I am a Newb... getting ready to buy my first Vette!!!
I have found 2 that are reasonably priced and I like both of them.
The first is a red '75 with T-tops matching numbers (see pics in the craigs list add)
http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/cto/2089026955.html

The second is a white '78 with T-tops, 2nd engine, and the enterior is in terrible condition, it would likely need to be completely redone...
http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/cto/2088220700.html

The same guy owns both, and I think I could get the 78 for $3500 (it doesnt start right now, it acts like the distributor needs some work and the enterior is trashed), and could offer $5000 for the 75 (the front bumper was backed into and is slightly scratched and distorted, other than that it appears to be in great condition. it does have alot of screws in the front of the dash panels is this normal?)

how much would it cost me to completely replace the enterior in the 78?
how much would it cost to get the front bumper repared/replaced?
Do you guys see any huge problems or deal breakers on either one of these vette's? both have great frames, i didnt see any signs of rust anywhere... if you have any other questions ask away...

 

Hmmmmmm...... they are both probably going to cost you a bundle of $$$$ imho, it will be very easy to through $10,000 at ether one of them..they are both well over 30 years old and it is time for ....... well.... everything to be replaced... do you like working on cars? if so, your in the right place, but if you prefer to have someone else do it, be rich.

i like the 78 and up because of all the extra space in the back, an I just think the bubble buts look the best.... but you will have others say the flat windows look the best... just a matter of opinion.

but if you think you are just going to get away with a few interior parts and some carpet... thats probably not going to happen.... probably...


i have owned my car since she was ~2 years old, a 79, and just in the last 2 years my wife and i decided to make her .... new.. and better in many ways... ~30,000$ later, and MY labor, we seem to still have about 8,000$ to go.... they are a money pit.

like any beautiful woman, they are high maintenance...

so, pick the one you like, baring rust or frame damage or the like, ..... and have ~$5,000 and a good set of tools and start your new hobby... jmho.... nothing more

 

I agree with Paul, I like the 78 better and believe you'll find the interior space much nice to work around than a 75. A 75 with screws/rivets in the dash bothers me...no telling what else was done to "fix" it up. And no...its not normal. Of course, the paint on the 78 is uglier than sin. Sounds like on either you'll have mechanical, interior and exterior issues.

 

I like the 78 also, had mine for 15 years, A labor of LOVE.....

 

78. IMHO, better body style.

 

The paint job on the white will be very expensive to get rid of for starters. It's atrocious. I bought my 76 in early October and it looked perfect, no rust on frame, etc. PO said the choke didn't work right....so, you warmed it up babying the throttle for five or ten minutes...probably fuel being wasted. Various small sensors didn't work like the head light up microswitch, the horn didn't blow which he didn't tell me and after two weeks of driving the left front brakes dripped brake fluid on the floor. Caliper repairs and new front discs on both sides (must do as a pair). He had no idea when he last put plugs or wires in it and said it leaked no fluid. I figured even spending what I spent on what looked like a perfect car that I'd have to dump $5,000 into it the first year especially since I wanted a good mechanic to do the big stuff the first time. My local Chevy dealer who does my Trailblazer as well has a shop foreman who is good with 70's engines and carbs (everything is f.i. nowadays) and I didn't want my learning curve to ruin what ran well once started and looked great. I did a punch list, fixed the microswitch, found the horn connection had been inadvertently disconnected but needed the A note horn replaced (A and C note horns on mine), had them change plugs and wires, new rotor and dist. cap, fix choke. While fixing the choke which involved replacing the choke housing and parts the vacuum advance was getting no vacuum so the guy noticed a gasket hanging out of the big four barrell rochester quadrajet. Clearly either the wrong gasket or in backwards or flipped and was blocking the vacuum advance. They couldn't get it that trip so I brought it back and they removed it and checked. The jackleg who'd done that had so screwed it up it was warped could not be rebuilt as a result and so we put a new rebuilt quadrajet in from Zip which works perfectly. Runs great.

