What would you do.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 294
From: ESCONDIDO CA
2025 C2 of the Year ('63 and '67) Finalist - Unmodified
C2 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Well now you've got my attention. 67 gto is a big favorite of mine. If I had a 67 gto convertible, I may never look at a vette again. You should enjoy the ride!
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: Western Loudoun County VA
If you are going to have that much available and also have no issues with not going original, then you can go with a chrome bumper vert, aftermarket engine and a 5-speed. The wiring and electronics will be simpler than the '80 but obviously the interior niceties will be less as well. I stayed with a slightly upgraded 427, but also put in the 5-speed, electric headlight conversion, long hood, Vintage Air, DeWitts radiator and C5 seats. Nothing better than going with the top down and the 5-speed toned down the BB side pipes when at highway speed. Didn't realize how much I missed the top down Wrangler I traded in for the family friendly Honda Pilot until this year when I finally got the '69 on the road.
I do feel for you with the small project turning into a big one. I swapped in the 5 speed super easy, went to start it back up and had misaligned the starter wiping out a bunch of teeth on my new flywheel. Had to walk away from her for a year before I got back in the right frame of mind to pull it all back out again.
I do feel for you with the small project turning into a big one. I swapped in the 5 speed super easy, went to start it back up and had misaligned the starter wiping out a bunch of teeth on my new flywheel. Had to walk away from her for a year before I got back in the right frame of mind to pull it all back out again.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
I don't think you understand what is meant by big project. What I mean by big project is a project on the car that should go smoothly but ends up taking months to do. And don't give me this is a classic car so anything can go wrong. Not when everything is brand new. I have built numerous cars over my 40 years of building cars and this one is a pain in the butt.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
He never said he was gonna buy some basket case chromie, my 69 was close but now it's like new or better than it was in 69 and better than lots of non restored c3's and then other c3's are way nicer than mine,
point is, how old the c3 is has little real bearing on it's condition....some are turds some are trailer queens of every year...
540 vette,
I don't really understand, a chromie is a different creature than a 80 you might hate it like you hate your specific 80,
Perhaps you should consider buying an 80 that is what you want already built...
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
If you are going to have that much available and also have no issues with not going original, then you can go with a chrome bumper vert, aftermarket engine and a 5-speed. The wiring and electronics will be simpler than the '80 but obviously the interior niceties will be less as well. I stayed with a slightly upgraded 427, but also put in the 5-speed, electric headlight conversion, long hood, Vintage Air, DeWitts radiator and C5 seats. Nothing better than going with the top down and the 5-speed toned down the BB side pipes when at highway speed. Didn't realize how much I missed the top down Wrangler I traded in for the family friendly Honda Pilot until this year when I finally got the '69 on the road.
I do feel for you with the small project turning into a big one. I swapped in the 5 speed super easy, went to start it back up and had misaligned the starter wiping out a bunch of teeth on my new flywheel. Had to walk away from her for a year before I got back in the right frame of mind to pull it all back out again.
I do feel for you with the small project turning into a big one. I swapped in the 5 speed super easy, went to start it back up and had misaligned the starter wiping out a bunch of teeth on my new flywheel. Had to walk away from her for a year before I got back in the right frame of mind to pull it all back out again.
Just the answer I was looking for. You know what I am talking about with a project turning into a mess. When I put the motor back in for some reason the clutch would not engage. It took me a month to figure out the z bar linkage decided it wanted to be to short. I bought a kit form one of the vendors and it fixed it.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
I am putting it on craigslist and then e bay. I just have to finish buffing the paint and cleaning it up.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 287
Likes: 16
From: Florida New York
It's amazing how people read things and each person gets there own thought on what it means. 1980 corvettes are my favorites, I don't hate 80's, I hate this 80. It has been a series of things that can go wrong will go wrong. From a brand new motor that has almost no miles on it developing a rod knock to parts that don't fit right to parts that fall apart after removing them a couple of times to vendors that give bad advice on parts. I have done numerous frame off's and never had the kind of problem I had with this car. I put a Borgenson box in the car, I drove the a few times and it developed cracks around the steering box area. I later found out that this is a problem that can happen. The frame was perfect before I put the box in. I wire wheeled the complete frame and know every inch of it.
I also don't look at buying a vette for financial reasons. I have about 25k in this car with the purchase price. So I know I am upside down.
And I am not new to cars, having worked at dealers for 15 years, owning my own business, and working on some sort of hot rod, muscle car or corvette for 40 years. I have never had problems like I have had with this car.
I also don't look at buying a vette for financial reasons. I have about 25k in this car with the purchase price. So I know I am upside down.
