Looking at a 72
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,842
Likes: 285
From: Palmdale CA
There's a 'sticky' at the top of this forum, ten rules for buying your first C3. I own a C4 too (95' Torch Red Coupe) and the thread is worth paying attention to, carefully. It can cost you a lot of grief, money and time, buying a C3 without knowing what you're doing. Really!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-corvette.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-corvette.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 6,196
Likes: 58
From: Denton, Texas
If you find a sticker like this on the drivers door, the chance that the car still has the original paint and the rest of the car is original are plausible. The sticker should have your build month for the car and also should have a matching VIN # to the car. Most C3s that have been painted, or modded over the years lost these stickers in the process. Not saying that by having the sticker means the C3 is a cherry, but the ones I have seen for the most part all tend to be in about the same condition.
By the way NN, you have a really beautiful 1990. The color is perfect! I remember my first ride in a Corvette was in a yellow C4 in the early 1990s with my dad. The car was cool, and I love yellow Corvettes. I had a yellow 2001.
By the way NN, you have a really beautiful 1990. The color is perfect! I remember my first ride in a Corvette was in a yellow C4 in the early 1990s with my dad. The car was cool, and I love yellow Corvettes. I had a yellow 2001.
Last edited by Brandons72vette; May 1, 2014 at 12:11 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,270
Likes: 4,362
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi NN,
How you look at a 72 begins with looking for signs of serious rust in the frame (especially just in front of the rear wheels where the frame kick-up joins the frame rails) and in the birdcage (especially around the windshield and in the hinge and lock pillars).
What you look at then depends on what the car is, what it's being presented as, and what you're looking for.
It might be a basket case, a restoration project, a modified car, a restored driver, or a restored award winner,; and many in between.
If you're serious about a 72 I can't imagine it would be wise to buy one without having someone with considerable 70-72 knowledge take a look at it with you.
There are very nice cars available, and there are also some cars for sale that will take all your money and break your heart.
Regards,
Alan
How you look at a 72 begins with looking for signs of serious rust in the frame (especially just in front of the rear wheels where the frame kick-up joins the frame rails) and in the birdcage (especially around the windshield and in the hinge and lock pillars).
What you look at then depends on what the car is, what it's being presented as, and what you're looking for.
It might be a basket case, a restoration project, a modified car, a restored driver, or a restored award winner,; and many in between.
If you're serious about a 72 I can't imagine it would be wise to buy one without having someone with considerable 70-72 knowledge take a look at it with you.
There are very nice cars available, and there are also some cars for sale that will take all your money and break your heart.
Regards,
Alan
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 628
Likes: 0
From: OR
Dont know too much. Never did like the wiper area.
Thanks. I seen this after I went.
Its kinda in between a driver/project. Started up and sounded good.
Thanks Brandon. Didn't notice sticker but car was repainted in non original red. Should be the Elkhart green/Saddle. And it was wrecked at one tim. Hit in pass. front.
Thanks Alan. It looked good from a distance but up close a guess was alright but not what i wanted.
There's a 'sticky' at the top of this forum, ten rules for buying your first C3. I own a C4 too (95' Torch Red Coupe) and the thread is worth paying attention to, carefully. It can cost you a lot of grief, money and time, buying a C3 without knowing what you're doing. Really!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-corvette.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-corvette.html
If you find a sticker like this on the drivers door, the chance that the car still has the original paint and the rest of the car is original are plausible. The sticker should have your build month for the car and also should have a matching VIN # to the car. Most C3s that have been painted, or modded over the years lost these stickers in the process. Not saying that by having the sticker means the C3 is a cherry, but the ones I have seen for the most part all tend to be in about the same condition.
By the way NN, you have a really beautiful 1990. The color is perfect! I remember my first ride in a Corvette was in a yellow C4 in the early 1990s with my dad. The car was cool, and I love yellow Corvettes. I had a yellow 2001.
By the way NN, you have a really beautiful 1990. The color is perfect! I remember my first ride in a Corvette was in a yellow C4 in the early 1990s with my dad. The car was cool, and I love yellow Corvettes. I had a yellow 2001.
Hi NN,
How you look at a 72 begins with looking for signs of serious rust in the frame (especially just in front of the rear wheels where the frame kick-up joins the frame rails) and in the birdcage (especially around the windshield and in the hinge and lock pillars).
What you look at then depends on what the car is, what it's being presented as, and what you're looking for.
It might be a basket case, a restoration project, a modified car, a restored driver, or a restored award winner,; and many in between.
If you're serious about a 72 I can't imagine it would be wise to buy one without having someone with considerable 70-72 knowledge take a look at it with you.
There are very nice cars available, and there are also some cars for sale that will take all your money and break your heart.
Regards,
Alan
How you look at a 72 begins with looking for signs of serious rust in the frame (especially just in front of the rear wheels where the frame kick-up joins the frame rails) and in the birdcage (especially around the windshield and in the hinge and lock pillars).
What you look at then depends on what the car is, what it's being presented as, and what you're looking for.
It might be a basket case, a restoration project, a modified car, a restored driver, or a restored award winner,; and many in between.
If you're serious about a 72 I can't imagine it would be wise to buy one without having someone with considerable 70-72 knowledge take a look at it with you.
There are very nice cars available, and there are also some cars for sale that will take all your money and break your heart.
Regards,
Alan
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,071
Likes: 147
From: S Nevada
The most expensive part to repair and and the biggest pain would be rust issues in the birdcage, specifically around the windshield, down into the body bolts located below the door hinges. Also the frame fwd of the rear wheels. If you check it out again and find heavy rust in those places, run away.
