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My white 1975 L48 4 speed which my wife has named 'Evette'.
I decided that I wanted a vette in February of this year. I found a few that I liked but a 1975 in NYC jumped out at me. The listed said that he had done a number of restoration work on it by a restoration shoppe. I contacted the owner and asked for details. He sent me 8 pages of receipts totaling about $30K worth of work that was done. I looked up the company (vetteworks) out of Jackson Heights, NYC, and gave them a call. I asked to speak with the owner, Sergio, who got on the line. I gave him the details and vin of the corvette I was looking at. He pulled their file on the car and then spent 45 minutes on the phone with me going through it line by line of what they had done. Full frame off restoration. Sandblast and repaint of the frame. New EVERYTHING. He said the owner had spent close to $40K and the car had been in his shop for a year, that was 5 years ago. After he delivered it to the customer he wasn't sure what happened. Well what happened was the owner got transferred out of the country for work 4 years ago. He would come come every six months, get it's oil changed drive it around and then repark it in his parents garage. He had put less than 1000 miles on the car since the restoration. His parents told him to get rid of the car. So I go back to the owner, we facetime a bit, he shows me the car running, driving, turn signals, lights, wipers, etc. Car checks out. We talk about price. He offers to SHIP the car to me at his expense. I bought the car for $11,500. It's essentially a brand new 42 year old Vette and I couldn't be happier. It's a white 1975 L48 with a 4 speed, power everything, and working AC. Car is wonderful.
1970 C3 LS5 454 4sp convertible with air.
My love for this car started when I was 6 or 7 yrs old.....
Grampa took me for a ride in his baby ! lol
Fast forward 40 yrs and I got to restore it for my Mom & Uncle.
Wish Grampa was still alive so I could have handed him his keys !
went ahead and took the plunge for autofabs 4 link 9 inch conversion kit for my 73 .. did some horse trading to get a professional welder/chassis guy to do the install over the winter. it was pricey but seems to be well put together, the strange engineering housing and axles were an option,still gotta get the pig and disc brake kit yet. im into it for about $3k now but this rearend will handle all the power you can give it. no wheel tubs, no subframes,works with stock chassis, ill post when done
I decided that I wanted a vette in February of this year. I found a few that I liked but a 1975 in NYC jumped out at me. The listed said that he had done a number of restoration work on it by a restoration shoppe. I contacted the owner and asked for details. He sent me 8 pages of receipts totaling about $30K worth of work that was done. I looked up the company (vetteworks) out of Jackson Heights, NYC, and gave them a call. I asked to speak with the owner, Sergio, who got on the line. I gave him the details and vin of the corvette I was looking at. He pulled their file on the car and then spent 45 minutes on the phone with me going through it line by line of what they had done. Full frame off restoration. Sandblast and repaint of the frame. New EVERYTHING. He said the owner had spent close to $40K and the car had been in his shop for a year, that was 5 years ago. After he delivered it to the customer he wasn't sure what happened. Well what happened was the owner got transferred out of the country for work 4 years ago. He would come come every six months, get it's oil changed drive it around and then repark it in his parents garage. He had put less than 1000 miles on the car since the restoration. His parents told him to get rid of the car. So I go back to the owner, we facetime a bit, he shows me the car running, driving, turn signals, lights, wipers, etc. Car checks out. We talk about price. He offers to SHIP the car to me at his expense. I bought the car for $11,500. It's essentially a brand new 42 year old Vette and I couldn't be happier. It's a white 1975 L48 with a 4 speed, power everything, and working AC. Car is wonderful.
Well I don't know the story of by 77 L-48 prior to 7 years ago. A friend I served in the Air Force with and his girlfriend bought it from a Corvette dealer in northern Indiana. She picked the car with light blue paint and he put on side pipes and a stroker motor. A few years and 2 more Vette's later (88 convt and 90 ZR-1) his now wife decides she's gay and moving in with her girlfriend. My wife had already said if the price is right, bring it home so I offered him 10k for it(same as he paid for it). He asked the soon-to-be ex and she responded "I'm getting a lawyer". He had bought the car before they were married so he accepted my offer. The My Classic Car plate is real. It was on an insurance promo with Dennis Gage.
wow where to start! My dad was a GM rep. When in was in junior high he borrowed a riverside red split window in November '62 and picked me up at school. I was a hero and it was all over. I have owned at least one since 1971. Saw my neighbor's '57 when I was 14 and bought it when I was 19. A true beast. hardtop only with a '62 327/340 and 4:56 rear gear...and I lived! many years later I bought a '69 two top, side pipe big block car with a trashed body. I got half way through the body work when I got the chance to buy an creditably well set-up '68 roadster with award winning paint ('81 light claret/ dark claret) and no motor. in went the 427 and pipes from the other car. I drove and raced it for several years. Today I have my late wife's '85 light bronze z-51 car that I will get to. Today I am working to resurrect my lady friend's son's C.E. that we bought on the cheap... for a reason @#$^& crossfire and !@#$%@^& Jim-Bob that kept it under trailer park car port for 10 years
I have been looking for a project corvette for about 15 yrs or so,but never found one that just fit what I wanted till 2 wks ago.
