SAAC Forum

I bought a 67 Camaro that had a 427 Corvette engine in it, I was lucky enough to speak to the owner of 48 years and he said he got the motor NOS from a trade school a few years prior.

It was one superlative engine I can tell you that, Four wheel drum brakes and that screamer behind the grill. It was a machine to turn petrol into smiles I can tell you that.

Peter

Like when. You walk your dog, driving a Shelby or. Any classic for that matter opens hearts and minds

I don't sell cars, I sell a lifestyle. The folks you meet are the true reward of ownership

Sorry,  did some housekeeping and deleted duplicate files.

This should work.

https://imgur.com/gallery/e6D55

Cars bought In Charlotte

https://imgur.com/gallery/1JPr3

I've since bought 2 more whilst in PA after the Charlotte show

Since you liked those: I wrote this Feb 18th after a FL and PA trip for our club magazine. This is before editing.
(Dad is doing well now)


As I near the end of my trip to America I thought I should do a write up for the Round up magazine to give folks and idea of what its like to try and find cars in the USA whilst on holiday

Let me first say that if you are thinking you will do all your fun things with your partner and kids and magically a good Mustang will fall into your lap you are incorrect

If I spent less than 3 hours on any day of this nearly month long holiday looking for cars it would be an understatement. Today alone, the 7th of Feb I spent five hours.

Cars in general are scare and good ones nearly impossible to find. A bit of luck mixed with dogged determination are your only saviour. I have found and purchased 3 cars but the hours put in would amaze you and certainly did not impress my wife

Okay, so arrival in Tampa airport on the 11th of January 2018, grab a rental car, a Jeep Compass (DON'T Ask how crap it was) and headed for Sarasota Florida. Unfortunately my father, whom we planned on meeting and spending 2 weeks with him in Sarasota had a bad turn of health so first stop was the hospital. They had stabilized him and he seemed great so that was a relief.

My dad flew back to PA very shortly after this so I had more free time on my hands than I had planned plus a lot of nervous energy so started searching cars out. I first found a lovely appearing blue 68 convertible in Miami (too far from me but a friend was in the area to view) I called the owner and he sounded honest enough and described the car as very nice with a new paint job and various other touches. I was interested as we need convertibles for the summer season so asked my friend to view. He set up the appointment for 11am the next day. At 11:15 he rang me and said it was dreadful. Paint was a 100 foot job and the red original colour was bleeding out all over. Bad panel gaps, a top in tatters (it was down in the advert) and he told me the guy didn't care how it looked and said "it will be going to Europe anyway as I have several folks asking about it from there" So disaster averted I started searching elsewhere.

Next up was a very local 67 Camaro. I was real excited to contact this seller as the car looked amazing with great panel gaps, a clean engine bay and a nice looking interior. I called and left messages for the seller. 2 days later a text came through from the guy who bought the car!!! I was gutted. I called him and asked if he was selling it on? He said yes and he just so happened to be coming back past Sarasota on his way back from buying a Chevelle True to his word he texted me 15 minutes before he reached our meeting spot and I headed out.

The guy arrived with a two car trailer and I got to look all over the Camaro as it was raised up on the trailer. The car looked awesome and we struck a deal. Very honest fellow who told me what he paid and said he needed to make X amount to make it worth his while. He was very fair and we did the deal. I paid him by US dollar check and awaited his message it had cleared and we had the car collected and delivered to our Miami warehouse.

The next day I found a few convertibles I wanted to view in another area of Florida. It was just under two hours away. I directed my wife to the Tiki hut by the beach and set off. My first target had unfortunately sold. A lovely looking Black 68 convertible. The seller said he had folks fighting over it and it sold for $38,500 USD!!! for a T code V8 converted car I thought that was an impressive price. The car was heading to Europe so was still there and I got to view it, A nice car for sure but I couldn't see the price paid.

The next car was a lovely Blue Example with a roll bar and lovely paint. The car was very nice and would have been a purchase candidate but the roll bar and T code 6 cylinder VIN code (although now V8)  plus the price asked made it an easy decision to say no. We do purchase and sell T code conversions but they have to be priced under an equivalent V8 car for us to consider them.

The third car was the charm. A stunning 65 Convertible in red with a five speed, A code V8, fog lights and dual exhaust and a body that was as straight as a die. I looked over the car for over an hour and made an offer. The guy looked shocked at my offer. But I have to always start near where I need to be and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. He came back with a much higher price and over the next two hours of drinking coffee and shooting the breeze we came to an agreeable price. So car number two was purchased

I continued to search for cars in the area and other than a 69 project convertible I viewed nearby which was a disaster I had no more luck.

