of course they have been liberated from their owners another way...
malc350 said:
Nige, are these Jap import C4s for real? Or are they actually in stock? The dealers always seem to imply you order a car and wait a month or more for it to arrive.
Sounds dodgy plus think about this: They're selling a '95 'Vette for £4250 or so including shipping it 7000 miles and allowing for a dealer profit?
What are they getting these cars for? A tenner?! Unless of course they have been liberated from their owners another way...
Sounds dodgy plus think about this: They're selling a '95 'Vette for £4250 or so including shipping it 7000 miles and allowing for a dealer profit?
What are they getting these cars for? A tenner?! Unless of course they have been liberated from their owners another way...
........Jap MOT
The biggest reason the vette is not selling and the price of some of the cars Malc has listed is the cost of fuel. With fuel nearing £1 a litre selling any car with that size engine with assumed poor MPG in the sub £10K bracket is going to be hard. Simple reason is that many of the people looking for a £3K car wont be able to run a 3K vette (or at least don't think they could) and that goes for all those other cars Malc listed as well.......with the exception of the Merc.....new Mercs drop like a brick because they are no longer like the bullet proof, super reliable Mercs of old but are now super unreliable and often found bottom of customer satisfaction tables.
Edited by Gixer on Thursday 13th July 10:42
Hey Keith, slightly off topic, but I see you're selling reg # 13 LUR in your eBay shop. Not sure how it works, but 'regtransfers.co.uk' has the same plate for double what you're asking. £60K!!!! How does that work then?
Back on topic; good luck with the sale, but I have to agree with the other posters; I think you'll need to either leave out some of the niggly details or repair it before you get a sale. At the money you're looking for, I reckon you'll be attracting a casual buyer, who would drive it and sell it if/when problems arise. They probably wouldn't want to start off by ripping the heads off to check valves. Having said that, if I had a C4 I'd probably buy it for spares. It's pocket money, really.
How does that work then? Back on topic; good luck with the sale, but I have to agree with the other posters; I think you'll need to either leave out some of the niggly details or repair it before you get a sale. At the money you're looking for, I reckon you'll be attracting a casual buyer, who would drive it and sell it if/when problems arise. They probably wouldn't want to start off by ripping the heads off to check valves. Having said that, if I had a C4 I'd probably buy it for spares. It's pocket money, really.
Just one thing, Keith. Have you done some pukka diagnostics on the thing, eg a compression test hot and cold? Full ignition check? Be a shame to undersell it only to find out it was something simple. The sbc isnt prone to sticky valves unless the guides are machined too tight during rebuild. C4s are nice, but other comments on here are right, IMHO. The C3 has looks to die for and is trivial to maintain and repair. The C5 is a stunner, and highly complex, but its modern and (essentially!!) well designed. Again, relatively easy to fix. The C4. esp early ones, seem to be percieved as "in between" and hence less desirable. If it was mine, I would fix it, make it look pretty, and sell it with everything in the advert positive. Someone would surely buy it. Otherwise, as you said originally, maybe it would be best to part it out, but that would be rather sad.
Gassing Station | Corvettes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff