hello all....i have owned nothing but old firebirds for projects for 30 years. currently have 5....2-68's, 1-'69 vert, '70 TA, and a '71 formula. early c3 vette is on my bucket list, and a friend of mine has one for sale. very original '71 roadster, 270hp 350, 4 speed, no ac, no power brakes, no power steering, manual windows, very low option car. 72k original miles. paint is cracked badly, dark green color. interior is tan, decent shape. top is shot. original drivetrain. been under it pretty extensively and do not see any rust problems.

i am going to test drive it tomorrow. he brought it to a show i was at last weekend, and it starts and runs very well. he is asking $12500. after reading some threads on here, i am intending to pull kick panels to check the body mount locations of the birdcage. i am thinking i am getting a sound driver that still presents 'ok', and that i can restore in a few years....currently to backed up on my birds.

any other advice on where to check?

what do you guys think of the price?

 

Sounds like a nice find, but $12,500 might be high depending on actual condition. Post some pics.

See any dime/quarter size spots in the fiberglass between the hood and headlights?

 

mike

thanks for reply....what do you mean by a 'spot'? do you mean indication of stress cracking? i do not remember detail of that area, but will check on it tomorrow.

 

with Mike. The car does sound nice, if all original, but hopefully if you intend to purchase that the price can be negotiated a little lower.

 

I have to agree with Mike. Given the condition of the paint you described and the absence of options it seems a bit high. Is the price negotiable? We are in a recession as everyone knows and it is a buyers market. It is a convertible so that gives it some points. I would check craigslist, Ebay, see what is for sale here on the forums, cars-on-line.com, and even check some of the auction house sites for past results. You can do a global search of CL by Googling "1973 Corvette Craigslist" Post some pics of your friends Vette and more members can chime in with the thoughts. Good luck!

 

The headlight bar under the hood surround panel is stamped steel; the rivits used to attach the bonding strip to the bar are aluminum. With time, the rivits begin to back away from the bar and can make quarter size raised areas (spots) in the fiberglass.

Something to look for.

 

He's referring to the rivets showing a buldge between the trailing edge of the headlight doors to the top surround where the hood sits. there may be several appearing bumps under the paint from the rivets starting to show through.

 

Sounds like a base model in need of paint. Price may be a bit high depending on overall condition. Are you planning to restore to resell?
Wondering if this car will perform as some of your Firebirds do? Corvettes have a unique feel, curious as to how you feel about it compared to your Firebirds.

I've owned a few Firebirds as well but nothing quite on par with what you own. 77 Trans AM and 87 Formula...

RE: Things to check... Take a very careful look at the windshield pillars, look for rust. Look at the bottom corners, a problem area which can be expensive to fix. If the owner will allow it, remove the pillar panels (interior) and header panel. They sometimes start to rust from the inside out in the header. Just had mine replaced... Frame right in front of the rear wheels is another weak spot. Cross member under the radiator is another but not as big a deal, it can be unbolted and replaced. Same with radiator support.

 

thank you all for the info...i agree from the checking i have already done, that price may be high. i will check problem areas thoroughly for rust, and if i assume that there are not issues, what would be a decent price? i already know that all gauges work, all electrical items works, carb is fresh rebuild, new fuel pump, good tires, vac headlight doors work well, wiper setup functions properly...very complete garage kept car. interior has no tears, but looks tired. dash is not cracked. brakes are 'spongy', and i assume at least needs fluid replaced.

i am figuring if i can get him down to 11k or 11.5k i am doing ok.

i am looking forward to expanding from pontiacs, and am curious as to the differences in handling and power. i know pontiacs like the back of my hand, but looking under the corvette i realized i have alot to learn about it. i ordered a chiltons and a restoration guide to help me catch up.

i am not looking to restore and sell. i am much better at buying than selling cars. i intend to restore and drive. hopefully never sell, and my kids can fight over my cars when i am gone.

