I have

 

Same price? Mileage?

 

I don't think you should be concerned with future value as opposed to how much time you would need in the future to properly maintain and or replace parts on one versus the other. Either way you go, you will driving a Corvette. Drive them both and then decide. I think too many potential buyers worry more about future values and really miss out on the pure enjoyment of driving the Corvette that they actually want. I don't think that you could go wrong either way....enjoy whichever one you purchase...Tom

 

Hi g,
It's really 2 different trips that an original car or modified car take you on.
If you're not sure at this point which you think might interest you, it's really just a flip of a coin as to which you should buy.
If you buy the original you can always modify it to your liking, but bringing a modified car back closer to original is more difficult.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

 

i'd go for the nicer '75 with more horsepower

 

That depends on what you want in a corvette. If you want to restore a corvette to original then that eliminates the one with the replacement engine.
If you are planning on upgrading a stocker than it sounds as the other car has a good start.
For many of us, having a fun driver is more important than a factory correct car. Other folks will own nothing less than o.e.m. Which camp are you in?

 

Drive them both, then make a list at home what you want.

Originality?

More power?

Ease of maintenance?

Do you trust the workmanship?

Anything unusual in parts that make a replacement hard?

Which color do you like best?

Which does your wife like best?

Options on each?

Everything work?

Miles on each? (Miles aren't just on an engine. A new engine is a 200,000 mile car is still potential wheel bearings, transmission, rear end, brakes, etc. that a 75,000 with old engine doesn't have.)

Take pictures of each and post them here. You'd be surprised what guys here will spot in some good pictures. Include engine compartment and interior, along with under chassis.

 

My school of thought is based on: what do I want the car for? Investment or pleasure?

If originality and chasing of show points is the priority, then buy accordingly. I've heard that these kinds of cars are considered garage queens, trailer queens, etc. Suffice to say, to maintain low mileage and desired value, these cars are not driven much. Not a thing wrong with saving another one to this standard. They offer the hobby a factory baseline to draw from.

If you want something to drive regularly and enjoy, then buy accordingly. A C3 was designed to accelerate, corner, stop and look good at any speed. Why beat up a queen unless that is the intent? These versions of road cars are considered by many to be drivers (though, not necessarily, daily drivers). You will receive many compliments from many fans of these classics.

Myself, I chose to drive the wheels off of mine. It is a not-correctly-restored-Stingray and I wouldn't have it, any other way. Just too much fun, wherever and whenever I go.

Your call.

Good luck.

 

I'm going to try to answer your question and leave all the equivocation out of it. Issues like personal preferences, should you worry about resale, what are you going to do with the car, etc, are entirely up to you.

You asked:
"Is the new engine going to make the car less valuable since its not the original engine. Over time will this make it less valuable. "

Answer: Yes, most likely.

 

Hay Greg! I thought I would throw my 2 cents in the ring on witch one I would take if they are close in condition. It would be the first one if he has all the paper work, like window sticker, and so on. I know 76' are not that collectible, I have one, but it would be nice to be the second owner, and have the paper work to go with the car.
Just my 0.2 cents
Larry

 

Personal choice on your part. It will be your car. Which one do you want?

 

I drive mine 2-3 days a week (weather permitting), but I can also appreciate the NCRS-minded approach and setting a baseline for what the cars were. My wife also said if I bought one, I had to drive it!

 

I think this needs expanding. Unless the car is a pristine NCRS ready-for-auction specimen, the pedigree of the engine is going to be a very slight difference.

The rubber bumper cars, while great cars, just hasn't had the money interest like the chrome bumper or older cars. One reason is that by the time these cars were being sold new, the impact of having an original engine was already known in the collector world and so these have a higher percentage that kept their original engine. Also, there is the horsepower factor. Frankly, they are dogs in performance. My buddy's new 1976 L82 was lucky to do 115-120. My '79 made maybe 110. Great cars to cruise in, but they are no pavement burners. So just like the difference in a car with its original 250 hp or its original 400 hp engine, these mid '70s and '80s C3s don't have the high performance draw.

So the price difference between two identical 1976 cars but one has the original engine and the other doesn't? Less than $1000 in real market prices, most likely.

Will that change one day? Maybe, but don't hold your breath. The old car hobby has grayed a lot. The percentage of younger people in the Corvette hobby is down, compared to the import cars and new cars. So the potential market for a low performance original 1976 is possibly going down with each year that passes.

I'm sure Vettebuyer will disagree, but I see a serious gap in attraction of people at shows and cruise nights. The young kids up to 15 or 16 think they are cool, but over that, they are into the imports due to their older friends having them or from the movies like "Fast and Furious". Most cannot even drive one of these until they are over 25, so why would they have a desire after driving other cars for 10 years?

Still, there is something neat about an all original car.

And there is a lot to be said for one where you plant your foot, and the grin goes from ear to ear after you just left two black stripes for a hundred feet behind you.

You just need to decide which you want the most, and not worry about the potential money difference in the future, because it may not be there. If it is, you didn't lose anything anyway, because you never had it to lose.

 

All above is great advice and I agree.

Couple more thoughts for you, I own a 76 and a 72 BTW for what it is worth:

1. For the year cars you are looking at, "original", is an intangible value, some like to have something original and some could care less. My 76 is mostly original which I personally like a lot, but not original enough to pass any NCRS judging. And the money value may be less for my mostly original 76 vrs a crate 400hp in a 76 right now. I do not see that changing ever. So, for a 76 in regards to originality, it is similar to the question, "do you like blue or red, LOL's".

2. I have friends that like to drive thirties/forties autos. Do they want an original engine?.....hmmm....no, they want a LS1 Corvette engine. Even today, some folks like having the original thirties/forties engine, but that is a small number of folks and I personally do not know any. So, fast forward 20 to 30 years from now for a 76, will buyers want the original 76 engine?, probably not. Now, some original engines like big block, ect, will command a premium. But for base engines, my guess is they will be replaced. So, again, just like people today, like the "looks" of a thirties/forties auto, they will like the "looks" of the chrome bumpers and to a lessor extent the "rubber" bumpers, but will more often than not install newer powerplants.

Try both and buy the one you like today!

 

New motor means different things to different people. By "brand new" does he mean a new crate motor or a freshly rebuilt motor. If newly rebuild you need to know by who and exactly what was done to it to help you make your decision.

In my opinion, it's going to be a long time before there is a large resale value difference between a numbers matching second owner '76 and an updated one in excellent condition.

 

I have a 77 that looks all original on the exterior and interior, even with the original wheels. The drivetrain has all been upgraded however. It is perfectly steetable. On Saturday I drove it 50 miles to the dragstrip, went through 4 rounds of bracket racing with a best ET of 12.37, drove about 40 miles to meet my wife and friends at a restaurant, then drove about 20 miles home. My point is, my car looks like an original C3 and runs almost like a C7 (except for gas mileage). I cannot believe that if my car still had its 180 HP original engine it would be worth more than it is now.

 

I just returned from the Mecum auction in Indy and there were quite a few C-3's there. They sold pretty well and a nice original '76 brought $11,000. So I kind of believe that original cars of the 74-82 era are on the rise if in nice condition. Another 76 was bid pretty strongly but did not sell. Condition is very important but you must buy what you like. Good luck on your decision.