From: Michael Howell (doctormv@frontiernet.net)
Date: Thu Aug 25 2005 - 18:18:10 PDT
Quoting timothy.smith1@att.net:
> Lads,
>
> Here's something I'd like to take an informal MV-list poll on.
>
> My father passed on in September last year. I receivd from his
> estate a beautiful 1980 L82 Corvette with only about 18,000 miles on
> the clock, snow white, with lipstick red leather guts. Though I
> really didn't want a Corvette, (I've owned a 63 split-window) I
> wasn't about to spend the rest of my life saying to myself that I
> should have taken the Vette! Anyway, it sat covered & unused in his
> garage for a very long time. It sat for so long, in fact, that the
> Goodyear Eagle GT's developed flat spots (though they outwardly
> appeared to be in excellent condition). I replaced the tires with a
> set of brand new Eagle GT II's and as a precaution, I also replaced
> the radiator hoses and belts, all of which were original to the car,
> before driving it back to San Antonio, Texas, from N. central Ohio.
> Because it just wasn't driven much by my father, the Vette hardly
> qualifies as a family heirloom in my estimation. Congestive heart
> failure has a way of making it very tough to get in and out of such a
> low-slung car!
>
> Dad, who was only mildly interested in my interest in MV's at best
> (he, being an aviation enthusiast) always said he thought I should
> have acquired something more substantial than thin-skinnd vehicles
> (i.e. armor) though I am restoring a Scout Car. To that end, I have
> four questions of the group.
>
> Question One:
> Should I sell the Vette and roll the dough into a relatively turn-key
> half-track or other armored MV? (provided I can find one of
> comparable value)
>
> Qustion Two:
> Should I sell the Vette & roll the dough into the completion of the
> restoration of the Scout Car?
>
> Question Three:
> Should I offer to trade the Vette for a suitable MV?
>
> Question Four:
> Should I keep the Vette?
>
> I would be interested in everyone's perspective on this.
>
> Regards,
> TJ Smith
> Boerne, Texas
>
The first thing that came to my mind is that you need to step away from
the car and make up your mind what you are going to do. You may have
already degraded the value of the car enough to buy a tank with the
"updates" you have made. What some people will pay for certain original
cars boggles the mind and these people don't drive them. You have
gotten a lot of good advise on how to decide what to do and if you
decide to keep it and drive it fine. If you are still thinking of
selling it you need to talk to someone who knows this market before you
touch it again. Driving it 6 months to year may cost you no telling
how many thousands of dollars in resale value.
That is one of the reasons I like MVs. you can keep them and treat them
like the military did and most don't lose a lot of value. You can even
touch them up with a paint brush and call it motor pool ready. All
collectible hobbys aren't like that. Toys loose half there collect able
value if they are taken out of their box. Now where is the fun in
that?
Mike
Tishomingo, Mississippi
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