Proteam for sale

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Proteam for sale

He's been through a number of iterations: Terry Michaelis Corvette, TCMS Corvette, Linda Layman Corvette, now Pro Team. Have I forgotten any? He started in the early 1970's in Napoleon Ohio, moved to Toledo for a while, then back to Napoleon. A checkered history with a well-earned mixed reputation across the hobby.

Mike
I agree but he has done more to promote Corvettes than most of the Johnny come lately dealers. First he made his living as a used car & parts dealer. I know of no one in that business that has a 100% feedback,pardon my EBAY reference. I have known he & Fred since the late 70"S & yes Linda when they were in the hut along the river. Remember 67 435 car were selling for 6 to 8,000.00. They were used cars. IT gets me to see people that almost act gleeful that he wants to get out. It"s like they are happy that they think he is losing the business.I kind of expected this out of the Corvette forum but thought that NCRS people had a bit more tact. I also have had times when he acted like a dick at shows but TERRY be TERRY. Guess we all are not perfect. Sorry to vent but I I don't understand all the ugly comments. He payed for AL to give 2 seminar's & gave him access to all the paper work he had. Copies of window,tank &POP he had. HAVE A NICE DAY
KEN

[Dan L.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Here is one of his catalogs from back in the day. 1976 I believe, I'd like to have these prices back..........Had a T-shirt with his Co. logo on it but that must be the pile of dust in the bottom of the box.LOL

[Stuart F.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Ken;

I strongly agree with you. Back in the 70's, he was about the only good source available for information and parts. He was way ahead of his time. Perhaps his "stand off" at shows was a reflection of the seriousness of his approach to this business. It's not easy. No matter what has transpired, I still consider him a major pioneer in our hobby and I salute him for it.

Stu Fox

[Tom M.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Terry has to be pushing 70. About time my friend retires as he spent 40 plus years in the business.

Mr Corvette AKA, Terry is only 62, not 70 ,he could pass for 58 LOL
He won't retire till he finishes his barn find project his Red/Red L88 Conv.


REGARDS Tom

[Dan L.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Ken;

I strongly agree with you. Back in the 70's, he was about the only good source available for information and parts. He was way ahead of his time. Perhaps his "stand off" at shows was a reflection of the seriousness of his approach to this business. It's not easy. No matter what has transpired, I still consider him a major pioneer in our hobby and I salute him for it.

Stu Fox

I also agree, the few times I've talked with him he always seemed pleasent..

[Jim D.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Wow. Some positive comments for Terry. I guess these couple of people haven't been ripped off buying parts that you never received or bought a numbers matching car only to find out it's a fake. The bottom line, Terry has all the integrity of a used car salesman and that's all he is.

[James G.]

Re: Proteam for sale

I met Terry in 1975 at Pomona Swap Meet. Those were the days when we bought parts on Saturday when setting up, and sold them on Sunday. Terry always bought all our left overs late Sunday.

I sold his TMCS Interiors out of my Shell station in 1976-77. And anything else he made.

In 1977, I and 10 Viejo Vette Club members (a WSCC Corvette club) "DROVE" 10 of his cars he had bought here in California back to Maumee, Ohio for his Grand Opening.

The cars were a 59 two top 245hp automatic, a 61 base 230hp , 4 sp, a 62 black 340hp, a 63 silver SWC 300, 4 sp, a 67 Lyndale cp 427/390, 4 sp,
two 68's, a 69 convert with 350/350 and 21000 miles, a 72 LT-1 air cp, a 73 cp with 454 air conditioning and auto. Two west Coast couples with a 76 and a new 77 joined our carvan.

What a drive we had. We all had CB Radio's for easy communciation with the group.

The the best BBQ Spare Ribs were eaten at a Conoco station in OK City. CORVETE FEVER Magazine was just starting and somebody wrote the story.

Only problem on the whole trip was the 67 Holley carb went bad in Springfield, Il. So we pulled it and re-built it on the outside picnic bench at a Wendy's Burger joint. We California guys had never seen a Wendy's. The local Springfield car guys saw us all parked and their Tuesday evening cruz curiosity came in to our rescue.

One of the guys opened his Dad's Auto Parts store at 7:30 that night to get us a repair kit. After his return, we had the job done in 15 minutes and back on the road.

When we got to Maumee, we met Annie Potts and Mark Harmen who were special guests of Terry's with the CORVETTE SUMMER CAR from the movie.

The HOLIDAY INN was where everyone stayed. I never forget sitting around the bar the first evening. It was a circle bar around the bar tender in the middle, so everyone coud see the patrons easily. Within the first hour we all met each other, for the first time for many of us.

