I am currently looking at a 75 Coupe and I need some help deciding on a price to offer to the guy. There are so many variables to this car, I need help. Here is the breakdown as I looked at it:


- Original L-48 Engine rated at 165hp (checked stamp)

- Long tube headers (Looks old, rusted, needs cleaned up & paint)

- Edekbrock Torker E5416 intake manifold

- Not sure on carb, not original though

- Mallory HyFire 29037 Ignition box, replacement distributor by Mallory as well, w/vacuum advance

- 4 Speed transmission with the correct shift pattern, but it does not have the reverse lock lever on the shifter like I am used to in other C3s. I honestly do not know if the 75s had this style shifter or not.

- Headlight kit - removed the popups :-(

- Emissions delete

- Some minor paint damage on the back

- LT-1 hood and LT-1 "birth certificate" below shifter (370hp, 11:1 comp, etc)

- Has an oil leak from the valve cover or some other vacuum connection, probably due to not plugging the lines correctly after removing the emission system

- Lots of oil build up under the car, all over bell housing, could be rear main going out, could be from accumulated oil from the upper leak

- Tach and Oil gauge do not work, spedo does, they installed an oil light in the hood cowl for now

Whew.

Any thoughts from some veterans?

 

Was the LT-1 package available for the 75? I didnt think it was.

I would hate to try to price it without pics and without knowing the rust issues. Lets start somewhere, what is the guy asking for it?

 

The LT-1 was NOT offered for the 75, nor does it have an LT-1 engine in it. The hood and birth certificate is from a 70 to 72.

The guy has had it for about 8 years, only drives it once in a while. He doesn't know anything about cars, he bought it as a present to himself after a divorce. The car is paid for, just collecting dust in his garrage as he only drives it about once a month. Therefore, he told me to make an offer to him. I don't know if he has a price in mind, or is just waiting for me to throw something at him.

The frame and underbody in general only has surface rust. It is in Texas and was bought by him in Texas. Without running a VIN check, I can't be for sure where else it came from, but it looks like it has been a southern car for the vast majority of it's life. Minor rust issues in the radiator shroud, engine has been repainted chevy orange, but it is peeling. The paint damage is by the fuel cap on the rear, the garage door glass broke as it was going up one time and it landed on the car.

Interior looks to be in good condition, no cracks in the dash, seats have normal wear and are covered by seat covers.

Aside from driving out there and taking more pics, any other information I can provide?

 

I am guessing under 4k. If your going towards a modified Vette, then this car could be a good starting point. Decide how much of the work you can handle yourself? Will you want to work on the car while driving it, or tear it down completely and build it up? You've got some of the quick visual items accounted for. Go over the car again and write down the items you would need to replace and price them out using a Corvette vendor catalog. This will give you an idea of project cost and how upside down you might be at the end. Next, dig into the hidden areas on the car, these are the most costly and determine if the car is salvageable. '75 was the last year for a fiberglass floor, however very late cars supposedly had steel floors, check the condition either way. If you want hidden headlights, ask the owner if he has all of the parts, this could be very expensive if everything is gone. How solid is the frame at the area near the front of the rear wheel opening, where the frame kicks up vertically (poke around with a screwdriver if he'll let you). Are the windshield posts rotted (look at the outside between the glass and pillar molding) for signs of rust. If either of those areas are rusty, decide how bad you want this car. The tach probably doesn't work because of the Mallory distributor, oil gauge is not a serious fix. No emmision controls might be an issue in some states, but if you are okay without them, no big deal. Drive it and listen if the engine, transmission and differential sound okay. No reverse lockout probably means it has a Hurst shifter. If the shifter works good, you can buy a factory look-a-like shift lever. Bumpers are usually cracked by now on these cars and usually not repairable. Is the interior intact and are any parts missing? These cars can get very expensive, and really define the term "money pit." Good luck

 

Thank you very much for your assessment. I am not looking to restore this car any time soon, I want a daily driver for now that I can change some gaskets, hoses, etc on and that I may restore in the future. I bought a book a while ago "Standard Catalog of Corvette 1953 - 2005" by John Gunnell and in the back there are price reccomendations for private party sales. For the 75, the list is as follows:

Salvage - 840
Restoreable - 2520
Good - 4200
Very Good - 8400
Fine - 14700
Excellent - 21000

I just remembered the dash has been cut for an aftermarket CD player too. I know that isn't going to be cheap to replace, if I decide to...

Anyone else want to comment?

 

*bump* Probably going to go look at it again and maybe make an offer

 

My assesment (without seeing it) is pretty close to Al's.
I'd put a driver 75 in the 5-10k range. Being that this one has
been messed with a lot ... and oil leaks, etc ... I'd put it at 5k tops.

Now, if the interior was all new - and paint was really good - then perhaps more.

The way it is described, you will be looking at some repairs in the near future.
motor sounds tired, wheel bearings probably original, suspension bushings ... etc.

 

Hello,
The hood and the "birth certificate" are obviously fake.
What you have is a warmed over 165hp L48 base engine.

Since the owner has bought it as a divorce gift to himself, and it is now just sitting in the garage, I would suspect that his sentimental value of the car will exceed the actual money value of the car. This seems to be around a $3500 car with the status of what you described.

If this is the first Vette you go to look at, then you have to resist the urge to buy it unless it is a smoking hot deal, a really unique car, or exactly the car that you want to restore. If it meets one of these criteria, then it will satisfy your need for a vette. If you buy it becasue its there, and you get vette fever, then it may be a mistake. How many other vettes have you looked at? You need to see what else is available for the market price in order to realize what it is that you are getting.

By looking at cars you cannot afford yet, you will find out just how bad the cars are that are in about the same price range. The difference between a $6000 car and a $4000 car can be HUGE! But you would only know that from shopping experience. Many of us looked at 5 - 10 vettes before we found the one that we knew was right.

Here are my two examples. I was looking at a 76 vette for $9000 that needed work and passed on it. It did not feel right. The next day I bought my 73 454 4sp A/C car for $12,500. What a world of difference $3500 and 1 day made. On my 75 that I bought this year, it was my 7th vette to look at this year alone. The 6th vette was a 74-L48 that needed paint, body work, interior, exhaust, and more! The owner was sentimentally attached to it and was asking $8500. I bought my 75 L82 vette with a new paint job, deluxe leather interior, no major problems, for $7500. Because I knew what the value of the car was to me.

So for your answer, without photos to look at, and considering that it is not a "rare" car yet, I would guess in the $3500 - $4500 range.

kdf

 

No more than 4500 period.

 

I sold my 75, the one on my avtar thingy. for $8,200 that was with a
$2,500 paint job & all chrome engine compart & new interior. So $4k would be about right. Have been enjoying my 99 vert last 2 years. Went to c5/c6 bash the other day & factory tour again. Got to start up a c6 for its first time on the assembly line.