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Dont bother,..you dont like the color now you never will .
Wait and find another....color is super important, you gotta love it when you see it or youll resent the car.
x2 on the odometer not looking right...so many of those were turned back, disconnected, screwed with over the yrs Id have a REAL hard time buying "orig miles'. Besides everythings 40+Yrs old. Seals, gaskets bushings etc.
Sure you want one thats never been freshened up?
I think youll have a real hard time reselling tan its just not a wanted color these days.
Unless you hate the color outside and inside...and if it is as represented...and runs drives good..
good car at a grand less..(and ac still has some pressure in it..)
i would polish the crap out of that lacquer and the wheels...
Last edited by interpon; Sep 16, 2020 at 06:30 PM.
I don't like the colour orange but when I was 19 I bought an orange 70 Torino. I had the car for over two decades and loved it, the orange colour didn't bother me after a while. People are different, only you know how you'll feel about this colour in the long run. You could paint it down the road as I planned to do with my 70 Torino but never did. I have regretted selling it at various times.
LT, Now that I've read the seller's ad I feel a little different about the car. Seller says it has hairline cracks and that bumper looks like it's kissed a few objects over the years so retaining the original paint (in a controversial color) on this car means less than nothing. It needs paint. Period.Deduct $ Seller says it needs rear carpet but if you only replace the rear, then the front will look aged. Expect to spend $300-$400 there plus it's pretty labor intensive if you're going to pay someone else to install it. So it needs a complete carpet set. Deduct $ I can promise you that the non-functioning A/C is going to eat up close to $2K before it works properly again. I have been through many of these systems and they NEVER "just need a charge". Deduct $ As for the odometer, I don't really see a problem. The last digit "4" is just starting to rotate with the 10ths of a mile digit "9" so it could be OK. The car sold new in New York and looks like it has stayed in the northeast for it's entire life. That is about as harsh a weather climate as you can find here in the US. If it's a 130,000 mile car it will be rusty. Also, whether it's 30K or 130K miles the car is 43 years old in a rough climate it is an absolute certainty that the suspension, bushings, trailing arms, etc. will all be due for service. Deduct $ So at $13,500 nobody in America is going to beat this guy's door down to buy this car. If I had a real boner for this car and absolutely had to have it, I'm looking at an $8,000- $9,000 Corvette here, provided he can verify the mileage. If he cannot verify the mileage through documentation/service records and this a 130,000 car, it's worth $6,000 tops and not one penny more.
Cheers, Greg
I don't like the colour orange but when I was 19 I bought an orange 70 Torino. I had the car for over two decades and loved it, the orange colour didn't bother me after a while. People are different, only you know how you'll feel about this colour in the long run. You could paint it down the road as I planned to do with my 70 Torino but never did. I have regretted selling it at various times.
What is the condition of the original Corvette Tan paint? Solid tan paint is pretty bland; but, if you or a professional were to give it a good cut/buff and glaze job, it might just be attractive enough to 'pass muster' for your dream Survivor car. A really good job on dressed-out Tan paint job can look a LOT better than any run-of -the-mill condition on some great color paint.
Ive had 17 Corvettes along with other collector cars, and bar none the #1 consideration for me is color.
Im not going to comment about what color is good or bad; that’s up to who chooses to write the check. But everything else could be fantastic about a car, including price and I wouldn’t consider owning it if I didn’t love the color. (flipping doesn’t count )
PS, regardless of your budget, do NOT settle. You will hate the car in record time. Ask me how I know.
Maybe I'm missing something here but too me something about the invoice just doesn't add up. But it also is not a complete invoice in the photo shown.
The VIN is clear as the car was built sometime in March of 1977, but the Paid in full is dated either 4 or 7 of 76.
Like Greg said, ask to see all records the seller has for the car.
To me the odometer number alignment looks OK. My 39k original mileage 77 numbers line up much like the 77 you're looking at.
Last edited by bmotojoe; Sep 17, 2020 at 07:58 AM.
I'd have to agree with others, I'm in a club with over 150 members and corvettes with every color of the rainbow and model years. Whenever we are cruising around, go to cruise-ins or car shows I always get people complimenting on the uniqueness of my Vette color combination. I purchased a beige 1981 Vette which is the original color code, but the previous owner loved gold. She had the car repainted back in 1991 the original beige, with gold metal-flake blended in and a blend of gold paint from the bottom halfway up. I'm also with Greg, I've owned, black, red, blue, green and there are too many IMHO black and red cars out there to be a unique color. I love black color cars, they look great, show all the lines on a car, but are a pain to maintain. I've owned them and my wife's car is black. If it was me and the car had everything else you were looking for, buy it. You are going to spend $$$ on repairs, fixing it up and either deciding to bring everything up to OEM or highly modified, choice is yours. I decided to go the OEM route and enjoy all the accolades people give for originality and seeing what a 40 year old car looked like back in 1981. The paint on my car is not perfect, but I enjoy driving it where I want without having to worry about a small scratch or chip happening.
Notice how the odometer all lines up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
unkahal
Thanks - in order of preference I'm looking for:
'74
'75
'76
'77
'80
'81
Would prefer L-82 but not massively bothered. Numbers matching important.
I don't like the '78-'79 shape except the Pace car, which won't be within budget - prefer originality than shiny pain hiding who knows what, unless there is a strong story and history.
Would I consider a rough and tired (but rust free and no-hit) '70-'72 for a bit more money - absolutely.
Interestingly on the red '79 posted, the bonnet doesn't appear to fit well - big gap upfront.
For the record, I'm mechanically inclined so am confident with many maintenance and rebuild tasks.
