A little advise...why hasn't this car sold?

[Doug Harden]

Other than a horrible economy, I'm wondering why I've received a few inquiries, but not the first offer....most don't even respond. I've sent them all a ton of photos and a full no BS write up on the car....if anything, I've been brutally honest about the car.

https://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?82247-1969-Pro-Touring-Camaro

54409

For a rust free car with a ton of great parts...with even some of the stock pieces they replaced....I've even offered to sell w/o engine & tranny & the wheels...for not much more than what a Dynacorn body or rebuilding a skeleton would cost.

Just curious if there's another reason it's still in my garage....

Thanks,

Doug

[kmdracer]

Well, Doug, it looks like a great car to me. Perhaps the market just isn't there right now, I don't know. I do know it takes more than what you are asking to build up a 69 to that level. Could be more folks are like me, wanting to build one themselves?

[Doug Harden]

Thanks for the comment...so this is why I'm willing to sell it without the drivetrain and wheels....

[MarkM66]

Where have you advertised it?

[Doug Harden]

Just here and on Lateral G....I know, limited audience, but I thought at least a knowledgable one...don't really want to deal with the squirrels on eBay or Craigslist, etc...

[Mr. Anderson]

Where else are you listing the car? If it's only on this board, then that isn't a very broad audience. Selling cars on message boards alone is a very slow process, I've sold a couple myself that way. And if I were browsing ads looking for a car, I'd like to see more pictures of the car up front instead of waiting for an email. Add some interior, chassis, and under hood shots of the car to your ad

On the car itself, I would say that the wheels are a little dated and the late model Camaro steering wheel should go away...but neither of those things make it worth less than your asking. Seems like a very fair price to me. Just a matter of finding the guy who really wants it.

[jerhofer]

Just here and on Lateral G....I know, limited audience, but I thought at least a knowledgable one...don't really want to deal with the squirrels on eBay or Craigslist, etc...

You will get the most exposure on Ebay. You might not want to post photos of the car on the track. That's a turnoff for many people. Same for shoulder harnesses, etc. Post only photos of the car in the condition and with the equipment that you are selling it with. Makes it too complicated to have to say it will come with wheels different than those shown.

I didn't see anything about how many miles are on car, the motor, the paint, the transmission, etc. The more details the better.

If you put it on Ebay, take lots of high quality closeup photos including the bottom of the car, the interior, the engine bay, etc. You especially want photos of any flaws to show that you are representing the car truthfully. Post those photos on a photo website like Photobucket and place a link to that site in your ad. You can only post 24 photos on Ebay but you want many more than that. Also, be prepared for those who ask about shipping the car. Give them links to various sites where they can get quotes and offer to take the car to the shipper if necessary.

A few years back I sold a a 427/435 horse numbers matching 1969 Corvette on Ebay for the dealership I was working for at the time. It was the owner's car but nobody at the dealership had been able to sell the car. I was new at the time and told him I thought I could sell it on Ebay. I told him I had to drive it to make sure the motor, transmission and clutch worked well (Pretty clever of me there. It was a fun ride!!). I put it up on a lift and took a total of 250 photos of that car from top to bottom. It was not a perfect car and I posted photos of the flaws as well. The guy who bought it was 800 miles away and paid for it sight unseen and sent a truck to pick it up. He said there were so many photos that he felt confident that the car was as represented. He gave me a great feeback report.

The key here was representing the car honestly and using a good camera to take high quality photos. If one of your pics is blurry, take it again. The quality of the photos is as important as the quantity. If you do it well, you will have very few questions from bidders.

Hope this helps.

[SparkyRnD]

you need to get it seen by more eyes. You would be surprised where many sales come from, sometimes on forums that are completely unrelated to the car.

[jerhofer]

you need to get it seen by more eyes. You would be surprised where many sales come from, sometimes on forums that are completely unrelated to the car.

I agree with the statement above. You can place you ad on forums for Chevrolet, Camaro, Chevelle, etc. All of those guys may be potential buyers. Plus people looking for a Camaro like yours may check out those sites. I have posted cars on Craigslist but have never had much sucess. I have had better success there with parts especially those that are hard to ship like seats, headers, etc. But Craigslist is free and more exposure never hurts. When I was hunting for a LS6 intake for my LS1 motor, I did a Google search using "LS6 intake craigslist" and found it in Chicago. You never know.

In the end, by far the greatest exposure is on Ebay. You may have to put up with a few tire kickers, but you have to do that regardless of where you try to sell the car. That is part of the game.

[novaderrik]

put it on Craigslist- but list it as Camero.. this will grab the attention of a few people that will think they can get a good deal from the idiot that doesn't even know how to read the badge on the fender of their own car. maybe once they see the car they will fall in love and just have to own it.

