98vert6spd

heres me

22

Im serious about buying a c3

i have a love for the c3
so does a friend of mine
one of us will be buying one in the near future

and I jsut dont know what the hell to look at

if i had say 10k to spend what would my options be?
Im not concerned about the condition as long as it can be fixed by me
I can fix most mechanical things
ive never done paint work before but id like to learn
ive done body work before with varying degrees of success

Id like a vert if the price isnt too huge but i could be plenty happy with a coupe if a vert is out of reach

auto or 4 speed is fine

so what shoudl i be looking at?

SkunkApe

Let your friend buy one and you can drive around with him.

You won't be finding a 'vert for $10k (even a rough, rootbeer brown '74 auto).

What does being a 22 yr. old analyst have to do with your decision?

98vert6spd

i was trying to set the tone for who i am

I want to buy a car i can work on for a few year and keep around
I was trying to establish that I was young and serious about buying one

maybe i phrased it wrong

why is it that people tend to buy tyhe car they want and restore it
get it completely done and have there whole lunch in the car and then they go and sell it?

oh
assuming i let the friend buy it

what can I /he get for 10k?

SkunkApe

OK. I understand where you're coming from.

For $10k, you can get a (somewhat) decent rubber-bumper coupe ('74 & up) or perhaps an earlier "fixer" that'll require significant work.

Why do we sell our cars after we're finished restoring (and upside down financially)? Because it's "been done"...time to move on to another project. Sharks must keep swimming to stay alive.

I've almost finished my car and will most likely sell it to purchase a Viper (unless I can find a bigger warehouse to hold both).

P.S. - No offense, but isn't good spelling & grammar required if one is to be an analyst at a Top 3 Logistics company?

-H.S. Graduate (barely), 43 yrs. old. Self-employed @ a "Bottom-3" networking company.

Bangkok Dean

Your best bet is to check the forum C3s for sale or EBay Good luck in getting just what you want.

SkunkApe

Here you go:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...gory=6168&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...gory=6168&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...gory=6168&rd=1

ruby76

I think like mentioned above, your looking at a decent driver for $10k in 1974 and up to about 1979 or so. 1980 - 82 seem to still hold their value. Hold their value you ask, I know, most of them are still more than their original asking price! So keep you eyes open, don't just buy the first one in your price range. You'll know it when you see the right one.

98vert6spd

i am hoping for a metal bumper
so i guess im going t o be getting one that needs quite a bit of work

my spelling ang grammar on here is always horrbile

check some of my last 2000 posts i probably have a spelling mistake ever 2 words

I haver hotkeys set up on my keyboard and sometimes they interfere and make me type all retarded
add that to the part where i cant spell to begin with and then you can understand why we are where we are

CGGorman

Cripes, these cars are changing so fast, I can't keep up. I'd have to agree with the above advice... $10k is on the low side for a decent coupe in the 68-75 (vert years) timeframe. Sure, you can get into the occasional Vert for that, but it will need $20K+ to bring it up to driver status.

Honestly for that $10k? I'd get an early C4 (maybe a project-quality ZR-1?) and restore it to 100%. They are near the bottom in the value cycle and will start go up in the next ten years. They are also better overall cars than the C3, from a driving standpoint. Maybe put some internal work on the engine to push the power up a hundred ponys or so, but nothing to effect the looks of the engine. A "sleeper", if you will. My sister got into an 85 with 10,000 miles and nearly perfect for $10k last year, but she's letting it go by keeping it outside and making cosmetic changes.

tkozaki1

I would check out cars.com, auto-rv for ohio, or collector car trader. I usually find the best deals there. If you want a chrome bumper car, there is a '70 in Ohio somewhere available for $5,000 at cars.com. Here is the link.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...1&aff=starnews

There is also a '73 vert available but the price seems to be way too low for the car to be totally there. It is also at cars.com and in Ohio.

Tom

Ak. Mal

Don't buy unless you have lots of time and cash to throw at a lower budget C3. I bought my '80 for $6k. I've almost spent that much to get it where it is now. And I haven't spent anything on paint/bodywork and the motor and trans are almost exactly as they where when I got the car.

When you stop to look at a project for these cars (or any project car for that matter) it looks like you might be able to get all the parts for, say, $500. Well, after you get started you'll realize quickly that you need a bunch of small clips or screws or some other part available only from a vendor or another Corvette, ie, not a local parts store. Now, your project is starting to balloon and you quickly blow through your budget. Here is an example, I thought I could refinish my interior for under $2k. I quit keeping track, although I know for sure that it's now over $2k, and I still need new seats.

Last word of advice, when working on a certain project, you will inevitably find 30 other small things that you want to get done at the same time causing your original project to cost 2x, 3x, 4x etc. more than expected.

Seriously, let your friend jump into a project and then see how much it costs him. Then decide if you are ready to do the same.

Empatho

if you want a C3 go for it and buy one you only live ones

98vert6spd

im deffinately into the c3s not the c4s

i already have a c5 and im going after the c3 for the looks

the c4s looks havent caught on with me yet

you guys have been very helpfull
thanks

one more thing

do you think there is a diminishing return on additional dollars spent

IE say i buy a 72 coupe for say 6k and spend 6 k on it doing labor myself

would i have been better off buying a 72 coupe for 12k?

what seems to be the optimal level ?

Sharky Guam

If I were you, I would reconsider. A steel bumper vette for under 10k will undoubtedly have corrosion and body problems. That costs lots to fix. And the repairs are not for the average person to perform.

So my advice is to buy a late 70s coupe. A nice 78-82 would probably be a great choice. There are a few here on the forum classifieds. These cars will only have minor problems that can be fixed by the average person. Once you master the small ones, you can mod the car with a better trans and motor. And after you complete that project, you could sell it and move to a bigger challenge of an early C3, that is if you made enough money by selling the late model C3. Many members here have gone down that road already.

But then again, at your age, you could become financially wealthy in a few years and simply buy the vettes of your choice. That is if you are agressive in your profession or if you choose to marry a wealthy woman.

Good luck!

Ak. Mal

It isn't unheard of to get back what you have invested in a car, but I wouldn't bet on that kind of return for many many years, if it ever even happens.

Corey_68

I think you'll be hard press to find a nice vert < $10K.

tracdogg2

Whatever you do don't buy one by yourself. There's a lot of junk vettes out there covered up with a fresh paint job. There are experienced vette owners all over the country that would be happy to check one out for you. First figure out which style you like. 68-72, 73-77,78-82. A '69 427 will cost a lot more than a '76 350. Ask a lot of questions. A vette with a bad differential will cost much less to repair than one needing a complete interior.

Mike

98vert6spd

ok loooks like vert is out

im pretty certain i want a 68-72

really thats what i want

so now i need to do mroe research on to what motor to go with

or what i can afford