When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I rarely reply to these types of posts but for north of 30k would you expect the quarter trims to be installed as shown? Minor evidence that the car is "in need", to put it nicely.....
Sorry, this car is NOT worth that kind of money, IMO.......
I rarely reply to these types of posts but for north of 30k would you expect the quarter trims to be installed as shown? Minor evidence that the car is "in need", to put it nicely.....
Sorry, this car is NOT worth that kind of money, IMO.......
Yes. This is one small clue. Now look closer, at things like the turn signal lever, nice rust....Pretty orange paint on the door ajar plunger switch. Missing shoulder seat belts. Shall I cont.?
I'm not writing the check....
Edit: I just visited the ad, I do like the 68/69 upper dash pad
Too much to list NTF, but if it's your liking go for it!.....
It's clearly a "put together" car.
Last edited by Don Rickles; Jun 28, 2016 at 11:16 AM.
Yes. This is one small clue. Now look closer, at things like the turn signal lever, nice rust....Pretty orange paint on the door ajar plunger switch. Missing shoulder seat belts. Shall I cont.?
I'm not writing the check....
For $30K+ I'd expect show worthy or very close to it. After seeing the items you pointed out, no idea what price would be reasonable without a thorough inspection. Beginning to look like a car someone is hoping to flip?
There are better deals to be had. Patience is the key when doing the search. However, having said that, I'm the worst there is at seeing something I like and not keeping the emotion out of it.
I feel like I made a pretty good buy a couple months ago though. I picked up the car below for 23K. 454 built motor (NOM of course), rebuilt TH400, fresh paint and 21K in receipts for the restoration (I have the receipts and talked to two of the primary restoration shops myself).
The list of work they did was long, but the car still needed some things from my perspective. Like the wilwood brakes, hooker headers & side pipes, and vintage air as a few examples. So whatever you buy, be prepared for your personal choices to add cost unless you buy a much more expensive car.
There have been some very helpful suggestions about the car you're looking at. This conversation began by you asking about 454's & potential issues and has evolved to recommendations regarding the specific car.
I always have an independent inspection performed to look for all the little things such as those being brought-up by your friends on this site, because emotion can overpower common sense when it comes to toys. I highly recommend a good, Corvette-qualified inspection of this car before moving forward. Too many details have been uncovered by the Forum members. And I agree, expect to dump some extra dollars into anything you buy to make it your own.
Tim
To me, the 454 engine is just grossly too heavy. I would replace the cylinder heads with aluminum heads. I believe the stock 454 engines in some years were cast iron also. Once again a iron to aluminum replacement. I think going to aluminum heads will get weight down close to that of an all iron SB engine.
If the car is air conditioned, the exhaust manifold is about an inch from the cold air plenum of the air conditioning unit. Grossly inefficient!
To me, the 454 engine is just grossly too heavy. I would replace the cylinder heads with aluminum heads. I believe the stock 454 engines in some years were cast iron also. Once again a iron to aluminum replacement. I think going to aluminum heads will get weight down close to that of an all iron SB engine.
If the car is air conditioned, the exhaust manifold is about an inch from the cold air plenum of the air conditioning unit. Grossly inefficient!
Are you suggesting an aluminum block? There are other cheaper ways to shave some weight off. I did go with aluminum heads on my big block along with aluminum radiator, intake manifold and water pump. I think it's very close, or even lighter than, the stock small block.
Last edited by lurch59; Jun 28, 2016 at 04:28 PM.
Reason: punctuation corrrection
Did you ak the seller if it is the original or is everyone ASSuming it is not ?You what they say when you ASSUME. A 70 454 that bid 30k on eBay recently sold at BJ auction for 51,700 with a unstamped engine pad.There is a thread on this forum about this 70.
Get a NOM car (even a SB car) and put it a GM ZZ 454 with aluminum heads. Has everything you would want in terms of performance, decent compression so it runs on pump gas, with less front end weight because Of the heads.
Is 34k the actual mileage? The underside looks pretty clean, I'm wondering about the "respray" and if the drivetrain/suspension is in good condition. That being said, I've just done a restomod and 30k seems cheap to me especially if most of the aforementioned areas have been rebuilt and the respray looks like it was done well. Rebuilt differential and IRS? That's worth a lot, that cost can bite you in the....well, rear.
Last edited by lurch59; Jun 28, 2016 at 07:55 PM.
Reason: clarity
To me, the 454 engine is just grossly too heavy. I would replace the cylinder heads with aluminum heads. I believe the stock 454 engines in some years were cast iron also. Once again a iron to aluminum replacement. I think going to aluminum heads will get weight down close to that of an all iron SB engine.
If the car is air conditioned, the exhaust manifold is about an inch from the cold air plenum of the air conditioning unit. Grossly inefficient!
I do not believe I would say "grossly too" heavy as the difference isn't that much but many things bb fans use to defend it are not fair across the board,
I believe the iron head small chev is about 575lb
The iron head big chev about 685lb
difference of 110lb
If we slap the aluminum heads, water pump and intake on the bb it's fair closer to if not lighter than a all iron sb, but to be fair the sb would get the aluminum stuff too,
What I have seen in this case c3's is many killer sb cars and many killer bb cars and in my case I liked the feel of the iron head 454 I have in my 69 over the handing of my 383 in the same car,
An aluminum block is simply outside my budget and I consider aluminum heads but in my case a cruiser I do not need them,
a lot of my love for the big block is memory , stigma and old school coolness, I just love the big blocks....
Last edited by The13Bats; Jun 30, 2016 at 06:46 PM.
I do not believe I would say "grossly too" heavy as the difference isn't that much but many things bb fans use to defend it are not fair across the board,
I believe the iron head small chev is about 575lb
The iron head big chev about 685lb
difference of 110lb
If we slap the aluminum head, water pump and intake on the bb it's fair closer to if not lighter than a all iron sb, but to be fair the sb would get the aluminum stuff too,
What I have seen in this case c3's is many killer sb cars and many bb cars and in my case I liked the feel of the iron head 454 I have in my 69 over the handing of my 383 in the same car,
An aluminum block is simply outside my budget and I consider aluminum heads but in my case a cruiser I do not need them,
a lot of my love for the big block is memory , stigma and old school coolness, I just love the big blocks....
Good to know and thanks!
Depending on how many cheerleaders are on board and/or what size belt you and your passenger are wearing on your pants, 110lbs may not be very much extra weight, ha!
How can ya not love a Big Block? Weight to me doesn't matter..any C3 has engineering dating back to the early 60's. If your suspension and brakes are stock the difference is not a big deal with the extra weight. These cars were great for their time. Any new econobox would probably feel better handling. My 08 Impala SS almost feels better. It has 193k miles on it.
You buy an old Vette to relive the past enjoying the smell of fuel and the noises of the engine,trans and suspension. The Big Block is just the added zing for the fun pedal to throw you back in your seat with its torque!
I would keep searching for the right car. I think with a 30k budget there should be something better comes up there. Good luck with your search!
For $30K+ I'd expect show worthy or very close to it. After seeing the items you pointed out, no idea what price would be reasonable without a thorough inspection. Beginning to look like a car someone is hoping to flip?
