Carlisle questions

[Dave Rifkin]

I am planning to attend the All GM Nationals this year with hopes of finding the perfect (for me) 1970 Z28. It has been a long time since I have been there and purchased a car and I have a few questions I hope you gusy can help me out with:

1) What is the nicest, most reasonable place to stay and how far in advance should I make the arrangements?

2) I don't plan on carrying tens of thousands of dollars with me and will, most likely, need to finance the car. Are there lending organizations who can finance the car on the grounds?

3) If I am lucky enough to find the right car and get it all financed; etc. I will need to tow it home. I am geting a hitch for my wife's Cherokee and was wondering if I should rent a UHaul car hauler and bring it with me or try to rent one while in Carlisle? I would guess that they'd be hard to find in that area during this time and, if I did find one, they'd rock me for it. Then again, if I bring one with me how would I secure it if my wife and I leave the hotel to go to dinner? I sure as hell don't want to drag that thing with me where ever we go.

[camarojoe]

There are alot of hotels within a mile or so of the fairgrounds... All the top chain hotels, Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Comfort Inn, etc... I believe there is a link to various hotels right from the Carlisle website... as far as which one is "the nicest", I wouldn't be a good judge, as I spent many a night in a tent on the grounds, and even spent a weekend sleeping in the trunk of a Nova once, so all the hotels in Carlisle seem pretty darn "nice" to me now!

There is a place on-site where you can get a cash-advance on a credit card, and there are also several banks in town... I have found from experience though that the "best" way to make sure you don't end up in a money situation where the seller won't accept a cashier's check, etc. is to just take a fistfull of cash with you... I also know that the banks will NOT cash a certified check on the spot for you if your seller wants cash... (tried that once.) As far as on-site financing, I don't know of anything like that at Carlisle.

In regards to transporting your car, there are many transport services on-site, who can load your car and probably beat you home with it. Unless you plan on hiring someone to guard your car, there isn't any miracle solution for leaving it and going somewhere to eat, etc. If you plan to use a U-haul trailer, I would probably say rent one at or near Carlisle if you find your dream car... I hate to rain on your parade, but theres a very good chance you will not find what you are looking for, in the price range you are looking to spend at Carlisle...Would be easier if you weren't lugging around an empty trailer just in case your dream Camaro is not on the fairgrounds. I've always found that the best way to guarantee you don't find any good deals is to go there planning to buy... in contrast, the less prepared you are to buy something, the better the deals, and the nicer the cars... at least that just how my luck has always been!

Carlisle is a fun place to go, I've been attending at least 3 events a year there since I was 8 years old. Good luck in your search!
-JB

[CamarosRus]

I'd advise you network with all the 2nd Gen enthusiasts at www.nastyz28.com to find your self that 70 Z. Not saying you couldnt find it at G.M. Carlisle, but the competition to find highly sought after Camaros is fierce, prices are high.....and clones abound.

[TDW]

Dave...What is the perfect car for you? Did you look at the 70 Z28 listed in the for sale section here? How close is that one to the perfect one for you? I jump around different boards, so if I see something that looks good for you, I will foward it.

[Dave Rifkin]

Right now my budget would be in the 25-28,000.00 range. I guess that would get me a #3 car? I check Ebay all the time and have started to frequent NastyZ28 and Team Camaro although Team Camaro seems to be more for first generation Camaros.
Thanks for all of the advice so far.