LT, Now that I've read the seller's ad I feel a little different about the car. Seller says it has hairline cracks and that bumper looks like it's kissed a few objects over the years so retaining the original paint (in a controversial color) on this car means less than nothing. It needs paint. Period.Deduct $ Seller says it needs rear carpet but if you only replace the rear, then the front will look aged. Expect to spend $300-$400 there plus it's pretty labor intensive if you're going to pay someone else to install it. So it needs a complete carpet set. Deduct $ I can promise you that the non-functioning A/C is going to eat up close to $2K before it works properly again. I have been through many of these systems and they NEVER "just need a charge". Deduct $ As for the odometer, I don't really see a problem. The last digit "4" is just starting to rotate with the 10ths of a mile digit "9" so it could be OK. The car sold new in New York and looks like it has stayed in the northeast for it's entire life. That is about as harsh a weather climate as you can find here in the US. If it's a 130,000 mile car it will be rusty. Also, whether it's 30K or 130K miles the car is 43 years old in a rough climate it is an absolute certainty that the suspension, bushings, trailing arms, etc. will all be due for service. Deduct $ So at $13,500 nobody in America is going to beat this guy's door down to buy this car. If I had a real boner for this car and absolutely had to have it, I'm looking at an $8,000- $9,000 Corvette here, provided he can verify the mileage. If he cannot verify the mileage through documentation/service records and this a 130,000 car, it's worth $6,000 tops and not one penny more.
Cheers, Greg
I appreciate your post. Sadly most sellers don't make such negative value assessments on their own cars.
I must eat a little humble pie, as the guy did get back to me, albeit not with what I asked. He states that to give the level of detail i require, it would be best if I ask a contact to go and view the car to take all the pictures required and get as much detail as needed. The seller states they are 74 years old and retired, so I can kind of respect that stance.
In my own opinion, I suspect the mileage is genuine and believe there is a stack of paperwork back to '77 to support this.
Assuming the mileage is genuine and the description of a rust free frame is accurate, this would suggest it has spent most of its life indoors, which might have saved it from most of the elements? Who knows.
If the car was a different colour, I'd be pleading with someone in the area to go and photobomb the car for me, but I can't get my head past the Tan.
To me, here in the UK, surrounded by 1.0 litre, three cylinder cars, hybrids and horrible diesel Euro-boxes, this is all about it being bad-*** rolling thunder, not a subtle and gentle period classic. I need to look through the windscreen at those two fender humps and feel I'm driving the Bat Mobile and Tan just doesn't fit that bill and never will.
I'll chew on it some more, but if I don't love it now, I don't think I should be trying to force myself to love it - be true to oneself they say? Or something like that?
What I would do makes no difference. This is a personal consideration for you. What do you want to do?
Find the same car in a colour I like, for less money.
Where I'm struggling is lack of experience or familiarity of the US market for these things to manage my own desires and expectations. I kind of need to know whether my wish list is unrealistic and if this car is as good as its likely to get, or whether I should be patient and carry on looking in the hope that similar turns up, ticks the boxes, is within budget and with a seller who is happy to communicate, answer questions and send a load pf pictures. I don't want to chase a rainbow and end up Corvetteless.
This is where advice and guidance from you good people is extremely valuable.
I'd have to agree with others, I'm in a club with over 150 members and corvettes with every color of the rainbow and model years. Whenever we are cruising around, go to cruise-ins or car shows I always get people complimenting on the uniqueness of my Vette color combination. I purchased a beige 1981 Vette which is the original color code, but the previous owner loved gold. She had the car repainted back in 1991 the original beige, with gold metal-flake blended in and a blend of gold paint from the bottom halfway up. I'm also with Greg, I've owned, black, red, blue, green and there are too many IMHO black and red cars out there to be a unique color. I love black color cars, they look great, show all the lines on a car, but are a pain to maintain. I've owned them and my wife's car is black. If it was me and the car had everything else you were looking for, buy it. You are going to spend $$$ on repairs, fixing it up and either deciding to bring everything up to OEM or highly modified, choice is yours. I decided to go the OEM route and enjoy all the accolades people give for originality and seeing what a 40 year old car looked like back in 1981. The paint on my car is not perfect, but I enjoy driving it where I want without having to worry about a small scratch or chip happening.
Just my opinion. Good luck with your journey.
Nice looking car.
Once option is to ignore the colour on the basis that I repaint it in my preferred choice down the line, however that would need to be reflected in the price. Does a non-original colour, i.e colour change cause a problem?
If the car was a different colour, I'd be pleading with someone in the area to go and photobomb the car for me, but I can't get my head past the Tan.
There's your answer, you don't want this car in this colour
Originally Posted by Last Triumph
Once option is to ignore the colour on the basis that I repaint it in my preferred choice down the line, however that would need to be reflected in the price. Does a non-original colour, i.e colour change cause a problem?
That depends on who you ask. I couldn't give a rat's *** if the car is the original factory colour, for others they wouldn't consider a car that isn't the factory colour. Paint jobs are expensive, add that to the price of purchase and you have a big budget to get the car you want in the colour you want. You've got a long list of acceptable years, I think you should be able to find what you want in a colour that is more pleasing to you if you keep looking.
Once option is to ignore the colour on the basis that I repaint it in my preferred choice down the line, however that would need to be reflected in the price. Does a non-original colour, i.e colour change cause a problem?
Generally, a deduct of the cost to paint it the correct color. Essentially the same as painting it an incorrect original color, except that it may reduce the amount of potential buyers as well.
What’s the point of buying a survivor car if you are going to paint it, unless the price is significantly lower?
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