You all were incredibly helpful my last go around about buying a vette, and I steared clear of the Big Yellow Mama that was more of a 78 built headache. So I will go back to this well often for advice

I looked at a 77, it has sat since 98, as a restore over time project.
The it has the orignial L 48 in it, at glances it looks to be all in tack. It has 77,000 miles on the car. The interior is 95% complete. One door handle is broken and issues with power windows. All the gauges work, Brand new Eckler interior, back to match the trim tag codes. The seals are all new and does not leak anywhere. The doors show a small amount of sag, at the upper front hinge.

The body needs to be painted. It looks like it the prep work was started so it could go to paint. But Never made it.
The nose cone looks to be a bit dried out, I am thinking that since that is cosmetic only I could just replace it.

The negitive, the hood has a little damage where the support brackect hold the hood open. It looks like someone may have tried to close the hood with the support bracket in locked position. When closed it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch of difference, but you can see it is only in that one spot the rest of the hood lines meet.

Pics will be loaded once I get them off the camera

The price is set at 4000

 

 

 

That's a problem. I can't tell whether the door needs to go forward or the clip has come unbonded. What does the right side look like?

Is this 77 running?

No brainer - is the driver's top with the car?

She needs a lot of work.

I'm not uncomfortable with the $4K asking price, but I would dicker a bit.

Good luck.

 

The top was off to check the weatherstriping.
The passenger door sits darn near identical to the driver door.

It does run, I am heading back to the car Sunday night, dropping a battery in it, and bleeding the brakes, and I am going to drive it around the block.

 

Doesn't sound like a bad deal as long as a couple things check out:
Frame rot? check all the usual places.
Birdcage rust? Check the lower part of the A-pillars. A little visible rust at the bottom of the pillars doesn't mean it's horrible, but it means you might want to look further. Mine had the beginnings of pillar rust, but I got on it right away before it got serious.
Engine (you've got that under control)
Hood: It's not uncommon for the hood to be low along the fender area. Mine was the same. When I was doing the paint/body, I just built it up a little higher with filler and you can't tell now. The area by the hood prop can easily be re-fiberglassed
Wheels: What do they look like?

Overall, if the interior is good, she could be a good deal. I don't know what your mechanical abilities are...

Mark G

 

looking at the doors, the door handle, the headlights and the hood, wonder if it was just taken apart and they didn't know how to put it back together right or just threw it together to sell quick. So much out of whack in the front, I'd really crawl around underneath and make sure that it wasn't wrecked and pieced back together.

That engine will surely need some attention after sitting so long. You have a lot of unknowns getting into this. I don't think that I'd pay $4000 for it in the condition it is in simply because of the issues you might run into aligning everything properly. Is going to be a lot of work. I'd want it cheaper or preferably have the front end put together correctly for that price.

When you look at the cost or at least your labor to realign everything, finish prepping it for paint, the cost of a paint job, odds and ends on the engine, tires, etc. You are going to have a decent chunk of change in it on top of not really being able to enjoy it on the road right away. Personally, I think that you'd be better off calculating what the known costs to repair this one would run and look into finding one that is in better condition for that amount. I've seen ones with the body in better shape and running for around $3000.

You didn't mention rust on the birdcage. Does it have none or have you checked yet? If it had any rust I'd walk from this one.