Hello to all! This is my first thread EVER! Looking at entering into the Vette world by possibly purchasing a '71 coupe. Been on line doing a lot of research and have looked the car over the best I can. It's a #'s matching, Brands Hatch Green 350 4sp. Has 68k miles. Interior is immaculate. Clock and all gauges work. Chrome is in great shape as well, no cracks. Car appears to have been painted and paint job is good but not show quality. Has a couple of minor chips. Car runs a little rough. Could need a tune? Clutch is tight as well. Had it on the rack and didnt notice any cracks or issues with bushings or "boots" at the tie rods. The entire fuel system including gas tank is brand new. Also installed new rochester 4bbl, and new calipers all around. Currently owned by a Chevy dealer who bought a collection. Asking 18k for the car. Can someone give me an idea as to what the value might be and other items to inspect.

 

Hi bharbough ; read the top sticky "10 rules before buying your first C3"

 

Hi B,
Welcome!
The price you quote is at the lower side for a complete, running, 71 coupe in my mind.
Since you mention it's at a dealer he's probably looking to make some profit so the price might be a couple of thousand higher than it's actual worth at this time.
It sounds like the car was 'sitting' in that 'collection' for a while and not being driven since the brake calipers and fuel system needed to be replaced.
This is an indication that it might continue to need various work done on it as you begin to drive it regularly.
Do you know about the rust problems with 68+ Corvettes? Do you know the signs to look for? Do you know anyone with some 68-72 knowledge that can look the car over with you?
It would really help to have a few pictures to look at. What is your definition of "immaculate"? How recent was the paint job? What is the age and condition of the tires?
Just based on the info you've posted it sounds like perhaps a $15k car...if it's rust free.
Regards,
Alan

 

Have you checked?

 

And do you know what it means?

 

I did personally check all #'s to verify matching. I'm hoping my photos come through for you to view. My definition of " immaculate" with regards to the interior would be no tears in seats, clean carpet, no cracks in dash, etc.

Alan, you mentioned that various work may need to be done as a result of the car sitting. Could you please elaborate a little?

I don't know the age of the tires but condition appears to be good. I didn't see any "checking" or cracks, tread wear seemed to be fine as well.

Don't know when the car was last painted. It does look good even up close but there are signs of over spray and the "details" aren't what you would expect from a show car but appears as a good driver.

I'm curious to see what you all recommend for me to look for with respect to rust.

I have a few more photos if anyone is interested unseeing more.

Thanks to all for your help so far!!

 

Absolutely we are interested. Please post them. We are here to answer your questions and offer advice (which is much easier to do with pictures to reference).

 

Yeah, I know what it means. This might be my first Vette but its not my first rodeo. But it is my first corvette. I'm really looking for some assistance on the little ideosecrencies of the C3 corvette. Just want to make sure I'm getting what I pay for and most important I'm not paying for something I shouldn't be.

I certainly appreciate everyone's feedback to this point and look forward to more.

Regards - B

 

 

Welcome to the Forum......I hope it works out for you!

Keep the pics coming......the Forum members can spot all kinds of things that you need to know about.

 

 

Hi BH,
The interior does look good in those pictures. If the rest of it is in similar condition this may be a nice find.
It would be good to see additional photos of the exterior, engine compartment, and chassis.
These pics might help in getting an idea of the car's completeness, originality, and condition, which would give an indication of it's value.
The rust can occur on the frame. Especially vulnerable is the area right in front of the rear wheels where the 'kick-up' is that also has the pocket for mounting the front of the rear trailing arm.
Rust also can be a problem in the steel 'birdcage' that is the frame around the passenger compartment. It includes the windshield frame, cowl, hinge pillars and lock pillars. On coupes it also includes the 'halo' and center roof bar.
You can get some idea of it's condition by looking carefully through the windshield from the exterior for signs of rust or rusty stains on the small part of the windshield frame visible at that point. Also look at the point at which the a-pillar meets the cowl. The best view of the hinge pillar is when the lower kick-panels are removed. Sellers often don't want to do this since the sill plates need to come off to get the kick panels out.
I mention rust because, although not all cars have it, it's an absolute deal breaker because there's simply NO reason to get involved with a rusty Corvette. Let it be someone else's problem.
I mention work needed because of sitting…. as you know sitting unused is actually hard on a car. Anything made of rubber ages (bushings, hoses), anything holding a liquid with a seal wants to begin leaking (radiator, engine seals, transmission and rear differential seals), and older parts and assemblies that have been o.k. just sitting are now being stressed and may want to fail (engine, transmission, rear differential). The question of tires has to do with their actual age not their appearance. Tires can look extremely good but because of their age be dangerous to drive on.
So!…. some more pictures?
Regards,
Alan

 

Hi and welcome to CF!

Without compromising your find, can you share anything about your location and the car's location? What do you know about where the car has spent its life? Climate(s) and other environmental conditions over time matter to a car like this.

Also, know that "numbers matching" on Corvettes gets pretty deep. Smaller components such as glass, carbs, rims, starters, fan clutches, jacks, etc all are date-stamped and are looked at in judging. You may not have an interest in having your car judged when you buy it but strange things happen after you buy the car and get introduced to the depths of the hobby. Don't ask me how I know . Even if you never get this far into the car, the next owner might want to consider it, and this affects the value in a big way.

On the other hand, $15k-$18k isn't a load of money to jump in to a fun driver car. It should, though, be considered the cost of entry...

 

Also, check the date codes on the tires. I just replaced my "perfect looking" tires, they looked new, were 8 years old. Have seen some horrific damage done to fenders/quarter panels on this site due to steel belts coming apart at speeds.

 

You'll find with time here that there's umpteen different meanings of the term. Then we get into the difference between matching numbers and orignal, factory 'born with'. Many people include restamps and forgeries in 'matching numbers'.

It was mentioned above that you replaced the carb. For some that's part of matching numbers.

 

Seems like a reasonable price, providing it doesn't have rust issues.
Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

 

I really don't have a lot of information on the history's of this car. I believe it's spent a lot of its life in east central Illinois, which is where the car is now.

Which raises an interesting question. Is there any way to do a VIN search and track some of the history of the car?

It's crazy how deep this "numbers" thing can go. Never realized that even the glass is date stamped! I'm not certain that I'll ever get into it that deep but as you said the next guy might.

I'm attaching another photo or two for your review.

A word of thanks goes to all who have helped to this point! Every post I read is a learning experience. Thank You!!

 

Ket me know your thoughts.

 

Hi BH,
One picture certainly doesn't tell much…...
But things look o.k. in it.
A few pictures of the engine compartment from different angles, and some pictures of the front and rear suspension, would likely be a better indicator as to just what the car is and also hint at it's condition.
Regards,
Alan

 

You know what I like about the chassis shot? It hasn't been rattle-canned. You can see exactly what you're dealing with. Looks decent from what I can tell.