Looking for my first one.i see on on e bay,not far from me,charcoal grey/black interior 77,000 miles.I could probably get it for 8k.I was told there is no rust on frame or cage,everything in working order.What is the going rate for a 81 coupe (auto) in decent shape ? this car looks good for that kind of money.I was hoping to get some input on this site.I'm not a car guy,just always wanted a Vette.Are these cars expensive to work on ? I hope to get some advice,I do plan on sending someone from the lemon squad to look at it.Thanks,any and all advice would be welcome.

 

Without pictures of interior, exterior, engine, frame, etc. there is no way to tell you if 8K is a good price.

 

this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981-Chevrolet-Corvette-Coupe-Grey-77K-miles-/321125981047?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4ac4999b77#ht_500wt_1182
It looks ok so far. I'd like to see under car pics and of course what it looks like under the hood.

 

My advice is not to purchase a Corvette you have not personally seen and inspected.

Who is the lemon squad and will they have any idea what they will be looking at? what to look for?

 

Once again, Mike is all knowing. If you browse through this forum you'll see many instances of guys getting burnt buying C3's sight un-seen. I wouldn't do it. Don't know what this Lemon Squad is. Do they know C3's? I'm suspicious of the fact that the car "only has 77,000 miles on it", but you might be able to pick it up for 8 G's. If the car had 177,000 miles and everything was in working order, with little to no rust, 8 G's sounds reasonable. C3 odometers only go up to 99,999, after that they reset to "0". Anyone can tell you the car has low miles if in fact it's already spun around once.

 

The car looks okay, but if your looking for a stock original car, it has had some modifications done to it.

To start with, the wheels and tail lamp lenses, are aftermarket. If it is an original black interior car, the carpet should be black too, not gray. The center gauge cluster has been cut, to add a modern CD radio to it. I have no ideal what the extra 4 switches are, on the parking brake console, but they aren't factory either.

The power antenna is up, which may mean the radio was on, when the pictures were taken, but it could also mean that the power antenna is not working. The 2 piece front spoiler is missing also.

If it's a solid, rust free car, with the original engine, it's probably worth $8,500, but I'd never buy it without first checking it out.

The car is located about a half hour from me. I'm not familiar with the seller, but they're located in an area populated with a number of little used car lots.

 

Thanks guys,I appreciate the input.That is the car pictured,good job finding it.I called and talked to the salesman,he sounded like a typical salesman,which is kind of a red flag.I asked about rust on frame/cage,he said rust free.A guy at the local Corvette club told me about carchex.com.They will send an inspector to the sight and do a inspection.When I called them they referred me to lemonsquad.com (they handle classics) When i talked to them they sounded ok,but after research on them i backed off.i love the c-3's,I'm not looking for a show car,I want to drive it locally.When it's not garaged,it will be outside where kids play,etc.I could spend more,but I'll have heart attacks at night with a beautiful ride.Just looking for a DD when the weather permits,I will focus more on here for a car and to learn from all your experience's...I couldn't thank you guys more,I'm not going to rush it.

 

I did not see any engine pics or description.
if it is stock, computer controlled.
not an easy time to fix, even if good at mechanicals.

From other posts, NY does not require smog on the 81?

just a note to you about the 81 engine.

 

no smog test here for a 81, I agree is it still the original carb and is the computer still there and working? if you don't mind driving upstate there is a great original looking 81 close to me that I have thinking about going to see. been for sale at this dealer for a while, they seem to deal with a lot of vettes so they should be honest about it.
http://binghamton.craigslist.org/ctd/3785295023.html
there is also a 82 close to me if your looking for fuel injection. I have never seen it but I just saw it on CL.
http://binghamton.craigslist.org/cto/3819786628.html

 

If you intend to buy a 30 year old car and drive it regularly, plan on going through nearly every system on the car to ensure it is road-worthy and reliable - drive train, brakes, fuel system, cooling system, power steering, suspension, headlights (vacuum), etc. My 1980 is a case in point. I bought it two years ago with the intent to drive it regularly. The PO had receipts for over $4500 of recently completed chassis work at a reputable Corvette shop, and drove the car occasionally on weekends. I figured it was road-worthy (i.e. it had not been sitting undriven for ten years), but reliability was unknown. Not being my first 'Vette, I knew what I was getting into. I intended to drive it about half time, as my good weather car. Exercising the car with regular road time (about 5000 miles per year), I would find things that needed replaced, that the weekend cruiser might not. After about a month of regular driving, I came out from work at the end of the day to a large coolant puddle - the radiator needed replaced. Disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. I have also replaced several rubber parts to cut down on the leaks (new front main seal, new power steering hoses, new heater hoses) and still have a few to go (rear engine seal, oil pan gasket, transmission pan gasket, etc.)

