Color change, or sell it?

[VetteMed]

OK, so here's my dilemma -- my '91 (Red/Saddle) is in nice shape overall, but I still look at white ZR-1s, and want one - I had a white/gray '94 LT1 coupe, and loved the look. Now, is it worthwhile to consider a color change, or am I better off selling the car, hoping for a decent number on it, and sitting on the money until a *decent* white one comes along? I realize that a color change could probably cost me in excess of $5K, but on the flip side, there's a lot of mods on the car that I would essentially be giving away, in light of the current market for these cars - headers, brakes, OEM A-molds, Corsa, etc...

I guess I'm looking for someone more knowledgeable than me, to slap me into sanity again, and give me some guidance here. I'm not running to the paint shop anytime soon, but would like to have a sound plan for the future.

Thanks
Andrew

[flyin ryan]

I generaly think color changes are a bad idea, let alone on one of these cars. It is more work, time, effort & money to do properly than most people want to realise going in. If you want a White one that bad, that's cool, I'd do what you have to do & find one...

[Dynomite]

OK, so here's my dilemma -- my '91 (Red/Saddle) is in nice shape overall, there's a lot of mods on the car that I would essentially be giving away, in light of the current market for these cars - headers, brakes, OEM A-molds, Corsa, etc...

I would like to have a sound plan for the future.

Thanks
Andrew

How much do you want for the '91 Red/Saddle :D
How many miles do you have on it?

[VetteMed]

How much do you want for the '91 Red/Saddle :D
How many miles do you have on it?

65K miles, if I had to price it, I'd be looking for $17K as it sits now. Has longtube headers, no cats, C5 brakes(powdercoated calipers F&R, zinc washed/slotted rotors F&R), Corsa exhaust, OEM A-molds, Hurst shifter, Audio gear (Kenwood headunit, Fosgate amp, 8"subs in the rear locations, polk components in the front pods). New injectors, new coils, new plugs, new wires, rebuilt starter, new radiator, new thermostat, new carpets. ZFDoc Beam Plates added. Harlan shift light in the center AC vent - just added it, tach isn't all that accurate. Stock stereo still available.

I could de-mod the car, if I had original parts to swap back, and sell it for less. Put on some stock brake parts, and sawblades, and I could take $15K for the car.

Leather is in excellent shape, except for the usual area on the driver's bolster, it's a little scuffed, and there's a 1 cm hole that was there before I got the car, which is on the inboard side of the lower outer thigh bolster - hard to describe - but it's not visible unless you're looking for it. Paint is good overall, though the passenger door for some reason has faded towards the top/window area.

Pics here: http://www.zr1netregistry.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9596

[GOLDCYLON]

Sell it an buy another car. The market sucks right now but you could demod it and hope for the best. Then go after the car you want.

In the end its your car. You will never get the money out of the white paint job and white on saddle :eek:

[Z Factor]

First of all try to avoid selling now at all costs. The market in general is in the tank, and this is not the right time of year to sell anyway. Those of us who live in warm climates tend to forget that much of the country does not enjoy the luxury of driving a car for pleasure now. So attempting to sell now is asking for low/no offers.

As to your overall question about repainting it, I think it would be a mistake. A good paint job on a Corvette is expensive enough when you keep the color the same. Changing it to white will cost more than you think unless you compromise the quality of the paint job. Furthermore, it's resale will drop regardless of why you repainted it, in your case for a more personal choice in color.
That combined with white over saddle will probably limit it's resale value if you ever sell it. Then again it is your car so you can customize it in a way that makes you happy. However the money you would put into it will not be recouped, that much is certain.

Your best bet is to buy one with the color combination that you will enjoy for years to come. Needless to say now is the time to buy, not sell.
If you have the room and can afford to keep both until the market improves that would be great. Otherwise bide your time until things pick up.

:cheers:

[xlr8nflorida]

This is a no brainer. I would never change the color, it's an amazing amount of work and $$$ and a repaint especially a different color is a negative and will cost you big time when you go to sell the car.

I would take the mods off and keep them. In regards to the market being in the tank well........ anything you buy is going be depressed too. Therefore you are not going be able to get top dollar for your car but you are not going pay top dollar for your white one either so its really a wash.

I would say this though, sell your car before buying another Z. I have a 93 LT1 for sale that is in pristine shape and I'm willing to take any offers on it and I've had no offers. This being the case, when many people in the thread say its a gorgeous car. It'a almost impossible to sell anything these days unless you are giving it away to the bottom feeders.

Good Luck

[96LT4]

Another vote for not changing the color of the car. Sell what you have and go buy another...maybe somebody with a hideous snow color car would want to trade.

My car...:dancing

http://96lt4.com/2009/ZPARTS26.jpg

[VetteMed]

Thanks for all of the input, guys. Pretty much what I expected to hear - and what I knew deep down all along. :cheers:

[Z51JEFF]

Sal in Livermore has a white 91 hes been trying to sell.Its a one owner car with 32K miles.See if he wants to work a trade.I just got an email from him yesterday.My 91 is #634 and his is #633 so Ill be getting some pictures here pretty soon.

[VetteMed]

Sal in Livermore has a white 91 hes been trying to sell.Its a one owner car with 32K miles.See if he wants to work a trade.I just got an email from him yesterday.My 91 is #634 and his is #633 so Ill be getting some pictures here pretty soon.

Let me know what you hear... what color interior is it?

[Z51JEFF]

Let me know what you hear... what color interior is it?

Its either gray or tan.

[VetteMed]

Its either gray or tan.

Cool, that would work - let me know what you find out!

[phrogs]

I would sell your red one and buy a white one.

A color change is a pain in the but I only did a repaint on a ZR-1 I restored and If you want do it its not impossible but I can bet it wouldn't be a 5K paint job.

The only thing I didn't do on this paint job was shooting the base and clear coats. I did all the prep and I also did the cut and buff myself.

This is how far I tore this car apart for the repaint the doors and hood were also painted off the car.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s103/zr1salvage/chippys%20paint/Chippypics141.jpg



http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s103/zr1salvage/chippys%20paint/Chippypics90.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s103/zr1salvage/chippys%20paint/chipysfacelift9.jpg

[bpouls2009]

I would agree with the other posts. Sell off your current one and purchase a White one. The body prep work, time & cost is too much.