I have a 1976 Stingray L48 Brown/Tan 10k on the odometer. Tried to sell it a couple of times but no bites. Since the value of these cars has gone down the toilet I was wondering if I should go ahead and mod it or keep it stock. The bumpers are all cracked and need replacing and I like the looks of the '81 bumpers better than the '76. And that steering wheel! I also have a warmed up 355 looking for a home.

 

I vote , mod it.
here's a good start
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-p...-for-sale.html

 

I would doubt that the value of your car is going to shoot through the roof. If you still love driving it and modding it will keep the thrill, I say go for it. Except for the few rare and/or highly collectible models, these cars are not an "investment".

 

It's your car - make it the way you want it!

 

First off.
When I see a car advertised as only 10k on the od, I'm thinking 110k and will need to see the rest of the cars condition to be sure.

If it is indeed 110k then mod it, if not and can be documented then don't.

 

10k miles from new or rolled over ?

If the car's "as new" except for the bumpers- I'd say preserve it and do the repairs for a sale to someone that craves the originality.

If it's rolled over once or twice then go for it ! Lots of people add the later model tail piece and certainly a power mod would bring some fun to an otherwise anemic set-up.

The Vega steering wheel is one of those oddball years and people love it or hate it. You can buy a new wheel, but will need an adaptor plate to make it work for most applications.

Good luck-

 

What's the point of stating the mileage on a ~40yo car anyway? Mileage is typically stated on used cars as an indicator of condition, it has no intrinsic value to the car in and of itself.

I would MUCH rather have a 40yo car with 250k miles on it, that has been garage kept, and professionaly maintained, than one that has 25 miles on it, that has been kept outside. I actually consider low miles on a C3 typically is a bad thing. If the car is 40 years old, and only has 10k miles, I'm thinking this car was not properly maintained, and was not drivable much of it's life.

 

Mod it however you like, then drive it like you stole it!

 

 

Keep it stock and sell it as is.

 

Thanks for the replies. Does anyone know approx. how much a body shop would charge to spray new bumpers?

 

Here's the deal... if it really has only 10K on it it quite likely has most if not all the parts it left the factory with. If that is indeed the case it deserves to be recognized as a "survivor" or "Bow Tie" type car depending on which organization's definitions of special you prefer. Condition of all the parts is much less important than the originality of the parts here so if it qualifies anything you replace will diminish the "value" of the car. That said... there's only a small and quite specialized market for rubber bumpered "it is all as GM built it" cars and selling yours to an interested collector will require you have the car authenticated and judged... a lengthy and cumbersome process.

On the other hand, since it probably lacks the original tires, oil filter, air cleaner and sundry other parts which would be replaced even in so few miles over the years it might not make financial sense to attempt to have the car verified and judged... in which case you should do whatever makes you happy as soon as you can afford the mods. Truly "original" cars are extremely rare and quite desireable so please at least try to verify what you have before you get all jiggy with the mods.

 

Mod it and rip it

 

I'd like to see pictures

 

If you decide to mod it, I'd suggest you keep the original block and steering wheel and any other original parts you might take off like alternator, smog pump, etc. I'd also suggest if you replace the bumper with an '80 style to resist the urge to mold the seam in, that way the car is easily returned to stock in no time and the car will be easier to sell when the time comes.

 

I truly believe that the mileage is correct just don't have documentation.
Here are afew picks:
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These are from a couple of years ago the bumpers have deteriorated since.

 

since we now have pics, I'm changing my vote to, dont mod that, if you need one to play with I'll trade you my 76 and you can play with it all you want

 

Google "Bloomington" and check into the Survivor ratings.... I have a 75 with less then 7,000 miles on it thats still 99% factory installed original. I plan to take her to get her survivor certified. You only get one shot at that title so I wont mod mine. I have a ton of documentation to prove the mileage (vehicle inspection sheets and such).

Yes mine has been garage stored since day 1 and yes, she sat in a garage for 15 yrs due to the brakes failing and the second owner having a series of heart attacks that made it impossible for him to fix the brakes. But he did clean her every few months and conditioned the leather every 6 months to keep her in good shape.

 

Bubba hasn't found that car yet.

Keep that sucker just like it is!

 

Looks like a great car - - I'd vote for originality - - new bumpers and paint should run a grand or so if you can do some of the work -- or sell it as-is . . . lots of people love the originality and it looks pretty well preserved.

As noted- not really a highly collectible year, but appears to be a really nice car. If you're going to keep it and like the flip up tail - make it as you like it- you can always change the tail piece back.

Good luck