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IMHO that car is worth $5-6K and here's why. Unless you're buying it as an "investment", you'll get it cheap and sell it cheap due to the title. You also stated you wanted a beater/driver and NOT a showcar.
Interior: looks presentable for a driver
Dash: not cracked and presentable
Paint: looks presentable for a driver
Engine: looks "all there" for a 79
Rear glass: this conversion is worth $2-3K alone in parts and the kits are super rare if not canabalized off a wrecked 82 CE
IMHO that car is worth $5-6K and here's why. Unless you're buying it as an "investment", you'll get it cheap and sell it cheap due to the title. You also stated you wanted a beater/driver and NOT a showcar.
Interior: looks presentable for a driver
Dash: not cracked and presentable
Paint: looks presentable for a driver
Engine: looks "all there" for a 79
Rear glass: this conversion is worth $2-3K alone in parts and the kits are super rare if not canabalized off a wrecked 82 CE
Definitely not an investment. Will probably never sell it and likely to give it to my nephew when I'm done with it or I croak (I don't have any kids). If I can get it for $5K I think it would be a fun beater to play around with.
Does anyone know if regular painted t-tops from earlier C3's are interchangeable with the glass tops? I don't like the glass ones because it's too hot here and they fit like crap (stick up in back).
Definitely not an investment. Will probably never sell it and likely to give it to my nephew when I'm done with it or I croak (I don't have any kids). If I can get it for $5K I think it would be a fun beater to play around with.
Does anyone know if regular painted t-tops from earlier C3's are interchangeable with the glass tops? I don't like the glass ones because it's too hot here and they fit like crap (stick up in back).
Interchangable? No. But they can be made to work with a hardware change.
It is likely easier to find later fiberglass T-Tops. I think the design change was in the middle of 77, but any 78-82 tops should work. That's what I did with my 80 beater, pictured here with rough fiberglass T-Tops, while the glass ones are safely stored at home. I haven't bothered painting them yet, since they are rarely in place at all.
Definitely not an investment. Will probably never sell it and likely to give it to my nephew when I'm done with it or I croak (I don't have any kids). If I can get it for $5K I think it would be a fun beater to play around with.
Does anyone know if regular painted t-tops from earlier C3's are interchangeable with the glass tops? I don't like the glass ones because it's too hot here and they fit like crap (stick up in back).
what does the printing say on the t tops? does it say blue? if so you just recovered 1/2 of your cost
Interchangable? No. But they can be made to work with a hardware change.
It is likely easier to find later fiberglass T-Tops. I think the design change was in the middle of 77, but any 78-82 tops should work. That's what I did with my 80 beater, pictured here with rough fiberglass T-Tops, while the glass ones are safely stored at home. I haven't bothered painting them yet, since they are rarely in place at all.
For some reason I thought the later cars only came with the glass tops. Didn't know fiberglass ones were available. I guess I'll try to find some of them instead. Yours look good. Do they fit flush with the roof hoop at the back?
For some reason I thought the later cars only came with the glass tops. Didn't know fiberglass ones were available. I guess I'll try to find some of them instead. Yours look good. Do they fit flush with the roof hoop at the back?
Certainly flush enough for me on my fun car. They are slightly adjustable, and new vs. worn weatherstripping probably has the most to do with fit and finish. Here are my original glass tops, and her stock fiberglass tops, when they were still new to us.
For some reason I thought the later cars only came with the glass tops. Didn't know fiberglass ones were available. I guess I'll try to find some of them instead. Yours look good. Do they fit flush with the roof hoop at the back?
they are not supposed to fit flush on glass.. flush would be correct for fiberglass
Looks like a nice car and I would buy it as well. You could recover the entire cost with the glass t tops and the rear hatch kit. I would seriously check the history though. The 82 Collector edition rear hatch is almost unobtainium and I have never seen a transplant into another car. My worry would be that it is a stolen 82 collector edition painted black with a dyed black interior. It does have 80-82 front and rear bumpers as well which the collector edition would have as well. That is a common change though.. I don't think I saw mention of the trim tag on the drivers side door pillar. If it is a 79 Red/Black interior car originally the tag will say TRIM 192 PAINT 72. If it is an 82 Collector Edition it would say TRIM 592 PAINT 59. If it is a 79 the VIN sequence will run 1Z8789S4XXXXX assuming it's an L48. But the fifth digit is the only one that could be different. Anything else and it's not a 79. The collector edition wheels are unobtainium as well and could have been another target of the theft. Aluminum wheels were more common on 79's and this car has Rallys. Just really strange to me to see a 79 with a really expensive hatch conversion,an expensive paint change to black, glass tops and upgraded front and rear bumpers and then cheaper wheels and sold cheap. Does not compute.
PLUS if it IS a 79 the speedo would go to 140mph while the 82's only went to 85mph, either way it could be a fun driver/project or a stolen nightmare.............. i'd ask more ?s
Take a look under the back end. Batwing diff (aluminum) means 80-82. Iron diff means 79 and earlier. Of note, the coolant recovery tank is the 73-Early 77 design, not what would be in a 79.
Edit: Hood is from a 80-82 car as well.
Last edited by SteveG75; Feb 10, 2021 at 06:25 PM.
King Rat....You do know that C&C made hatch kits for these!
Why would anybody take ANY CE, change the interior, change the engine, change the transmission, change the T-tops???
This seems like a bit of a junkyard dog....a mash-up of parts.
Late 79s used the 85mph speedometer when the 140 was depleted. Also, very late 79s had changed to the two rear storage compartments intended for the 1980 model. It will be difficult to check the engine stamp pad but that would be interesting to see what engine is in there. Good luck.
King Rat....You do know that C&C made hatch kits for these!
Why would anybody take ANY CE, change the interior, change the engine, change the transmission, change the T-tops???
This seems like a bit of a junkyard dog....a mash-up of parts.
But on the other hand for $5k...I'd rock it too!
Unkahal
I do know there was a hatch kit for these. IDK... I have run across many non-running, tired and beat up '82 CEs for not a lot of money. If someone wanted to rebody a C3, a hatchback CE would be a cool way to go. I have also seen several cars with dubious histories being "cleaned" by the addition of a good VIN plate and title.
To answer your question... I am thinking of buying another cheap '82 CE and resto-modding it. I am thinking an LS engine and paint it black with a red interior.
You need to get the #s on the frame checked out before handing the money over. If all checks out you got a fair deal id say.
Any C3 out here for that money is a hulk, parts car. AAA police DMV etc can do a quick search
THIS looks like the OEM handle but it IS NOT the OEM location. The 82CE spot was tucked in around under the window on the DSide
FAST
Thanks for the info. I would think that if someone did an '82 body swap then it would be in the stock location.
I'm going to look at it again tonight and will check a bunch of stuff. Hopefully it will check out. The seller has owned and been driving the car for over 5 years so hope it is all legit.
I find this car very curious. The entire front , hood, fenders and bumper cover are not 79 neither is the badge it is all 82. The rear bumper is not 79 and the opening rear glass is only 82. At first glance I would without hesitation say this body is an 82. One question, why? I know guys change out the bumpers but the entire car!
oh and the gas cap cover is also 82 style badge. Not sure this car is all that it seems. Not saying not to buy but at least know what you are buying. Go take a look at the diff set up see if it’s aluminum. If it is then this is more than likely an 82 but then why pass it off as a 79? If it is not the later aluminum then it looks like an 82 on a 79 frame. Check the date codes on the glass.
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