That picture is before i added the side pipes and pipe covers

 

I used to have an '81 convertible conversion and this topic would come up, as I was teaching the How To Buy Corvettes at Bloomington Gold. Naturally I have strictly valued modified cars as worth less than their stock counterparts. However, there is the occasional exception.

My experience has shown me that the 80-82 convertible conversion cars draw LESS real BUYERS, but generally SELL for a bit higher than a comparable '80-'82 coupes because 1. the buyer is usually looking for that sort of car and 2. the '80-'82 prices are on the low side.

However, its critical, in my opinion, that the car "appears" stock. A conversion with incorrect sidepipes, wrong colors, and other custom touches loses all its value very quickly. The buyer interest in this type of car has always been the "car GM never built." All the serious buyers I knew and came in contact with were willing to pay for THAT car, not a car with mismatched custom stuff all over it.

Id like to see more pics of the car.

So in summary, Ive found if you are patient and the car is "stock-looking" you could sell it for more than a comparable coupe. However, you have to be patient and not be swayed by the many people who (reasonably so) would try to buy for less because its modified.

 

Im kind of surprised at the interest in the car, i will take some pictures today of the car and post them either tonight or tomorrow, thanks for the replies and interest.

 

As a guy who has 6 Corvettes in his garage I have to say I honestly would pay a premium for the OP'ers car judging from the pictures....

A stock 81 with an automatic would not grab my attention (as a buyer) but this car sure would...

Bob G.

 

to make my 82 perfect ,i need to make it a drop top, Ls motor with a nice 5 speed .what would it be worth ?dont care, i would have a fun car .

 

Not sure what OP'ers means, but im assuming your referring to me. I will post up some more pics tonight. Hey bob, what kind of vettes do you have? interested in possibly trading? Im not interested in selling the car, but getting a vette for a vette is a different story. Just figured i would ask. But thanks for the post, i can tell by all the posts, the value is truely determined by the seller and the right buyer.

 

Gunner...

I'm too attached to all 6 of my Vettes to let any of them get away although I rarely drive my 79... my 64 is my pride and joy followed by my 72 ... I also own a 76 an 88 and a 98 the 74 72 & 98 are rag tops the 88 is an Anniv special edition ..

MY Overall favorite driver however always surprised everyone who asks...the 76 is the winner ..its just a darn nice car that can be driven hard without having any guilt about abusing it...that can not be said about the 64 nor 72...(both correct) the 88 is kind of special special and the 98 is for traveling with...(National Corvette Caravans and the Hot Rod Power tours etc and weekend end get aways

Bob G

 

Be careful of that guide. A 350cid engine adds 20% to the value. I wish I had the Spirit of America package.

NADA 1974 Chevrolet Corvette 2 Door Convertible Prices & Specs
Select Options

OR select options below
Option note: Only select engines/options below that are in addition to standard equipment and equipment noted in the manufacturer or year notes shown above. Model names may show standard engine sizes in parenthesis such as “2-door Sdn (440)

350 V8 Engine
4 Speed Transmission
400 V8 Engine
454 V8 Engine
6 Cylinder Engine
Corvete Gymkana Suspension
Corvette Air Conditioning
Corvette Both Tops
Corvette L-82 Engine
Corvette Z07 Package
Factory Air Conditioning
Nova Spirit Of America
Super Sport Package

 

look at it from another point of view. NADA prices are a joke for showing what real prices are, but they are probably close when determining what the difference is between coupes and convertibles.

using a base car as a factor, the dfference between a 70 vert and a coupe is about 13%, a 72 is about 12% and a 74 is about 25%...
average these out and one would expect, if there were factory 81's convertibles the difference would be about 12-25% higher for convertibles. I would guess add 15% or so for what a coupe would sell for , then add or subtract the intangibles of how well the conversion was done vs the fact it is a modded car and selling to a specific collector that requires originality and other buyers that don't really care.. also add in the fact the car is unique.

conclusion: maybe 15-20% more if you find the right buyer.

a modded 81 would probably not take such a price hit as a modded older car.

 

Nice work on the conversion.

 

I wish I knew what those guys at NADA were smoking. Must be some good stuff. If I could buy 81 coupes at market and sell them to NADA at their "average" price, I would be a millionaire very quickly. Always remember that NADA stands for "National Automobile Dealer's Association". It is in their interest to pump up the value of used cars. I sincerely doubt the market would support either their 81 coupe or 74 vert pricing.

 

I was bored at work so i took some pictures of the car and posted them in my CF garage, heres the link for anyone who wanted to see them

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/album.php?albumid=16513

 

FWIW - the ragtop conversion parts alone are $4-6K (depending on how many used parts you can find) without installation labor - and sawzall blades for removal............

 

Great looking car. As mentioned previously, I am not sure of a price but would expect it to be higher than a stock 81. I have always liked those front and rear ends so the rag top sets it off and ads to it in my opinion.

 

The car is nice. I personally think the '69 sidepipes really takes away from the "stock '81 look" but thats just opinion.

I like the rear deck thats '81 style and not a '75 with the grates.

My conversion sold for $17.5k in 1992 which was pretty strong, with a couple other people in line for it.

 

Nice car! I would love to do that to my '79

 

Very nice car. I would take the vert over the coupe any day.

 

I've seen pics of your car and it is sharp. I'm actually in the process of doing it to mine right now ( have been for the last 1 1/2 years along with a lot more things). I'd honestly say that it is worth whatever someone will pay. The purist will believe it is worth less, the late model fans who like verts will think it's worth more. I think one in the condition of yours, you'd have no problem bringing top dollar. You just might have to wait a little longer if you were selling it for the right buyer. It's a tasteful modification.

It doesn't look like it came from a donor car to me. Looks like it is one of the decks made for the late model C3 conversions. Where is the gas tank filler? In the 81 lower position or further up?

I'd like to see some pics of where and how your soft top is mounted, if you have any. Cutting the top off gives you a little different area to mount them. Would like to see how yours was done to file away when I get to that point.

 

Check his fuel lid placement compared to mine. His is exactly where it would be on a 1981 coupe (to accommodate the large back window). Makes you wonder how that conversion was done but someone did a very fine job.

 

As far as the gas filler, its in the lower part of the back, so i guess that kinda means it was a conversion kit (which ive heard was forsale in the early 80's) i will try to get some pics of the mounting of the roof, email me at fkuras@yahoo.com because i get that alot more than i am on here. I will be able to send you pics easier. The lady i bought it from said that it was a convertible for as long as she can remember (it was her fathers) she was in her 50's so im thinking it was done right around the time it was bought. As far as the pipes loosing the stock 81 look, yes it does... ive always liked the side pipes so its just a personal preference for me i also love the l88 hood which is also a possiblity in the near future, but i have the original exhaust and will keep the stock hood so those will always be easy changes. Thanks for the compliments, dont get me wrong the car has its knicks and small chips here and there i would say its about a 5-10ft car, looks almost perfect from that distance. A new paint job in the near future will really finish it off.