questions
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: virginia
questions
ok guys i know u can help me. im 41 years old and have wanted a vette forever and finally close to buying a 1982 vette. i know these arnt the most desireable but i love the style and also hey well its a vette right. my question is the 1982 i have chance to get supposedly has 47,000 original miles, owner bought it in 2005 in hawaii while in the marines. from the photos it looks preety good shape, its black on black, well i guess charcoal int as ive read they didnt have black interior?? but the paints nice, interior is great but he removed the cross fire intake and throttle bodies and put on a aluminum 4 barrel intake and a 4 barrel carb. i can get the car for $4,500. it has original wheels. only thing he said was the windows didnt go up and down well, im assuming motors?? are these hard and or expensive to replace? anything else i shuld look for on it before i buy? PLEASE HELP !!! all info is greatly appreiciated as ive owned many many many cars but never a vette so i need help
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,388
Likes: 2
From: Eagle River Alaska
Well, everything is fixable. Just takes time and money. I had trouble with my driver's side window. Turned out to be a bad connection at the switch. If it runs well, is fairly rust free, and you live in an area that doesn't require you to have all the original emissions equipment, I'd say go for it. Welcome to the insanity! 
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: virginia
Well, everything is fixable. Just takes time and money. I had trouble with my driver's side window. Turned out to be a bad connection at the switch. If it runs well, is fairly rust free, and you live in an area that doesn't require you to have all the original emissions equipment, I'd say go for it. Welcome to the insanity!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,388
Likes: 2
From: Eagle River Alaska
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,301
Likes: 1,583
From: Western NY
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Instructor
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 233
Likes: 6
From: Lake Charles LA
So you have only seen the car in pictures? While 82s are not the most desirable Corvette you can buy, the fact that it is priced that low might make me suspicious as to why. While it sounds cheap at the moment, you can spend a whole lot of money real quick on a 29 year old car that has problems. I hope you plan to look it over real well before purchasing it.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Out Where the Buses Don't Run, Eglin AFB/ Niceville FL
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So you have only seen the car in pictures? While 82s are not the most desirable Corvette you can buy, the fact that it is priced that low might make me suspicious as to why. While it sounds cheap at the moment, you can spend a whole lot of money real quick on a 29 year old car that has problems. I hope you plan to look it over real well before purchasing it.
I bought an 82 from just the pics from a forum member back in Sept. The car was mostly complete and original and low miles (28K). What wasn't disclosed was the car sat uncovered for some time. Fortunately the birdcage is good and the frame has only surface rust.I was able to do all of the labour and the parts I have had to buy have been relatively inexpensive. I was able to drive the car back to FL from NJ with no mechanical problems. The tires had tread but were the original GY GT's. I do not recommend doing that. I got VERY lucky. Two of the tires came apart when they were unmounted from the wheels.
I still have a few things to do to make it perfect but it is ready for the road and some cruising. Take beige79's advice and inspect it thoroughly. Do not assume the pics tell the whole story. 9 out of 10 times they don't. Good luck to you.
Pic after most of the work was done and before the Zaino detailing.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 99
From: Southeast, Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
worth having someone take a personal inspection of it if it is too far away from you or you don't feel like a road trip. the price is awful cheap, even for a modded 82 (cross fire). for what it is worth removal of the cross fire system isn;t that unusual as most mechanics never figured out how to deal with it properly. if you had a good mechanic, cross fire was a decent system. that said, be real careful of rust. as for the window, it could be something as simple as the grease having hardened in the tracks/gear, etc or a simple poor connection. it could also be that the track assembly, gear and spring need to be replaced which is a pain to work with (inside the confines of the door), but it's not expensive. a new motor should be able to be had for under $200 and if you check it all out and conclude that the motor needs to be replaced, take it all apart, clean it up well, re-grease it and away you should go. keep in mind this is a 29 year old car and is prone to just about every breakdown you can think of eventually. once repaired, as a general run, the C3 is a pretty dependable ride!!
Safety Car
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,747
Likes: 713
From: Lafayette Louisiana
Good Advice above and another suggestion
Good advice above and another suggestion.
Find a copy of C3 Corvette Buyers Guide by Richard Prince and study it before you buy.
Also lots of info on the internet and a vast knowledge on this forum.
I did not do any of this a couple of years ago, buying my 76 though, in a hurry, really wanted the car, read a couple of posts here, trying to figure out what a bird cage was, not sure where to look for even what, and very lucky the car turned out to have the typical issues, but nothing major. Also had a knowledgeable buddy giving me advice over the cell phone when looking at it. So, lucky and happy with the purchase. But, getting educated first and looking at several cars before you buy is better I think. And, right now there are incredible bargins out there, a buyers market.
A C3 is a great thrill, good luck to you.
Find a copy of C3 Corvette Buyers Guide by Richard Prince and study it before you buy.
Also lots of info on the internet and a vast knowledge on this forum.
I did not do any of this a couple of years ago, buying my 76 though, in a hurry, really wanted the car, read a couple of posts here, trying to figure out what a bird cage was, not sure where to look for even what, and very lucky the car turned out to have the typical issues, but nothing major. Also had a knowledgeable buddy giving me advice over the cell phone when looking at it. So, lucky and happy with the purchase. But, getting educated first and looking at several cars before you buy is better I think. And, right now there are incredible bargins out there, a buyers market.
A C3 is a great thrill, good luck to you.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 435
Likes: 7
From: Wake Forest NC
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,360
Likes: 221
From: Beecher Illinois
Check it out closely.
Took a nice 'restored' 76 Nova with me when I moved to the Big Island in 92. Pretty close to sea cliffs where you could see constant sea spray in the air.
Four years later when I left the Nova was a rusted out hulk!
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 2
From: gold coast queensland
blacdog, dont dive in the deep end just yet. i would definatly recommend getting a c3 but you certainly need to do more research. spend alot of time reading this forum and books. not knowing even what a birdcage is means you may get caught out when you settle on a car and if you can build on your knowledge your going to get a far better deal. even if this 82 is in excellent condition apart from the door glass and at a great price of 4500 its worth checking it right out completely otherwise let it go and keep looking.