OK, here's the deal with this car. It's a flood car (it got flooded in Hurricane Ike that hit the Houston, TX area in <I believe> September 2008). The insurance company "totaled" the car, and after apparently having settled the loss with their insured, next contracted with one of the local Houston area insurance auctions (Copart) to sell the car. I saw the car on the Copart website, and decided to try to buy the car when it came up for auction. Copart had listed it as a flood car, and also that they were indeed selling it with a "salvage title" (this would permit the car to be repaired and titled again, only it would be "branded" a salvage title....which was no big deal for me). So my plans were to potentially buy the car, rebuild it - doing all that was necessary to rid the car of its water problems (like flush the engine, transmission, rear end, replace the jute under the carpeting, clean or replace the carpeting, etc.).On their website, the car looked like it wasn't hurt that bad from the water damage.

Well, the car came up for auction, and a friend of mine that is a registered buyer with Copart agreed to buy the vehicle for me, bidding up to my pre-set limit. As it turned-out, I was the high bidder, and got the car. I had made arrangements to pay for it and to have to car immediately picked-up at the auction, then have it delivered, along with the paperwork (title, sales receipts from Copart, etc.) to a location in Houston. So far so good. Well, when I was finally able to make arrangements for me to get to Houston to pick-up the car and bring it home (Nashville, TN), I found that the paperwork from Copart did not include a Texas Salvage Title (LIKE COPART HAD ADVERTISED THAT IT WOULD HAVE). Instead, they had furnished a  "Texas Nonrepairable Vehicle Title" (basically a parts only title). When I called Copart to find out what happened and to get this corrected (originally, I thought that they had simply made a mistake, and had made application for a "Nonrepairable title" instead of a "salvage title") -  I thought that it would be a fairly easy matter to resolve - whereby they would simply write to the State, advising the State that they had made an error in asking for a non-repairable title, and that the State would re-issue with the correct type of title (a "salvage title", one that would permit the buyer to rebuild the car, then to title it as a street-ready vehicle, one which would be able to <obviously> get license plates, and drive).

Well, was I wrong. When I explained to Copart what had happened, including that they had given us a NON-REPAIRABLE TITLE instead of the SALVAGE TITLE as they had advertised it would have, they told me that there was no mistake made! I said WHAT?...NO MISTAKE??...WHADDA MEAN? You guys said it would have a salvage title...one which I could, after having repaired the car, title it in my name and get license plates and drive. They said "NOPE !..SORRY, this car does not come with a salvage title (rebuidable title), but would only come with a Nonrepairable title". When I pressed them for the obvious unfairness of the situation, they said "SORRY, BUT WE DON"T GUARANTEE THE TYPE OF TITLES ON VEHICLES WE SELL". Then, as if to reinforce her position, she said, "besides... it says as much on our website that we don't guarantee the titles" (oh, so like that makes it OK for you guys to advertise it as one thing, then to change it and sell it as another?...LOL). So basically they were telling me that they could advertise it one way, and then sell it with another type of title, and not feel any responsibility for an "error" that they had made.

So, fast forward, and I got the car home, and it has been sitting for quite a few months now - as I haven't had time to address the issue. At this point, I am ready to sell the vehicle (but unlike Copart) I will tell you that all the car will come with is a non-repairable title. So essentially, a prospective buyer for this vehicle can do one thing, maybe two, (the #2 thing is depending upon your State's laws are): 1.) buy it as a parts car and part it out; or, 2.) depending upon your state laws of where you live (and you'd have to check on this to be sure), perhaps you could buy it with the intention of restoring it but never driving it on the road (restore it and then use it only as a show car...trailering it wherever you go?). But again, I don't know what you could or could not legally do with it in your state, so you would have to check yourself to verify if you could do this #2 option.

As it is, I have not done anything to the car at all. The limited amount that I know of it is that it has a key, has a fairly new battery, I didn't try to start it, so it is unnown if it cranks). I also know that someone had removed the carpeting, and it also looks like they had changed the engine oil, as it is very clean. I don't know if the previous owner did this, or if it was taken to a shop in anticipation of doing repairs, and then the shop did these repairs, with maybe later the insurance company subsequently totaling it and stopped repairs??. I know that the car was originally (from the factory) a dark green metallic color with a tan interior (color code numbers on the spec plate indicate this). The odometer shows 94,470 miles (unknown of accurate). The car looks to be fairly complete, but I have noticed the following....it has what looks like a fairly new Edlebrock carburetor with a highly polished intake manifold; the fan shroud is broken; the upper radiator hose is missing; the carpeting is in a plastic lawn bag inside the car, there is a crack on the front bumper (right side, see close-up photo), there is some minor damage on the left quarter panel near the bumper - see close-up photo). There are some bubbles in the paint on the hood rear edge left side (see close-up photo); one tire is bad (the left front one), the others are good.