I have had to tighten two different hose clamps also by the way. The new radio to replace the non working non oem radio is in the garage and the carb. timing advance kit to recurve the carb is in the garage as well. I have a stainless rear luggage rack due here early next week to install and I've installed a new passenger side outside rear view mirror, changed and lowered the inside rear view since I'm tall and I couldn't see through it over the right side forward to remove the blind spot and many other little things like replace the two four speed shift lever boots...rubber lower and leather upper.

Meanwhile I'm listening while at local show spot on Sat. night with the car and other vette owners are and they say "sounds like you have a manifold leak." PO said he'd had one manifold replaced. I think it was this one and his hamhanded, jacklegged mechanic did not torque it right so it cracked and he didn't realize it. his wife drove it on Fridays and they had a kid going to college and were selling for the tuition money. I start crawling around under the car up on ramps at my home and discover two holes in the steel exhaust, rust on a hole in what looks almost like the original cat. converter and a crack in the passenger side ram's horn exhaust manifold/header. Was able to fill all with high temp epoxy but the crack has blown it out in a month. I will put fill in again using a better method but it's clear that the exhaust system is at the end of its useful life and I've made arrangements to put a new system on in early Feb...it's in garage and barely used this time of year due to weather. Will have them put a new ram's horn on as well. Special shop that knows how to work on older cars this time. It will have either the 2-1-2 but with a new high flow cat convertor or convert to straight duals...haven't decided. Will have either aluminized or stainless pipes when I have it done.

Bill for all this will be just about $4,000 on a $10,000 car. It runs great, looks great but the systems are all 35 years old now so with what you're startiing with, plan on dumping at least $10,000 into either car. $5,000 would be lucky. Horn is a musical treat and better yet, cuts through the wind with its sound at any speed. Love driving it and it gets rave reviews as a piece of art and mechanically.

This is some idea of what's ahead of you and is more typical than not if under what most experience. If you can do these things yourself it helps and you may notice I haven't said word one about tires as mine had new ones on it..255 x60 r15 bfg rwl tires. I bought a donut spare from a guy here on the forum out in Utah as well since it didn't come with one. The existing tires are too wide to fit in the bucket. The donut is 195 x 80 x 15 polyester and looks like a thin tread tire...original to corvette in 1980. Just for low speed driving until you get your other tire fixed...quickly.

You'll have to buy manuals for it, start learning a lot of systems. Don't count on your chevy dealer as their memory is probably only 15 years. My alarm system key is missing as is the door lock key. I have new locks and have had the door panel off but have not tackled replacing the lock set yet. Dealer wants $450 to do it! So...this is a taste of what owning a Vette is. The cheaper to buy the more you'll spend as others have mentioned. These are high maintenance broads, big time.

lance

 

By the way, the above is a fairly realistic portrayal. Mine looks good and runs well and some are willing to drive with less but I'd like it to be safe. I also am taking it on the Virginia International Raceway road race 3.27 mile with 17 turn track April 13 in their "Touring Lights" program where you get four sessions of 25 minutes each during the day following a pacing car. No passing, no other race cars on the track. They say for once in a lifetime, novice drivers I will have a blast and by the end of the day feel challenged with the pace. Real race drivers hit 200 mph on the straights and the record is 1 min. 46 sec. for an open wheel race car. You have to have the car pass a tech inspection within 4 weeks of your day too and submit it...local mechanic will do it. I want it working right for this which is the real reason for the exhaust system in Feb. instead of later in the year.

 

The 75 at least runs and drives right now. It has a later rear bumper on it if you care?

 

Did anyone notice the same guy is selling both?

That kinda makes it easy. Go to one place and look at them both. Pick the one that's in the best shape.

 

I would go for the 75 still gonna need work but way less than the 78 JMO.It would be more fun right off the bat without working on it for however long.

 

The OP said that in the first post.

I vote for the 75. You don't have to deal with the paint immediately.

