I'm planning my anticipated mid life crisis at 50 years old (4 years away) My wife's already on board..hehehe. It'll be a 1970-1972 Corvette. I've bought and sold lots of different cars over the years and have always learned something from the experience. I always ended up overlooking something on the car though. What are some of the mistakes you made when you bought your first Corvette? And what advice do you have for me in looking for one? My price range is between 20K - 25K.

Thanks!

 

This list is endless and there are some very predictable suggestions that will be posted soon, so Ill try to mention a few that might not come up right away.

Do not, under any circumstances, take a seller's word on important matters. If a seller tells you the car has matching numbers (aka, the engine numbers match the VIN) VERIFY THIS YOURSELF or have someone capable do it for you.

Do not make lazy mistakes that will cause you dollars in value, which will be your fault.

You don't have to care about wanting correctness, but whether you choose to buy numbers or not, understand their place in marketplace value.

Finally, always take someone with you when you look. I've lost count how many cars I've bought for myself and others, and I still always like another set of eyes with me, especially someone who has no emotional interest in the purchase.

Good luck.

 

Start looking now. You will probably look at more cars than you'd think before you find "the one true deal". In your year and price range there are coupes, convertibles, small blocks, big blocks, 4 speeds, autos, options like A/C, heater delete, performance suspensions, very high performance factory powerplants or 200 HP base cars.... etc.

Do some reading. Google search early C3s. Look at tons of photos and want ads. Go to some local car shows (there's usually a couple Corvette specific clubs in most areas). After you immerse yourself in the "culture" for a bit you will start to form an opinion about exactly which blend of color, style and performance might be right for you. THEN go shopping for real.

 

Take someone with you, even if you know what you're looking for. They will still spot things you will miss. I also recommend "Corvette by the Numbers" by Alan Colvin. Numbers matching or not, there is value in original components.

And fill out your profile. You can connect with someone local right here on the forum.

 

Research. Don't buy the 1st one you see. Do your due diligence. If you don't know what you are looking for or the questions bring somebody that does. Look up local vette clubs in your area that's a good place to start. Educate yourself, know what you want. Look the car over inside and out, be thorough, remember it's your money.

If one gets away that you really liked, I'm a firm believer that it wasn't meant to be and something better is around the corner.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride! Good luck.

 

Thanks guys...all good pointers. One thing that surprised me was the amount of cars out there for sale. I'm going to a local Corvette gathering on Friday so hope to hook up with a club or some contacts at least. The book sounds great...my library didn't carry it though. I'll check Amazon. Cheers! Hope to see you on the road.
Allen

 

Add a new word to your vocabulary, and learn all you can about it like $25k depended on it.

Birdcage

 

Just did this exercise.

Key will be determining to what level you want to maintain or restore the car. If you are an as-is guy, then buy the best condition you can find within your budget and enjoy it. If you're a find the best condition at the lowest price (at a lower total price) and then restore it to NCRS level, then that's a different project.

Lesson One: There are great Corvettes everywhere....even Craigslist.

Lesson Two: Bad pictures sometimes means no one else even looked at
a great find. That's good for you.

Lesson Three: Don't get caught up on numbers matching. Every car was
numbers matching at one point. 75% of what I see claims
numbers match is BS the minute you find the Carb,
Alternator, Starter, AC Compressor, etc. don't match.

Lesson Four: Buy on condition starting from the Frame Up. This car
is 40 years old. What you can't see CAN kill you or your
passenger.

Lesson Five: Paperwork. Must have some history or evidence of car
history. Condition should match paperwork.

Lesson Six: If it's too good to be true, then walk.

Lesson Seven: Have a guy who knows the EXACT YEAR you are looking
at. There are guys who know 70, 71, 72 inside and out.
I'm talking correct bolt to right stitching to right hose
to thickness of tape. These guys can spot problems
instantly. Leverage what I call Subject Matter Experts
by the year.

Lesson Eight: Look at least 25 of the same year. You will all of a
sudden develop a Yoda like ability to spot the good
the bad and the ugly.

Lesson Nine: It's going to cost you $3000k to fix what you don't know
about. Plan on it.

Lesson Ten: You'll thank yourself for following steps 1 to 9.

Good Luck.

 

Look for good cosmetics in way of paint especially as that is very expensive to have redone.

 

Read. This is reasonably good:


This is good if you can find a copy. It's out of print.


Michael Antonick also has a C3 Buyer's Guide.