[Flash68]

Just here and on Lateral G....I know, limited audience, but I thought at least a knowledgable one...don't really want to deal with the squirrels on eBay or Craigslist, etc...

Sometimes you have to deal with the "squirrels" to sell something. You're not selling a $100 item. Those are the idiots on craigslist. How bad you you wanna sell?

[MarkM66]

Sometimes you have to deal with the "squirrels" to sell something. You're not selling a $100 item. Those are the idiots on craigslist. How bad you you wanna sell?

Exactly. So you have to answer a few emails or a phone call, no big deal if you really want to sell something.

I've sold many cars on ebay, and I've never had a bad experience. You just have to be smart about it.

[exwestracer]

Doug,
I read the ad, and from the description it sounds like the car has had too long of a "second life" since restoration. Hate to say this, but you know how the game is played... Maybe re-think the wording on your description of when things were done. I'm sure it's in great shape, but most buyers may think you've been beating the hell out of it for more than a decade and now want your build cost back...just MHO since you asked.

[Doug Harden]

I've thought about that...the concept that my car is a "tweener"..IOW, too long since the resto, LT4 not the current engine of choice, wheels, etc...

So it's hard to say who my car would be most appealing to. Is it the guy who really wants a good looking car that he can drive across the country without worry of not only mechanical problems, but doesn't worry about rock chips. Which is the real condition of this car. A car with 400Rwhp that can get up to 25 mpg (I've done it) that still looks good from 10 feet...with a lot of great parts.....and is rust free.

Or is it the guy who wants to build a car from a great starting point...the reason i offered it without the drivetrain and wheels...for what I feel is a price that is right in line with what you'd spend getting to this point if not much more than what I'm offering it for...with all of what you'd get.

I think I've been more than honest that this car isn't a $50k - $100k perfect queen...and in all honesty, I only RR'd it once. The other miles (under 20k) have been street miles.

So unless I find a guy who wants it for what it is...I might just have to part it out....uuugghh...

Thanks a million for all the input and if anyone has any other ideas, feel free to chime in...I'm in no hurry to sell it, just moving on to other hobbies. :D

[parsonsj]

I had a car for sale for two years. I dropped the price by over 40% from the initial asking price, but never got anything serious other than one guy who lied to me about wanting to buy it.

In the end, I took the car to Barrett-Jackson. It sold that night, and for my original asking price. :) Seriously, if you want to sell a car, consider B-J or maybe Mecum. You might not get what you are asking, but your car will be in front of a set of people with the means and desire to buy your car and others like it. If you go "no reserve", then the car will sell, and it will sell right then, leaving you free to pursue those other hobbies. You've got a rust-free 69 Camaro RS. It has value, and an auction is a good place to leverage that.

Just an alternative to consider for you.

[Doug Harden]

Not a bad idea...Mecum comes to Indy every year....hhhmmm...

[parsonsj]

Mecum comes to Indy every yearYessir, that's what I was thinking. And Indy is the big show for Mecum.

[SparkyRnD]

any car can sell, just has to be in front of the right eyes, at the right time, with a buyer that is ready to buy. That is the benefit of listing it in multiple places, is that someone may be looking to buy 'something' but not know exactly what they want until they see it. John's idea of the Mecum auction is a great one, as you WILL have the right eyes on it, at the right time, and many of them will be ready to buy that moment.

[ehummelman]

Here' s my $.02. You're asking too much, plain and simple. The market just isn't what it used to be. For $35k I would want a newer paint job than 10-15 years ago, a better engine (i.e. LS, big block crate motor, etc.), big brake kit, modernized interior, 12 bolt or 9" rear, a better steering box, and a better MC/booster setup. I am being picky, but I know what I got my car for (granted it was a great deal) and it has almost all these things. :)
At any rate, I hope you take these comments the right way, I'm trying to help you be realistic that's all. I just don't think someone would drop $35k on a car that then needs the above upgrades to be comparable with the better protouring cars. If you could take it to an auction you may do well, I don't know. Some of those people are idiots, some are very knowledgeable, you just never know.

[MonzaRacer]

Also try racingjunk.com

[Doug Harden]

Here' s my $.02. You're asking too much, plain and simple. The market just isn't what it used to be. For $35k I would want a newer paint job than 10-15 years ago, a better engine (i.e. LS, big block crate motor, etc.), big brake kit, modernized interior, 12 bolt or 9" rear, a better steering box, and a better MC/booster setup. I am being picky, but I know what I got my car for (granted it was a great deal) and it has almost all these things. :)
At any rate, I hope you take these comments the right way, I'm trying to help you be realistic that's all. I just don't think someone would drop $35k on a car that then needs the above upgrades to be comparable with the better protouring cars. If you could take it to an auction you may do well, I don't know. Some of those people are idiots, some are very knowledgeable, you just never know.