 

when someone says it just needs a little tlc and has some minor issues starting....might wanna be aware that there is just about never anything that is a minor issue on a Vette once you get into it when they are this old. Not necessarily huge but one person's minor issue that he's done nothing about is probably a system that needs most of the major parts of that system redone. One system at a time with a vette. Windshield wipers worked on mine but I had to add a new windshield washer pump. The antifreeze fluid overflow nylon container had a hole in it where it had rubbed on the fender. Not a big expense to replace and put some rubber gasket between it and fender but it all takes time and you'll learn how much they've crammed into how little space when you do it. Hopefully that will be one time things in my duration as owner. It's been an education but now when I drive it or look at it I really smile as I know so much more about how it works and I know very little compared to some here who are real experts at this.

 

The 75 seams to be the better deal. If it is truely a numbers matching car. It has a lot less issues to deal with. Better paint, original engine, slightly better interior. Be careful, do your homework, but in the end it is the one that YOU like that is the right one for you.

 

save up some more money and do more research. mileage wasn't listed either. you can do better just keep hunting. I bought a 75 4 years ago.mechanically sound but need bumpers and paint. $5000 for the paint & $1400 for the front and rear bumpers. keep looking your vette is out there!!!

 

either one will be a "project". since they are very different style wise, which body style do you prefer?? that should be the first decision you make. once you get that solved, then you need to come to grips with the fact that either of these will wind up costing you significant additional money. if you are looking to deal with a project of sorts, than consider either of these. if you are looking for a pay and drive type, keep looking. i love my 78, but i have been working on the "trashed interior" for 3 years. trust me once you get into it you will find that the interior isn't all that's wrong with it. more likely than not, the lack of upkeep on the interior will become evident in many other places on the car. each will take time and each will cost money. these are 30+ year old vehicles that at one time in their lifetime weren't babied "treasures". since they both appear to be somewhat original and never restored in any way along the line, you are in for a challenge with either.

 

Thanks for the input, I do recognize that with any C3 I am going to have some work ahead of me, I am interested in doing the work myself so I hope to save a little money with that...
I do prefer the fastback style of the 78 over the 75, and while the "flames" on the 78 are hideous, they are not as ugly in person, and I could live with them for a while until I am ready to repaint it.
Does anyone have an idea what it would cost just for parts to refurb the enterior on the 78?
From what I can tell on the 78 the issue with it starting is in the Distributor, it sparks on 3/8 cylinders. I know they changed to a new style distributor in 78 or 77? does anyone know if these are easily adjusted or if I would be better off just picking up a new one?
I would like to see it start and run before I buy it, since there are so many other systems that run off of the vacuum system I want to make sure they are working too.

 

Hmmm "... two years ago and just never used it much" . . . I didn't drive mine much the first 5 years either . . . always working on. It just depends on what you are looking for. As others have already mentioned, if you are looking for a car to work on as a hobby, then either would be fine (assuming no major issues with rust/frame). If you are looking for minimum investment to have a daily driver, then I would look around some more. These cars are a blast, but you have to be willing to work on yourself and spend money on them. When I'm done with my '76 in the next 5-10 years, I'm sure I'll easily have $25K in it. The less you spend on it on the front end, the likelyhood you'll spend more on the tail end. What is you overall budget . . . something to consider. Good news is you know about this forum and the wealth of knowledge here can guide you through any problems and upgrades you want to do. BTW, once you start looking at these other Corvette Forum cars, you will get Corvette Fever really bad.

 

1. "some work"??????:rofl : no... A LOT of work... A LOT
2. do you have a lot of tools? and time? and patience? If you are lacking any of the above...
3. good choice
4. dash ~$500, carpet ~$250 seats...and on and on and on.... maybe just cosmetics, ~1000$
5. and this is where the story starts.... :thumb s:$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

It's one thing to ask some forum member's, but way better to get someone knowledgible to actually come out with you for a physical inspection. May cost a couple hundred buck's, but chump change in the scheme of thing's. Check with your local NCRS club for someone. May cost you $35 to join, but again pennies.

 

Try the site Search tempest and enter your zip and put something like this

(1974|1975|1976|1977|1978|1979) corvette

in the search box