I work as a mechanic on heavy duty trucks and trailers for a big rental company and we hired a new guy who happened to say he knew of a guy who knew a guy wanting to sell a 1978 corvette that had been sitting is his barn for 25 plus years, so I made the calls and arranged to go look at the car and as soon as I saw it I knew it was the one.
It took him 2 weeks to dig the car out and loaded it up on a trailer and took her home, now mind you the owner said he hasn't looked at the since it went into the barn, but got the car home all 4 wheels locked up and dirty as can be, but I put a battery in to see if it was turn over and it did with no problems so gave it a small shot of starting fluid and it fired up and runs great no lifter noises good oil pressure and it only has 48390 miles on it with no body damage the paint is faded a cracked a little but other than no brakes and rotted tires I cant find anything wrong with it almost perfect interior, and only gave 3000.00 for it.
Last edited by simidrm; 11-27-2016 at 12:36 AM.
Reason: added the picture
I have been looking for a project corvette for about 15 yrs or so,but never found one that just fit what I wanted till 2 wks ago.
I work as a mechanic on heavy duty trucks and trailers for a big rental company and we hired a new guy who happened to say he knew of a guy who knew a guy wanting to sell a 1978 corvette that had been sitting is his barn for 25 plus years, so I made the calls and arranged to go look at the car and as soon as I saw it I knew it was the one.
It took him 2 weeks to dig the car out and loaded it up on a trailer and took her home, now mind you the owner said he hasn't looked at the since it went into the barn, but got the car home all 4 wheels locked up and dirty as can be, but I put a battery in to see if it was turn over and it did with no problems so gave it a small shot of starting fluid and it fired up and runs great no lifter noises good oil pressure and it only has 48390 miles on it with no body damage the paint is faded a cracked a little but other than no brakes and rotted tires I cant find anything wrong with it almost perfect interior, and only gave 3000.00 for it.
Retired from Indiana and moved to Phoenix area. I was used to cutting grass, shoveling snow, cleaning gutters, and raking leaves. In Phoenix, all I had to do around the house was rake the rocks once each year.
So, I needed a "hobby"; and, since I had previously owned 3 other Corvettes, it seemed logical that I look for another to make use of my 'spare time'. Found a high-mileage '71 coupe that was "family owned" for 34 years and was complete (all parts...except radio...present and accounted for). Price was right, so I couldn't pass it up.
I've now had it for 7 years and have gone through almost every system in the car to rebuild the existing hardware. And, my strategy was to not replace anything that could be refurbished/rebuilt. It has been a lot of work...but not a LOT of money, as I kept true to my strategy--and most everything GM built could be re-built to nearly new condition.
The best thing that has happened to me and the C3 is that my 6 year-old, autistic grandson and I both have a love affair with the "blue car". And, it turns out that Micheal is mentally brilliant and extremely mechanically inclined. The "blue car" provides an avenue by which we can both have direct involvement. If he can learn to take care of 'our' car and obtain a Driver's License, it'll be his to take care of for the next generation.
I love your thoughts and devotion about your grandson and since my wife works with kids having different issues I really enjoy what you write and hope he one day will teach his own kids what you tought him. THUMBS UP
After a busy 70s with a lot of different cars passing thru my life incl. a 66 Corvette that at that time was almost like new but cars was not worth much then, I went on to motorcycles. I always had some thoughts about a Corvette but never got around to it for different reasons. But now when getting older my present bike is getting to much for me I start have a dream about a Corvette again. I started looking here in europe for a suitable car and I wanted a BB and a coupe with targa and found my new car in UK. It looked so good in photos so I went to UK and met the owner and took a ride and all was good. The price was maybe a little high but compare to other BB.s this one was cheap. I bought it and was very stubborn of thinking driving it back home, a trip around 1200km away.
To make a long story short the car didnt wanna go all the way so next weekend me and a friend picked it up on a cartransport and now it is in my garage waiting for registration here in Sweden. But the car has not had a good life so I need to do a lot of work on it. Someone been fiddle a lot with the electrics on this one. And even the leathers are OK the seats need some new foam inside and a lot of other parts need attention and some TLC. But hope to get to drive it in springtime.
1970 C3 LS5 454 4sp convertible with air.
My love for this car started when I was 6 or 7 yrs old.....
Grampa took me for a ride in his baby ! lol
Fast forward 40 yrs and I got to restore it for my Mom & Uncle.
