BLUE1972

Post your location and join a club, there are a lot of clubs and members who love to help each other.

81vettski

I am posting my vote to keep it with the expectation that you become proficient in repairing the vehicle yourself. Between this forum, manuals and the web you will be surprised what you can get done. Please don't go bankrupt over it tho. Old Corvettes are like Harleys, If you own 1 you need to know how to repair them. Most everything i learned came from repairs. Its still a chevy. And It sounds like you crossed that threshold of losing money. If you sell will you ever have another?

radiotexas

I'm too am a man of a certain age, and I have walked in your shoes. First of all, don't beat yourself up over this. I have, and probably many others on CF, made judgment mistakes capable of tilting the earth off its axis. I can work on my Corvette, but I can't trouble shoot. Good friends who can trouble shoot tell me what to do, and with the patience of a brick, I do it. Try for the next few days to connect with some Vette people near you. Ask mechanics, but not the ones you've been dealing with, about Corvette owners, ask clerks at the parts stores, ask anyone and everyone. There is only about 6 degrees of separation between us all, and you will connect, don't give up. Working under a car-port is not a great idea, but if it's all you have, don't worry about it. I think if a someone knowledgeable of C-3's checks out your car, you will get an idea of what it will take to make it safe and fun to drive. Don't give up on your dream, especially at our age. Okay, I did give up on Ann Margaret asking me to marry her, but that's the only one. This will all work out. Lady Karma is going to smile on you, and she's going to knock the snot out of anyone ripping you off.

Zoomin

Read this thread here --> link

This guy had circumstances suspiciously similar to yours. Cliffs: sell your car and get a Toyota.

Lobzila

The other big question that you did not mention is do you have another car to drive? If so, park the vette and charge the battery once in a while to keep it going. Keep the car if you can, but you dont want to end up living in it down by the river.
I love my car, but if it comes down to being homeless or the vette, I got to keep a roof over my head.
Good luck and you have a tough decision to make.

nohurry

OK, guys, thanks so much for all the responses....I read and understand every one of them from both sides of the argument!
I need to start by apologizing for not responding during this last week. Right after I posted this, I was offered a chance to work some overtime which entailed a lot of nights, so I've been away from the computer for a while.
Then, two days ago, I had a good friend pass away, so I've been preoccupied.

Now, that having been said, I'm still not sure what to do, but I sincerely appreciate all your comments and responses. I have to admit, I thought you'd beat me up a lot worse than you did!
I have located a body shop and have an appointment to have the frame assessed. I had asked the second shop to do that, along with other things which were laid out in a long email to the owner, and the only thing done on the list was swap carb and tune up engine and install rocker covers, and the rocker covers weren't on the list!
My headlights don't work and I'm sure I have at least one short somewhere in the rear harness due to the actions of my taillights. I've owned the car about 18 mos now and the only driving I've done is to drive it to mechanics and start it once in a while and drive it to the gas station for fuel! Frustrating!

I live in Phoenix in an HOA community and it's tough to work on a vehicle here. I do have a regular car for transportation; the Vette is my hobby car.
I wanted to say that I never thought about the idea of joining a Corvette Club, (or a simple Classic Car Club!), but that sounds like a great way to start. Thanks again!

As for my abilities, I was a body man for a short while and an auto upholsterer for a number of years. I had thought I was purchasing a fairly strong mechanical car and could take care of the other things at my leisure, but that hasn't happened.

Here is a link to a youtube video made by my regular mechanic during the time he had it doing the steering and other things. Please don't think bad of this place, they are great! I guess I just didn't make it clear to stop at the steering, but then, they should have called and said they found more things wrong and did I want them to pursue the other needed repairs. I will try to get some pictures of the wiring, etc, but for now you can see the car and what was done to it originally.

(Obviously, this video is an advertisement for their shop and an attempt to get more classic car work, but it shows my car fairly well)


PS........I'm totally new to this whole forum/posting thing, so I hope I'm doing ok!

