revneck

I finally have the $$ to buy a C3. I don't have 10K, but I am spending a lot more than 3K. Looked at two cars Sunday. I drove 620 miles/12 hours total to see these cars. I don't mind the drive really....after all, that's what we do with Corvettes right? Drive them

Anyways,

Car #1 - 1976. Guy had to dump three quarts of tranny fluid into it to get it out of it's storage unit. Both headlight flaps were seized. Neither window would go up or down. Interior was essentially dry-rotted. Brake pedal went directly to the floor. Sidepipes hid most of the rear section of the frame, the parts of the frame I could see did have some rot, generally in front of the rear tires. The lines (fit) of the hood and fenders was off a little bit. I could not test drive the car because it was not registered.......And would not stop

Car #2 - 1979 - Had a nice paint job, clean looking car. But, both headlight flaps seized. Headlight **** came off in my fingertips. Neither window would go up or down. Interior was a hot mess. Frame looked OK. Engine compartment was dirty/greasy. Paperwork was not in order. Could have test drove but lost interest...

So I am zero-for-two. Here is my question. Should I expect a "project" for under say 8K? Is there such a thing as working windows and headlight flaps? Is there such a thing as a non deteriotated interior? Does every C3 have rusty headers and Holly carbs? (don't get me wrong, I love a warmed up small block) Would anybody buy a car that they could not run down the road for 10 or 15 minutes? How much frame rot is to much frame rot? I have a bunch of more questions, but you guys get the idea.

Thanks in advance, the hunt shall go on!

Wee

I feel your pain....I have been looking for a 70-72 coupe for awhile now...So far every car I have looked had problems....Be it no title, rusty frame or shoddy paint job and I'm just looking for a driver. My budget is about twice what you are spending because I'm looking for a steel bumper car....I have no idea what a decent rubber bumper driver would run I just have done any research on those....I would guess around $12,000 would buy a decent driver...?

Keep looking I'm going on 2 months now.

Brian

revneck

Brian,
I was hoping 5K or up would get me into a decent "Smog" C3 vette...I can see now that I am going to go over budget! lol

Shark Racer

[QUOTE=revneck;1589463054Here is my question. Should I expect a "project" for under say 8K?
[/quote] Most likely, it will need at least a few small things. I'd expect a running, driving car at that price, though.

Yes.
Yes, but on the lower end of the scale you'll probably have some worn out seats and roughed up carpet.

Almost none of them do in CA, but that's a different story. As the price goes up they tend to either be less messed with or, when they are, to have been done so in a cohesive way. Not a cookie-cutter "put a Holley on it or you'll never go fast" kind of way.
If I intended on buying a blank slate for drivetrain, sure.
To me, any. I'm not much into the idea of doing a frameoff.

Good luck. Don't be afraid to spend a little more cash, it can go a long way.

Don Rickles

The lows make the highs that much better! Take your time! The right car will find you! Learn as much as you can before dropping the cash.

The hunt is the best part!

revneck

Thanks guys

I internet dated the 76 for 2 weeks. An emotional bond was formed. I drove 310 miles to meet her, Only to find out she was not who she said she was. lol

On a serious note, this whole thing will make me a better shopper. Twenty years ago I would have had bought the first car seen, and dumped 15 paychecks into it

mike48750

You will find the right car for you. This is a bad time of the year to be looking to get a deal. I bought mine last year towards the end of the driving season for bit over the 5k mark and couldn't be happier. We live in the rust belt so some rust has to be excepted, most of these cars were driven in winter conditions for at least the first couple years. Know where to look for and become familiar with what it takes to fix the problem area. Good luck! Mike

Easy Mike

Possibly. Could depend on model year. An 82 for $8K might buy more car than a 68 for $8K.

Yes.

Yes.

My two have niether.

Some folks would.

Any frame rot could be too much frame rot.

