M3rc Nate

Ok so i joined this forum because i am interested in buying a C5 2004 Z06, and have started a few threads asking questions. However, i have always had a even softer spot for Stingrays (not the classic style aka 67 style) but the '1968+ muscle car style. Recently i've gotten curious how much one would cost, because in stacking up the two (2004 Z06 for $18K vs 197x for $__K) i was intrigued.

So i searched craigslist and for the most part it looked like there were a bunch of '68-73's for $20K + (too expensive, would go Z06 at that price) then i came across this:



Description: $7500 1976 Corvette Stingray, late model tail, yellow / black interior, High Performance 350 recent rebuild, Summit Aluminum Radiator / Electric Fan kit, New Kenwood CD/MP3/USB stereo amp and sub-woofer, New late model steering wheel kit. Body straight, Interior is in nice shape. Fun to drive fast and sounds good. Comes with front bra. I have original stock radio, steering, AC parts which goes with car.

Last chance before winter storage. Will consider partial trade for slant 2 horse trailer, Jeep Wrangler, 30's Chevy Hot Rod project.

It looks basically identical in body style to the more expensive, earlier year Stingrays i saw, nothing in its description stands out to me as "ohh thats why its so cheap" yet it is...SO much cheaper than ones even a year or two younger than it.

So im asking what are the differences between the '76 and i guess the '75 and others that seem to be more desired therefore more expensive?

oldalaskaman

what was the price?

M3rc Nate

$7500

Carlos840

The 76 has a steering wheel that is unique to its year, (Vega Wheel) and no chrome bumpers. on the top of my head those are the only differences.

Engine wise it suffered from a lack of power as emission control etc got tougher.

The L48 had "only" 190hp. The car you showed has a rebuilt engine so shouldn't suffer from lack of power (the engine info is pretty vague though)

As a 76 owner i can tell you that the stock L48 is already fun if you are not used to super high powered car! It is by no way a beast but is enough for me to have fun...

Price wise, i have no idea, being in europe $7500 feels mega cheap to me, no idea what the US market is like.

As usual with a vette make sure you check it out before you buy, the body mounts behind he kick panels being number one zone to check for rust.

M3rc Nate

Thanks for the info. Yeah a non chrome bumper and a different steering wheel dont really add up to me why theres a $10-15K difference in pricing between this one and other ones.
Heres another Stingray that seems to be relatively cheap, though more expensive than one i just showed: http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/3222812281.html

Its the huge price gap that is what i dont fully get. Compare it to this: http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/3237826269.html $27K, and i get that it has a $6k motor, and a nice paint job (though the yellow one does too) and a restored interior...but does that add up to $20K more than the yellow stingray? I dont see how.

Young Bill

I aint no expert but with having scouted around and looking at various C3's I noticed that the ones that have moved away from original are cheaper than the ones that have been "restored".
Get one, run it, if you don't like it move it on..... It's all about experiences

U17

http://www.motorera.com/corvette/1970/vet76.htm ...

jimo

$7500 is mega cheap, even paying $20000 is cheap for a chrome bumper car!!! Outside of America we pay way too much for a vette, there's not even a chance of getting a cheap c5 or c6 it just doesn't happen in Australia

brent319

One of the things about Corvettes is that there is a great price difference between an all numbers matching original car and one that has had parts changed on it over the years. Also, chrome bumper cars of the same condition will cost more then "rubber bumper" cars.
If you don't care about the pedigree, are not looking at it as an investment that will make you money, and just want to have a fun, really cool car then you are in luck right now.
If you are serious about this car then let us know before you go look at it. There are some expensive things (mostly rust) that you need to look for that could change things a lot.
Good luck, keep us posted.

billcarson

the '75,'76 and '77 model years look very similar.they added a steel floor pan in '76 because of the heat from the cat.the yellow car is hot and like you were advised,rust is a big problem with these cars.that ugly steering wheel is gone and thats a good thing.'77 lost the stingray badge on the sides and some interior changes.having the interior already done is huge.lots of the mechanical parts are realitivly cheap as they are used on other gm cars,a big plus for me as i did all the labor and spent very little.best of luck on your choice.

oldalaskaman

you folks in washington have the same problem with rust as the folks in the north east, widen your search to arizona, new mexico, texas, even socal.
didnt read where this was from but it looks garage kept and the price is right
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3s-...are-color.html

oldalaskaman

excellent

Tim H

Also the radio bezel is different and is a pain to add an aftermarket set up.
I personally hate when someone adds a different back bumper like that because it makes the car look way too long.
Good thing is replacement parts from interior to exterior are available thru several venders.

RPOZ4Z

that one is a '74 convertible... convertibles are going to be more desirable.. which = more money.

the reason chrome bumper corvettes are more money is because they are much more desirable than rubber bumper corvettes, not to mention those years also didn't have much in the way of emissions controls and they had higher horsepower motors... which = more desirable.

RPOZ4Z

this one is a '73.. last year for the chrome bumpers in the rear, but first year for the rubber front bumper.. in my opinion, the best value if you're looking for a semi chrome bumper corvette.. (and I'm also a little biased..)

Easy Mike

This is pretty good. Worth the price of a copy.


This is also good but it is out of print and reasonably priced copies might be hard to find.


Any of the coffee table Corvette history books will discuss the C3s and provide lots of color pics.

my 76 ray

Assuming that the frame and birdcage are solid that looks like a good price on the '76. You might even be able to negotiate a lower price. In my opinion, the biggest differences in price are originality and smog equipment. Personally, I have mine to drive and enjoy so originality is not worth a large price difference. A collector or restorer is much more willing to part with his/her money for originality. '68 to '74 models have less smog equipment and can legally have true dual exhaust. If you are in an area where smog checks are required this can be very important. Many cars in areas where there is no smog check or the car is exempt because of age have had smog equipment removed and dual exhaust added.

When it comes down to it it's always what suits you best.

M3rc Nate

Wow thanks guys! To clarify, your on the money when you assume things like i dont care about numbers matching, or considering it a investment. This is totally just a awesome muscle/sports car that i might like to own.
Random Question: The later model Stingrays that stopped coming with a big block option, their engine compartment can still fit a big block cant it? For example if i got a '76 i could still put a 454CI in it right?



I agree from what everyone is saying it seems like the '73 is the better value compared to the '76 (assuming of course both dont have rust etc). However it doesnt look like the '73 is a T-Top and that is most-def a requirement for me. I am happy however to see that even here in the Seattle area, there are two great deals for a low price, i'll probably be in more of a potential buying place of mind in 6-12 months so heres hoping i can find deals just as good then. Also thank you to who mentioned widening the search to dryer areas like TX and NV etc. Will do.

BKbroiler

All C3 Vette coupes (68 - 82) are T top cars. Back to your original post - a 2004 Z06 for $18K sounds like a good deal too.

M3rc Nate

Ya when writing that i had a feeling i was going to be wrong and that there is no fully hard top (which im happy about, i love T-Top). Well thats not a specific car, in the past year the best deals iv seen have been $17K-20K for a 2001-2004 C5 Z06. Usually when sold from dealer they are more like $25K.