If you are the successful high bidder, you will get a non-repairable title and a bill of sale. This Ebay auction listing is a pure auction, but I do have a fairly low reserve set. The successful bidder will have to make a $500.00 deposit via Paypal within 24 hours of the auction close. Then the balance is to be paid by either cashiers check or bank wire within the next 48 hours (in other words, all paid in full within 3 days <72 hours> of the auction close). I will give the successful bidder my contact information at the close of the auction, and we will make the arrangements then. Otherise,the car is sold "as-is where is", and I will help to load it on your trailer, but transportation to your site is your responsibility and expense. I will work with you on being flexible on when you can pick it up (there would be no rush, but I woudn't want to car sitting here too awfully long...say to be picked-up within a week or two??). Otherwise, please write if you have any questions, and I will do my best to answer any questions as best as my limited knowledge on this car will permit. And finally, please don't bid if you have no intention of going through with the transaction. Happy bidding and good luck.

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On Nov-01-09 at 18:52:33 PST, seller added the following information:

 One more thing...it seems as though the water may not have gotten all that deep on this car. The reason I say this is that all of the gauges seem clean. There is no apparent water line anywhere, especially not above the instrument panel where it would be most obvious. This would indicate that the water level was below the lowest-positioned gauge? (this is my conjecture, based on 32 years of looking at flood cars as an appraiser). Anyhow, this conjecture is, I feel, a pretty reliable one, as flood waters always leave a high water line.

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On Nov-02-09 at 19:01:24 PST, seller added the following information:

 Here's a Question (and my Answer) that didn't get posted below for some reason...so here it is:  
Q- Dear weathermannbc,
Hey, I am writing in regards to the Corvette you have listed. I was wondering what all got damaged from the flood. Are any of the wheels or suspension parts an issue of rust? I see you mentioned the rear end...what is wrong with it? I am from Montana and just out of curiousity I want to look into seeing if there is a way with the laws here that it could work out for me. Also, if it's not too much to ask, I was wondering what your reserve price is so I know if I should even look into seeing what can be done with the title. Thanks so much for your time and I'm sorry you had such bad luck with the car! That's miserable!
liselle.moberg89

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On Nov-03-09 at 06:32:03 PST, seller added the following information:

 Here's another Q&A that Ebay wouldn't let me post, them saying thast it includes html (but it didn't). It is a question on the trim codes:

Q: could you tell the codes on the trim tag in the drivers door trs

A: The three codes on the trim tag are: Paint 945 (Blue-Green Metallic), Trim 418 (Dark Saddle Vinyl <apparently someone had changed this interior from vinyl to a leather interior sometime in the past>), and Code C09. As I mentioned earlier in my description, prior to me buying the car someone had removed some of the interior pieces (seats, carpet, seat belts. These are still in the car, but not bolted down). In order to get the carpet out, they also loosened the door sill trim. Under these trim pieces, it was not painted the new color <black>. This is where I saw the original color the car was from the factory...it's a dark blue-green metallic).

The engine is apparently the original engine, numbers matching, including these numbers stamped on the block: #J3S414561 (to match the serial number portion of the VIN <the last 6 or 8 digits of the VIN>) and then #V0126CKZ (indicating it was a 350 C.I. 190 HP matched with a 4-speed manual trans and 4-BBL carb).

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On Nov-03-09 at 06:46:42 PST, seller added the following information:

 Another Q & A that wouldn't post under the Q&A forum........

Dear weathermannbc, thanks, i'm in ala (Alabama). a 73 would be a non title vehicle as would ga (Georgia). roofer - roofer0121

Dear roofer0121,

Yes, the VIN is still on the car (left windshield pillar, as it is on all this series of Corvettes)

- weathermannbc

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On Nov-06-09 at 09:30:08 PST, seller added the following information:

 Nov 6, 2009 - Today I uploaded some additional photos (of the frame) to the Ebay listing. I had another interested party inquire about the condition of the frame...therefore the added photos. Also, I attach here a copy of the email that I sent him of my observations / opinion of the frame:

Dear ....

Per your request, I took photos of the frame at various locations that were of concern to 
you ....like all 4 of the hour-glass locations where the body mounts go. I also took 
photos of other areas of the frame front & rear.  The rust that you see in the photos is 
what I would call only minor surface rust. There did not appear to be any moderate or 
severe rust areas. In my opinion, the frame seems to be in very good shape for its age. 
Hope this helps. I am probably going to go ahead and post these pix to the ebay listing 
for everyone else's benefit also.

Regards,

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On Nov-06-09 at 17:59:03 PST, seller added the following information:

NOTE ON PAYMENT DUE - I just noticed that there is some conflicting information on the payment due time. In the written description, I originally said $500.00 deposit within 24 hours, and then the balance for final and full payment is all due within the next 48 hours - in other words, full sales price is all due within 72 hours (3 days). These are indeed my terms.

However I just saw in the ad near the top of the page (under the bid area) that it also says "payment required within 7 days of auction close". This is incorrect. Full payment is due within 3 days as outlined earlier.