1979 L82 - Is it worth it?
 

Hi folks. I'm new to the forum and i've been checking it out and theres plenty good info here. I'm also a new potential owner; i looked at a 1979 L82 daily driver that needs mostly cosmetic work. I didnt see any rust, engine idled well, some body and interior concerns, tranny shifts well, wheels are not stock and (as far as he knows) matching numbers. He's asking $6000, but i figured no more than $5000. What ya think?

Sight unseen, it's probably worth his asking price.

The only question is: do you want this Corvette?

Good luck.

:thumbs:

I take it that it is an automatic? Everything works? What do you mean by some body concerns? Is the paint bubbling around the headlights or bumpers cracked? What about some interior concerns? Seats? Door panels? Dash pad? Need a few more details and some photos. Not saying it's not worth it, just saying your statements leave a lot of room for interpretation and thus value.

The L-82 makes it one of the more desirable rubber bumper cars. Value will depend on options and condition. Excellent condition cars can pull $15K, more if they are low mileage that can be reasonably documented. There are a couple on here for sale right now, one in NJ so it isn't far from you asking $10,500 that I just noticed this morning, it looks to be in very good shape. At $5,000, I would expect it to be drivable, but pretty rough. More average condition cars are around $8K or so.

Sounds like a good deal to me. I have owned and own old cars and its important to realize that if the door panels are their but rough it is the same as having no door panels because you will have to replace them anyway, same with carpet if the carpet is stained tore, or worn must be replaced. Outside problems are to be expected for sure. I would base your decision on what is properly functioning not cosmetic stuff. This is only my opinion. good luck

:iagree: that's a pretty fair price as you describe it.

As an owner of a 79 L-82 4 spd, I'd say based on the very basic description, 5k sounds like it would be a good buy. It could be worth more if the cosmetics arern't that bad, and it is a numbers matching car as you said. Don't take the sellers word on numbers matching, be sure to verify for yourself.

A friend of mine has a 79' L-82 with mostly original paint. Had the hood redone, because it was developing crack's. His front and rear bumper's along with the rear spoiler are fading and warping, needing to be replaced. You can get new fiberglass replacement pieces, but usually require extra filing and filler fitting work before painting. He did replace the carpet and seat's, now looking pretty sweet. Bettin' most of the above described repair's are rather typical for this vintage car.

Make sure you check the VIN#. On a 79 the fifth digit should be a FOUR if it is a real L-82. If the fifth digit is an EIGHT it is the run of the mill L-48 variant.
Badges are cheap to add.

Thanks for the advice! As for the interior, the seats have some rips and there's a small crack in the dash. I expected anything i find for this price i'd have to redo the carpet and seats anyway. The driver's door does stick and takes a little force to open, but i think that can be easily fixed (unless thats a sign of frame damage?!?). The paint looks good from 15 feet away, but there are several scratches which im not too concerned with. The nose does have a little damage; looks like he bumped into a car while parking. I wasnt looking for a show piece, but would like the option to fully restore if i changed my mind.

Questions: I understand the numbers appear in different areas depending on the year. Where should I look on a '79?

For that price whats to loose. You restore it and you have a 16k car. If you end up not liking it just flip it and get your money back maybe even a little more. Nothing to loose. Shoot some pics and post them.

Update: Settled @ $5,000. Gonna pick it up soon; will post pics then.

Thanks for the info.

Sounds like a good deal. :thumbs:

You did good.. I just picked up a 79, L48 4 speed, 80k miles all original and Im very happy with it.. I actually like it better than my 98C5... Congratulations!

I just picked it up on saturday and i'm psyched! As I mentioned previously its still rough around the edges, but it feels great. I posted two pics. Let me know if you can see them and thanks everyone for the support. Now I need to find a good vette mechanic in the Spring Valley NY area. Any suggestions?

From the pics in your profile, looks like a pretty good car for $5k. Well done and welcome!

Congrats on your purchase!!! Before you look for a mechanic, it might be worth your time to explore this site a lot,and see what repairs and parts you can replace yourself. It will save you a fortune!!! Im pretty new on the site, but Ill say theres almost no question that cant be answered by a search, or by asking the question directly. Good luck with the new ride!!!

Very Nice!! :cheers::thumbs:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/pict...ictureid=67483
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/pict...ictureid=67482

wow, by just looking at those pictures, and not really knowing what migt be hiding underneath, I'd say you got a great buy at 5K. Congrats, and btw, I love that color.

I agree, thats a good looking buy for $5k. Congratulations and welcome.
I like the wheels too. :D