Wow, sounds like you got real lucky to find a seller who was extremely desperate to sell a car at a huge loss. Much more than I'll ever be.

BTW, the paint on the car, while old (in years) has lived a garaged life and other than road rash, it still looks better than most.

As far as the engine, other than having a different engine that all the 'cool kids' want, makes a ton of power (could easily make more with a cam swap), is fuel injected and could easily run with the boat anchors that are big block crate engines...idles all day long and stays cool in traffic to boot. Even got 25MPG with 3:73 gears a few times.

It has 4 wheel disc brakes that served me well on it's maiden voyage at a road race event...so other than dropping wasted money on a brand name kit, it works very well...MC included. Steering box is just fine too...quick ratio and great road feel.

So the 10 bolt Auburn Pro Posi unit has lived without complaint behind the 465hp, 6 speed driveline..so other than bragging rights, why spend another $1,500?

Sorry, but If I have to drop another $20k on the car to sell it for $35k, I'll pass and use it for a daily driver until it's a 'barn find' for my grandson...

As far as the market, I'd say Barrett-Jackson's event this past weekend showed me a very healthy market indeed.

So, I'll say the same to you, don't get me wrong, I hear you, but I won't give away twice what I'm asking for this great car.

[Nine Ball]

Doug, you know I buy and sell a LOT of cars, so here is my advice. I've viewed your ad a few times over the months, and it could use some work.

1. Good pictures and plenty of them - this is THE key for selling cars. The more photos, the better. Create a gallery on Photobucket.com and upload a bunch of CURRENT pics. Interior shots, underside, trunk, engine bay, everything and anything.

2. Mileage doesn't matter. These are classic cars. The condition of them is what matters, not years or mileage. Remove those things mentioned, save it for email/phone conversations with serious buyers. Just rate the paint ??/10 and interior ??/10, etc..

3. Remove statements related to you driving the heck out of the car, racing it, or enjoying it thoroughly. When you write an ad for a car, the reader has to imagine himself in the car, as it is his next car. They don't want to read about your history with the car, that makes the car still seem like your car. Ad needs to be written so that it appeals to the next buyer.

4. Track photos are a turn-off for some. Don't post those. See above. The buyer needs to imagine their own purpose/use for the car, they might hate road courses and prefer drag strips.

5. Lose the wheels, they date the car severely. You'd be better off with run-of-the-mill torque thrust or weld Pro Stars, even factory rally wheels. Those wheels kill it for me, period. They don't match the body lines of the car. Wheels/stance are THE most important visual aspects of any vehicle.

Hope this helps!

Tony

[Doug Harden]

Thanks Tony!

[Hunter68]

its all about finding the right buyer i think, even selling something on craigslist like say my bike, been on their for months and a few bites but that one person hasnt seen it, with this you cant please everyone. some people like the wheels some hate it, i personally like it however i do have to agree with a limit on what you say about your car and what type of pictures you post about it. with that said some buyers do like to know everything about a car, so you need to get a feel for them.

[Doug Harden]

My "problem" in selling anything has been that I'm usually my own worst enemy...IOW, I'm brutally honest about things to a fault. What I percieve as being a 7/10 may be 9/10 to a potential buyer...

Again, the wheels or even the engine/tranny are negotiable to me. While I don't have any use for the engine or wheels at the moment, I consider it one of the best NA LT4's around....easily capable of big block horsepower and torque numbers....all in a lightweight package...that sounds killer.

So at some point I need to either sell / trade the wheels or take off more $$ for a prospective buyer to just keep them. The engine cost north of $10k to build at the time, even with my own assembly labor and the tranny was built by one of the best shops around....so even with a few miles on them, they are quality pieces.

So at the moment, the last thing I'd want to do is to invest a bunch more $$ in it, I'd rather negotiate removal of things that a buyer would want to change for themselves....

[ehummelman]

Wow, sounds like you got real lucky to find a seller who was extremely desperate to sell a car at a huge loss. Much more than I'll ever be.

BTW, the paint on the car, while old (in years) has lived a garaged life and other than road rash, it still looks better than most.

As far as the engine, other than having a different engine that all the 'cool kids' want, makes a ton of power (could easily make more with a cam swap), is fuel injected and could easily run with the boat anchors that are big block crate engines...idles all day long and stays cool in traffic to boot. Even got 25MPG with 3:73 gears a few times.

It has 4 wheel disc brakes that served me well on it's maiden voyage at a road race event...so other than dropping wasted money on a brand name kit, it works very well...MC included. Steering box is just fine too...quick ratio and great road feel.

So the 10 bolt Auburn Pro Posi unit has lived without complaint behind the 465hp, 6 speed driveline..so other than bragging rights, why spend another $1,500?

Sorry, but If I have to drop another $20k on the car to sell it for $35k, I'll pass and use it for a daily driver until it's a 'barn find' for my grandson...

