Hi everybody,

I'm new to corvettes and this forum. I am looking at buying a rough 77 from my boss. The car is owned by his son who is going away for a long long time. I figure I will make him an offer for it but I really don't know what it is worth. My boss just wants it out of his yard. Any input you guys have would be greatly appreciated.

The Rundown:


My boss is getting the pink from socal this week. The car has been sitting in his yard for about 4/5 years. Last registered in 2002. He says any of the work that his kid did probably only made things worse.

Body is clean and straight. It was in the process of being restored. It is primer black. T-top

Auto tranny that shifts. Haven't driven it. Tranny fluid is clean to the point of being suspect and low by a pint.

350 motor. Presumed stock. Fired right up with a new battery. Doesn't idle but runs at 5,000 RPM. Pretty rough, no ether needed.

Does not need a key in the ignition to start it.

Radiator was half empty and pretty corroded inside but no leaks were found.

Brakes are shot.

Odometer has been rolled back. Showing 2 miles. The left side of the dash is pulled out a bit.

Interior is actually really clean except for some worn old black leather seats. Trim and carpeting is all nice. Carpets are new-ish.

Has new lenses all around but headlights don't pop up. All glass is good.

Fine wheels and tires.

Anything else that you guys can think of I should look at or take note of would be awesome.


Thanks.

If I pick it up it will be a frame off restoration. I have a barn that I use as a shop with enough space and the tools to do it in. School just got out for summer so I have the time as well.

 

Make sure the frame is not rotted. Check underneath and around the windshield. Based on the condition you describe with a solid frame I'd say $1500 max. If the frame is rotted...it really not worth anything.

Jim

 

Get it as cheap as you can. The no idle/5000 rpm/No Headlight is probably related, open vac hose, should be an easy fix.
Look for rust in all the usual locations, WS frame, rear wheel kickups, No2 mounts behind the kick panels.
Sitting that long the tranny will leak, new filter and pan gasket will likely fix it. Brakes needs a teardown before I would trust them, easy to do.
Post some pics, get a price from him or offer him $1k, see what he does.

 

with the things said above...especially the frame. Check around the rear wheels!!!

I'd say $1000-$1500 would be a good offer.

Good Luck!!!

Chris

 

$1000 is a good place to start. Depends on how bad it is, could be worth more. Any complete, running C3 should easily part out for more than $1000.

 

Pay him $1000 to NOT sell it to you.

 

Does Vallejo emissions test?

Since you are still in Ca and a '77 will require emissions testing take a look and see if any of the emissions gear is still on the vehicle, this stuff is pricey to put it all together if you dont have it.

Start as low as you can...he will likely not balk at $1k or so if its been sitting that long, though I know in socal...you cant even touch a burnt out shell of a vette normally for that price....not because they are worth more but simply because the seller believes that they are.

Also find out about registration fines...in Ca if the car hasnt been registered since '02 they will probably not even give them a duplicate title until registration is brought current, unless they have registered it non-op...dont ask me how i know

but if he does get a duplicate title you may want to find out just in case.. the last thing you want to do is do 2-3 years of frame off work only to find you have 7 years registration fines to pay to get it on the road....perhaps nothing to worry about but worth checking on.

 

Sounds like a whole lotta work here. The only real question is: Do you want this Corvette?

 

I'll get under it and try to check out the frame and snap some pictures of it today. I'm an engineering student and have been working on cars for a few years now. I'll throw the pictures up here once I get them. Seems like a good place to start. I have always liked corvettes and if I am going to get one this is the body style that I want.

Vallejo does have emmisions like the rest of the state and near as I can tell everything is still in place on the car. Working or not is another story.

 

I paid 4000 for this one, the frame is good the thing runs good, the interior
needs work NEEDS PAINT, it has a new exhaust system,

this is a 76, I hope that gives you an Idea

 

I crawled around on it and snapped some pictures. The frame seems pretty solid. Just surface rust and I didn't see anything alarming around the windshiled pillars. Here are some photos.

