First post and as name implies I might be over my head, having said that I'd like to ask from the experts if I may be getting into something I shouldn't.

I've found a 80 model 4spd car that needs some work. I drove it and as far as engine and tranny/clutch.......runs good. I know going in I'll have to do interior and possibly paint. Got a quote on paint of $2200.00.............interior I haven't checked yet. Pretty sure after driving it I'll have to do some front end work also.

I guess my question is, I can buy the car for $4500.. as it sits. Are the 4 spd cars that rare that it's worth the time and effort to get this thing to daily driver status if I invest another 4-5 grand and should I plan to keep it after that because the market won't bear me trying to sell it for 11-12? My only interest in the car is the fact that it is a 4 spd. That's what has attracted me to it even before I heard another guy tell me I'd be a fool not to buy a 4spd car for $4500.00. He was driving his 80 automatic and was interested in this car. Y'all know more than I do on how expensive over time these projects can get. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Before you even think of buying any C3 Corvette, go look at the thread up in the 'Sticky' part of the forum, "Please Review, ten rules before you buy your Corvette". If it's an L82 car, with a four speed, they are fun to drive. If you've got pics, put 'em up, a many as you can, and you'll get a lot of expert feedback. If the car needs interior work, that can get very expensive, very quickly. Corvette parts are far more expensive, then Chevelle, Nova and Camaro parts. Also, you either should have solid mechanical skills or be prepared to lay out serious coin for a competent mechanic to work on these cars. They can be very tough to work on. Engine and tranny, no. Interior, rear suspension and power windows, tough stuff.

Finally, don't expect to make a profit. Most C3 Corvette owners are upside down, value-wise with their cars. Take all of the above and it's just part of the C3 experience. These cars are decades and decades old and it seems they ALWAYS need something, so if you don't mind throwing money, in varying amounts on a regular basis, at a car, that can be a bitch to work on and won't ever likely be worth, what you'll have into it, then this car is for you!

 

No one is going to do a decent paint job on a Corvette for $2,200 unless you are getting the labor for free.

 

^ True.
Also, '80 and rare should never be used in the same sentence.
Just sayin'.

 

Paint guy is absolutely one of the best in town, his quote!

Rare meaning a 4 spd..............that's what I've been told and that's why I'm asking people that have the knowledge.

 

'80s can be very nice cruisers since most have all the bells and whistles.
You need to get educated about C3 rust issues before thinking about anything else.
Good luck.

 

His quote must not be stripping the cars paint before repainting. It won't be a Good job, most likely, if it's not stripped.
Material for doing the job, depending on color, will be north of $800.

Good luck

 

about 13% of '80s were 4 speed. all had the base L-48 engine.

I looked at a dark green metallic 4 speed '80. least produced color with the least produced transmission. I guess you could say it was "rare" also. it was a complete turd of a car and the seller wouldn't go lower than $7,500 so I passed.

 

4-speeds in 80's... only about 5700 were built. Rare when compared to how many automatics were built and 81 was the last year to get a manual in a C3 for the rest of its run. But it doesn't make the car more valuable in my opinion. If the rest of the car is a turkey, a standard does not make it more attractive. I bought another '80 in 2009. It had a 4-speed. It didn't mean squat to me because I sold the tranny and replaced it with a Tremec 5-speed.

 

Be sure to post pics of the 2200.00 paint job.
I'll be anxious to see that.

 

5726 of them. All with the L-48. You could not get the L-82 with a 4 speed for 1980.

 

that's less than what I spent on my paint job and the labor WAS practically free because I helped out through the entire process. Having said that, don't get discouraged. If you want the car, can do most of the work yourself (very important), aren't in a hurry, and can throw some money at it every once in a while these cars are a blast to restore. You'll be on this forum a lot. The c3 forum is the single most helpful forum out there. The people on it are always nice and top notch. I'd say go for it and have a cool project. You may learn some new curse words in the process!
Oh, and mine is a 4 speed L-82 and the 2 miles that I've driven it in the years I've had it were a blast, seriously.

 

Yep, learn something new every day, thanks guys!

 

You're buying the wrong car for all the wrong reasons. If you can't justify having it as a money pit toy, best pass.

 

If your only interest is in the fact that the car is a 4 speed that you can throw a cheap paint job on it and clean up or refurb the interior and fix the front end and then flip the car for 11, or 12k, I would say, Forget it.
And you must believe what a lot of people here already know. There is know such thing as a good paint job on any Vette for 2,200. unless you did all the body work and prep yourself or the guy works for almost no money and is using the cheapest product he can get.

 

The $2200 was a quote from the painter.........whether he can do it for that or not would have to be seen. I do know he has done some pretty amazing work here so I didn't question him. I'm sure the prices where I'm at would be cheaper than New England prices anyway.........we just a bunch of rednecks down here and we do things cheap

Anyhooooo............since there were absolutely no encouraging posts and quite frankly, some nice condescending ones as well, I've decided to let somebody else tackle that project. I came, I asked, I was told a 4 spd car wasn't rare at all. My only interest in the car to begin with was to fix it and enjoy driving it.......and possibly get the money back that I had invested......probably like many of you have done with the cars you own.

Enjoy!!

 

If the '80 was a very low mileage all original 4 speed, it would be worth fixing and getting close to the amount that you put into it. On the other hand, I have seen some total customs sell for a lot of money, but they had a lot into them.

A Corvette is more of a hobby than an investment, except for early year vettes. I wouldn't worry about the '80 being rare. Mine was an original '80 4 speed that I totally modified and is a blast to drive now compared to the way it was stock, slow. Buy it, modify it the way you want, and enjoy.

 

And many of have found that we can't have our cake and eat it too. There's very few people that have broken even on a project, never mind made a few bucks.

 

Let me try a slightly different angle. It's almost certainly not worth it from a money making point of view, but depending on what you really want it definitely is worth it for the enjoyment of it all.

An '80 4-spd isn't rare, but you could call it uncommon. Not only are they harder to find than an automatic they are more preferred overall, so a 4-spd C3 is going to be worth more than an otherwise identical auto.

If it doesn't have a rust problem and you don't mind a long project that you will likely lose money on if you ever sell, then I say go for it. On the other hand, if you can afford to buy one that someone else has already fixed up and is willing to take a loss you can roll the dice and buy that instead. I say roll the dice because you really won't know if it was fixed up correctly or just patched together. Rust, electrical gremlins, vacuum line issues, 35 year old plastic bits that crack and break. Is your alarm going to go off at random times because the courtesy light delay timer is going out? I'm not trying to scare you away, but if you want one you need to be buying it for the right reasons and be aware of potential problems. You just can't think of them like you would a 10 year old car.

I have almost sold my '81 4-spd a number of times because the wife hates it and it can be a bit of a money pit, but all it takes is one drive with the tops off on a nice day and I always go back to "I'm never going to sell it!"

 

If it runs and drives for 4500.00 that's not a bad deal, if you rule out the rust issues. Most of us can be cynical because of all the pitfalls encountered. Take the posts as a positive, it is good experience talking. I have learned a lot from this forum, had to face some harsh reality and still have our C3. if you can rule out the line about recouping your investment, then you will be ok. the only other thing I will add, is try to get the car for the lowest price you can. we paid 3K for a 79, bad motor, paint issues, some interior issues and have found MANY other issues that I didn't see. i wish we had bought the car for 2K. At least an 80, there are many more out there for sale.