Pardon me as I write in frustration but I have to vent to the group. Maybe someone can comment in such a way to give me some solice in my search for a C3. I have been searching for a few months trying to find a C3 that isn't a project car or basketcase. Everytime I call on a local or out of state car I ask my questions and then see the car and it is misrepresented! Its not like I'm willing to pay a fair amount of money which is up to $20K. I just drove a 1980 car last night and before going over I asked the owner how is the paint on a scale of 1-10. Person responds back with a 9.5...yeah right. I also asked if the car needed anything fixed or repaired mechanically or electrically and he said nothing needs any fixing. Well I went to see and drive the car and here is what I found. One of the mirrored T-tops was severely cracked two places all the way across the glass. The water pump was leaking and transmission was leaking on the front and rear seal. Outside passenger door handle was not working and the blower fan motor didn't operate at any setting. The driver's side inside door handle was about pulled out. The paint was a single stage and low gloss riddled with touchups and poor ones at that. Valve covers were leaking and engine was smoking due to the leak. Heaven knows what else was wrong with it before I gave up. I really want to get a nice C3 but I'll be damn if I can find a decent one that is not needing a lot of work or is misrepresented

 

Keep looking.

Good luck.

 

Take your time. One will show up that you just gotta have. I was lucky and bought my 1st two with very low miles, not needing much work. The last one I bought was a 74 vert with only 4600 original miles. They are out there just be patient. Good Luck.

 

A rushed purchase will be a long term regret.
Look at all the bad examples you can.
This is practice so when a good example comes along you'll
know what to look for.
Other than old age, death in the family, married or divorce there's always an underlying reason the cars for sale.
You want to do damage control before you own it.
A driver quality improve as you drive and enjoy was my goal.
Marshal

 

There's a nice blue 72 for sale for 24k on this forum.
I'd buy it.
Marshal

 

It's not just C3s or even just Corvettes for that matter. I searched for my triple black '69 and fell into misrepresented cars all over the place, traveling for nothing. Telling me cars had black code trim tags that were green. More than once. Then when I was shopping for my last split window I had people telling me paint jobs were "perfect" when body seams were bursting through fresh resprays and had later year frames. Cars were "untouched" when I found frame splicings and wrong year doors in the first 15 minutes, etc, etc. Sellers in Seattle and Canada with "numbers matching" engines that looked like a 3 year old restamped them. I traveled to New Jersey, OH, KY, etc and did nothing but add to my airline miles.

The moral of the story is this: never buy sight unseen, regardless of price, and always assume the seller is lying or hiding something. Always. People who think dealers lie and private sellers do not are kidding themselves. And a car is not numbers matching or in great shape until YOU see it in person, put your hands on it and confirm.

 

You are doing the right thing by looking in person. More than a few have bought cars sight unseen only to be disappointed. Some sellers I know are dishonest but I think some are just unable to see their car in an unemotional way as a potential buyer would. I looked at a '73 last year that was described by the owner as excellent in every way. After viewing several photos I drove 12 hours to take a look. It wasn't what I expected but the seller was a nice guy that I believe really didn't know enough about his car. Keep in mind if you are willing to pay the $ for a correct car it should be just that. However sometimes people look at cars that are priced well below the market and expect them to be on par with the top end cars. There is usually a reason they are priced low. However in your case $20k should buy an outstanding '80 with no excuses. Good luck and the right car will come along. Also if you look at '68-72 cars that are below $20k they will probably need a few things.

 

I know what you mean.Also many times buying parts goes the same way especially when someone advertising "original ".My Ford Excursion has 565k miles mostly from going to look at parts and used Corvettes.Even having someone else look at a corvette doesn't work .I run into buyers that don't want to spend $400 to come look at a $50 k car .The old saying if you want something done right do it yourself might be best.
Wes

 

My only comment is to realize that getting a quality car will cost money. Too many times I see on this forum is members stating that certain advertised cars are priced too high. Anyone who has restored a car to quality condition knows that is not inexpensive. I know what I have put into my car for the condition I built it, and its not something that can be done for $20,000. So, you can play the game and hope to find the fool who doesn't realize what he has, or buy the rest of the junk. There is no free lunch.

If I were to look to buy a quality that equals my restored 77 Corvette, turn key, I would expect to pay at least $30K. I don't care what the ""market" says its worth.

 

Pretty normal. Even cars in the 30K range will not be accurately described.

What is nice though is after looking at a bunch you will know a great one when you see it.
It took me over a year and my budget was 35K.

Check the FS section here. Guys that have been here a while and have pride of ownership will have nice cars for sale. Fly out check it out and ship it back if needed.

 

I spent a year looking at cars in the $20,000/up range. I decided not to go into savings or nor a car loan. (I was hoping to buy a car within a month or two!)

I bought a 'butchered '68 convertible that I am "resto-modding". I have $12,000 including purchase price in making the car safe and dependable.

Fiberglass/body work/paint should put it at $20,000.

Keep looking and as other members have said, and" learn from what you do not like".

 

I would add since we are moving to pricing and the market that it does have a direct effect on luxury commodities like classic auto's.
It is a buyers market no doubt right now.
Some owners who bought in a stronger market back around 2005 still want to recoup their $.
I get that. So if they overspent for "todays" economy they will be sitting on the car a while unless its really something special.
if someone wants to sell its only what buyers are willing to pay at todays rate.
Sorry if I stated the obvious but I think places like Barrett Jackson have created some delusional hysteria in the auto collecting market.
Still gotta check it out in person hands down no other way or take whatever the seller sends you.
Marshal

 

Found the same problems back when I was into Trans Ams. Cant tell you how many Formulas or Firebirds Ive seen listed as T/As, or how many "all original" cars ive seen with paint colors other than their code, "perfect condition" cars that smoke or barely limp down the road... people just fail the honesty test when it comes to selling a classic car.

 

Your Corvette is like your wife.....
you went out and "test drove" quite a few before you found the one you wanted to take home and keep! And I`m sure a lot of those test drives were mis-represented too!

 

I shared this with my fellow engineers at work and we all busted up laughing and falling off our chairs.

 

(good advice here and make sure you meet her mother too, good chance to see what you might have 20 years from now)

On the Corvette hunt, I believe the hunt is half the fun, once you buy that puppy in the window and it becomes a full grown dog in a couple of years, well, you own it now. And you learn a whole lot in the hunt, if you take your time, about what you want and do not want. Not to mention cash is king and upcoming Jan/Feb months, are the best to be a buyer, IMHO.

Good luck to you!

 

I have an '82 auto that is amazingly far from project/basketcase status you can have for 10k. PM for details.

 

Cascadian: Johnnie won't be interested...he let me know that he wants a car that is ALL done....I totally understand "where he's comin' from"....But he's gonna' hafta pay a LOT more than 10k!

 

He said he would pay up to 20,000.00 which will get him a super low mile 76/82 Corvette. If you buy one that needs for 10,000.00 you could easily have another 10,000.00 in it. His best bet is to wait & find a nice low mile one owner that needs nothing.

 

FWIW.. a low mileage C3 isn't any guaranty the car needs "nothing". Anything that's 30+ years old no matter how it was stored, kept, driven will have plenty of things that simply will need to be properly replaced by Competent persons...with the proper quality parts and fluids. Jim