And I am not new to cars, having worked at dealers for 15 years, owning my own business, and working on some sort of hot rod, muscle car or corvette for 40 years. I have never had problems like I have had with this car.
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Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,982
Likes: 6,209
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Except I will have about 30k for a chrome bumper car and it should be just about done for that money. When I get rid of the 80 I will use that money for anything else it may need. Cars that old 10 years is no big difference.
I don't think you realize I have lost any feelings I had for this car. I don't deal with a person that gives me a hard time, I won't deal with a car. I also don't think alot of you understand the point I am trying to make.
I don't think you realize I have lost any feelings I had for this car. I don't deal with a person that gives me a hard time, I won't deal with a car. I also don't think alot of you understand the point I am trying to make.
In your case, you arent considering getting a chrome bumper car because that was the car you always wanted, like most people. You are considering it because its a better investment than an '80. That may be true, but if you get an NOM car and continue to modify it, it will likely not be worth what you think, and you just might be terribly disappointed.
I always tell people to buy what they want, not what other people think is the right car. If a 1980 is your favorite year, you should sell the hell-b&%tch you are currently living with. Forget about chrome bumper cars. Find another completely different '80 (make sure its different... different color paint, interior... a different brand new girlfriend) and build the car on the model you love the way you want it. Period, end of story.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
i must re-state my position on this. you have the car done the way you want it. your paint, your interior, your engine. now you wanna spend 30k on a car you don't like as much? and dump this one (at at least 5k loss) for money to put into new car? unless this car lived in a bad environment and every bolt is rusted in, it isn't the vehicle you have a problem with, it is the hassle of the work THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE!!! even if the next car is less problematic as a whole, it still will need time, energy and money you have already invested in this one to get it into the condition this one is now in. save the 30k to put down on a house with a bigger garage...
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
Ive been through 17 Corvettes, mainly because I got tired of them and went on to something else. Ive had a couple I wanted, but for some reason it seemed cursed and acted like an ex wife with an attorney on full retainer. I sell cars like that.
In your case, you arent considering getting a chrome bumper car because that was the car you always wanted, like most people. You are considering it because its a better investment than an '80. That may be true, but if you get an NOM car and continue to modify it, it will likely not be worth what you think, and you just might be terribly disappointed.
I always tell people to buy what they want, not what other people think is the right car. If a 1980 is your favorite year, you should sell the hell-b&%tch you are currently living with. Forget about chrome bumper cars. Find another completely different '80 (make sure its different... different color paint, interior... a different brand new girlfriend) and build the car on the model you love the way you want it. Period, end of story.
In your case, you arent considering getting a chrome bumper car because that was the car you always wanted, like most people. You are considering it because its a better investment than an '80. That may be true, but if you get an NOM car and continue to modify it, it will likely not be worth what you think, and you just might be terribly disappointed.
I always tell people to buy what they want, not what other people think is the right car. If a 1980 is your favorite year, you should sell the hell-b&%tch you are currently living with. Forget about chrome bumper cars. Find another completely different '80 (make sure its different... different color paint, interior... a different brand new girlfriend) and build the car on the model you love the way you want it. Period, end of story.
I would buy a chrome bumper car not as an investment but something that would hold it's value. I don't buy cars as investments looking to make money off of it. My 67 GTO, I have over $50,000 in it and will never see that much. I had a 77 vette I had a ton into it and never saw the money I had into it.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
i must re-state my position on this. you have the car done the way you want it. your paint, your interior, your engine. now you wanna spend 30k on a car you don't like as much? and dump this one (at at least 5k loss) for money to put into new car? unless this car lived in a bad environment and every bolt is rusted in, it isn't the vehicle you have a problem with, it is the hassle of the work THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE!!! even if the next car is less problematic as a whole, it still will need time, energy and money you have already invested in this one to get it into the condition this one is now in. save the 30k to put down on a house with a bigger garage...
Like another poster said, it is a jinx car. Everything that can go wrong will. Right now I am touching up the front bumper that got a chip in it. I also don't touch up a chip with a brush I respray the area. I don't know where the chip came from, I don't use the car. But this is the story of this car.
Typical example of working on this car. I always keep my spray guns clean. I have been painting for 40 years. I clean the gun after use and before. Everything that goes in the gun is strained. Masked off the area to be touched up, sprayed the black, came out fine. Sprayed the clear, got white spots in the paint. Now the only thing I have painted with this gun is black or clear. So now I have to wetsand the area after the clear sets and start over. Half hour job is now 2 hours.
Last edited by 540 vette; Aug 28, 2015 at 09:35 AM.