Although Jay Leno doesn't mention Corvettes in his article "Hidden Treasures" in Popular Mechanics, the advice would likely work for classic Corvettes, too. 1951 Hudson Hornet collector Jay's advice:
"The best advice I can give is to find the oldest garage or gas station in your town. Go talk to the owner. Ask him if he has customers who haven't been in for a long time. Do they have an interesting car?
"If you like old things, I recommend that you talk to old guys. Seek them out. They were all young guys once. And a lot of them don't have any family left; they just want to see the love of their life, the car they were always going to restore — but never got around to — go to a good home."
The whole article can be found in the July 2007 print issue of Popular Mechanics, or on the web.
What is the best bargain at this time on a Corvette that will be going up soon? I have located a very nice low mileage 81 Vette; however, as we all know it only has 190 hp. How much will it hinder the value in the future? Any advice would be appreciated.
Tim