I'm looking to purchase a C3 and have done bit of research, but have a question. A '76 L48 4-speed I'm looking at had some rust repair work done below both A-pillars, but above the door hinges. I understand this is likely due to t-top leaks (not currently leaking though). Question is, should this be a deal breaker, i.e. should I move on? The frame looks great, the brackets around the radiator look great, no other signs of rust or previous rust repair.

Thanks for any input!

 

Depends on several factors. Price of car, price of repairs, etc.

 

I`m no expert...
But one guys idea of a repair maybe another guys idea of a nightmare.
My advice to you is fined the best vette you can afford.

Pics will help...
If posible check behind the kick panels to see how far the rust went.

Other guys will be more of a help.

Good luck with your adventure...thats half the fun.


Rod

 

Thanks. Rust repairs I speak of have already been made - just want to know if it is a warning flag. There is no other rust or rust repairs on the car. It is very original - 68k, original paint (a little dull but not in need of paint job), 4 speed, L-48, interior all original (except carpet) and in great shape, working a/c, matching #'s, everything works except speedo, t-tops don't leak. Asking price is $15k but I believe there is plenty of room to negotiate.

 

For 15k NO WAY! I got my 79 for 5k this year (paint is also dull, new crate motor, seats need recovering, needed a heater core, front brakes, ps control valve and diff gasket).
I would pay max 8k (with what I can picture from your description, pictures would help)

 

Ad with pictures:

http://houston.craigslist.org/ctd/1560095112.html

 

Crazyeight

At the end of the day it`s your decision...

The rust repair if done right will no longer be an issue...but if not, well.
So if you don`t feel comfortable about your own judgement (experience) with c3`s in general, find a guy around your area, corvette club, someone from the forum, etc... that has experienced the trials and tribulations of the c3 world, to take a look at it with you.
Thats my advice.

Without an actual eyeball on the repair work it`s hard to say yes or no.
For $15,000.00 I`d say no.
Good luck on your adventure

Rod

 

Personally I would move on. What are you looking for in a vette? The only thing that has going for it over some 8k cars is the 4 speed. Take a look at the for sale section here to get an idea of cars for the price. Remember you can always get a car shipped

Good luck on the search

 

L-48 MOTOR Base engine
RARE 4 SPEED Wide ratio 4 speed was standard. The optional close ratio 4 speed was not available with the L-48.
FACTORY AM/FM/CASSETTE STEREO Not available in 1976
POWER DOOR LOCKS Not availabe in 1976
REMOTE ALARM after market

Looks like a nice car; CE wheels?
$15K is high.

Good luck.

 

Yes, '82 CE wheels. $15k is his ad price. I'm assuming I could get him to $10k-$11k

 

This more likely is a lower windshield frame repair, not leaking t-tops IMHO. If you can see the repair visibly, that would worry me about the quality of work.

Check the rear kickup area in front of the rear tires. FYI, my radiator support looked great until I pulled the radiator. Then I discovered a four inch hole in it. The outside of the support may not tell you the whole story.

At that price, I would. Where are you located? If you are in Texas there are people here who can help you look at cars to see if you are getting what you are paying for. Also, unless they are able to provide some type of title history and service records, there is no way to verify the original mileage because Texas exempts these cars from mileage certification.

 

Thanks for the input. I'm on forums for WRX, BMW E46 and a Jeep TJ and this forum betters all of those. Now if I can just find a good, solid C3 4-speed so I can join!

 

Pass on that car. The price is way too high to begin with. And, if you can easily spot repairs in that area, chances are there is more damage that the owner couldn't get to. If he can't show you photos of the "before" and "after" condition on that rust repair, take a pass.

 

The price does seem high. I bought my 58k original mile '76 4 speed for $5000 in 2008. Maybe I got a steal, but the price seemed right for both the buyer and the seller. It was an Arizona car for 28 years so rust isn't much of an issue.

However, I have noticed lately that people are asking quite a bit for 4 speed cars compared to automatics. Here is a local example:
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/ctd/1559346664.html

This car has been for sale for quite a while. I've seen it on ebay as well. I think it has received bids around $13k and the reserve still wasn't met. This car isn't perfect either. The radio is not original, has chrome on the engine where there should be painted parts etc. Also, it should NOT be an M21 trans because they were only available with the L82 engines. So, once again...buyer beware. Still seems like a high price, but the seller is determined to get his price apparently. If you are determined to spend that kind of money, then you should take the car to have a thorough inspection.

I don't think having a 4 speed means the price is double what an automatic goes for....but what do I know? Ultimately it's your money and you have to judge the value for your buck. My personal opinion is the price is too high. Maybe $8k or so, if the birdcage is not rusted. This car has metal floor pans as well. Make sure you peek under the carpet when you check for rust.

Happy hunting!

 

Hey,
I got a 79 Beautiful Bright Yellow (not original) beautiful interior, good tires, Excellent shape, needs the battery cables cleaned at the starter and the ground on the frame. I'll sell it for 4000.00. I need the money bad. I put maybe 200 miles on the car since I bought it. It has some rust, but not terminal. the money that you would save on this, you can put some money into it, and make it perfect. I got pics ,,email me. wmattk@yahoo.com

 

The optioinal M21 required the L-82.

Nice car just the same.

 

After looking at pictures of other C3's, the area I assumed had been poorly repaired actually shows up on other cars. The area (maybe 1" x 4") is below the window frame toward the fender and it looks like it was filled, wiped by hand, then painted - not smooth at all. The fact that it isn't smooth is why I assumed rust repair had been done. I've attached a picture of another car as an example of what I'm looking at.

[IMG]c:\corvettepic.jpg[/IMG]

So is this rough finish between the window frame and fender normal?

Also, assuming no rust issues does anyone have comments on a $10k price for the car?

 

... trying the get the example picture uploaded.