Good luck with the next one.

You could get the TH400 with all the low horsepower big blocks. It was often available with the high horsepower big blocks, but most folks went with 4 speeds on those. As an example, you could get the L-88 with automatic in 69, but there were only a handful of them.

 

again.. the mods are not 'wrong', they are a deviation from original.. depends on your requirements. if the car does not have rust, I would be buying all the 3000$ chrome bumper 2 top convertibles I could get. especially with 2 engines, 2 hoods and 2 trannys.

but 12K.. probably not, depends on a much closer look. it is easy to ask the owner to snap pics of casting codes/dates and stamp pad... I bet he has been asked already and has the pics ready to send.

 

A lot of the responses concerning value are very low ($3K)..based on the fact that it has been modified, and cost involved to restore it back to original.
The hardtop alone is worth a third of that.
Obviously you knew it had the body mods, and are okay with it. So therefore the expense of undoing the mods, are not a factor for you.
I would use the above arguments (body mods, etc.), as a negotiating tool to get the number down to a more realistic number.
Considering the body mods, he has limited his number of potential buyers, something else to help with your negotiations.
Buy the car if you like it, but get it for under $10K.

 

Again I appreciate each response and it provides a different perspective from those with more knowledge. One of the biggest issues I have come across when shopping for one of these cars is deciding exactly what I want. This question has brought me to make a new post which I will be making in a little bit as it would be better to name the thread something else for others with less knowledge to easily find it. I hope that you all participate in that thread also. In the end I would be looking for a 68-72 (preferably 68 or 69). I am torn between an all original or the reliability and ride comfort that is found with upgrades of doing a somewhat restomod. If I had to pick I would prefer as said before a 68 or 69 that was in great shape as a running driver that I could tinker with and improve overtime with updating features. As newbie (maybe unrealistic) I would want to keep the look of the car original but use recent drivetrain and suspension components for a more comfortable ride and dependable drivetrain. With this said I would still want all the original parts as to have them available to keep the price value of the car if I wanted to ever put it back as it was originally. With that I am going to start a new thread that brings a list of questions that would be better discussed in a new thread.

 

Here is a link to the new thread I mentioned:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...ifference.html

 

It sounds like you are moving on and passing on this one. I guess its all in what you want from a car but from the photos I personally think this car has more than its share of issues. Most likely even more issues that are underlying. IMO its pretty "cobbled up"

 

I am passing on it at its current price. The owner is a real nice guy. And in his heart believes that his car is worth more than what it is in my opinion.

I think he needs some more time trying to sell it and not getting what he hopes for it.

I am leaning that if I could get it a lot cheaper and toy with it as a modded car with a somewhat original appearance then I would buy it. I do not want to give 12,500 and have to put thousands in a car that when I finish will still be worth 8 to 12. I have a line on another car that I could probably pick up fairly cheap that no doubt needs frame work and a lot of surgery and still come out cheaper if I picked this thing up where it would be worth about the same.

It is why I enjoy the opinions of others here. It provides a complete range of perspectives to consider when making a decision. I am not convinced the car is worthless as some might suggest but I am also not convinced that it has the value this guy is asking for it. I would have never noticed the mods to the body which is why I made the post to start with. I knew in no time at all the people here that do know will point them out.

I see cars for sale all the time that is a lot like putting lipstick on a pig. They pretty them up just to sell them for higher than what they are worth. The poor SOB that buys it pays too much for the car and then has to go through the expense of stripping it down and removing all that expensive lipstick. Many times they would have been better buying a hunk of junk sitting as is to mod and restore picking their own parts or spending a little more on a car in better condition. As one said here. I buy this thing for 12,500 paint and body can run 5,000.00 now I am in 17,500 and I haven't touched the interior, frame, suspension, fuel system, engine compartment or drivetrain. I have been searching for a while and came across 1 or 2 that I wish I could go back and buy. In the end I will find the right deal and it doesn't have to be today or this year.

This car at this price is not the right deal for me. Cheaper even with the mods I would buy it.