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You are here: Experts > Shopping > Vintage Cars > Vintage Cars > 1974 Corvette Stingray
Expert: Richard Bober
Date: 10/3/2008
Subject: 1974 Corvette Stingray
Question
I have a 1974 Corvette Stingray w/ under 50,000 miles on it. The body is in perfect, original condition and the interior is original w/ no tears or holes. I have the removable t-tops, and bag to place them in. It has a crack in the molding surrounding the rear right tail light.
How much approximatley would this car be worth?
Thank you!
Lena
Answer
The "Gold Book" value for this car is approximately $20K for a car in excellent condition, which sounds like it would fit your car; the only higher condition would be "show" condition, which bring it up to around $25K. However, "show" condition means that the car shows NO sign of use - if you've driven the car, "show" condition is virtually impossible achieve without a restoration.
Another big selling point would be the powerplant - if you have the 454, you could add another $5K to the price.
Your car sounds like a really nice one, and if you truly want to sell it, I can give you some tips.
First, have the car detailed professionally, unless you're really good at doing it yourself. A professional detailer will get dirt and dust out of all the nooks and crannies, and will really make the interior stand out. This generally will cost $100-200, depending on your locale, and will make the car stand out in a crowd. An additional step would be to have the engine bay and underside of the car cleaned professionally, if they show a lot of dirt and grease - a good body shop can do this for you for a couple of hundred dollars.
Second, put a really good coat of wax on the car. Not the cheap, liquid car waxes, but a really good paste style cleaner wax. These are generally more difficult to apply correctly, but the result is worth the extra effort. Meguiar's and Mother's are good products.
Third, if the car has alloy wheels, really, really clean those up - all the nooks and crannies are important. A good coat of Mother's wheel polish will make the wheels stand out. At the same time you're cleaning the wheels, clean the tires with a stiff brush to remove all traces of dirt. Then seal them with a gel-style tire shine product - not the spray cans or squirt bottles - those products will come off the tires and spray all over the wheel wells and fenders. You want to use the gel-style, which you put onto a rag and then spread on the surface of the tire.
I forgot to mention that you should have 4 matching tires, all in good condition. For an original car like yours, I would consider putting on some tires similar to those that came with the car - these can be sourced from several vintage tire companies such as Coker tire, Universal Tire, etc.
You should also have the car serviced - transmission, oil change, differential, all new filters, fresh tune-up, etc.
By following these steps, you will maximize the value of your car and fetch the highest price you possibly can. You will attract a discriminating buyer, rather than someone looking for a bargain. And, above all, patience is critical. You can always sell the car quickly - if you want the maximum value, you will have to wait for the right buyer. Advertise in local newspapers and "bargain hunter" type publications (include a picture!!), and also in publications such as Hemmings Motor News. Start about 10% higher than what you'd be willing to take for the car (don't forget to include the costs of the work you've had done when figuring out a price) in order to give yourself some "haggle" room.
I hope these ideas have helped - good luck!
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