81vettski

Some time has past and you received some varied opinions. Your story struck a cord with me. Just wondering if you made any progress or decisions.

72downunder

Hey Nohurry,

Welcome! Much advice and opinion here has been said, and while I've still got a reasonable amount of years ahead of me, We had a similar situation, except ours was a wafer thin chassis that the legal eagles here in Australia somehow passed. amazing how steel can be made to look thick and strong. We wanted a reasonable car to begin with but the chassis kind blew our budget. and the budget just didn't agree with importing a chassis from the USA. Luckily our mechanic worked within our budget and sourced a secondhand chassis here in Australia from a donor car and had it rust proofed, and strengthened, saving us a whole lot of money that could be spent elsewhere.

I hope yours works out to fit your budget if you decide to keep it. cool video by the way and a nice sounding car

OMF

I watched the video, and it looks to me like you have a good car to work with there.
It sounds like you are like most on this board....car nut, wrench head, call it what you want...but you like cars more than golf.
I'm of the view that you should keep the car, but also understand that these cars are a hobby.
The important stuff needs to have priority, then with money left over, spend a few bucks on your car and enjoy it.

grumpyonetwo

Welcome NoHurry
welcome, all you have to do now, is enjoy your car. You have stated that the corvette is not your daily drive (you have another car to drive) i myself are the same age as you, and also had to wait just as long to get my hands on my corvette (and i am in Australia). When i imported my car, i was told that all i had to do when it arrived was turn the key and drive it home WRONG my corvette needed every bush, ball joint, power steering unit replaced, every universal joint replaced, as well as the tyres and this was a car, that i could just drive home. You made the commitment to by a corvette, as we all have, and they do cost money, some people get their cars on the road in 1-2 months, others can take years. So enjoy the FACT that you own a corvette and that 1 day you will be able to sit your **** in the driver seat and have people be envious of you being a corvette owner/driver. I hope this will help you make your decision weather to keep your corvette or sell it, for me keep this special car and enjoy it.

Bill/an Aussie corvette owner/driver lucky bastard

AllC34Me

Well said Bill, well said. I too am a lucky bastard although there are days...well, we all have those surprises we could talk about over a cold brew, mine was a 71 that had more issues than benefits when I bought it and I had more eagerness than common sense. But owning a C-3 Corvette isn't really about demonstrating common sense, it is the love of an classic sports car. I have had a few of them, miss a few of them now that they are gone, never look back with regret, just look forward down the road. And drive.Oh, and 63 here and retired now so enjoy the hobby.
David

AllC34Me

Well I am now one of your biggest fans. You laid it out there for all of us to see, and you are stepping up to face some tough challenges, good for you. The decision to keep or sell is never an easy one to the owner, I know this pain all too well, but there are lots of great people here on the forum that are ready, willing and able to help. It has been and continues to be an invaluable source of information and advice to me and I hope we all can help you work through these issues as well.
From the video it looks like the brakes, power steering, and ball joints in the rear are buttoned up. It also sounds like you may need some help in the electrical side of the car. I would love it if one or more Corvette Forum members living in or near you in Phoenix could come and look over your car with you and see what might be needed next. Then post that here on the forum and let our collective masses see if we can help.
Keep that chin up and welcome to the C-3 Corvette ownership club, all those woes go away when you drive it down the road.
Best regards,
David Howard
AllVettes4Me

M. Young

I'm jumping in here. Lets start with the fact that 70-80s C3s were not exactly designed or built like precision Swiss watches. That being said I think it would be fair to expect complications and problems with any one of these cars. I own an '81 and a '73 and its shocking how poorly the '81 was put together. You get to fixing one problem only to find a few more along the way and that can add up monetarily. It took me six months to achieve electrical and vacuum nirvana on the '81. I'm so deep into that car I asked my wife to bury me in it and I haven't even begun to unravel the '73.

"all those woes go away when you drive it down the road..."

