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I have seen a few for sale, and have loved the way that they look. Seems like the restyled 80-82 bumpers make the convertible top and deck lid POP! Would you value these cars, if done right, at the same price level as the 74-75 convertibles? I see those changing hands for 12-15k. (big block and chrome bumper cars excluded because they are in a different price bracket.) What do you think?
Considering GM never made one I'd think it's all in how well the mod was done. Me, personally, I wouldn't value it more over a factory convertible but that's just me.
Ive owned a lot of vettes 66 to 86
I loved 80 style so much i owned 2 81s, went nuts in 89 wide bodied one.
On the other hand i never really liked the bubble but glass not so much a style thing i insisted on having louvers on both mine but my OCD 82 ce opened so they all should have opened.
80 convertibles are a custom no way around that, gm didnt build them,
So in that the purist part of the brain might say a 74 to 75 convertible is always gonna be worth more but that's way too short sighted, it will vary car to car depending on condition.
In 09 i had a ton of yard art ( projects ) tina said why not sell all that buy the one car you really want rub is gm didnt make it i have to,
I knew convertible was the must, then bb and 4 speed,
I almost bought a 68 but rust and price killed that then a 75 popped up, 80 style bumpers and convertible, appeared to be done well they kept the 75 interior which i liked better than later cheap feeling plastic the car had a 502 a 5 speed,
The price was good but the seller was too ego driven and lazy ( or hiding something ) he wouldnt provide specific pictures so i bought our 69.
I would have flown out and drove that 75 home.
Had the 75 worked out i would be way ahead of the game.
I would have left it basically stock body 80 style and had a ball.
My opinion is gm dropped the ball hard dropping the convertible, afterall the had the tooling,
80 convertibles ( i dont care which year its built on ) are just stunning to me.
did you reinforce the frame?
did you have a top? or side glass. it looks pretty slick in black.
It used a ‘75 rear clip and soft top; everything was ‘81 except for side glass.
The thing I liked about the cars is built well, they looked like a car that was 100% built by GM. No need for a single bit of “custom” to it. Yet when people who knew what they were looking at saw it, they knew that car had never been produced at the factory and was in fact a radical conversion.
This car was used in a display at a Bloomington Gold Workshop in the How to Buy class. One instructor (not me) stated that this was a car “people should stay away from because it’s custom and has reduced value.” The following year I saw that guy and he asked where my car was and I said I sold it for $18k and I asked him how many ‘81s he could find on the show field for comparable money.
It used a ‘75 rear clip and soft top; everything was ‘81 except for side glass.
The thing I liked about the cars is built well, they looked like a car that was 100% built by GM. No need for a single bit of “custom” to it. Yet when people who knew what they were looking at saw it, they knew that car had never been produced at the factory and was in fact a radical conversion.
This car was used in a display at a Bloomington Gold Workshop in the How to Buy class. One instructor (not me) stated that this was a car “people should stay away from because it’s custom and has reduced value.” The following year I saw that guy and he asked where my car was and I said I sold it for $18k and I asked him how many ‘81s he could find on the show field for comparable money.
Expert opinions aren’t always accurate. Black and red cars always seem to do well .
did you reinforce the frame?
did you have a top? or side glass. it looks pretty slick in black.
From what I have read, the only difference between a coupe and a convertible were a few support bars under the dash. I haven't heard of any frame differences. I believe the X frame started on the C4 convertibles. I could be wrong. Do yo know if the frames are any different?
From what I have read, the only difference between a coupe and a convertible were a few support bars under the dash. I haven't heard of any frame differences. I believe the X frame started on the C4 convertibles. I could be wrong. Do yo know if the frames are any different?
The frames are identical to coupe frames. There is some extra bracing in the dash area of the body that could easily be reproduced.
I once had a '77 convertible conversion and loved it. Like Vettebuyer's car it was done very professionaly using a '75 rear clip. Most people thought it was a '75 until they saw the subtle differences in the interior. When I sold it the car was priced similar to 74-75 convertibles in like condition. The fact that it was a conversion did not hurt it but the car was very well done.
The 80 nose is prettier than the 75, but not that much. I think an 80 rear bumper on a 74-75 conv would be close enough without all the cutting, glassing, changing bodies... In fact a 74 nose is nicer than the 75-77. But in truth an 80 front clip and rear bumper installed on a 75 vert is still less effing around than a 75 body on an 80 frame, cuz you are STILL doing the front clip and rear bumper. You are just doing it with the 75 body still on the 75 frame.
Last edited by derekderek; 09-26-2018 at 04:21 PM.
The 80 nose is prettier than the 75, but not that much. I think an 80 rear bumper on a 74-75 conv would be close enough without all the cutting, glassing, changing bodies... In fact a 74 nose is nicer than the 75-77. But in truth an 80 front clip and rear bumper installed on a 75 vert is still less effing around than a 75 body on an 80 frame, cuz you are STILL doing the front clip and rear bumper. You are just doing it with the 75 body still on the 75 frame.
But if you want to do it right, you should probably change the doors, or make the 80/82 door panels fit somehow, plus add rally mirrors. Plus the later cars often have power door locks and windows. Then there’s the entire upper and lower dash assemblies, gauges, instrumentation and the rest of the interior.
Any route you take is actually harder than it looks, which makes the nice ones that much cooler.
I think an 80 rear bumper on a 74-75 conv would be close enough without all the cutting, glassing, changing bodies... In fact a 74 nose is nicer than the 75-77.
You mean like this? 75 vert with 73/74 front bumper and 73 grills, 80/82 rear bumper. It also has a PC spoiler and an L88 hood. All were Corvette items, just from different years. Still have body work and paint to do.
Whatcha do, glass in the stupid indent between the headlights? Looks way better than my 75 vert. Course I am going the other way. Have a taillight panel, 71 nose and full set of chrome bumpers... Why they didn't stay with the 73-4 nose is beyond me. Made your pic bigger and apparently you did.
Last edited by derekderek; 09-26-2018 at 06:20 PM.
Vettebuyer. Unless you are cutting the deck off like lowbuck did, you are still doing all those mods to a 75 body after you transplant it to the 80 frame. And then there is the Vin thing...
Whatcha do, glass in the stupid indent between the headlights? Looks way better than my 75 vert. Course I am going the other way. Have a taillight panel, 71 nose and full set of chrome bumpers... Why they didn't stay with the 73-4 nose is beyond me. Made your pic bigger and apparently you did.
I cut that part off of a 75 - 79 style fiberglass front bumper and glassed it to a 73/74 fiberglass bumper.
09-25-2018, 07:31 PM
What is Your Opinion on A 1980-82 Convertible?
