====================================================================
Never having purchased an older Corvette from a dealer I really do not
know ...

But finding the going price of a Corvettes is pretty darn easy just by
picking up Collector Car Magazine or looking at the prices that most
if not all Corvette Rags publish every year....YOU JUST have to be
aware what is being priced... NOT all 67 Corvettes are equal... not by
a long shot....  Not hard to imagine a nice driver sellng for 30 grand
less then a documented Corvette even with the same options...  

Personally I think these listed prices are high...but even so they
should give you an idea of what to expect to pay....

Bob Griffiths
64 72 76 79 & 95 Corvettes

Corvettes are special cars.  The issues you'd have buying any used car
exist, but are amplified since Corvettes are so special.  I'd say use the
same approach you should apply to any used car purchase.  Have it checked
out thoroughly by a mechanic you know and trust.  Ask around to learn about
the dealer's reputation.  Will he give you any kind of warranty?  Ask the
dealer who owned the car before, and be sure to talk to the previous owner
if at all possible.  Look for obvious things - misaligned body panels, fluid
leaks, exhaust system status, etc.  Pay a few dollars to check it out on
CarFAX.

Because a dealer has a reputation to worry about one might be more inclined
to go that route rather than a private purchase, but if the dealer fixed a
bunch of things that were wrong with the car after taking it in, you'll pay
him back for that, at his prices.  I bought private, but I saw a bunch of
cars and took a long time doing it.

As for the deal itself, I'd say know what your budget is, don't fall in love
with anything you can't afford, and don't let the dealer run you up the
money tree.  Part of my budget for such a car would include some "escrow"
for unexpected problems that might come up quickly.  That is, don't spend
every dollar you have available up front at the dealer.  Having that
set-aside sure helped me.  Bought me new rear tires, a new clutch, a
professional detail job, and paid for a host of nickel-dime fixes.  I wasn't
prepared to replace the opti-spark though.  I'm still chewing on that one.

My best,

AJM
'93 Ruby coupe, 6 sp

Joo looking car, esse?  No problem, Holmes.

The best approach is to pay cash via savings or external source (such as
credit union).  As you are aware of
cash gives you a lot of leverage, and I wouldn't hesitate walking away.
There are too many places where you can find good conditioned Vettes
(www.corvettetrader.com is one of them) to be suckered into a bad deal.

I read an interesting article called "Diary of a used car saleman."  In it
he explains how car dealers can get one on
you if you are not careful.  As I recollect, the system is called the "4
box;" meaning, there are four areas a trained,
professional car salesman can get you.  So in addition to the markup (1.
Price), you should also be concerned about the following other areas:
1. Trade in (if any) - disclose your trade in after you have a satisfied
price
2. APR (annual percentage rate)
3. Downpayment - never offer a range since they always hear the bigger
number.

In most cases, while you may think you are negotiating a good deal on the
price, the car salesman will adjust
any of the other three to make for the lost margin.  Should you negotiate
your trade in, then the salesman will
adjust with the other three, get the picture.

The advice was to be well prepared with information (i.e. blue book,
Edmunds, etc.), and negotiate one item (any of the four) at a time (write
down in front of them, you'd be surprise how they forget).

Hope this helps...

MT3
90 Vette Coupe