 

I wouldn't pay more than $800. for it. You have a lot work ahead of you on that car, probably more than the is worth when your finished with it. I see a few things right off the bat from your pictures.The car was originally an AC car but someone pulled the compressor and who knows what else. The odometer has been reset to zero mileage, the tach is stuck at 6300 RPM, I've never seen that one before. The turn signal lever is either missing or broken off, probably broken off by the looks of the rest of the car, there are cut wires hanging out of the bottom of the drivers side dash. The main vacuum line for the headlights that runs to the tank appears to be cut and just hanging there explaining why they don't go up and down. I'm sure if you look closely you'll find alot more stuff either broken or missing as well. I am sure if you check the frame you find rust or damage there also. Who knows whats under the paint once it stripped, that usually a big surprise for cars in that kind of shape. It's shame what people do to these cars, to think someone drove that car off the lot brand new in 1977.

 

Now thats a builders dream, in a place with no emissions testing!
Someone could make a heck of a hotrod vette out of it.
I think where your at though it would not be worth it just for all the stuff to make it street legal, which is a shame.
You could get it and use it as trade for one that is drivable or sell it to someone who don't have to worry about testing and make yourself some profit for one thats right for you.

 

I will say, IF you want it get it... The rust on the under side just looks like surface rust, the engine will turnover, get you some razor blades, get rid of that old paint, and have some fun with it. Mine looks liked like that on the out side, untill I got some razor blades, now its all grey. I think the glass tops are worth at least 500 alone.

 

Well, it will definately be a lot of work to get it right, but not impossible. None of these cars are what we pay for them plus what we pump into them to get then "Right" including mine.
Get the best deal you can. It will be a fun projet, you will learn a lot

 

It's common to replace the calipers w/ SS sleeved calipers. If they are SS sleeved rebuilding could fix. The rubber brake lines should also be replaced if old.

You might want to check for rear sway bar & stiff springs (7 leaf rear spring) indicating FE-7 high performance suspension.

Some 77 info. is on my website under 77 Facts.

 

Expect to spend AT LEAST $12,000 to make that a nice car. Thats after the purchase price.

I gave $2200 for my 82 in similar shape as that one, and drove it home!! My engine was still original and in great shape....just cleaned an re-paint.

I don't think $2000 would be unreasonable....but I wouldn't give much more than that.

 

Unless Valejo is a lot more lenient regarding smog than the rest of the Bay Area, you're in for a chore just getting it far enough along to transfer the ownership. You will also have to pay for the back resgistration, though this'll only be a few hundred dollars for a car of this vintage. At the least, the smog pump is missing. I'm not familiar enough to know what else is missing from the system, but as someone above said, these parts are pricey and that's just the starting point. $12k to restore? That's not hard to imagine at all.

If you want a Vette have a look on Craigslist for countless better ones. Most of us have found out the hard way that initial purchase price becomes a small part of the cost very quickly.

 

Time, money, skills & desire. You'll need allot of each or a ton of one to bring it back. That's up to you to decide. My only recommendation is don't get too excited and buy the first Vette you see. Be patient and look around. Try your local CRAIGSLIST every few days.
As far as smog, if '77 is like '76, that looks like a Federal car that did not have a smog pump. You can tell if your exhaust manifolds have no tapped holes for the A.I.R. tubes. I sold my '76 engine yesterday to a guy who will be putting it in his boat. Let me know if you buy the car and I'll get the smog stuff back and send it to you. It's pretty much a dampner on one side of the exhaust to force hot air under the intake and a vacuum switch on the intake. Plus one or two other components. You'll need the stock air cleaner with tube to the exhaust manifold. I still have those to I'll send you if you buy the car.

Good Luck..gp

 

Very generous of you

If it's a federal car, that would help. you only have to meet the standards for the car that it had to meet initiailly. In other words, if it was a federal car, it only has to meet the federal standards, not the CA standards. The CA ones were typically harder to meet.