As far as the market, I'd say Barrett-Jackson's event this past weekend showed me a very healthy market indeed.

So, I'll say the same to you, don't get me wrong, I hear you, but I won't give away twice what I'm asking for this great car.

Yes I got lucky with my car, it's very well built and I got a price I was comfortable with. It's not perfect, and I am still spending money on it just as we all do forever into eternity.
I'm sure verything works just fine, I never suggested it didn't. The fact is, most buyers in this hobby now want newer, bigger, better even if it is all marketing hype and bling. Yes, you could find someone who would/could/might even pay your more for it, cars are so uniquely attractive to us that it will just take finding that one person. If you're willing to drive it until that day comes, great. If you need it gone, then put your car in the price range where it will attract the largest number of potential buyers, not the 1% that absolutely have to have that particular car.
I looked for my car for over a year, and have a pretty good idea what they've been selling for. I even looked at your for sale thread right before I bought mine. Point is though, I looked at it once and never gave it a second thought. Too much for too little compared to what else is out there. Perhaps not, but I think I represent a good portion of the guys out there looking to buy these types of cars. This is the only reason I responded to your thread. You asked why it isn't getting attention, I told you.
My advice would be to just keep it, I think you're going to be frustrated to no end trying to get what you think it's worth, rather than what the buyer thinks it's worth.

[dadto2jays]

Alot of great points have been made. n the car business we say there is an ass for every seat. the car will sell sooner or later do not take a beating if you dont need to. I have sold a ton of vehicles and have never lost money nor would I sell for a loss.

[6D9 Matt]

GREAT advice from Tony above.

[406 Q-ship]

I agree with Tony's points and would add that racing pictures might lead a buyer to think the car has been abused. Lots of pictures and put in a place with a wider audience. Take it to the local car crusies and shows when the weather gets better with a 4 sale in the window. Another place to take the car is to an open track event, you'd be suprised how many guys will see the car in action and fall in love with it (guys at open track events usually have cash too). Just take your time and drive the heck out of it until the right a$$ for that seat comes along.

[CreepinDeth]

I just read Tony's post and I COMPLETELY agree with all 5 of his points.

I was going to reiterate #1 and #5 because that's what I was going to state.

[FlyDoc]

Tony has it, on his selling points.
I look at the add and see a nice photo in the grass, and one on the track. other than that I can not tell the condition of the car. you say the car is in good condition... this is totally a opinion, you need to prove it! look at a 16y/o average car and its condition. yes your car is a classic +, '69 Camaro +, but it has been that long since restoration, and I think you stated that you did not do or have it done, so unless you directly know who did it, you don't know the quality, and lots of hidden rust can happen in 16years.

what I am trying to say is that you need to look at your add, and ask your self honestly if it would interest you.
AND it is on you to back and prove you car is worth $$, it takes time on high dollar non amenities, It took me just over a year to sell mom & dads RV, after dad passed. I was ready to lose money, dad paid $75,000 before he got sick, we got $50..

good luck!

[TheJDMan]

As everyone here knows, wheels/tires are a very individual choice, I personally like those wheels. But that said, I agree with John that you need to look into Barrett-Jackson or Mecum. At least with Mecum you can specify a reserve price. I don't think B-J would allow you to place a reserve at that price level.

[John510]

Just here and on Lateral G....I know, limited audience, but I thought at least a knowledgable one...don't really want to deal with the squirrels on eBay or Craigslist, etc...

This is your problem. Put it on Craigslist and it will sell.

[Doug Harden]

**SOLD** Thanks for the input!

[paul67]

Good news ,hope you got what you wanted.

[Doug Harden]

Good news ,hope you got what you wanted.

Close...enuf ;)

[ehummelman]

glad you got it sold. Hope you got a good amount. Did it go to a member on here?

[chevnut55]

Good for you. wish I could sell mine..Im in the same boat as you were. over $50k invested .trying to sell it for $29k tryed car shows ,flea bay, craigs list,here,was atleast hoping to trade for any c6 vette on racingjunk but keep getting offeres on rat rods or drag cars.
same with my cobra replica..watched alot less nice ones sell for more than Im asking but not even a offer.
where did you end up selling yours?

[Doug Harden]

The fine folks at Ride-Tech bought it for a customer....it's gonna get their full suspension kits and more.

I got about 90% of what I was asking, so I'm happy. :D Yes, they saw it on here.

Tony offered some great advise above....I think I just got lucky with the situation that happened....that and I only live a couple of hours away from Ride-Tech. Took a tour of their facilities when I delivered the car...what a neat place!

[chevnut55]

Wow, I guess lucky. everytime I sell one of my cars I never see it again or hear about it trashed or crashed. i would love to see my cars go to someone thats going to take them further and take care of them.