Hi,

My name is Dan & I think I might be a Corvette-a-holic

Is there a "buying guide" thread here? A lot of forums tend to have them in my experience & a lot of Newbie's ask a bunch of stupid questions that are on there....

I have been after a C3 shape Corvette since I was a small boy but really know not a lot more about them than that so trying to learn as much as I can before I start looking at them!

I live in an apt here so it's important to me to get something that I can run reliably without major work, I can handle maintenance & small jobs but not re-sprays, Engines out etc! I don't have the space or tools here

I am not a mechanical novice but I am a Corvette novice.

I currently have a 62 Ford Falcon with a 200" motor in it.



In the UK I have a Lotus 7 Replica with a Ford SOHC 4 cylinder in it.



I also have two GS1000 motorcycles from the late 70's that I have restored.




It wouldn't be my first Chevy, I used to own an Astro Van
That's my missus getting a workout on the rear tire in Death Valley (I didn't really make her change it, honest! )


I have also owned a couple of Vauxhall's over in England (Opel to you guys) which are the GM family.
My first car was one:


That's all I can think to bore you with for now Thanks for having me

 

Welcome! Here is one "buyers guide".

http://www.vettenet.org/sharkbuy.html

There are also a number of books on buying a Corvette. Feel free to ask questions. The "search" function works well also.

 

Thanks! That's the kind of thing I'm looking for

So... what sort of $$ are we looking at for a decent example pref T top in California?

Are there a lot of issues with smog? I don't have to worry about it on any of my current vehicles...

Cheers,

Dan

 

Welcome to the forum. There are lot of very helpful people here and don't worry about "stupid questions". If you don't ask you'll never now.

 

Something else you should consider when diving into this hobby. "Education is key" There are a lot of cars out there and none are the same nor are the people selling them. The problem with the market on Corvette’s today is its lack of education by the common buyer and seller. A lot of what you get from these cars is in it heritage and name, not in what the car is truly worth. This, coupled with shows like Barrett Jackson, has the common man thinking any Corvette is worth a lot of money. In that also lies the interpretation as well. These cars are not unlike a boat, you don’t really need one but they are nice to have. Meaning, they are not practical for everyday use. The market on these cars is truly what the seller asks and what the buyer is willing to give. As long as there are people out there that are uneducated and have more money than brains, there will always be someone willing to sell them an over priced Corvette. This is where the market can get skued. This is regardless even with a mid year C3 rubber bumper car, because again this is irrelevant in the equation of the uneducated buyer. You might believe your car is worth $25,000 but again what you think its worth and what someone will pay are too different things and vice versa.

Good Luck and keep us posted!

 

Are you looking for a "chrome bumper car" 68-72 or "rubber bumper car" 73-82? The chrome bumper cars are much more pricie that the later models. You can check the "Cars for sale" section of this forum to get an idea of cost. Also, I attached the price guide below to give you an idea of the difference between model years. Most folks feel the prices in this article are way to high. Good luck, the fun is in the hunt.

 

Welcome, salty_monk! I'm new myself too and you will gain a lot of information from this forum in a short time, believe me. Especially when you get your own C3.

Duke94: That's a very helpful piece of paper you have posted! Very interesting information. I ofcourse looked at my year and does anyone know why the 79 year is relatively expensive compared to the newer and older ones (ofcourse older means down to '74 or so)?

 

Knowledge is power.
Start here:

It's getting dated these days, but still worth the price of a copy.

 

welcome.... if info is what your looking for and need then you came to the right place. there is a wealth of knowledge on this forum. i bought a c5 off of the forum in 05 and hung out in the c5 section and learned ALOT. last weekend i bought a 1978 s/a c3 from a forum member and have been hanging in the c3 section. i had 2 "stupid" questions and had answers to them in less than 15 mins. most of the people on this forum are great. do your research and make up your mind what you want and what your wallet will let you have. the for sale section is loaded with cars waiting for you to come get them. and i can say that the '78 looks GREAT next to the '02 in the garage.

 

I'm actually not too bothered about the year of C3 - I do like the chrome bumper cars but I imagine any of these vehicles will hold their values fairly well if looked after, the rubber bumper ones will probably just hold lower values...

Lower priced is better for me at this stage as I don't want something that I feel I have to completely pamper to do it justice.....

Thanks for the book link, I'll try to get hold of a copy to read.

Basically what I want is something that:

1. I can keep outside under a cover sometimes & not worry about too much
2. T top or convertible
3. Maintain fairly easily (no "big" engine out type jobs, I can handle electronics, ball joints etc from here, no tools or space for more involved work).
4. Reliable - I don't want to be stranded in it once a week....
5. Pass smog without too many issues
6. Do around 3,000 miles a year in (I have a company car & 2 motorbikes to use, there's only so many miles you can do in a year!)

Couple of other questions:

What are they like on insurance? I likely won't be able to get collector car as I don't own enough other vehicles.

What do tags cost? (approx, I know it depends on value etc).

Thanks again for all the info.

