Take a look at this 71 Coupe and let me know what you think. Need undercarriage shots and a thorough rust inspection, but I want the first impression report on this car. You guys are always the best at spotting things that I overlook. Here is the link to the pictures on photobucket. Priced at less than 30K.
http://s220.photobucket.com/albums/d...orvette%20LT1/

 

Replacement master cylinder
missing smog system

is it a real LT-! or a clone?

 

If the engine pad ID matches the last 5 of the VIN would that be classified as a clone?

 

I think you meant NOT classified........ It could be a restamp- very common. Post a picture of the stamp pad.

 

Very nice from the pics if it is a real LT-1.

 

Hi E,
I'm being VERY superficial here....
Cars that don't have the splash flaps tucked into the a-arms, hex-head bolts on the distributor shielding, and after-market radiator caps make me nervous. To me things like that indicate an owner or owners who've just been replacing parts and mostly buying parts at their local auto store.
In the interior shoots the quarter trim strips have the upper piece missing on each side and the lower strips aren't painted body color. Minor details but the last 5% is what makes a car 'nice' in my mind. Either the parts got lost, the person didn't know how it went together, or he didn't care.
Does any of this matter if this is a real LT-!? Probably no, but if the rest of the car is like this it could take some effort to make it a nice restored LT-!. The AIR system is a pretty hefty item to find and buy $$$...if that's the way you're headed.
It certainly deserves a closer look and an evaluation by you about what you'd like this car to be.
The car could be needy and then the price of around $30 is too high.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

 

Are those allen head bolts on the intake?

It would seem to be a very, very nice car, true LT-1 or not. I would say that anything near $30k would demand a good bit of 'correctness' that might be a smidge lacking in this particular example.

And I'd also echo the opinion given about 'Pep Boys' parts on a car like this. It's just too easy to go to Ecklers, Corvette America, Zips, or whatever other outlet suits you to get the right parts. The repros look decent and aren't that much more expensive. Makes you wonder if they put the Zinc additive required by a car like this to keep the cam from wiping. Doubt it.

If the rest of the car is as clean as the pictures here, then it'd be a very solid purchase in the high-teens or lower 20's. Stretch to the mid-20's if you really like it. But bear in mind you have a bunch of work to do before the car is judged, if that's the direction you're heading. If not, have a GREAT time with it, because it looks like a really nice vehicle.

 

With this car available for $29k, I wouldn't even consider another LT1:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3s-...-for-sale.html

But that's just me. The blue on the one you're looking at does appear to be very eye-catching.

 

Alan,

Your observations are always appreciated. Now that these items have been pointed out, I think that at $30K this car is overpriced.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

The eggcrate louvres are not painted body colour and the hood striping is missing the LT-1 logo. This would tell me the previous owner(s) were not that particular with this car. I suspect the louvres have been replaced. Things like this drive me nuts, but I'm that kind of guy I guess. If it's really sharp mechanically these things shouldn't be deal breakers though. Looks like a nice car,but I wouldn't go $30k for it...maybe low $20k range if it's an actual LT-1...post an engine pad pic on here and the wise will tell you pretty quickly I think.

 

To be clear, Mr. Alan71 and Mr. Brcmpbl are pointing out some things that point in the direction of your not purchasing it as a 'top-flight' car. It is not.

If it is a true LT-1, it would be a very, very nice vehicle if the underside looks anything like the engine bay.

My hesitation would be, as are indicated by the other inaccuracies in the car, that someone purchased "regular" oil, used a "regular" oil filter, didn't worry about changing the oil if they flooded the engine, or other little things that could/would have a pretty big impact on a higher-strung engine like this.

If it is a true LT-1, it would seem that a low to low-mid 20's would be a good price. If it is an LT-1 clone, probably in the mid-high teens. Of course, I'd want to have solid lifters and forged internals if I were purchasing it as an LT-1 clone, but you'd have to take some stuff apart to confirm that.

If you were REALLY **** (and if the owner let you), you could pop a valve cover (driver's side is easier) and check to see if there is consistent lash or if the lifters push into the engine. You're checking to see if they are hydraulic lifters. If they ARE hydraulic, you KNOW it isn't even a good LT-1 clone engine and you're back in the L48 HP territory.

Another quick check would be to look at the GM casting number on the intake. You should be able to see it under the front side of the carb if you take the air cleaner off. If it ends in a "6", you have an over-the-counter intake that is otherwise identical to the production line unit. If it ends in a "0", it is probably a production line unit...at least proving that someone had a production LT-1 engine in hand when building this one.

Yet another item I'd like to point out is the 6,200 RPM redline tach. Given the 'incorrectness' of several items on this car, I doubt someone went through the trouble of changing the tach just to show this off as a fake LT-1. The PO of my car actually went through a great deal of trouble and expense to 'create' a LT-1 engine and never replaced the tach.

Soooooo...I'm leaning toward this being a real LT-1 that had some yahoo from Firestone doing all the maintenance work for the past 15 years.

 

No need to do all of this. Solid lifters have a distinct sound and can be identified just by listening to the engine when running.

 

I'm going echo much of what Alan had to say. (I'm a 72 owner). My eye immediately was drawn to the black painted trim strips in the door jamb with the missing tops. Should be body color. Wrong distributor cap and a lot of other assorted items... Cosmetically, I'd want to see the paint closer. The seats look like Al Knoch replacements (not a bad thing). Overall, you do need to check out some of the math on this to see what is original and what isn't numbers wise. That car feels like $24 to $26 to me without knowing the details. n This car presents itself like a B to B- and with a few bucks could be an A.