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Thinking about buying this 1977 L82 4 speed manual. Has only 48k miles on it. Runs and looks great. Does anybody know if this year was a lemon? Some people are telling me to stay away from that year. Something to do about the rear end in it. Can someone please help me. He's asking 14k for it.
Is there anything else that year for this car I should check out?
Thank you
Okay then people. This car is a four speed manual. Is this 1977 L82 worth 14k? Tha'ts what the guy is asking. It has 48k miles. One owner. Body straight and block sounds strong. Reason why I'm asking you guys is that I've always owned other classic cars and never one of these. Thank you for all your help people.
Last edited by garykuter; May 20, 2021 at 09:49 PM.
Thinking about buying this 1977 L82 4 speed manual. Has only 48k miles on it. Runs and looks great. Does anybody know if this year was a lemon? Some people are telling me to stay away from that year. Something to do about the rear end in it. Can someone please help me. He's asking 14k for it.
Is there anything else that year for this car I should check out?
Thank you
Who are these "people" and what are their qualifications to make them Corvette experts?
I've had my 77 for over 30 years. Yes in the rear end the stub axles if original will be soft and need to be changed out to hardened ones. This However is true for all the Rubber bumper cars through 79. 80 up have there own issues.
This car is nearly 45 years old. It would be safe to assume that there will be repairs on ANY car this old. Overall, I think the 77 is a really nice year. Love mine.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
YOu could say they are all Lemons buy the way they were assembled...just look at all the threads we have here....You need to post pics of the car, the paint and body, and you need to look for rust. The rest is just a GM car. THeir is a lot of hidden stuff related to rust which is a real killer of a great, fun car, you just need to know where to look.
I have a 77 L-82 worst Corvette i ever owned. It would have to be a one owner and garaged all its life with a year log of work and oil changes to date. On that note the reason i bought it was it handled like a go cart and the L-82 just had that lopey cam sound. L-82 4 speed cars are very hard to find and if looked at by a Corvette mechanic and found excellent buy it! Is it a private sale or dealer that makes a difference!
As noted, 77 is a bit of a transition year. I believe the dash is a combination of the pre-77 and 78 and on gauge bezels as well as what is mentioned above. It is however, the last year of the sail-back design, they went with fastback starting in 78.
I have a 78 L-82 4speed car with 49K miles on it. Now that I have had the body off the frame and rebuilt everything it's a pretty good car .
These things are projects, but they are pretty easy to understand. Just be sure to buy one with good bones (frame, birdcage, etc)
The 68s were known as a lemon when they came out, they changed it a lot the next year. The first model year of a new design always has problems,
Whether it is known or not is not the point.....the 68’ was a quality control low....a lot worse than a 77’....just making a comparison....
But in reality....all of these cars are poorly built with **** fit and finish....and that is just the way the “good old days” were......
A 77’ is no worse than any other year.....
Another thing is that these cars are 44 years old now....(77’)....how would you ever be able to tell if it was a lemon or not....either they are sorted by this point or need everything.....
Don’t dwell on the year....dwell on the condition.
Jebby
Last edited by Jebbysan; May 20, 2021 at 01:51 PM.
I have a 77 havent had any issue outside of the normal maintenance. It was a one-off year for a lot of parts that could be a pain if you want original. A car can be a piece of crap regardless of the year. Ive worked with a 74, a 76 with a 383 and my 77 with a 350 and my 77 has been the best car thus far. Have a trusted mechanic take a look and trust their judgement Id say.
Not to change the subject but my 1993 brought me a lot of smiles and it was as good as a caddy for riding on trips. A few bugs (OPTI) but fit and finish i thought was excellent.
I have an 77 L82 4speed and really enjoy it. Fun to drive. Mine has right at 80,000 original miles and is stroll running good. Motor is not what it used to be but still fun. If that one is solid, go for it and don’t look back.