So in Sarasota I had found and bought a 67 Camaro and a 65 Mustang Convertible.

So since my dad had to leave early and head to his home in PA I put my wife on our return flight home and changed my travel plans so that I would spend a few weeks with him at his home in PA USA

So again I went to work, many hours each day and I was only turning up cars at consolidation shops like Gateway Classics and Streetside classics. Prices were insane and in my experience the quality is not what I need. I was looking for privately owned cars.

I finally found a 67 coupe that looked quite nice about 20 minutes away from my home. The price was reasonable but the car had been stored for quite some time. I viewed the car and aside from some scuffs in the paint and a missing piece of trim or two the car was very nice. I met the owner who had the car since 1975 and he told me him and his dad restored the car in 1978 and he's had it in the garage ever since. I commenced an inspection and crawled over and under the car for a good while. I decided if I would be able to negotiate a bit off the price it would be great for a car we had been planning to build, a coupe in the theme of Bullitt. The car was already green and had a flip open gas cap and a mint interior so we were nearly there right? Nothing a bunch of money, some paint, rims and a whole bunch of labour can't accomplish. So I bought that car and had it flat bedded to my dads farm where his four car garage came in handy. I used a local notary office to sort out the paperwork and bill of sale and that car is now on a haulier heading to Miami

I then spent a huge amount of time looking for more cars. I really had no more luck other than a 66 red coupe that I asked about but the paint sounded really poor so I left it.

Today was a better day for car searching and I have located both a 68 Mustang coupe and a 66 Coupe to inspect hopefully tomorrow if the weather cooperates and the freezing rain stops. Both are about an hour away in opposing directions so I shall be doing a good bit of driving if I can make contact with both sellers.

So in short. If you are planning on heading to the USA to view cars then you had better expect to spend a fair amount of time looking and hope for a bit of luck that they are within a reasonable driving distance. The USA is far from paved with classics and with my previous 5 week trip to Arizona and Colorado only netting us one purchase you can see it can be quite a challenge to find a decent car in the USA

Cheers. Peter Cavallo

My day one report. At the Charlotte Show. So this was written before the others

So today's report from Charlotte NC USA at the Charlotte auto fair

Most of what we have seen is either a bit overpriced (Or VERY) , has hidden issues or has an undesirable colour, engine or body style .

I think the main theme is that great cars don't have to come to shows to be sold.  I tell shop visitors this, that great cars sell within close friends, family or folks local to the car. This is why we have several folks who find cars for us and we are able to purchase before they hit the mainstream market.

I usually am able to find cars here from actual owners rather than dealers/flippers and thats always the goal.

Had a few cars I was interested in but not dying to buy. It's all too easy to make a purchase out of desperation rather than careful thought. I have a mate with me  (Mike) as well as Ron at the end of the phone in UK who keep me in check with sound advice.

As I only have a finite sum to spend so I have to keep my powder dry so as to make sure I use the funds at hand wisely

I had some interest in a 72 Heavy Chevy, basically a 72 Chevelle 350 Auto that was in excellent shape but a poor colour with it being a light silver with a green hue and a green interior.  A fine condition car which sold shortly after I rejected it

I also have my eye on a white 69 Camaro but the price is too high for what it is and I have not been able to converse with the owner yet

A 65 K code fastback caught my eye. But it had a C code drive train and a body off crime watch... Shoddy bodywork, poor floors and a price that was excessive put me off that car.

A very attractive, from 20 feet away, Green 65 GT coupe caught my eye but after seeing the poor paint and crusty floors I walked.

Similarly a white 65 GT clone coupe was rejected after an inspection

I looked at a 65 fairlane which was exceedingly cheap with a 289 automatic but I couldn't see it making the grade in our offerings once in the UK.

A few other Camaros and Novas were considered and rejected due to price and/or condition

I did buy a project 65 Fastback, 289/4 speed car as I am constantly asked for project fastbacks so I thought I would take a punt on this one. 

So with extremely worn out feet I am heading to bed in hopes of some success tomorrow

Cheers folks

I have a ton of Photos but uploading then is a nightmare.