Wish Grampa was still alive so I could have handed him his keys !
I just picked up my 71 Convertible last weekend. My wife was looking into some items being donated to the church she works for and the donor also had this car stored and for sale. Last driven regularly over 31 years ago. 37,000 original miles. But they were hard miles. The folder of receipts I was given tell an odd tale. In 1985 it had a .030 bore on the 350 at 30,000 miles, new transmission (4 speed), edelbrock intake, holley carb, edelbrock valve covers, moroso air cleaner, 280H cam, Mallory distributor, suspension rebuilt, very poorly repainted (Bridgehampton Blue) and new white convertible top. No idea what happened to all the original parts. The seller (widow of the previous owner) did not have them. The car was stored with the top down, so of course it doesn't fit when up. Lots of fun ahead. I also have a 62 Impala SS and 1940 Ford Sedan with a 450 HP 383 stroker. Looking to learn some Corvette stuff on this forum.
Last edited by Blue71droptop; 12-11-2016 at 12:55 PM.
just bought a 75 for $4500 . beautiful car . custom clip, hood , aftermarket radiator , dual fan kit , rebuilt 78 4 bolt main 350with 400 turbo . few small issues is wiper motor , horn , radio and brakes are week . it is all disc brakes . im a first time corvette owner and bought this for my son . hes only 14 . it was cheap looks good and runs and drives good . guy needed money for wife black friday after 8 years of living in his garage putting money in it
I have done a serial number search on my corvette which ends in 408. This coincides with the last month of production of the C3 body style. I wish I knew if it was the last one produced. If it was some sort of special I'd leave it alone "moth ball" it. On the other hand I want to build a really nice car.
Im not very old and im very new to cars and doing anything with them. The day I got a permit I bought a nicely maintained 1986 chevy camaro with 80k miles from a guy on craigslist. It did have a few problems but nothing major. Then I started fixing it up and working on it which was very hard to do because I am still in school and involved in lots of after school programs including robotics and ap computer science club. I was then given a 2002 Mitsubishi lancer in really nice condition but it was missing a clutch and I did not want to pay a thousand dollars to get it fixed. So now I had two cars no license and no money with very little time to spend on them. I decided to see what I could trade for. I went to craigslist and began offering for all types of older sports cars like Camaros, porches, trans ams, and corvettes. After about three days of getting shot down once they heard my camaro was a v6 I came across a ad for a silver 1979 corvette for 9k. I sent the guys a text saying the usual text asking if he was interested in trade. He said he was not really interested in trading but was willing to hear my proposal. Once I told him all the information about both of my cars and how I got them and all that he basically told me no he was not interested but to keep trying and eventually I will get one. So now its Saturday morning and I am in bed being a teenage gamer I was still sleeping in the middle of the day. I got a text from the guy with the corvette saying "you can have my corvette for free if you get here in 1 hour" at first I was skeptical because who gives a free car away let alone a corvette. So I went to talk to my grandparents who I was with and they said the same thing so we called the man his name is Rydel and talked to him made ask if legitimate. We then explained we live very far away but would drive out their. He said it was ok and to drive and get it. The only problem was the guy was about 3 hours away from us so it was a all day thing. My grampa gave me a chance and offered to take me out their if I could get another driver. Then I called my buddy Mathew to come over because I cant drive yet and my grama was busy. So we drove their hoping and praying this was not a prank or some scam. After a very long and boring drive we got to Rydels house and their sitting in his garage he was waiting car running and all we got out talked for about 5 minutes he signed the clean blue Texas title over and handed me the keys to the car. Did not want my lancer or my Camaro 100% free running driving and ice cold ac. He told me just to take care and be say. All he wanted was to stay updated on what ive done and am doing to it. It is truly a story I will tell for the rest of my life and always remember. I know some day I will do the same for someone else. If I ever decide to get rid of this car I am going to give it to a complete stranger just as he did that would be the only right way to do it.