Names like CHIP MILLER, KEN AND GARY NABERS, JOHN AMGWERT, DAVE BURROUGHS, RALPH ECKLER, BILL LOCKE, GARY MORTIMER, JIM PRATHER, MIKE HUNT, and others were introduced to us for the first time. I had been to Jenkintown, PA Corvette show earlier and had met some of these people, but this weekend WAS A MILESTONE in the Corvette hobby being formed. The network was being established, and TERRY MICHAELIS had a lot to due with it.

Ken and Stu, I agree with you both. Terry was the ONLY person that HAD parts and a lot of the history and knowledge of these cars.

I have always been treated well and I am sorry for those of you that have negative stories. But you have to admit, if the guy is still in business today, he has to have been something right all these years.

My best wishes to Terry and his new baby and wife. And to retirement, HE'S EARNED IT !

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Ken;

I strongly agree with you. Back in the 70's, he was about the only good source available for information and parts. He was way ahead of his time. Perhaps his "stand off" at shows was a reflection of the seriousness of his approach to this business. It's not easy. No matter what has transpired, I still consider him a major pioneer in our hobby and I salute him for it.

Stu Fox

STU
THANKS. There were times when he was a arrogant guy but if you have ever dealt with retail tire kickers & we all have that tried to sell a Corvette you know that you become a little short with people. He is no way a saint but he did do a lot for our hobby which was my only point.
KEN

[William L.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Terry is the best marketing guy in the hobby. He sure has everybody talking, doesn't he!!

[Don S.]

Re: Proteam for sale

I am a johnny-come-lately. In my opinion he has done a lot for the hobby and has provided a valuable service to a lot of sellers who were having trouble selling their cars for cash. He is a knowledgeable guy and he will be missed in the hobby. He never stiffed me and I for one enjoyed looking at his site and seeing the value of the cars.

He supported the various club car shows with his advertising goodie bags. I hope the new owner will do this as well.

He did buy a lot of 67's for big bucks, I think he was trying to corner the market. That was ok as long as Barret Jackson was keeping the prices up.
I believe that a lot of his 67's are overpriced at cost and in this downturn I believe he will have to "mark to market" both the 67's and his current inventory of other cars. Hopefully he won't get burned.

[Mark D.]

Re: Proteam for sale

I have bought from him and sold to him with no problems. I always look forward to visiting with him at the various shows each year and he is always enjoyable to be around. I like Terry and wish him well just as I would wish everyone on this forum well.

Regards,

Mark

[Dick W.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Terry has always treated me with respect. He is a very savy marketeer. You can give him a lot of thanks for establishing the value benchmarks on a lot of the cars. People would see him paying XX dollars for a particular car and the next thing you know, all the cars of that year were worth what Terry was asking.

Terry has been a VERY strong supporter of NCRS over the years. Most of it has been in the background.

Best wishes to Terry and Fred

[David D.]

Re: Proteam for sale

Anybody know why they're selling out? Certainly Terry is not old enough to retire.

Chuck,
In my opinion, he maybe old enough to retire, but I would surmise that he also maybe intelligent enough to have a look at what an incredibly bad economic future lies in our eminent future. To be holding this amount of assest(s) vs. what I expect he has invested, and the value of where I expect the dollar to be (this time next year) will be committing a self inflicted financial suicide. I do wish him the best of luck selling at this time and for that price.
Come this time next year, if Pro-Team assests are still 4 sale, I even maybe in the market to buy, but at a totally different price and much better investment value going forward at that time. In other words....I'd expect it'll be more like 10cents on the dollar (or less) at that time. I certainly hope not for all our sakes but time will tell and we shall see......
David

[Keith B.]

Re: Proteam for sale

The thought that corvettes are going to be worth 10 cents on the dollar is ridiculous. People simply won't put them up for sale if they are going to loose too much. Just like the stock market-to jump out now would be stupid. Prices will decline and sales will be slow but the market will come back and so will the prices of these cars. The europeon market is still hot for the corvette. Right now they are grabbing up the 57-62 market at prices that are 20% cheaper than we pay because the strength of the euro. It is only a matter of time before the mid years drop in price and they will be grabbing big blocks left and right for under 100k (considering the euro regains its strength even more against the dollar). Once they go overseas you will never see many of these cars again. Better yet wait till some of these shieks who pay 2 million for a personalized license plate run out of stupid things to blow their money on and the cars travel to never never land.

[Terry R.]

Re: Proteam for sale

I bought alot of parts for the '65 and my first '62 in the late '70s early '80s from him at the Pomona Swap Meet, always cash and carry, still have my "TMichaelis superior quality Products" 1962 Corvette assembly manual.