pionexxxx

thinking about looking at my "Dream" car i've found in ohio it has about 50k miles on it but should the frame be ok just be knowing it's from ohio (up north)

in other words do you guys try to find southern cars and skip ones from up north like that

provette67

Do you mean that you are looking at one of are very rare ohio cars with the super rare "frame Delete" option? Just kidding we have some nice frames on some of the cars and some real turds on others.Good luck

Brucets11

You just never know here in Ohio. I see new Corvettes out on wet roads while there's still a lot of salt lying around. And I know a couple of people who will never let their cars out in the summer if there's rain. Just depends on how the previous owner(s) have taken care of their cars.

Jeff Garner

Yeah, Sure! YOU can make that general assumption.
As for me, I would look at each car individually, because you don't know what the 30-40 year history of the car has been, but that's just me and I'm not you.

stingrayl76

Your dream car may not have spent all it's life in Ohio, just as Southern cars may not have spent their lives in the South. Over the period of 40 years these cars could have been in many different climates. You really have to look at the car, know what you are looking for, and make your decision on your findings. It is always best to get an expert to inspect the car before making your final decision.

Just remember, there is a lot of money to be made by making a poor quality Vette look good by spraying a fresh coat of paint. Some sellers will call it a frame on restoration. This is what I call a "lipstick" job.

You say that your "dream car" has 50 miles on it. I assume that this means 50 miles since some type of restoration. It would be nice if you would let us in on what you consider your "dream car". The more infomation you post about the car, the more feedback you will get from the Forum members.

And finally, don't let emotions overrule logic. Taking your time making the decision could save you lots of time, money and disappointment in the future.

Best of Luck

Dave

60vett

i agee with what has been said. My 60 came from Kansas, before that OK and before that possibly TX. I am in Illinois, where the car has been for 25 years, but it hasn't seen snow in over 25 years and only been rained on probably 6 times since Kansas. So is my car a northern car? yes, but the frame looks great! and is oroginal. so make sure you look first, and if your gut says walk away, I would listen. Good luck.

Paul L

You really have to be careful with these generalizations. Canada is well known to be a salt belt. For very good reasons. But most Corvette owners store in October (before salt) and drive late April (after salt rain/road/wash). Each car is different. Have your choice inspected carefully.

crw41

Before it came to me it was in Pittsburgh and other parts of Ohio for 15 years. It originally came fromTexas. The frame has zero rust, similar to a California frame. It must have been a garage car all that time.

I looked into a car in Michigan that was misrepresented over the phone. The frame looked like the iron grills on a barbacue that was several years old. I guess the guy figured I couldn't bend over and look under ther car.

pionexxxx

i talked to the owner over the phone and i told him where to check and he said since i was so far away he would check and be perfectly honest since i would have a long trip to look at it.

he said the birdcage and all is great frame looks good and i told him to reach in the drain holes he said theres some rust flakes but i've yet to own a c2 and c3 that didn't have that so sounds like its worth a shot

oh and its always been a ohio car and the 50k is actual miles

jrs 427

When the C-2s were new most owners drove them as a regular car. Can't speak for others but I keep a nice southern frame available for the midwest car I may purchase. I even viewed a mid year coupe at a dealership in Arizona with a frame that was cut, welded, and bolted together with quarter inch plates. When I crawled under the car the sales person told me it was clean. I laughed stating I was just checking to make sure the bolts were tight. He didn't have a clue or pretended not to know. True western cars as a rule don't have a problem but if they migrate from the rust belt they must be checked carefully. Every car must be evaluated on its own merits preferably before the green changes hands.

TJefferson2020

I totally agree with the above posts. Take it from someone who was ripped off. (I'm over it now but I've rebuilt the entire car so the next owner will be thrilled).

My car looked fine - even went to an appraiser who was recommended by the seller (I know....but the company is a well known classic car dealer) I paid $75 for the inspection and it came out clean and worth about what the seller was asking. Trouble was the frame rot didn't show up until the body was lifted off. Check this photo: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/phot...cat/500/page/1

Other things to look for are numerous. The birdcage is tough to check but you can watch for rust run-off around the window frame and doors. Also look for cracks in the frame around the front control arms. Missing door panels may seem like no big deal but they are expensive to replace.

I was lucky to score a new frame for $200.00 (thanks to the gents at Corvette Connection in New Berlin, WI) They had a 82 frame laying around and wanted to get rid of it. It saved my project. I couldn't see spending $3K on a new frame for a driver. (of course that was before I went nuts and re-did the whole car...)

Corvettes are very unique cars compared to regular passenger cars. It takes someone with intimate knowledge to truly know what is what on these buggers. Get some help if you aren't sure. It's cheap insurance.

Allcoupedup

Get it up on a lift and check it over like a pilot checks a small airplaine before a flight. I peeked under the car I ended up buying with a flashlight and missed rust holes. I was so blinded by the thought of driving home in a '65 that I missed everything... rusty frame, low oil pressure, rusty drip rails,.... etc. The guy I bought it from was 22 years old and his daddy gave him a new muscle car every few months to play with. He was clueless.

Like others have said - bring someone along who REALLY knows these cars.

Brian

ffas23

Checked your photo's out. Where did you get the set up to lift the body up between your hydraulic lift? Is this something you made or is it something someone sells. Also the roll around that you had your body sitting on while working on it. Was this made by you or purchased somewhere?

Fred