C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

C3 purchase advice

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 06:59 AM
  #1  
erapp57's Avatar
erapp57
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
 
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: cary nc
Default C3 purchase advice

I'm looking at a '71 convertible. $20000. Good shape. Price seem reasonable? Anything to be cautious of with a C3? Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 07:46 AM
  #2  
leadfoot4's Avatar
leadfoot4
Team Owner
25 Year Member
Active Streak: 60 Days
Active Streak: 90 Days
Community Builder
 
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,367
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
Default

Check the "birdcage" around the passenger compartment VERY carefully, and also check the frame for rust damage, especially in the area of the "kick-up", right in front of the rear tires.
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 08:12 AM
  #3  
capevettes's Avatar
capevettes
CF Community Team
Supporting Lifetime
20 Year Member
Active Streak: 90 Days
Active Streak: 120 Days
Conversation Starter
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 19,365
Likes: 5,244
From: Cape Cod, Mass.
2025 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C8 of the Year Finalist Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C1 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2017 Corvette of the Year Finalist
2016 C2 of Year
2015 C3 of Year Finalist
Default

Rust and overpriced phony cars. $20,000 or a little bit more should get you into a clean, base motor small block. If you are unfamiliar with these cars, bring someone along that knows them to assess any potential purchase. Good luck
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 08:14 AM
  #4  
chiefbob's Avatar
chiefbob
Instructor
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
From: Camden NY
St. Jude Donor '10
Default

I stumbled on this after buying my Vette in May. I lucked out, though, as the car was in excellent condition.

http://www.automobileinspections.com/index.asp

A big ticket purchase like you are contemplating is much like buying a house without a house inspection.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with this company, just providing info that I find useful and may help others.

Maybe some other board members can comment on this service if they've used it?

Bob
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 08:44 AM
  #5  
JW3101's Avatar
JW3101
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,456
Likes: 10
From: Somerdale NJ
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-‘17-‘18
Default

With all the posts so far.

You may want to read this: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-first-c3.html

Good luck!
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 09:08 AM
  #6  
a17mike's Avatar
a17mike
Racer
Supporting Lifetime
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 319
Likes: 0
From: Topeka Kansas
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14,’18
Default

Be very aware Corvettes and this forum are very addictive....



But lots of fun.


Mike
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 09:10 AM
  #7  
Alan 71's Avatar
Alan 71
Team Owner
15 Year Member
Active Streak: 120 Days
Community Influencer
Top Answer: 5
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,274
Likes: 4,366
From: Westminster Maryland
Default

Hi Eric,
I think 71's are really terrifc cars. They still have the looks and a bit of the power of the earlier cars at a reasonable price.
I agree with the info and suggestions posted thus far. I think finding someone in your area who's quite knowlegable about 71s to look at the car with you would really be the wise thing to do.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 12:36 PM
  #8  
PRNDL's Avatar
PRNDL
Team Owner
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
Default

Originally Posted by erapp57
I'm looking at a '71 convertible. $20000. Good shape. Price seem reasonable? Anything to be cautious of with a C3? Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
Price could be very reasonable or a total ripoff, depending on options - engine? trans? color? How original?

I am getting the impression that in this economy, people with very nice cars are having trouble selling them, so if you are careful and do your homework you should be able to get a very nice vette for $20k (although not a pristine LS-6 )
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jul 5, 2010 | 04:29 PM
  #9  
3JsVette's Avatar
3JsVette
Race Director
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 14,948
Likes: 3,351
From: NYC NY
Default

Originally Posted by PRNDL
Price could be very reasonable or a total ripoff, depending on options - engine? trans? color? How original?

I am getting the impression that in this economy, people with very nice cars are having trouble selling them, so if you are careful and do your homework you should be able to get a very nice vette for $20k (although not a pristine LS-6 )
Well stated! What PRNDL said sums it up very well.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To C3 purchase advice





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:12 AM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE