Hey there my Brethren,

Long time Corvette fan here C, five, six and seven.

Currently C7Z.

Love the three but never owned one.

One of my buddies that collects cars is having a wild hair.

He asked for my opinion on a 1975, C3 convertible.

Here's the Vin I wonder if you guys could help me decipher anything about it, per the ad says it's a numbers matching 58,000 mile car. 350 V8, four-speed, power windows, air conditioning power steering car.

VIN # 1Z67J5S430485

Classic white over red, blacktop.

Any feedback would be much appreciated based off the Vin.

Then of course anything I should Look for one evaluating the car.

Thank you in advance everybody.

Car 's priced right at that $30,000 number.

Kevin

 

The VIN posted is for a 1975 Corvette convertible L-48 base engine car. #30485 was assembled in June, 1975.

 

Hey Kevin,
'75 converts are very much on the rise. Most don't realize that it's not only the last year the convertible was offered but with only 4,629 made, it is also the shortest run year offered for a convertible since 1956 making it a pretty rare car. I have owned a couple '75 convertibles and I'm always on the lookout for another. You need to put them into the context of time. While they may not have the huge, raw horsepower offered a decade earlier, they are a very nice driving and great looking Corvette.
The only info you can glean from the VIN is:
The 3rd digit identifies it as a convertible.
The 5th digit confirms it has the standard L-48 engine.
The last 5 digits show it was a late built car in June of 1975.
If the car shows well, has been maintained and the low mileage is correct, $30K is a fair price. Remember, as far as mid-late 70's Corvettes go, this is a rare one and the numbers are only going up.
Hope it works out for you. Please keep us posted.
Cheers, Greg

 

I see Mike types much faster than I do.

 

Dear Kevin.
IMHO the car is waaay overpriced. Not trying to tweak the noses of our esteemed '75 owners...but the 75 is the bottom of the C-3 barrel. On a plus side it's the last convertible (for a while until 86).
First, pictures equal proper evaluation.
Second, a complete list of options is required.
3rd for that kind of money you can buy a NICE chrome bumper car!
You do not state whether it's an L-82 nor a L-82 4spd.

True that any C-3 is much better than almost any other sportscar for the money.

You/Your friend can do MUCH BETTER.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/c...416034147.html

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/c...419511060.html
The above car has been languishing for months....again overpriced! (and brown!)

I'm going to get flamed...won't be the first time! lol

Good luck with your search

UNKAHAL

 

Pics would surely help if you can get ahold of some

I wouldnt pay 30k unless it was totally restored. Mechanical, underbody etc.
Even a survivor in many cases are a little over hyped. Seen some real nice BB cars here for the same or less, like "done" and sorted chrome bumper cars

 

Mike,
Greg,
L 46
and
67,

You guys are awesome and this place never ceases to amaze me.

Those are awesome answers.

I understand both sides of the coin.

I will evaluate condition, while understanding it is potentially going up in value along with everything.

Although the value of our dollar is decreasing while understanding the car could still be overpriced.

In the pictures I've seen of the car it shows well and I had them send me some underbody. It's likely a survivor that had some degree of resto. Interior looks really good, exhaust is new, along with breaks, and power steering. Frame looks good From the underbody pictures they sent me.

I'm mechanically very literate and also a car guy my whole life.

The C3, I loved but I really wanted 72 or earlier as I didn't care for the pointy bumpers. But this is a car for my buddy and he seems to be hard on it.

He's got some other cars, he's got a 1960 caddy Limo, we got a 49 caddy droptop, we have a 57

Biarritz "the one used in the last Charlie's angel movie" and a few other collector cars.

I never really figured out how to post pictures to the forum although I've been around almost 20 years. I typically don't post much as I am prone to get my butt handed to me. So I learn and embrace and make friends through PM for the most part.

Thanks guys, Kevin :-)

 

Kevin;
#1 follow the picture posting instructions, if they're in your computer, not too hard.
#2 I have an eagle eye for pictures and defects and B/S in pictures.
#3 If I'm selling a Corvette....I VOMIT pictures out....20-30-40 pix of every detail good bad or indifferent...if someone is 'eyedroppering' pix and descriptions= CAUTION WILL ROBINSON! {it costs NOTHING!}

If we take the Craigs link I posted (the orange car)....and YOU look at those three pix....there are some glaring 'defects' in those paltry pix.
1. Pix show no interior.
2. SEAT COVERS on the car....er ah you're asking $22k....take the damn covers off for a minute! (answer= seats are shot!)
3. 3 pictures TWO DIFFERENT set of tires....er ah WHAT?
4. Cheapest, crummiest RWL tires you can buy. "Just put some tires on it I'm selling the G-Damn thing!"
5. No shot of the OTHER side,
6. No shots of the engine!

You can glean A LOT from pix, even a few.

Good luck! Unkahal

 

Yes Unk,
I looked long and hard at that orange one too. On the surface the price sounded good to me. But I saw what you saw, the seat covers just scream that the seats need recovering, wrong steering wheel, I saw the cheap tire change up from pic to pic as well. Did you also spot the damage around the rear license plate surround? There is a strong market for these '75 converts, if this orange car was good, it would be gone by now. I have a feeling it shows a little rougher in person than the seller is letting on.
The brown car looks to be in decent condition and it's loaded nicely with options but, unfortunately, a brown Corvette is always a tough sell.
If the car Kevin is looking at pans out condition-wise I still think he's safe at the asking price or close to it. The 4 speed with A/C is a big plus. Of course if the car shows any deferred maintenance, the price will need to be adjusted accordingly.
Also I think the white over red is probably a little more desirable than the brown/saddle or the orange/saddle. White outsold all other colors in 1975 by a margin of 2 and 3 times to 1.
Cheers, Greg
​​​​​​​

 

All depends, both are older colors that people love or hate. I love the brown on C3s, orange not so much.
Dont know why they never used Hugger orange so much better.

Not everyone cares if parts are "correct" or wrong for that year just condition.

 

Greg,
L 46
67,

Again you guys are awesome !!!

I can't make friends in person very well, or even at a damn car show, let alone walking down the road, but in this place I post some thing and I get a bunch of nice people giving me really honest answers.

People gracing me with their time and I do truly embrace the answers.

This car in the pictures Shows very well, underneath, engine bay and interior.

Now I'm no expert but it looks pretty correct.

This one's in Pompano Florida and we're up in Stuart so we're going to go down and take a look at it because it's only an hour and a half drive.

These guys appear to be Corvette guys and have had the car for a while. The price droped from basically 40 down to 30 and they're telling us this car is damn near nine on a 1 to 10.

Me, I'm fussier than my friend. I'm 60, mechanically very adept and currently drive as a weekend car a C7 convertible Z auto and he doesn't like the car at all!!!

He's a car guy he's 70.

He bought a 48 Cadillac 2 door roadster at Mecum.

The problem with it was, they didn't make a convertible Caddy or a two door in 48. He bought a car that somebody sectioned, cut the doors out of, made it into a two door, cut the road off put a lower windshield in it and it looks like something straight out of a damn ZZ Top music video.

Looks cool as can be, but damn sure drives like a real lead sled.

I certainly will take everyone's comments into consideration.

More often than not I use my spare time reading the forum from my phone, So I don't spend much time in front of the computer with pictures that are on it trying to upload it but one of these days I'll probably find a time to figure it out and do it so I can participate more thoroughly.

Please forgive my lack of technical prowess or time spent learning the photo thing.

I do know a post, that has no pictures is fairly worthless.

Thanks my Brethren, Kevin :-)

 

Kevin...THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! RUN FORREST RUN! LOL

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/c...426299387.html

unkahal

 

That's awesome thank you!!!

I'll share that with my friend he's also looking at one that's coming up at auction and we're going to go down to Pompano and look at that car.

You guys are the best!

 

Hagerty says...
A perfect 10 out of 10 #1 concours '75 L48 convertible....$49,500

I'm betting this Vette is closer to a #2 excellent condition....$31,500.