Alan 71

Hi Mike,
A 69, 350/350, convertible is a VERY nice car. AND, worth putting some effort in to!
Hopefully what you're experiencing won't turn into ongoing troubles.
I've heard of Hibernia but don't know how familiar they are with 68-72 Corvettes. They're a good place to start though.
I'd think you'll be able to get some Corvette shop recommendations in the northern N.J. area.
I'll be interested in hearing what Hibernia has to say about your car. Perhaps you shouldn't commit to anything too serious until you've had a more knowledgable person take a look at your car with you.
There are lots of Corvette folks in N.J./N.Y area.
Regards,
Alan

I grew-up in the Fair Lawn/Teaneck area and have fond memories of living there!

ddawson

Is this it?
http://www.lockwoodautosales.com/196..._265699529.veh

MikesRed68

sold

MikesRed68

sold

MikesRed68

sold

Alan 71

Hi Mike,
I just looked at the photos with the listing that dd linked to.
It looks like a nice car in the photos.
I can really see why you fell for it!
The listing mentions 'older paint' which may be the cause some of the spider webbing you're seeing.
I really think it would be good to have a knowledgable 68-72 person go over the car WITH you and drive it WITH you so you'll have a clearer understanding of just what you've bought and how you should proceed in getting it to a point you're comfortable driving it.
Pretty 69!
Regards,
Alan

Remember, it's a 48 year old car so it will take some 'tending' but hopefully you'll find that to be part of the pleasure in owning it.

VancouverL71

Welcome Mike,
First rule of the corvette forum, listen to Alan, he doesn't steer anyone wrong.
Lots of other great guys here so post lots of pictures and lots of great help will follow.
If you take it into a shop, be very very careful. Ask for a check only but don't commit to any work. It can get very expensive very quickly. Post what the shop is suggesting here on the forum and guys will help you through things.
Are you able to do some of the work yourself? Do you have garage space and tools? If so, don't be afraid of getting your hands dirty. Everything can be fixed. Wipers,,,, complicated as hell but after reading the forum, you will have a very good idea of how they work.
Make a list and just prioritize the items. Brakes should be at the top of the list and safety related items such as lights, seat belts etc and suspension.
Good Luck, Pete

ddawson

MikesRed68

sold

theandies

And be VERY jealous of any pictures he post of his car that it's obvious he bought brand new out of the factory, it went straight into a trailer and then put in his garage without ever been driven. It's spectacular.

I hate you Alan

As far as your car goes, hopefully its just minor things. Remember your car is almost 50 years old. It's not going to "feel" like anything new today so don't try to compare them. C3's front suspension can feel loose as you described but there are many different solutions. Stress cracks, check the body mounts.
What you should do it make a list of everything that's bothering you then prioritize. That's what I did but my list never seems to get smaller.

Also, I hope you like talking to strangers because it will take you sometimes 30 minutes to fill up.

Jfeelgood04

I hate hearing about **** like this and I can see why you fell in love. The car looks sweet. I'm in Pal Park not far from you and I know a mechanic in Hackensack who I would trust my life with. He's done work with my '82 and is amazing. If you need more info let me know. Good luck.

ignatz

I don't mean to be discouraging. A short story. I'd used my car as a daily driver for years and then started autocrossing. A friend with a '68 remarked - what's wrong with your car? It understeered, it was sloppy, it was slow. That's just the way a 40 year old car was. But there's hope because gradually I learned how to make it handle like his and eventually consistently beat him and pretty much everybody else in my club at that time.

Even if your car had zero miles it just wouldn't feel as tight and responsive as cars feel today. If you're coming into this from only driving new cars the difference feel could be a bit disconcerting but if you want better handling you can get it without having to spend thousands of dollars.

Looked at your pictures and what you have going for you is pretty well cleaned up. That's half the battle right there. You should try to contact the original owner and get an update on everything that was done to the car and go from there.

Mbuschsr

Hi Mike,
Welcome to the forum. I am also a newer owner of a C3.
I can tell you that there will be plenty of help from the members here.
I don't have as much knowledge as a lot of members here but I live in Clifton so if you need a hand with anything just let me know.

Peterbuilt

Hi Mike and welcome,
Remember the gleam in your eyes when you first saw your new Corvette?
Keep that happy thought in your head.
You bought a used car, a very old used car, so you should have known that there was a gremlin in there somewhere.
Haven't you ever bought a used car before?

On the bright side, you will have years of enjoyment after you spend a few dollars.

About the wipers, you might consider pulling the fuse and maybe disconnect the plug at the motor until you fix it.

Enjoy your new toy!
Pete.

MikesRed68

sold

MikesRed68

sold

MikesRed68

sold

MikesRed68

sold

dan1495

That looks like a very nice car with a lot of potential. I have owned several C3's over the last 20 years and have never had one that didn't have some kind of problems when I bought it no matter how nice they seemed or how much they cost. The good news is that it can all be fixed given enough time and money. Part of what you might be experiencing with the front end could be due to the reproduction bias ply tires seen in the pictures, assuming the car still has them. If you have never driven a car with them before it can be an eye opening experience. Can't beat the way they look though.

Good luck and as others have said this forum can be a wealth of information.

sug

Very nice looking 69 Mike. I had the same problem with my 69 wandering in the steering so replaced all the tie rod ends , sway bar bushings and idler arm and now it feels tight and a lot more responsive .