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I recently joined the forum as I'm searching for my first Corvette. Looking for a 70-72 T-Top, preferably Big Block.
I've found a couple that are interesting (and really far away), so I'm just trying to get as knowledgeable as I can before I take a trip to look at cars.
The photos attached are from a good looking 72 Big block, that seems to have been restored in terms of paint, interior and engine, but not the underside of the car.
What do you guys make of the condition, based on the pictures?
Thanks in advance,
Tim
I've seen worse...look carefully at the LEADING edges of the steel...this is where road blast happens.
Check the underside of the trailing arm pick up 'boxes'
Check were the body mounts are.
Check the bird cage by pulling the kick panels (foot air panels)
one thing for CERTAIN the rear spring 'sleeps with the fishes' lol
Very subjective based on price, expectations and description.
At face value, from a rust perspective, that looks really solid and in fine fettle - the visible rust looks to be only surface, which on a 40-50 year old car that has been used and not restored is to be expected.
Outride of restoration or pampered, unused survivors, if it doesn't crumble, flake or have perforation, you're good to go.
I'll caveat the above by saying this is from a European perspective where most cars are 'lace curtains', where we tend to sweep up rust from the driveway with good grace and don't turn our nose up at honest surface patina and corrosion - others want frames to still feature factory paint and visible stencils - all depends on what you're looking for and what's realistic / important to you.
Last edited by Last Triumph; Nov 10, 2021 at 02:10 PM.
Typical 50 year old chassis. Take an ice pick or a small screwdriver with you. Poke and prod the frame in the problem areas. If the owner will let you. Places to check are the rear kick ups just in front of the rear tires, and behind the kick panels under the dash.
I just bought another C-3....my point is; it was recently painted. In the quote for the paint was the following;
DO NOT PAINT UNDER THE HOOD, DO NOT PAINT THE CHASSIS, ANY PAINT OTHER THAN ON THE BODY WILL REQUIRE A NEW CHASSIS BLACK-OUT.
Obviously, this bodyshop in this car 'didn't get the message', Of course not a show stopper either!
I just bought another C-3....my point is; it was recently painted. In the quote for the paint was the following;
DO NOT PAINT UNDER THE HOOD, DO NOT PAINT THE CHASSIS, ANY PAINT OTHER THAN ON THE BODY WILL REQUIRE A NEW CHASSIS BLACK-OUT.
Obviously, this bodyshop in this car 'didn't get the message', Of course not a show stopper either!
Man that rear spring is 'bubba'd'
Good luck in your quest.
Unk
Frame and under-body over spray is a pet hate of mine and so easily avoided.
ALL unrestored Corvettes need work. Looks like a good start.....but much of the damage is hidden. Frankly.....from my perspective......I look at every C3 Corvette as a full off body restoration project......its just a matter of how much time and money it will cost. Otherwise.....you restore it one failure at a time. Now if all you are going to do is park it in a garage to be taken out once a month to same stupid parking lot car show......it really doesn't matter. On the other hand, if you are going to drive the car like it deserves to be driven, which means ALOT, they you need to start over. I spent 4.5 years doing body off restoration on my 77, making it BETTER than Chevy built it.....and its a reliable machine I can trust to drive,....and I do. All the time.
Thanks for your replies.
For the listed price on this example, one should expect a previous off body restoration. ($45k)
I'll keep it bookmarked for now, but there are nicer specimens out there for the same money.
I'm new to Corvettes and all the focus points before buying one. What was it that you saw on that rear spring?
Tim! See how the rear spring has an INVERSE curve? See the 'stupid spacers' to 'hide' that the spring has collapsed....they are the rusty looking 'toilet paper rolls' at the spring ends?
This is bubba engineering at it's finest.
Simply, the rear spring in its entirety must be replaced.
This is right up there bubba-wise with bending the worn-out lower strut links because the eccentrics have run out of adjustability! See the right hand lower strut for an example of what NOT to do! Replace them too!
good luck on the quest...just something to mention for a 'discount'!
Tim! See how the rear spring has an INVERSE curve? See the 'stupid spacers' to 'hide' that the spring has collapsed....they are the rusty looking 'toilet paper rolls' at the spring ends?
This is bubba engineering at it's finest.
Simply, the rear spring in its entirety must be replaced.
This is right up there bubba-wise with bending the worn-out lower strut links because the eccentrics have run out of adjustability! See the right hand lower strut for an example of what NOT to do! Replace them too!
good luck on the quest...just something to mention for a 'discount'!
Unkahal
Oh wow,
I've compared it to some pictures of other C3's, that does not look bueno!
Thanks for pointing it out, and for helping me cue my eyes to all this stuff.
The pics show a deep pockets owner who didn't spend any money on his vette .What else didn't he spend any cash on ? like changing that expensive engine oil .That "fix" has been there a long time too . keep looking
The guys who have answered already know a lot more than I do for sure. If you are interested, the only thing I would emphasize is to pull the kick panels in the driver and passenger side and look for any birdcage corrosion. Also, take a flashlight with good power and look along the windshield frame side posts. If you see any issue here, most likely the part hidden under the trim pieces at the top (upper windshield frame header) will be bad. These are very expensive fixes and are common issues even on otherwise solid cars. You can put your fingers in the holes on the frame and feel inside - if it is relatively smooth you should be OK, but if you feel rusty patches you might want to take a deeper look. You can buy a relatively inexpensive USB inspection camera on a snaked lead that works with your cell phone. My snake camera has a bright light at the camera head that makes it perfect for inspecting frames and other possible rust areas - good luck!
72 Frame/chassis condition
