My $4,000 1976 Stingray Story
05-12-2012, 07:24 AM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2007
Location: Rushsylvania Ohio
Posts: 4,836
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
My $4,000 1976 Stingray Story
Have been a Forum Member for a few years since I purchased my new 2008 C6 and have been keeping an eye out for a C3 for years. I had a 1979 C3 about 20 years ago. This particular 1976 was purchased from my best friends aunt and uncle. They bought the car in southern Indiana in 2000. I always really liked this car and always told them if they were ever ready to sell, please get ahold of me first. I always reminded them of this everytime I saw them.
These people own a home in Florida and spend 6-8 months there a year. They never did take the Corvette down there with them and only drove it a few times a year when they were back in Indiana. The car had not even had the T-Tops on it for the last 5-6 years since they only drove it on very nice days.
Well my buddy called me in mid January and said they were ready to sell. $4,000. I had a check on the way to them the same day. Problem was, they were in Florida and would not be coming home to Indiana until May and they would not be able to get the title out of their bank lockbox until then. So, I have been waiting and waiting.
When I picked up the car, they handed me a bag full of receipts that total up to $3,500 and include a rebuilt transmission, new brake caliper/rotors, rebuilt trailing arms, ALL drive/halfshafts rebuilt, ps control valve, vacuum lines, door/window parts, starter, rebuilt carb, new radiator support, new exhaust and many other items. All the receipts come from shops I know of and use to go to when I lived in the same town as they do.
Car does have a replacement GM 350 in it that was installed about 8 years ago. Came with glass tops. Paint job is a 10 footer but the frame and birdcage are in excellent shape and the interior is pretty decent.
I drove the car home 175 miles when I picked it up and my wife has driven it several times since. Put new tires on it already and have been getting the ignition straightened out since I found the vacuum advance was bad and the advance weights were stuck. Runs great now and the car is definitly a driver.
Working on alot of the typical little C3 issues like vacuum to the headlights, dash gages acting goofy, doors out of alignment and so on. A fun car to drive that I can keep together, drive while making repairs and I will tackle the body in a few years.
Glad to be a part of the C3 community again!
Here is a few pics. Hood is not fully closed in a few and my C6 shows up in a few.
These people own a home in Florida and spend 6-8 months there a year. They never did take the Corvette down there with them and only drove it a few times a year when they were back in Indiana. The car had not even had the T-Tops on it for the last 5-6 years since they only drove it on very nice days.
Well my buddy called me in mid January and said they were ready to sell. $4,000. I had a check on the way to them the same day. Problem was, they were in Florida and would not be coming home to Indiana until May and they would not be able to get the title out of their bank lockbox until then. So, I have been waiting and waiting.
When I picked up the car, they handed me a bag full of receipts that total up to $3,500 and include a rebuilt transmission, new brake caliper/rotors, rebuilt trailing arms, ALL drive/halfshafts rebuilt, ps control valve, vacuum lines, door/window parts, starter, rebuilt carb, new radiator support, new exhaust and many other items. All the receipts come from shops I know of and use to go to when I lived in the same town as they do.
Car does have a replacement GM 350 in it that was installed about 8 years ago. Came with glass tops. Paint job is a 10 footer but the frame and birdcage are in excellent shape and the interior is pretty decent.
I drove the car home 175 miles when I picked it up and my wife has driven it several times since. Put new tires on it already and have been getting the ignition straightened out since I found the vacuum advance was bad and the advance weights were stuck. Runs great now and the car is definitly a driver.
Working on alot of the typical little C3 issues like vacuum to the headlights, dash gages acting goofy, doors out of alignment and so on. A fun car to drive that I can keep together, drive while making repairs and I will tackle the body in a few years.
Glad to be a part of the C3 community again!
Here is a few pics. Hood is not fully closed in a few and my C6 shows up in a few.
Last edited by Swiftrider08; 05-12-2012 at 07:28 AM.
05-12-2012, 07:30 AM
#2
Drifting
Member Since: Jun 2011
Location: iowa city iowa
Posts: 1,540
Received 253 Likes
on
139 Posts
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C3 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
Cool story. Sounds like they wanted you to be the one to have it next.
Nice C6, BTW.
The car looks like a lot of fun. It is nice (and sound) enough to drive now, but there is stuff you can do to make it nicer when you want to.
Congrat's.
-brent
Nice C6, BTW.
The car looks like a lot of fun. It is nice (and sound) enough to drive now, but there is stuff you can do to make it nicer when you want to.
Congrat's.
-brent
05-12-2012, 11:39 AM
#9
Burning Brakes
I own 6 Corvettes...and to be honest my low optioned, 1976 l48 4 speed car is my favorite overall Corvette to just plain drive...
Mine has Moon Roofs on it and I modified the rear window so it can be removed like the 68-72 coupes... I have no clue where the original solid tops are located any more never sold them but darn if I can find them...
Bob G
64 72 76 79 88 (35th anc) and 98 Corvettes.
Mine has Moon Roofs on it and I modified the rear window so it can be removed like the 68-72 coupes... I have no clue where the original solid tops are located any more never sold them but darn if I can find them...
Bob G
64 72 76 79 88 (35th anc) and 98 Corvettes.
05-13-2012, 06:11 PM
#12
Melting Slicks
I'll give you $4100 for it. LOL. Sounds like a great deal, but when you said you paid for it in January and couldn't get it until May, I thought the story wasn't going to end well.