 

Reason I asked if this car was for resale is because it's a rather baseline, low option Corvette. You can certainly add options to it, make it more to your liking but doing so diminshes value so far as originality is concerned. General rule is to hang on to all original parts. If added options can be removed in the future to return to original condition you should be OK. If you aren't concerned about originality, just want a Corvette for yourself, could be a good platform to start with.

If you go ahead with the purchase, most people recommend buying the AIM (assembly instruction manual) and the Chevrolet Shop manual for your specific year Corvette. A wealth of information specific to your year and model.

 

Also check the vacuum system. Do the lights pop up & go down quickly? Does the wiper grill lift and the wipers work? There can be lots of gremlins in this system. Ask for service receipts to review. Post some pics of you can before you make a decision.
Hope it works out.
Glenn

 

i will post pics if i can....does my free membership allow me to do so?

as far as restoration plans, i agree with BB's advice. typically with my birds i like to keep as original as possible, but 4 out of the 5 did not have original engines when i bought them. kind of liberating actually. i have stuck with correct dates on the blocks and heads, intakes, qjets, etc for the engines i have built....but have much better internals in the motor. also suspension upgrades...performance springs, faster ratio steering, poly graphite bushings, larger sway bar, etc. all looks original to an untrained eye, but performs much better.

on the vette, i would probably pull original motor and tranny and store it when i get around to restoring. probably go back with a stroked 350 and a overdrive trans. i look forward to building an sbc, the aftermarket is astounding. pontiac gets little support, and is expensive when you find what you are looking for. again, i would keep the engine looking externally stock as much as possible.

i am curious to see how i like not having power steering or power brakes on this car. i like the roominess in the engine compartment, but wonder if i will miss power assist?

i also prefer a black interior, and probably a different color paint. does value drop significantly from color changes?

what parts houses do you guys feel are reasonable for restoration?

also, any corvette magazines you would recommend for c3 owners?

 

First, you can post pics. Go to photobucket.com and open a free account.
After your done, browse for the pics on your PC, pick & download the files. Once downloaded click on and copy the IMG code, mine does this automatically when I move the cursor over the code list below each image, and paste the code in your thread or post. You’re done.

Second, I don't have power steering or brakes. After a month or so, I got use to it and prefer it. I drove another 70 last summer with power steering & brakes and didn't like the steering feel as much.
There are lots of vendors that are usually pretty good.
Willcox, Paragon, ZIP, Corvette Central, Doc Rebuild, Corvette Rubber Co to name a few. There's also tons of Corvette salvage yards for original parts, ebay, the parts section here on the forum.
Glenn

 

Power steering is nice to have for parking or very low speeds if you have wide tires. It does change the feel a bit, something you would need to decide for yourself.

I added both power steeeing and power brakes to my 70 big block. The power brakes were the biggest improvement IMO. Felt like I was stopping a train without them.

So far as changing colors, interiors, etc... if you plan to sell to a collector in the future it will need to be original. The general rule is the sale price may be reduced by the cost to restore to original. An interior can be changed back to original with minor expense compared to a paint job.

 

You don't need an original car for the changes you list. You could probably find several cars where some of these changes have already been made and save money on the purchase.

Usually.

Corvette Enthusiast, but they are being gobbled up. VETTE magazine is out there, but you asked for a magazine I would recommend.

 

good point mike. in the vette world, is there much value to keeping a base model, low option car correct? one thing i like about the originality of the car is that everything is there and working. much easier starting point for someone with no vette experience.

another path i could take is to rebuild the original motor eventually with stronger internals, and stick with current color combo of dark green, tan interior, and white top...not bad at all. i will only put 1000 miles or less on the car per year.

like i have said, i do not intend to sell, but also do not like to be 'upside down' on a car. if all original and in say a #2 restored condition, what would it be worth? 20k? if different color and drive train, but same condition, maybe 17k?

thoughts?
i really appreciate everyone's help.