Im not very old and im very new to cars and doing anything with them. The day I got a permit I bought a nicely maintained 1986 chevy camaro with 80k miles from a guy on craigslist. It did have a few problems but nothing major. Then I started fixing it up and working on it which was very hard to do because I am still in school and involved in lots of after school programs including robotics and ap computer science club. I was then given a 2002 Mitsubishi lancer in really nice condition but it was missing a clutch and I did not want to pay a thousand dollars to get it fixed. So now I had two cars no license and no money with very little time to spend on them. I decided to see what I could trade for. I went to craigslist and began offering for all types of older sports cars like Camaros, porches, trans ams, and corvettes. After about three days of getting shot down once they heard my camaro was a v6 I came across a ad for a silver 1979 corvette for 9k. I sent the guys a text saying the usual text asking if he was interested in trade. He said he was not really interested in trading but was willing to hear my proposal. Once I told him all the information about both of my cars and how I got them and all that he basically told me no he was not interested but to keep trying and eventually I will get one. So now its Saturday morning and I am in bed being a teenage gamer I was still sleeping in the middle of the day. I got a text from the guy with the corvette saying "you can have my corvette for free if you get here in 1 hour" at first I was skeptical because who gives a free car away let alone a corvette. So I went to talk to my grandparents who I was with and they said the same thing so we called the man his name is Rydel and talked to him made ask if legitimate. We then explained we live very far away but would drive out their. He said it was ok and to drive and get it. The only problem was the guy was about 3 hours away from us so it was a all day thing. My grampa gave me a chance and offered to take me out their if I could get another driver. Then I called my buddy Mathew to come over because I cant drive yet and my grama was busy. So we drove their hoping and praying this was not a prank or some scam. After a very long and boring drive we got to Rydels house and their sitting in his garage he was waiting car running and all we got out talked for about 5 minutes he signed the clean blue Texas title over and handed me the keys to the car. Did not want my lancer or my Camaro 100% free running driving and ice cold ac. He told me just to take care and be say. All he wanted was to stay updated on what ive done and am doing to it. It is truly a story I will tell for the rest of my life and always remember. I know some day I will do the same for someone else. If I ever decide to get rid of this car I am going to give it to a complete stranger just as he did that would be the only right way to do it.
Married 30 years. Wife, kids, and I have built several cars over those years. Some we sold, some we still have, (add another 67 Mustang to signature line). Wife and I always thought about a "sports car", but really needed the back seat of the bigger cars to haul kids in.
Kids are older now, our baby is 14. We heard about this 71 T-top coupe from a friend of a friend. Just went to look.
Dragged it home a week later. Had front nose damage, and no interior, but it was BEAUTIFUL! And the price was right.
So this will be the one we take to the mountains with us when we retire.
The kids will inherit the others. In the mean time, we`ll have fun building this with the kids, our "last" project car!
I had sold my '63 Corvette convertible the first week of January and was looking for a late model. I was autocrossing and the straight fender lines of the midyears made fatter tires difficult if you wanted to stay in a stock class.
I was about to settle on a black/black '68 coupe with a 327, 4 speed, sidepipes, and an extra set of wheels and tires for $3500.
I read one of those local supermarket papers one night at work and it had "1968 Corvette convertible, $3300" and a number. I called the next day and it was obvious I was talking to a non-car person.
"What engine is in it?"
"I don't know."
"What transmission?"
"A manual, I have to shift."
"Is it a three speed, four speed, wide ratio, or close ratio?"
"Uh, four speed. I have to shift four times."
"I'd really like to know what engine you have."
"Well, there are some numbers on the hood, so I'll go out and look. Hang on."
I went there the next day, I think, looked it over, made a deal, and gave him a deposit of $25, got a bill of sale, told him I'd be back in a couple of days, and went home. Then it snowed. I think it snowed some each day. He calls late a few nights later and says there is a guy that going to buy it. I told him he couldn't, it is mine, I have a bill of sale.
A buddy says he will take me down, so we get in his 1976 Corvette and head off in the snow. We almost got hit by a snow plow and snow was so bad, traffic was beginning to not be on the roads anymore. I got there, paid for the car, got things notarized by his family lawyer since he still had the title in the previous owner's name (Ralph Schempp), and headed 35 miles for home with one half-bald rear Goodyear Wide Tread F70-15 tire in heavy snowfall on half-plowed roads.
My dad passed away in February of last year. The last thing we removed from his house was his '77 Corvette. I couldn't give the thing away and had no intention of keeping it. Dad didn't take very good care of his toys, so it was pretty rough. It hadn't been driven in at least 5 years and the brakes were bad, so I put it on a truck from Texas to Colorado with the intention of making it safe to drive and selling it. I put new brake hoses on all four corners and two new calipers on the passenger's side. That's when the unexpected happened.....I remembered how much I enjoyed working on cars when I was younger and I fell in love with the thing. Every time I needed information on the new problem that popped up (they seem to be never ending) I found myself on this forum to find a fix, so I joined.
I'm having a ball with this car and can't imagine selling it now, so I bought it from the estate and am in the process of getting her back in cruising shape. She'll be a driver for sure, I'm not interested in having another garage queen. (The wife made it clear that the 67 Mustang that hadn't moved in a decade had to go if I kept the Vette.) I have a 6 year old son who loves tinkering with the car with Daddy, so I'm picturing many years of wrench spinning with him while we return her to the glory she so greatly deserves.
11-18-2016, 11:50 AM
My white 1975 L48 4 speed which my wife has named 'Evette'.