Dan

 

The price range will vary greatly. Chrome bumper vette's command the most $$. Obviously O/A condition, milage, options, etc... all come into play.
The thing to look for most is RUST. The frame kick-ups, the part of the frame that goes up & over the rear suspension in front of the rear tires, is very prone to rust & the bird cage, the steel frame around the passenger compartment is also prone to rust at the base of the windshield frame. Possible to see from outside the car when looking at the pillars.
Always try to see any vette you may possibly be interested. NEVER but sight un seen.
Glle luck in your search.
Glenn

 

Others have already said it, but Education is the key. You are already taking the correct approach and educating yourself and this Forum is invaluable and the best resource by far to learn. I've been on it for a few years now and feel confident to tackle most any job. Unfortunately, I did not find this forum until I had the car for a year. I'm glad now, because there is no way I could have done some of the things on my car without help from these guys/gals.

I think I could have bought a better car, but I got lucky and got a fairly solid car . . . no rust issues or anything major like that. My advice is look, learn, look, learn and look somemore. Be patient and you'll find one that is very solid and reliable. Don't get in a rush and buy without looking around very much. Ideally, buy one from one us who have already spent years of blood, sweat and tears to get ours reliable, but have to sell

Good luck in your search . . . there's noth'n like a C3

 

I am keeping a watch on the For Sale section. Thanks for all the comments.

How do I stand with out of state cars (for example a car from Nevada or Arizona) & CA smog testing? Did they all come with the same emissions equipment & if so has it likely been stripped from most non CA cars?

Dan

 

I dreamt for 28 years, researched for 4 years and seriously looked for a year. It sure helped getting to know local Corvette shops such as Coast Corvette, and a buddy of mine is a Corvette nutbag. Once you know what to initially look for, you can often tell just by looking at a few photos whether the car has been hit or not, simply by the alignment of the headlight buckets, placement of the gas cap (should be centered) and other tell-tale signs.

In person, the first thing I would do is feel for the bond seams, followed by inspecting the front shims, then look around the door sills for evidence of a t-bone accident. Only then would I continue to look at the rest of the car. Some good examples of bad cars can be seen at Chequered Flag in Marina Del Ray. Pretty on the outside but most of the 'Vettes I saw there (at the time) had been hit and were wayyy overpriced. They had new interiors and looked pretty, but scratch the surface....

The Corvette Restoration guide was also good value, a great read and really briefs you on what to look for.

I ended up with a car that I am very happy with, solid, CA-based and a 454 4-speed to boot. Now is definitely a good time to buy - I have watched prices fall to reasonable levels (down 20-25%) in the last year.

All the best - I really enjoyed searching and look avidly at Craigslist each morning...

 

Hey Salty,

Welcome to the forum. With regards to emissions, you do have to be careful when purchasing a vette from another state (1976 on up). I would recommend purchasing a 73, 74 or 75 for two reasons, 1 they will be less expensive as compared to purchasing a 68-72 and 2 you do not have to worry about emissions for 75 and older in Cali. I didn't read every post above but I'm sure someone has also mentioned that the more $ you can spend up front (for a more complete vette) the better, these cars tend to be expensive to fix up.

Good luck to you.

 

Also go to this web site and insert the model years you are looking for. There are dealers selling as well as private, and it will give you a good idea of price range. You might even find one you like.

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/

 

Great thanks for that....

Mr Spinadog - perhaps you can help me search then!

I know the guys in chequered flag - I play racquetball with one of them. They're nice guys but as to the quality of their stock I can't really comment. The few cars I have looked at there have been in good shape (I looked at a Caterham 7, a couple of Morris Minors etc = all cars I've owned before) I didn't look at any vettes there. They have a nice looking showroom though!
I'm sure their prices are way above private sale - always the case for an operation like that, they have overhead, insurance etc to pay.

Keep the comments rolling I'm learning more each day.

I have a friend in the UK who used to run a 68 called "Mr Muscle" from memory. Lurid white, purple & yellow thing... He now runs a road legal drag series with a C3 Vette with around 1800hp. Supercharged etc. Does a terminal over 160 on the quarter. I will post some pics some day (laptop got stolen & this one doesn't have many pics on it).

Dan

 

Heh heh, I think that I am exhausted after all the searching I did!

To be honest, the parts searching is also as tough!

Don't get me wrong, Chequered Flag were nice guys but I just felt their cars are really overpriced (but a dealer has overheads that private sellers don't have). They did have a great 'leave you alone' attitude which was nice, given how much their stock must cost them!

They also had a bitchin' Healy Sprite there a while ago, and that was a reasonable buy. I was just a little unimpressed with the 68-72 'Vettes they had.

incidentally, I bought mine from a dealership of all places! just put in a reasonable offer and bided my time...three months later, they called, I had it inspected and drove it off the lot. I would go down to Coast Corvette in Anaheim - they have cars for sale and are really honest nice guys. Nope, not affiliated with them at all - but was really impressed with the inspection and their knowledge - they also inspect for free. Keep that in mind if you find one...

 

Thanks for that info, I'll have to get out there to see them.

 

Remember guide books are just that guides. Prices are all over the place even in the guide books they can vary by thousands for the same year car.

Economic conditions today can make a major price difference if you have a modivated seller. Each car is unique and each seller's modivation is different. Read, Read, Read. The more you know the less likely you will make a mistake. Remember there are a lot of cars out there and a lot of cars for sale. If you miss one just wait there will be another along shortly.

Your situation makes it wise for you to seek a completed car which is probably the best way to get value. Buy the most you can for your dollars. See what you are buying before you jump. Now all you need is $$$$. Ask questions here as you can see from the posts here people are always willing to help. Welcome to the hobby.