Norcoastal

I am at sort of a crossroads.

I have a 78 SA with a 4 speed and matching numbers drivetrain. Car runs pretty well and Lars is rebuilding my carb and it will run terrific.

I really want a 68-73 project car.

My plan this winter is to redo the interior with sound proofing and new carpets and new seat covers so it's really nice.

I also picked up a new intake and headers. I'm looking for heads. I think with the small cam it can make about 300 hp opposed to the sleepy 185.

But here's my crossroads question.

If I'm going to sell it to buy a early C3 project, is it worth adding the hp? In other words, would a buyer be more attracted to a modified engine with some pull or a completely stock motor?

I don't want to throw money on engine mods if that will hurt my chances on selling in, but if the engine mods would make it sell faster, I'd spend the money.

What do you think?

car junkie

Most would probably agree to put as little money into it as possible as long as it's a good runner. Clean it up as good as you can and that's it.

John 65

Save your $$$.

If a sale is in the near future and the car is running well, I would leave the
motor alone. The nice interior combined with the correct 4 speed drivetrain will be a huge plus to sell the car.

Norcoastal

That's what I was thinking. I started adding up what I've spent so far then added what I was planning to put into it, and it was getting very steep very fast.

I think I'm going to make the interior really nice and put her up for sale in the spring.

cagotzmann

I guess it depends on were people want the car to end up.

I have been looking for a 78-79 corvette over the past year. (Canada)

My problem is I want a car with a great frame and body and nothing else. Very difficult to find. All the extra's people are putting into the car is a throw away for me. I am trying to build a track only car. So everything else as rebuild corvette vendor parts just doesn't cut it.

So the less they spend the less there is for throw away parts.

I won't be paying for parts I don't need. Looking to spend as little as possible to build the car I want. So as a buyer I am looking for the cheapest selling price so I can build what I want.

Norcoastal

So you don't want a drivetrain?

I'd sell you mine as the body and frame are in great shape. But if your pulling out the drive train, it probably is the wrong car.

I'd be looking for around $5,000 and that's probably more then you want to spend as in your post says CHEAP.

Actually, I'd be looking at less than $5,000 as it is right now, but again, it has a lot of things you'd need to throw away.

cv67

just goes to show stock or modded theres a buyer. Leave as is & move on

7T1vette

Unless the interior is damaged, clean it up as-is and sell it. You CAN NOT make any cosmetic repairs pay for themselves...unless you are repairing damaged parts (and then you have to consider the repair and the cost). Rent a carpet cleaner and make carpet look as good as it can. If it is torn to shreds, replace it (but get the new stuff on sale!)

~Stingray

Save the money for the project car. The car will sell well enough without the upgrades.

Does the interior need work or is something you just want to do? If it doesn't need it, save the money there too. No one decided not to buy a vette because there was a lack of sound dampening put in under the carpet.

Norcoastal

The interior is a mess. Seats all torn, I already pulled the carpet because it was shot. The door panels are bad etc.

I'm scraping off the paint with a razor blade and the original paint is underneath and actually will show better than the primer that was on it.

If someone wants it this way, I'd sell it, but I think I may get exponentially more if I make the interior nice.

The engine compartment looks great, new tires, wheels are shiny. The only bad things are the interior and paint.

I can't do much about the paint, but if I can make the interior nice this winter, I believe I'll have a better shot at more dough in spring.

But I may be wrong. It may be a $5,000 car no matter what I do?

pigfarmer

I'd clean it up as much as possible and sell it as is without putting any more money into it. Sounds to me like maybe you're not really done with that car .....

You never know what the next guy has in mind and your choices for interior, engine etc may not matter to them.

Good luck

cagotzmann

I wish we had a better selection in Canada. Sounds like what I am looking for plus a few sellable extra's. To bad your not in Canada/Alberta.

cv67

Fresh coat of primer always looks decent. With a presentable interior, wheels and engine compartment oughta sell ok. Gives someone a palette to work with

Bikespace

You can drop $10K into it, and still get $5K in the spring.

The PO of my wife's car spent at least $10K on it before I bought it, including a nice set of embroidered leather seatcovers ($2K by themselves). Assuming he paid for gas, he could have gotten the car for free and there would have been zero profit for him. And this car had a $5K paint job done by the previous PO. The seats and the paint may have helped draw in the buyers, but didn't get him any extra cash at sale.

If you are confident that you do not want to build this car yourself, divorce yourself from it as quickly and cheaply as possible. Every minute is an opportunity lost, and every dime spent will not be returned.

Focus on cleaning what you have, and only fixing anything that is broken. Elbow grease will pay returns, but any money you spend on improvements will NOT be returned when you sell. If you absolutely need to replace an interior item, try to find it used on eBay. Watch some Corvette Ben videos on Youtube for inspiration (also a forum member), and good luck on your chrome-bumper search!

~Stingray

If you do all the work, it should be more than a $5k car. However, you have decide whether the time and money you spend to get to a 8-10k car is worth it. If you spend 3k to redo the interior and fix some paint issues,
maybe you raise the sell price. But I doubt you will get a 3k higher asking price because you put that much into it.

So you have to decide it you want to run the gamble of a higher sell price, or just save that money for your project car.

NOTE: I don't know these numbers exactly. I am simply using it as an example.

7T1vette

You are overthinking this. You've forgotten Rule #1: Whatever you have and in whatever condition it is in...someone will want it.

Rule #2: The buyers are looking for the car that THEY want; not the car that you think they want.

Leaving it in primer would have been the way to go. Too late now...

Norcoastal

I did peel the primer off, but the original paint underneath isn't terrible.

This car is a great unmollested starting point for a project. It could be original as it's a matching numbers engine. It's also a 4 speed and AC delete.

Not rare, but not common.

The problem is I really don't know I should do. I wish I did. I think if I could get $5,000, I'd sell it.

Here are some pictures after I took off the primer. I still have to take the primer off of the bumpers and the headlights. There doesn't seem to be any bondo anywhere. The paint has some marks, but I'm not sure what it is, but it's not bodywork.

76bomb

I know you just did the exhaust. So that's good. The worn paint would not turn me off as much as the bare floor with no carpet. Worn out seats and steering wheel are acceptable for the price.
How are the tires? Doe's the clutch and trans shift well?
Should the next owner be expecting to do some repairs to have a reliable Corvette?

How about some engine compartment pictures?

I would certainly not put much more money into it as you may not get anything in return. $5,000 for a running drive-able Corvette should be a fun thing for the next owner.

It's been fun following your progress. Good Luck with Sale.

Dave

Norcoastal

Thanks Bomb, I'm still not 100% convinced I'm going to sell. I'm still thinking about it.

The good news on the bare floor is that you can see that there is no rust.

The tires are new as is the clutch. She runs and drives well. It needs a new carb and Lars is rebuilding one for me now so it will run amazing.

Again, not sure what to do. I don't want to sell and then have regrets.

Gordonm

If you do sell and are looking for a chrome bumper project I know of a 71 BB 4 speed that is a project in need of a home. It is located close to me. It is running.