Pa'svette

Welcome nohurry,
At first I was with the cut your loses guys but after reading the entire thread and watching the video I've changed my mind. It looks like you have a nice car and most of the work has already been done. Electrical problems can be frustrating but most times it's a cheap easy fix ( ground, broken wire, switch,ect.) just hard to find.
Unlike a lot of hobbies, after you spend the money you'll have a Corvette to enjoy. Just remember she is like a woman, old and something always needs fixed.
Like others have said join a club, but also try to find an old mechanic that remembers when cars had no fuel injectors or computers.
Hang in there
Bob

Richard Daugird

Do you have any kids? I don't, but I have some trustworthy friends who are in their 20s who are car nuts like me. They come to help out(read: do most of the work) and in return, I let them take my car for a cruise now and then.

As far as being upside down money-wise, I am too, but so what? Nothing fun is cheap or easy. I wouldn't part with mine, except to get a '68-'72!

CA-Legal-Vette

Lots of Vette folks in the Phoenix area. Clubs too, though I'm not yet associated with any so can't vouch for them.

The video looks to show a half decent shop. The on car rotor lathe is actually very helpful with respect to eliminating runout. Again, can't speak for the shop. After all, they have to pay the videographer

The Grinch

I am sorry but these "shops" suck! If they are doing repairs not quoted and not even asking your permission that is extremely unprofessional. You sound to be in a hard situation working hard for every penny don't let them steal it from you. Might try being a little more gruff with these guys. The shop that put up the vid is now using that video to advertise there business and you were unhappy with what they charged I would want that taken down.

Not trying to sound negitive but that part of you story really got me.
Yeah it is a corvette but it's still a Chevy. In the classic and antique car world these are not overly complicated. Joining a club is a great idea.

Why go to a frame shop? Is it having alignment issues? Do you suspect rust or a bent or cracked frame? If not why waste the money?

What's your goal for this car?

ronarndt

Welcome to owning an old classic car. It's an expensive hobby. I bought mine while I was still working and could afford to spend money like water on it. Think I spent about 1000 gallons worth. Now that I am retired, I have to be a little more frugal, but I think I have most of the bugs out of my 68 convert. Just spent about $4K to add alum heads, cam, intake to a perfectly good motor. See if there is a mechanics course you can take at a local vo-tech school or community college so you do not need to pay someone else to do the work. That will keep your cost down. I do all the work on mine and when in a bind, this forum has lots of advice. Also, the advice to find a car club should help. Hang in there.

LS4 PILOT

I'm impressed with your brutal honesty to the forum.

Yours is a hard pill to swallow.

Your sound and write way to intelligently to let a bunch of yahoo mechanics steal you blind.

I would not pay their bill.

If you did not sign a work order and they went above and beyond , that's their tuff luck . I would not pay a penny for work I did not ask for.

Offer the amount payment you asked for . Take the police go get your car.

we never know how many days we have left on earth. Make yourself happy . This is a meager dream in the big scheme of things . Not like you want a million dollar car. Should be attainable . But you need to trust yourself and not put your dream in he hands of crooked mechanics . You need to work with friends on this project ,not enemies who would rob you blind.

If the car makes you happy or can. Then take it slow , get out from under that outrageous bill. Find help by taking your time inquiring about good honest guys that work on old cars for a hobby and extra cash ..because they like too.

I think I'd keep it and do a few small projects or one large a year. Do the work yourself , with help of other corvette guys.

Corvette is not all that bad if you start with a correct car. Problem is a bunch of idiots preown these cars , half way fixing and rigging them or most of the time outright neglect. So at some point , somebody has to step up and start fixing the thing like it should have 10-20 -30 years ago . The bad rap I put on Owners more than the car.

Best luck

F4Gary

I find this completely unprofessional:
"I took the car to my mechanic, whom I trust very well, and he fixed the steering, telling me it could be done for around 1200. He apparently found numerous other things under there needing repair, so he fixed them, (without telling me!), and I was confronted by a $4500 bill!"