I have been Vetteless for 3 years when I sold them to have cash to buy properties. Just sold one of my properties and I'm in the market buying a C3 Vert again. I'm travelling to Dallas to check out a matching numbers 68 Vert with 57k original miles. Current owner had the car for 20 years. Only mods are a custom paint job with a stripe, a performance intake, carb and headers. Paint is about 15 years old and according to the seller in very good shape.. Looks good in the pics but who knows what condition it really is.. pics of engine bay looks clean enough to eat out of it.
There is another C3 in Austin that I will likely check out (for sale here on the CF) unless the first car is truly as perfect as the seller said and also a better price than the asking price. The C3 in Austin (69 convertible) is not matching numbers and the paint has a few cracks. Interior is nice. Engine compartment is by far not as nice as the other C3.
The first car is 4-speed and the car in Austin is auto.
The car in Austin will need a paint job and a few minor repairs as some things don't work (some gauges).
The car in Austin is significantly lower priced than the car in Dallas. If I would go with the car in Dallas, I would not change a thing and drive it as is.
If I'd go with the car in Austin, I would likely install my old 406 after installing dished pistons to drop compression from 13.2 : 1 to 11:1 so that I could run pump gas in it.
I would also install my old sidepipes and autometer gauges.. of course I woukd have the car painted.. Once it's all done, both cars will cost me close to the same.
I would either have a very pretty matching numbers car with great resale value and manual transmission or if I go with the Austin car, I would have a 500+ HP monster with a new paint job and custom gauges. I would also add a L88 hood as my 406 uses a high rise intake which would not fit under the small block hood.
If I go for resale value and little to no work, I think that the Dallas car would be perfect but if I would get the Austin car, I would have a custom street monster with questionable resale value.. Another considerarion is that I could sell my old 406 (freshened up with only dyno time since rebuild) if I would go with the Dallas car.
The question to myself is if I could live with about 330 HP and a pretty car or if I would be happier with a street monster C3? It is a tough decision.
I'm at the airport right now waiting for my flight to Dallas..

 

I solved your problem by owning both types of Corvettes at the same time, a 71 LS5 customized with factory side exhaust, L88 mods to the engine giving it 585hp. Also a 70 LS5 in stock condition, the best of both worlds..

 

Not going to buy 2 Vettes, just one.. I never owned a matching numbers C3 and I have owned 5 C3 Verts before.. I need to make a decision.. if the car in Dallas is truly as nice as the seller claims (he also says that everything is working which is rare) it will be hard to pass on it but that's why I travel to see both cars in person..

 

I'd buy the Dallas car. I prefer manuals, and a turn key car, to me at least, would be the way to go.

JMO.

Good Luck Oliver!

 

Easy Mike
How did your stock LS 5 perform .I have a stock LS 5 looking at putting in my 70 .Used to live over the hill from you now in Kentucky
Wes

 

It is tempting to buy a car that will not cost me many weekends of work to get it the way I want it. However, the potential of the car in Austin is something that is also tempting. It seems to have good bones and I could pick the color and paint scheme as I would have it painted. I could go with the l88 style hood which I lime better than the small block hood..

 

Buy the Dallas car, pull engine, put your 406 in it and go.

 

Well, knowing you and that 68 you used to have, you are a bit of a Speed Junky. You might get bored with that stock engine.

If it doesn't pan out, and you find something out here on the Left Coast and it's close to me, I'll be happy to check it out for you.

Fyi, I regularly go between Northridge and San Bernardino County, so I can cover some territory if it's not too far out of my way or already going in that direction.

Scott

 

It would be an easy decision for me . I would go for the pretty car as you described it in Dallas with the 4 speed . No need for speed here.

 

Went with the Dallas car. Did not check the car in Austin as I struck a deal with the sellern of the white car. will post pics in a moment in a new thread.