Alan 71

Hi r,
I think you're experiencing the truth about old cars…. and the reason people say "buy a better car by spending a little more $$$".
Let's say you bought one of these 'needy' cars for $5000. You could easily put $7500 and months of your labor (or someone else's) into it. So you have a car that you have $12,500 in plus your free labor.
If you sell it you'll likely not get the $12,500 but you will get perhaps $10,000 for it…. sad but true!
The lesson is to increase your budget to put you into a position to buy a car that's less needy and has someone else's money in it already.
You want to buy a car that someone else has at least put SOME of the money into to in order make it a Corvette again…. it will require less of your money in the end.
The good deal is not how cheap the car is…..the good deal is how good the car is for the price it can be bought.
Patience….Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

No reason to buy a car with frame or birdcage rust problems. Let it remain someone else's problem.

gungatim

if you want a decent driver in that price range, you are going to be in a C4, not a C3...I know, you want a C3, but you can get in a vette a lot cheaper that way and be driving. then find a C3 project to work on...

Paul L

No reason to buy a car with frame or birdcage rust problems. Let it remain someone else's problem.

Amen!

Liner

I'm in a similar situation...

I could easily afford spending $20-30k for a nice C3, but I kind of like the idea of bringing one "back to life". Plus, I want to be able to do what I want to it to make it the best car for me. That doesn't likely mean making it "original".

So, I found a 1970 coupe literally 10 minutes from where I work. It's a bit rough. It hasn't run in a couple years. Owner doesn't know why and has lost interest in it. The body has a few bad spots and it needs paint. It has bare areas and flaking paint. The interior is dirty and tough to tell what can be salvaged, but I'd probably spend a lot of time on new interior no matter what I buy.

On the plus side, the frame and undercarraige look great. Frame is solid and what I can see of the birdcage through the windshield looks good. Haven't removed the kick panels. Current owner has owned the car for 42 years and it looks very original. It's the right color, but I can't find a trim tag, so... ?

How much do you think he's asking? $9500

For a car that won't start or drive; has obvious deterioration issues with the interior and body, yet the frame (foundation looks good).

And yet I'm thinking about it... If I wasn't moving right now, I'd probably make an offer. If it's still there in a couple months, I still might...

Best of luck to you in your continued search!

ORANGEBROTHERS

Enjoy the chase don't rush it...

Brack c

They can be found ...just dont be in a hurry .
I bought my 82 for 5K , used as a DD for 10-11 years before I decided to do paint / Interior , etc .....
...They're are out there ...

kenba

Listen to Alan he is a wise man. Spending more money on a nice Corvette will be a bargain compared to buying a cheap one & fixing it up.

71vet

Take your time checking ads and when it sounds right, pounce on it. There are bargains out there. Best time to buy is late fall until very early spring. Check Craigsl. daily!
There was an early coupe in decent shape for sale recently on NY CL. for 6k but it was sold very quickly
good luck

2TONE82

Been there, done this with our 82 and the Z06/Z16. Looking back, some of your best stories will be about "the hunt"! I searched high and low for my Z16. Was working deals in TX and AZ, actually figuring in one way airfare costs into the equation when the car I purchased popped up...3 miles from my house! Looked at many 82s in that search....a fine line between "in storage for 20 years" and "used for storage for 20 years". Enjoy the hunt!

REELAV8R

I looked at lots of junky Corvettes before I finally found the one I wanted. One thing I have noticed about sellers is that you want the one that takes care of his stuff.
One that has the car garaged and under a cover. Look at his other stuff laying around that you can see. If it's cared for, then it's much more likely that the vette will be too.
Any problems you can see immediately with the car is only maybe 40% of the problems you'll find after the purchase.
Mine was in very good condition and still I have put plenty of money and time in the interior, suspension, engine, exhaust and other general maintenance. Paint/body work is very expensive, get one with decent paint if all else checks out. Just don't let recent paint fool you into believing that it is otherwise in good condition. If it's recently painted that is a reason to usually be suspicious of other condition issues. I also don't like "fresh" rebuilt engines. One that has 5000 miles on it is proof that it's at least mechanically sound vs one that has 50 miles on it.
How good of condition you need to get depends on your skills, money and time available to get it where you want it.
Don't get discouraged. You may need to widen your search area.

ORANGEBROTHERS

Bingo!

Tooonz

I agree, but I've always enjoyed the reward of fixing something.