I'm in love with the early C3 Stingray body. The chrome fenders, the "ice-cube tray" side vent, those luscious curves... I just can't get enough. I want one.

I'm looking for some pointers for buying, even though I'm not in the market just yet (I'm much too poor ). I really don't know much about how much these cars go for, so if you have purchased/sold one your input would be greatly appreciated!

I'm also keeping an eye out for deals, so if you happen upon something that matches my criteria, let me know! (Assuming you don't plan on buying it yourself :P)

Here's basically what I'm looking for:

A fixer upper is fine, but it's gotta be driveable. Paint, scratches, cracked windows, malfunctioning electronics, incomlete interior, that's all fine. I'm no speed demon, so smaller engines are fine, but bigger ones are always attractive...

Mostly I just want a car that I can get on the road immediately, and then spend the next few years restoring.

If you have any thoughts on what a Vette like that would run me, I'd be more than grateful for your input! Thanks!

-Taylor

 

Welcome to the forum I think you should take your time, follow the forum for a year or so to get a feel for what others think...there are also lots of books and websites available. Bottom line....dont react to the "vette buying bug", take your time and do your homework. Each year is unique.

Also, when you do finally decide to buy, I would buy on the low end...because there are things you wont learn about these cars until you have actually owned one. Once you have learned all those lessons with your first, you will be much better off on your next one

 

A chrome bumper car is going to cost you plenty for a decent running one. e ven one tha tis running and needs to be restored you are going to pay 10K+ for. A decent running early C3 will run you 12 to 20K depending on condition and motor. Even the base motors are going to cost you. Also keep in mind these cars are 35+ years old and will need a lot of work. A fully restored one will be in the 25K+ range and more for higher horsepower motors.

 

Just make sure you buy the absolute best you can afford. That extra $5,000 for one with good paint, brakes, and suspension would be worth paying up front or will cost you twice as much later.

 

+1

Buy one already done......These things cost a fortune to restore/repair/etc....

I got into mine for a reasonable price($9k) I have spent about ($8k) restoring the interior/suspension and fixing stuff. Eventually it still needs paint, motor/tranny rebuild or replace, undercarriage resto etc.... SO I have at a minimum another $15k I need to spend to get it to REALLY nice driver/local show quality... So essentially I will have $35k in a base model, small block vette....
You can buy nice restored big block cars for that...

Spend the money up front, buy a nice car thats pretty much how you want it and enjoy it because it will cost you 2-3X as much to restore one....

 

It depends if you want a Convertible or Coupe.. Coupes can be had for about $5k less than Convertibles.
You can pick up not original running and driving coupes that need cosmetic restoration for about $10k - $12k. Less than that if the frame is rusted. For convertibles, you'll have to expect to pay about $13k - $18k for a car like that. Nice, non matching numbers driver quality coupes (that have decent to good paint, interior etc.) go for about $15k - $20k and convertibles for about $18k - $25k. Big Block or A/C add $$$ and matching numbers add some $$$ too..

 

take your time and have some patience... keep your eyes open and you will find a great deal somewhere. Spend some time on the forum reading through the threads and getting yourself some knowledge of the usual problems with these cars. Search through the archive and there will be a ton of info on what to look for during an inspection of the early C3s. 1968 has some unique parts like the door mechanisms this makes them a bit more costly to restore or even find parts for. 1969 still has the shark gills and they are always a hot item. 1970- 1972 are sometimes represented as being the same cars but 70 had high comp engines and fewer production numbers overall. 71-72 cars are almost exactly the same minus the fiber optic lighting system that was dropped after the 71 year. Deals can be found on these cars still. I found my 72 up in Minnesota a bit over a year ago.... running driving early 1972 coupe that had decent paint, partially restored interior, matching numbers all around and a recent rebuild on the engine and 4spd tranny.... no rust anywhere and pwr steering, brakes, windows, complete A/C even rear window defroster.... no rust anywhere.... only negatives were some crappy old mag wheels from the early 80s but new tires...and a color change on the exterior... it was black but now I have stripped it to return it to the original steel cities grey.... I got it all for $4000.00.......... yep running and driving complete chrome bumper car.... but i was damn lucky in the find.... persistance is the key.... but educate yourself before you even begin looking at these cars... go to some local car shows and speak with some owners... most vette guys/gals are more than willing to share in their knowledge...

best of luck,

Sully

 

Thanks for the tips and encouragement!

I'm not really a stickler for matching numbers; I'm looking more for a daily driver than a show car. Someone mentioned Coupe vs. Convertible, and I definitely prefer the coupe, so it's good to hear that would be the cheaper option!

Also, I actually do own a '81 Vette that I bought as a starter, and have spent the last 4 months or so putting back together. I finally decided however that I don't like the year enough to justify the amount of work and money I'm putting into it. I'd much rather get a year I LOVE and then take my time on it.

- Taylor

 

That's the way to do it. I just read an article yesterday that stated the prices have stalled a little with the economy and now is a great time to get into one. It's a hobby and just as you stated, got to look for the one that excites you and not everyone else.

I looked for a long time for that one that I really enjoyed and haven't regretted it once since then.

 

so is the 81 for sale?

 

 

Buy a small block (SB) '72 coupe. And buy one that is in good condition for items that you cannot do. If you are good with mechanical work, but can't do the paint, buy one that needs an engine overhaul but has recently been painted. The really expensive part of owning a vintage car is the "purchased labor". If you can do work yourself, then you only have to pay for the parts/supplies. If you have to purchase "labor", you can go broke quickly. Why the '72 SB coupe? It will be the least expensive car in the '68-72 group and is identical to the '71 in all but very minor details. Also, you can run low octane unleaded in it (that will save some money too). Good luck on your search/.

 

Well, it's not officially for sale yet, I'm planning on doing some more work and getting it registered before I sell, but hey if you are really interested, feel free to give me a PM or e-mail me at togden [at] gmail [dot] com and I can give you more info

-Taylor