I have no regrets about getting this car, but I entered into it with both eyes open. I'm not trying to scare you away from getting your dream car, but if you want to drive it much, you need to be aware of what it will take to keep the car on the road. Some things to keep in mind: 1) 30 years ago the life expectancy of most cars was around 100,000 miles. At about that mileage, the cost of repairs typically exceeded the cost of getting a new car (notice there are only 5 digits on the odometer?) Getting a 'low mileage' car with 'only' 80k miles could mean you are just starting the major repair phase of the cars life expectancy. 2) The useful life of rubber and plastic parts is often 20 to 25 years. At that age they will dry out and no longer seal well, even on low mileage cars. If the rubber parts have not been replaced in the recent past, they will need it in the near future. This includes rubber bushings, as in the front and rear suspension. 3) If you do not do your own car repairs, roughly double the cost of ownership if you have to pay someone else to maintain the car.

Good luck on your hunt, keep us posted!

 

He should sound like a typical salesman. His job is to sell the car to you or the person coming along behind you.

 

Check that those are the original miles. I got fooled and surprised here in Florida. I moved here a little over two years ago, and just assumed the Florida DMV titled cars and reported odometer readings like they did back home in VA.

When I got the title, the PO informs me, that in FL they stop reporting the Odo readings on the title at 100K. There is no Odometer reading on my title for the Corvette. Which means the claimed 88K was probably complete BS. I was pretty mad, and went ahead with the sale because the car checked out, but it was something that almost made me consider ending the sale. Who knows how many miles I have on this. I have no clue.

The odometer could of rolled over seven times for all I know.

I dunno if other states do this, but it's something to know.

 

All points well taken.I really did want a c3,but for the amount of driving i wanted it for it may not be practical.I was told by more than one to consider a c4 based on being a first time owner and the amount of driving i planned on doing.A 92-96 (LT 1) may be the way to go.It sucks being practical.I do thank everyone for their wisdom on the subject,and for helping a rookie.

 

[QUOTE=pippahailey;1583948285]Looking for my first one.i see on on e bay,not far from me,charcoal grey/black interior 77,000 miles.I could probably get it for 8k.I was told there is no rust on frame or cage,everything in working order.What is the going rate for a 81 coupe (auto) in decent shape ? this car looks good for that kind of money.I was hoping to get some input on this site.I'm not a car guy,just always wanted a Vette.Are these cars expensive to work on ? I hope to get some advice,I do plan on sending someone from the lemon squad to look at it.Thanks,any and all advice would be welcome.[/QUOTE

Here's a 1982 charcoal grey. He is A forum member. Maybe one of the mods or some forum member on here knows the car and can tell you more about it. I think it's a beautiful car. I hope you find the car you're looking for.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/c3s-for-sale-wanted/3266859-fs-1982-c3-charcoal-coupe-3.html

 

if a C3 is what you want then get it, a C3 can be a reliable DD, I do it every day, it helps if your handy and work on your own car. Even if you don't, as long as you use a garage that can diagnose a problem without having to plug it in then your still good.

 

Thanks Havesometo,that is a beauty,gonna contact the owner shortly.Chris,I don't do my own work,but not too afraid of the costs as long as they're not crazy.i live on Staten Island,the roads here may not be kind to older cars,but you.re right about wanting a C3,nothing sweeter.

 

lol the roads up here in upstate are no better. if you do decide on a C3 everyone here is great and very helpful. I don't think there is any issue someone here has not had before and can walk you through fixing it or helping guide you to what a good shop should cost you to fix it

 

The offer from gbvette to possibly look at the car for you is invaluable! In my humble opinion, no "Lemon Squad" or car checking company possess the level of knowledge that many of the members of this forum have in terms of C3's. A forum member would spot potential problem areas a lot faster than a paid inspector.
In the time that I've been a member here, I've seen many examples of members looking to buy cars hundreds of miles away, and another forum member local to that car will take the time to take a look at it, saving the buyer time and money, especially if the car was not what it was said to be.
You'll find no shortage of good advice to help you with your decision.
Happy Hunting!.....Vince

 

Thanks Vince,I know there's much more knowledge on here than an inspector.The sales rep contacted me tonight and sent me more pics which I'm going to look at now.I'm so used to helping people,it's kind of hard for me to ask that big of favor.I'm working on that,lol.