To buy or not to buy...1953 Chevy Belair

Hello all, I need some help. I am looking at purchasing a 1953 Belair 2 door located about 4 hours away from me. THe asking price is $15,000. I am having a hard time since I am not local to see or hear the car in person whether to buy it or not. I know people buy cars like this all the time on ebay and such, it just makes me nervous...ya know? Please take a look at the pics of the car let me know what you think I should consider? any helpful hints on my purchase....a go or no-go? I've talked to the guy selling the car, nice guy, he's looking to flip the car, he's had it for a little over 2 months.

Here's some info on the car: 6 new gangster white walls, sun visor, fifth wheel bumper kit,inline 6, automatic. the car has been converted to 12 volt so everything is new.rust free car, clean interior. New chrome front and rear bumpers, overhauled the motor a month ago, custom pinstripe. matching numbers car. The car had a body off resto back in 1992 and sat for a while.

The cons, someone cut the radio part of the dash to install an aftermarket radio, they also put in some speakers in the door panels. there's a small hairline crack in one of the vent window and a small ding in the stainless on the p***enger door. He's also not sure if all the guages work as they should.

Your thoughts..?

 

It all depends on what you plan to do with the car,,drive it as is or modify.

From my point of view it's overpriced but I'm not looking to buy a '53 Chevy,,but if I were in the market I would take the time and buy a ticket and fly out or drive to see for myself the car,,15,000 clams don't grow on trees.

If it's what you want after you see it and you can justify the price by all means buy it after you negotiate a better price. HRP

 

Check the HAMB for a member that lives in the town where the 53 is and ask him/her to check it out for you. Offer him/her a flat fee &/or beer & gas.

 

Bought a truck once site unseen. Had a big time car guy from the area look at it for me(mistake). Well it was not as expected when it arrived. Go look at it! That is the only way you will know for sure. I got lucky, spent about two weeks on it and sold it for a profit. From now on I go look.

 

Price seems high to me, with todays prices.
Things like this make me skeptical-"not sure if all the gauges work as they should"..huh, whats it take to determine if they are working?
As advised from the others, look/inspect the car yourself (4 hours vs unhappy purchase), or have an unbiased third party do it.
Good luck.

 

$15K is high, a nice all original hardtop at an auction brought 10K per posts here last week. I'd want to look since this guy doesn't know what a continental kit is or to say wide whites instead of "gangster whites" ... and there's no such thing as "matching numbers" on a car of this era. In fact, you will want to verify the ***le matches the engine or the body serial number.

Being in Texas it's probably not a bondo-loaded clunker, but the only way to know what sort of quality work was done is to look at it in person.

 

8 hours driving to see what the pictures don't, priceless.

 

Take a trip bro only 4 hour's see in person and make that decision on you own. Person to person always better

 

seems a bit high to me

 

He can email you copiesof the recepts for the engine work...
cut dash for the radio? big time deduction.
gauges? ***ume the all don't work.
Rust free? take a real hard look underneath - rocker and Q panel areas especially.

Looks to me llike a $10K car if an instant driver but then I am not a Chevy guy.

Oh yeah... ***le?

 

15 is high for a 53/4. A few of us that own them were discussing the prices a while back. 8k will get you a pretty nice car with a V8, fresh paint and interior OR a really nice restored or stocker. They just don't carry the value that later years do.

 

That is a little on the high side for a 53. If it is bondo free and the undercarriage is respectable I would low ball at 10k and meet someplace in the middle.

 

15 is too much. best to view a car in person for high dollars

 

http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/3291116106.html

Seems closer and just as nice

 

Only 4 hours away isnt nothing. I, myself, would go see it before purchasing. You can also pay a "professional" inspector to check out the car for about $250. DONT depend on another enthusiast to look at the car unless you know him personally. One guy's opinion may not be yours. $15k is on the high side but a normal asking price for a '53-54 Post, especially with a nice Overider and Wrap-arounds. It also would be the first year of a full pressure 235 if it's a Powerglide. I've owned quite a few 49-54's and photos can be deceiving. Good Luck

 

way too much

 

This is awesome, I really appreciate everyone in the community providing feedback. To be honest, $15K is what he is asking...I was never going to give him that...he states he has more than $15K in the car..??

It's hard, I'm in the market to buy a driver/clean car, I like the 53/54 belair's especially the hardtops, but everything is so far away! What's a guy to do.

 

if he is a flipper then nothing he says should be taken as the truth. I'll never buy a car without looking at it in person.

 

Seriously, you wouldn't drive 4 hours when 15k is at stake?
Drive there with the money, jeesh.

 

Sounds like a road trip with the ol' lady. That way you win either way.
15K sounds like waaay too much from a flipper.

 

YOU jest Shirley...??? Four hours and you've not gotten in the car yet...What...??? You don't drive and don't have a driver's license...??? Why the hell do you want a car then, use the bus...!!!

Seriously, IF I was even considering spending T-man's 8 grand, I'd go see the car myself, especially if it was only a hop and skip of 4 hours away...

R-

 

Take a day road trip and look at the car,,make an offer and drive it home or take your money back home,,this at the only 53 Chevy out there. HRP

 

First off, have the seller send A LOT of pictures. After seeing them, if you are still interested, ask if he will lower the price (post #11 is spot on). If he comes up with a figure you agree with, drive out and look at it yourself. Four hours is a "local" run for that kind of money. I've driven further than that for a piece of a car. Good luck.

 

Well, you asked for opinions, so here goes. Looks OK but is way overpriced for the market in Texas right now. Seriously, take your time and do some shopping. I bought a '50 Chevy off the HAMB for about half that much earlier this year. The car had a lot of quality work already done, tons of new parts, a completely new interior, was legal, drove well and looked good. I know of two Chevies, a '50 and a '53 that both were outstanding and sold for around $12K in the last few months. If you're patient I think that you'll find what you're looking for and save five grand or more.

 

While I personally love the '53-'54's (I've owned 2 '54's), as others have already stated they simply don't command the kind of prices that the later years do. And also as someone has already noted, the statement "not sure of all the gauges work" sounds shaky to me.

IF you are determined that this car is for you, you can hire an independent appraiser to give you an honest opinion of condition and value. I've used them when both buying and selling cars and it is money well spent.

Good luck!

 

I agree, 4 hours is nothing when your spending big dollars $$$! This why I found interest in this car versus those outta state. Just wanted to get ya'lls two cents before I jump in the car and do something stupid lol. No but really, if everything is sound with the car I'd offer him $11 or $12 and go from there. More important, I am trying to get an idea of what to take into consideration and see what others thought of the deal.

 

...on a side note, since were talking car values and such...there is a guy in SATX selling a 1957 Chevy 210...3 speed manual, 235, radio delete car...it's under the H.A.M.B cl***ifieds. He wants $18,900 for it. Paint looks good, interior and brakes need work. Do the 1957 210's really fetch that kind of money now-a-days? Just seems extremely high for a basic 210.

 

Todays market that car might bring $8000 tops. If hes just a car flipper I doubt he even has $6000 in the car. At that price hes asking don't waste your time and gas,keep looking ! Only person that would pay over $10,000 for that car would be the idiots on Fast & Loud Rollins & Kauffman.

 

That car is too high priced in todays world, and I would not buy anything sight unseen unless you are getting one hell of a deal!

 

Well, in his defense, he would be driving there in a VW!
Seriously though, $15k is about double what it would fetch around here. A friend of mine tried to flip a green 210 in the same condition as that one, a near perfect car, and couldn't get $7500. He ended up losing money.