Hi All,

I'm fairly new to the corvette world but surfing around craigslist I found a 1976 stingray L-82 4 speed (supposedly original) and instantly pictured myself cruising around in it. I was doing some research when I found this forum and decided to register and see if anyone had some sage wisdom to offer or experiences with '76s to share. What to look for when buying, common rust spots to check, etc. and the toughest question of all; what is one of these in okay to good condition worth? It is located in the northeast (I know ) so rust would be a real concern for me but I'm also not expecting a show car. If anyone has anything to offer it would be greatly appreciated!

Dave

 

EMOTION allows the purchase of a Corvette. Work, sweat and money correct the mistakes of buying the wrong Corvette. Sorry, that's just the way it is...

MORAL: Focus your search efforts on the CONDITION of the car and the function of the OPERATING systems, rather than on the appearance and 'fantasy' of owning one. Otherwise, you will buy a 'pig' and have lots of grief getting it to the condition you thought it had.

Make certain the frame and birdcage are SOLID. Surface rust is to be expected; rot is not. If it has 'rot', run away. Drive the vehicle and check out all of the operating systems, down to the interior lights, radio, ALL HVAC functions, wipers, etc. etc. You MUST know what does not work properly before you consider buying the vehicle.. Then you can make an 'educated' decision of whether that vehicle is a good candidate. BTW, the 'appearance' of the vehicle is the easiest thing to change on a car (short of a complete paint job, of course).

Now, get the stars out of your eyes and take a 'different' look at the "car of your dreams".

 

Hi DP, welcome to the forum!
Sounds like you have enough knowledge of vintage cars to be concerned about rust issues, so you'll probably do a thorough inspection of any car you find. '76's are real nice looking and driving cars. If you can buy it right and the car is solid, you should be very happy with it. Can you share some pics and the asking price here? This might be the easiest way to get some good input on this particular car.
Not all Corvettes are rusted piles of **** but if you're having trouble finding a clean one in the northeast, maybe consider buying a southwest car and shipping/driving it home.
Cheers, Greg

 

Welcome to the forum & you have come to the right place to ask all questions Corvette. Check the entire frame for rot as well as the bird cage, the body may look great but that hidden rust will make for a poor purchase. Also, the 1976 model year is one of the least performance oriented Corvettes ever made, don't expect that car to push you back in the seat

 

76 or not advice similiar..for rust etc..
76 L82 stick in good condition..?? miles? original...? paint etc.. tough.. but good shape WAG 8-12

 

Since no one yet has mentioned it, direct your focus to the Stickies, especially the one giving the Top 10 things to look for when buying a C3.

 

Welcome to the Corvette Forum DavPak. I hope you find this site to be of utmost help to you as you search out your first C-3 Corvette purchase. Give us some idea where you are living so we can put it into our thinking when offering to help you. I have lots of new friends that live within 100 miles of my home now because of the forum.

You will get lots of good advice here and I agree with reviewing the stickies at the top of the page.

1) Get familiar with the forum pages, forum rules, and forum content, it will help you a great deal.
2) Get familiar with the forum search area as well, invaluable for finding information on a variety of topics you may wish to explore in the future with a purchase, a repair, or general information about the C-3 family of Corvettes.
3) Get familiar with the C-3 Corvette. Consider purchasing a Corvette Black Book published by Mike Antonick. He updates the book each year with facts and data on the various years and I have used it a great deal for the C-3 information like options, colors, combinations and more. It sells for about $25.00. There are many other books to consider.
4) Reach out with questions. Be sure to post pictures when you can as that helps us all to help you.
5) Found a car on Craig's List in the Northeast, great. Lots of members here live all over the World and they can help you with things like inspecting the car, or may be familiar with the car that is being sold. The goal is transparency up front so you don't get unwanted surprises later.
6) Have fun with the search and purchase of your first C-3. They can be happiness and heartbreak all wrapped up into one very beautiful automobile.
7) Share your journey. We all enjoy living through the experience ourselves and through others.

Best regards and happy hunting.

David Howard
AllVettes4Me

 

I've bought two C3s off of Craigslist. As long as the car has a manual transmission, good paint, and no structural rust, everything else can be fixed easily.

Page 6, post 107, restates the 10 rules for buying a C3. Do pull the kickpanels to look at the #2 body mounts, look at the frame in front of the rear wheels, and at the VIN (which can show rust on the windshield frame).

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...orvette-6.html

And check numbers (paint and trim, engine code, "numbers matching", VIN decoder, etc) here:
http://corvettec3.ca/

 

i've been sending people there until yesterday it appears the links have been removed? so i just try and help with this one.. maybe the sticky needs an update?

 

A real '76 L-82 will have an "X" in the 5th digit of the VIN. Be sure to start there.

 

One thing to also consider is; if the car is currently being driven by the current owner (during the common driving season for where it is) or if it has been in storage for an extended period of time. Stored vehicles (as you probably know) will have problems not visible to the naked eye like rubber components such as belts, hoses and suspension bushings, tires, fluids, brakes etc. Make sure you have a plan for transport "other than driving it" if there is any question regarding its safe operation. If you buy this, make sure you go through those items first. All of the previous posts have pretty much covered the things to look for in a "new to you" Vette purchase. Good luck and welcome to the forum. You'll find a boatload of help and knowledge here. BTW, I also have a 76 and love it.

Terry

 

I'd like to tell you not to fall in love when you see it, but I'd be the worst hypocrite, lol. Read the stickies, really good info in them. The birdcage is important, look for the common rust spots. Remember, you'll never be able to review everything is in good shape before you buy, you just try to minimize what you'll have to fix/work after you buy. I bought my 76 knowing I'd need a motor rebuild sooner, or hopefully later. I wish you luck, welcome to the forum! Ask questions! Great people here on this forum!

 

When you get one find out whether it is an early or a late build 76 Corvette… Before you start ordering any replacement parts because some things are different if they’re early or if they are late build! Ask me how I know… LOL!!

 

I want to know. I've ordered parts for my 76 and never have been asked that.... but DO want to know, LOL!

 

When I ordered radiator hoses there were ones for early 76 and after a certain date in 76! The hoses were different enough to where they probably wouldn't have fit so I sold the later build one off. Not sure of the cutoff dates but I know mine is an early. I'm sure someone here will chime in with the info. I'm sure most parts will interchange but a few were probably changed going towards the 77 model year.

 

Mine is early and was born 27/Jan/76.

 

I'll be danged. I never heard or read that until now. What were the differences in the radiator hoses?

 

It was just curved differently. I sold the other to a member on here so I can't compare and I killed all the old photos.

 

Welcome aboard Dave !

I don't know how to attach a thread to this one, so please go to...
What to look for when buying a C3
Go to my post #11
I talk about the possible problem with the rear end cover that holds the rear leaf spring.

Check it out, and good luck with the search
Stu