Final day for me, Saturday

Okay, so today's report

Woke at 5 to answer emails

Shower at 5:30, quick breakfast and head to the show

Weather was dreadful. Rain rain rain

Thankfully I came to the show with a mate Mike who is a positive guy so we just headed to all corners of the show

Its easy to think the US is paved with cars but it's not. Even in this concentration of cars many are overpriced, junk or tarted up junk

We first did a partial loop of the 1.7 mile track surface and saw mostly cars from previous days.  Several had moved positions with new owners and new prices as is the habit here

I saw a coupe I had missed yesterday that had sold.  Very nice car with a price tag to match. 65 coupe, blue with a white vinyl roof, 5.0 FI engine and really detailed well

Walked some more and saw a car I have seen for at least two years. A VERY nice dark blue coupe with a white vinyl roof. Not the same car mentioned above.. Previously owned by race car driver Bill Elliott.  The guy has been asking $33.500 for at least two years. I made him a very respectable offer which happened to be the most I have ever offered for a coupe and he rejected it.  Fair play, its his car

We walked the indoor display areas, the show car areas outside and behind the bleachers, the in field and another round of the track hoping to find some late arrivals

Sadly due to the rain this normally is a massively busy day with the auto fair in full action and all the local clubs arriving for the show and shine which usually nearly doubles the size of it all.  Unfortunately it was much reduced today

So eventually we were so tired and our feet hurt do bad we called a cab and walked to the gate to leave.  We arranged to meet at a water tower outside of the track with the driver

As we walked to it we spied a 69 Camaro in black behind a low fence. We looked it over for and decided further investigation was needed.  We called the taxi and cancelled it, called the owners of the car and agreed to meet them by the car.

Guy came over and told us the history of the car, they. Had it twenty years and took it to shows all over.  It was a well used car meaning it wasn't thrown together just to sell

We love cars like that,  we made an offer, he countered, we then made another offer $500 more than our previous offer conditional on him driving the car to our drop off point and then taking us back to our hotel. He agreed and we exchanged money for title and that was that"

For those with an interest. I travel twice a year to Charlotte with a friend take. In the show and buy cars to import

A few words about my visit Spring 2018. I am mustang oriented thus Mustangs feature

"Trying to keep up with reports but can't tell you how busy it is,  falling into bed at night dead tired

Yesterday was awesome, about 70 degrees and sunny, walked for miles digging into every corner of the show.  It's not set up in rows so you are constantly finding stuff you hadn't seen before as it's so higgly pigly in its layout

Came across a 62 Impala which is not my usual target car and had to purchase, just a stunning example. The light was bright with that one.  Just the type of deal I like, bought from long time owners who had restored it with love and care.

Kept walking after that and looking everywhere for the next car to buy... A white 69 Camaro had been hugely interesting to me all weekend and this time I saw the owner near it and we got to dealing.  I had dreams of the price I wanted to pay but it was massively under his asking price... I am proud to say I got much closer to my number than he got to his

Car is a 350/5.7L, X-11 coded car with an Auto. Dual exhaust, 4.11 rear gear and four wheel disk brakes. Optional gauge package and white on white, very striking car

Looked at a Shelby GT350 hertz car which was stunning and 149k and was later told it was a clone or fake. Had a stamped CS number on the passenger fender

Made an offer on an early Mustang coupe that was previously owned by race car driver Bill Elliott. I offered the most I have ever offered for a coupe and the guy was holding out for even more.  He's had it there for two years so he can bring it back next year :-)

Going back today to try and get one more, there is a massive dearth of Mustangs with fastbacks being extremely scarse. I've seen one incomplete Eleanor drive around the show but have yet to get to see it parked , that's how big this show is, you can't see it all and when you think you have you suddenly turn a corner and everything is new in that area

The show basically doubles today with a massive car show within the car show

You sir are a genius 

Sorry, don't understand your reply

Maybe not just me....

http://www.saacforum.com/index.php?topic=357.msg1902#msg1902

I looked 3 times for the lounge and its not on my screen. Wasn't it on the very bottom?

thanks for the replies.

There does not seem to be a place on the forum to put a show report, such as the Charlotte Auto fair or similar.

If its not wanted that's cool just thought folks may like to know what was there, what I bought, what I saw and did.

Cheers. Peter

I'm going to stick my neck out here and call a touch of BS auction

50k and five days to go... Sorry but no

I watch a ton of auctions and IMHO real auctions stay low-ish until the last day or so...

I could be totally wrong but this looks alot like many auctions I watch that bid up, sell and get reposted for months

I'm only looking on my phone but I can't see the perfection others are seeing

I could be totally wrong of course