skhan

I am trying to get an idea of how much I could get for my 1975 L-82 4 speed manual t-top.
Seems as the original owner only wanted to pay for the better engine but not really for anything else. So there is no AC, no power steering, no power brakes.
The car runs well and strong.

I am trying to see if the car will bring back the money which I put in to fix it up more. Other things came up and the money is getting tight.

I am unable to provide any pictures since I have not really finished the car yet. But let me try to give an Idea of what it will be like:
Runs well and strong.
Brand new professional paint job
New carpet inside
New seats
New tires
New brakes

There is nothing really wrong with the car. so this will get the car pretty close to Done. What would be the price this car could go for?

I wanted to get an idea to decide if I should sell the car unfinished or finish it and then sell it. Thanks for input.

Kacyc3

do you have the build sheet that proves it was ordered that way and the options werent removed?

skhan

I dont have the build sheet, but why would someone remove features, thats like, going backwards.

Where would I get the build sheet anyways?

Kacyc3

They could have been removed to save weight and make the car faster while racing, some dont like the way power steering feels compared to manual, power brakes also don't give the feed back like manaul brakes do while racing. Have read people up near Canada remove it because they dont need it, it is also removed because it doesnt work and is in the way. Hell Ive seen guys strip those parts out of almost brand new cars they street raced with to save weight and make them faster. Some are on top of the gas tank, some are in the bottom of the seats.

skhan

Well I guess even if thats the case. Me putting all those feature back in will only increase the expense of it being fixed up. But thanks for bringing it up, I wasnt thinking about it in that way.

vettebuyer6369

Your car doesn’t seem like it’s the type to have those features removed for “performance” or weight concerns. AC particularly usually leaves some traces behind. If you don’t see A/C in it, it likely didn’t have it. More people added PS and PB than removed it.

Im assuming you were talking about fully painting the car, adding new interior, etc, unless I misread your post. Those items you listed are what you plan to do, correct?

Im not going to quote a number, but these cars have been soft at auction these days, particularly coupes. If I were in your situation, to answer your question I would not dump the time and money it would take to restore a car like that, with the end game being to sell it. You could easily exceed the value of the car with a restoration and you will likely be working with numbers in the red at resale time. For example, a “brand new professional paint job” probably costs more than the value of a completed ‘75 low option coupe.

If you plan to sell, get it running right and as cosmetically acceptable as you can without spending a lot of money and let the new owner spend all the money. Let the low price be its selling point.

Easy Mike

You can't if the previous owner did not include it with the car.
Why not post pics of the car as it sits?

MelWff

Using the Corvette DNA app a 75 L82 in Excellent condition, Slightly used restoration or well preserved, with no more than 50K miles with 4 speed is $15,500.

Bikespace

Not to be contrary, I specifically removed AC and power steering in my 4-speed 80. Not so much to race, but to reduce weight and complexity. My car has one fan belt and three pedals, just the way God and Zora intended.

Can you see a hint of your tank sticker? Mine was faded, but still readable, mostly.

ntfday

And IMHO that's on a good day with no more than 50K ORIGINAL miles.

Tiger Joe

10k tops. maybe a little more if the paint is exceptional. I've see some really nice rubber bumper cars that cant bring 10k.

GTR1999

Price depends on a lot of things, year, options, rarity, originality. A 75 L82 4 speed no option coupe is not a high dollar car and I doubt it ever will be. However, I was a sophomore in trade school when they were new and recall seeing them in a full page sunday paper ad. I didn't care if it was a 205 hp slug, I wanted that car. Many years later I bought a 75 L82 4 spd, 355, gymkana, PS coupe with a rotted top windshield frame. The paint was fresh the rest of the car worn.
I paid $3k 10 years ago for it and gave it to my son. I still like the 75's and would consider a nice one so a guy with interest in that setup is what you need to find. The average vette buyer most likely will not be concerned about any of that since it would be a foundation for a resto mod and probably not bring much. Some guys will marry the car and it won't matter, others may think they can flip it and will most likely lose out.

If you have to sell it I would figure your costs. Paint even if you do all the work will still cost over $2000 for materials and paint. It will sell better with good paint more so than say a rebuilt engine since more guys will wrench then do body and paint work. The problem is all those guys like me that wanted that car are hitting 60-65 now, your market is aging.

vettebuyer6369

15+ for a '75 coupe is extremely high.

vettebuyer6369

Understood, and no offense meant. My point is, in his situation Im going to maintain that removing these items on that model is probably not terribly common and given the price ramifications, any detective work trying to discover the potential of the AC being removed on a '75 coupe is likely not worth the effort given everything else he has to do. YRMV.

vettebuyer6369

Yeah, I was trying to nail down if he was going to paint it, or what a "brand new professional paint job" is supposed to mean. Generally that results in more than a 2k expense. Need more info.

GTR1999

Agreed, I last priced PPG paint and material probably over 10 years ago now, where did those years go? At the time $2k is about what it would cost, no labor just paint and material. So current pricing?

Another point of view. I need another corvette like the proverbial hole in the head and a C5 would probably make more sense but if I found that 75 I always wanted I still wouldn't be interested in spending more then $10k knowing it would not be good return on investment. My son bought 50k mile 75 L48 4 spd coupe with very good paint and mint black interior, suspension was rebuilt, new tires, and all the paperwork about 8 years ago for $7500. I would have bought that car for that, it was a complete turn key,low performance driver.

Bikespace

No offense taken, certainly! I doubt I'm a typical buyer, but I like to think I represent a small and growing demographic that sees these cars as a starting point for a fun restomod. I think GTR1999 nailed it, the value of this car is in the 4-speed, and a bit in the L82, and it is all in the potential for fun, not as a high-option survivor.

Anyway, I fully agree with your previous point. Unlike adding an NCRS correct smog pump to a pristine 69 L-46, for example, almost nothing that is done to this car, beyond making it clean, presentable, driveable, and safe, is likely yield a positive ROI. I'd like to see some as-is pictures.

skhan

Well see the Paint is whats actually pushing this resto out of my budget. the PPG paint is going to cost me about 6K. and all the weather stripping is going to be changed as well. Probably new tail lights and emblems as well, on top of the 6K paint job. The finished car will look really clean, I am certain of that. But its about the $ that its going to take. And I dont want to destroy the car by taking it to a corner paint job shop.
The other thing is, I do have all the new parts that I need for it, except (seats). Meaning I am so deep in to resto, its going to be difficult to pull back, but I still rather go a less lose route. May sell the parts separate if the next car buyer doesnt want them.

skhan

My car has lower than 50K original miles. Somewhere around 44k or 45k I believe. I will have to check.

7T1vette

Your best bet would be to clean it up really well (detail the outside, interior and engine compartment) and sell it 'as-is'. You already have spent a lot of money on "niceties" (rather than necessities), and much of that cannot be recouped. You cannot predict what a potential buyer may or may not want on a car. But, it would be BEST (IMO) to clean it well and sell as it is now.

Removing A/C and P/S was a mistake, unless you wanted to keep it that way for yourself. Your sales dollars will clearly give you that message.