Vehicle dilemma

[Dave Rifkin]

This is going to sound crazy but, way back around 1983 I purchased a red 1968 SS/RS Camaro at the Carlisle swap meet; I paid $8,000 for it back then and sunk quite a bit into it. I held onto the car, using it as my daily driver, for approximately 6 years before I sold it.
I went through a few cars before I ran into the guy I sold the car to, sometime around 1993; I asked about the car and he told me it was now in Florida and for sale. Like an idiot I went to Florida and bought the car back; the owner had taken the car apart and threw some good parts away but, I guess the sentimental value was too much and I bought it anyway.
I put the car back together and enjoyed it for another 4 years before my wife and I bought our first house and we needed money for stuff, so I sold the car again.
I always thought I'd get another collector car when we got settled and our finances permitted but, as we all know, the collector car market took off and I could not afford the cars that I would have wanted; hell I couldn't afford the Camaro I just sold the way the market was going.
Anyway, I "settled" for a factory black 1969 L46 Corvette that is equipped with all of it's original mechanical components minus the smog equipment. I have owned this car for 3 years (I think, getting old sucks) and did some things to it including re-doing the interior.

Today, just for the heck of it, I was browsing the internet looking at Camaros and what did I find; my old Camaro for sale.
I sent an email to the seller to see if it was, in fact, my old car and sure enough it is and the guy who I sold it to still owns it. I asked if he'd be interested in a trade for my Corvette but, he isn't interested in trades.

The reason for the long post is this; I am looking for some advice from you guys. Do I try and sell my Corvette so I can buy the Camaro back for the third time or do I keep the 'Vette?
The Camaro isn't even close to being original but, it has the look that I always loved and my wife misses the car. On the flip side, the Corvette is rare, being a factory black car and has all of it's born with components so I am sure that it would hold it's value better than the Camaro.
This is all based upon the notion that I could even sell the Corvette in time to make the purchase; for all I know the Camaro could be long gone by the time the Corvette sells and then I'm out the Camaro and the Corvette.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[92646]

My first reaction is to keep both. If you really want the Camaro and you really do not want the Corvette then borrow the money to buy the Camaro against the Corvette then sell the Corvette. The worst that can happen is that you may have to pay car payments till you sell the car. Having your wife missing the Camaro and being ok with getting it back makes all the difference in the world. There is a car from my past that I would pay a premium to get back if I could ever find it so go for it.

[x Baldwin Motion]

"the look that I always loved and my wife misses the car"


that sounds like reason enough (War Dept. Approval) to buy the car NOW and then sell the Corvette as soon as you can.

[ssl78396]

Hmmm..
Well if you can get what you feel is good money for the
corvette compared what your in it.Do it.
First do you have that preverbial knot in your stomach?
Second your already thinking about it!
Third and most important the wife misses it
Good Luck..

[budnate]

2 cents more, inspect the car carefully, I did this once and was really bummed after getting my old car home, it was no where near as nice as I recalled or something along those lines guy was working on it for years and messed stuff up...anyway dont get thinking about the old days while there inspect it like a new find, you may not want it back.

[Salvatore]

Like Bud said, research it good! Then proceed with caution. There are alot of camaros and vettes out there but NOT the one you really want which is the one in question. If the vette is rare and desirable than it should sell pretty quickly. If getting the camaro back makes you and the wife happy than DO IT! That is what this hobby and life is about. If you get it back maybe you should keep it for good then.

[skierkaj]

[ QUOTE ]
There is a car from my past that I would pay a premium to get back if I could ever find it so go for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I second that. I spotted my dad's '79 Camaro back in high school. The car had been gone for at least 17 years and finally surfaced back in my home town of all places. I went through the trouble of tracking down all the history on it, only to be let down when the kid didn't want to sell it.

Someday he'll get rid of it, and I'll be here waiting. Even if it isn't really a valuable car per se, It's valuable to me.

Look over the car, and if you can get it back, do it, but hang on to it this time!

[Mr70]

I say go for it,heeding the good advice all are giving.
It's not everyday,we get a shot at a car we once owned in our past..

[69RSZ]

click on this link to my story about a camaro that I bought back,my opinion,yes get it back and keep it!! > http://superchevy.automotive.com/118...aro/index.html

[Mopar471]

I am in the process of working out a deal to get my 1971 roadrunner back. Sold it 14 yrs ago