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Hello C3 owners - hoping to get a bit of advice and greatly appreciate your inputs. Wife and I are looking to add a 1976 to 1981 to our garage and have begun our search. Other than year range, her criteria is auto trans and dark red/burgandy exterior. No bright reds. My criteria - relatively clean, no projects, don't mind redoing things like interior trim or relatively small repairs and/or updates. Minor mods are ok but like a car that is 80 to 90% original in appearance. Prefer miles to be no higher than 80k, higher mileage cars ok if they appear to be well maintained and cared for. Have owned a 1985 C4 for 10 years and really like it, but she hates it.
Couple of questions - with the current market what price range should we reasonably expect to pay? Our budget is preferably 15 to 17k, could go higher if needed.
Any experiences buying from a classic car dealer? Good idea, bad idea?
Going to look at a 1977 in the right color with auto next week, shows just under 42,000 miles - mild mods (headers) with new brakes and tires, working A/C. Pics look great, third owner and asking $16,500. Another local offering is a 1979 L82 showing just under 18,000 miles, looks fantastic, original owner and asking $23,900.
Thoughts greatly appreciated, located in the Midwest, NE Indiana.
Hello C3 owners - hoping to get a bit of advice and greatly appreciate your inputs. Wife and I are looking to add a 1976 to 1981 to our garage and have begun our search. Other than year range, her criteria is auto trans and dark red/burgandy exterior. No bright reds. My criteria - relatively clean, no projects, don't mind redoing things like interior trim or relatively small repairs and/or updates. Minor mods are ok but like a car that is 80 to 90% original in appearance. Prefer miles to be no higher than 80k, higher mileage cars ok if they appear to be well maintained and cared for. Have owned a 1985 C4 for 10 years and really like it, but she hates it.
Why is an 81 in your wheelhouse?....this year I would AVOID. (Unkahal's impervious flame suit on!).
Couple of questions - with the current market what price range should we reasonably expect to pay? Our budget is preferably 15 to 17k, could go higher if needed. Your range is correct.
Any experiences buying from a classic car dealer? Good idea, bad idea? Bad Idea... Take 30% of your $17.000 put it in the garbage can and light it. THEIR MARKUP is 100% WASTE MONEY. When you buy from a private owner 100% of your money buys the car! You get the PROVENANCE from the prior owner...you get a ton of parts (usually). Dealers have broken the chain of provenance. You to dealer "When were the bushings replaced and the rear wheel bearings done"? Dealer; "I dunno what's a wheel bearing?"
Going to look at a 1977 in the right color with auto next week, shows just under 42,000 miles - mild mods (headers) with new brakes and tires, working A/C. Pics look great, third owner and asking $16,500. Another local offering is a 1979 L82 showing just under 18,000 miles, looks fantastic, original owner and asking $23,900. These prices are realistic in this market....CONDITION and lack of defects is EVERYTHING! To me 1978-80 is the sweet spot. Though I love 82's the four speed 700-r4 is terrific.
I have had a bunch of sugar-scoops...the trite waste of space is annoying FAST!
Thoughts greatly appreciated, located in the Midwest, NE Indiana.
Well here is another opinion. The 77 with working ac sounds worth looking at. Certain upgrades that I would always welcome would be improvement to the suspension, cooling upgrades like an aluminum radiator with electric fans and any engine upgrades like the headers that you mentioned. I agree that buying from a classic car dealer is something that I would avoid. When going to look at a c3, take your time and go over it close. Make sure the gauges, lights, windows all work properly. I personally like the c3 over the c4 but I feel that the c3 rides a bit rougher than the c4. The price that you are looking for sounds about right. Good luck
Find your local Corvette Club. When I bought my '72 last summer I emailed the club president. An hour later he sent out an email to club telling everyone what I was looking for. The next day, a club member contacted me about his car that he was looking to sell. There's a great body and paint guy near my home. He's done most of the work on my buddy's street rods. I stopped by to ask him about a car that I found in Michigan that needed some work. He told me there was a very clean car locally that he thought might be available but wasn't able to locate the owner's phone number. As it turns out the car he was talking about was the same one that the club member called me about. I went to look at the car and we went all over the car. He had it up on jack stands and we crawled under the car and looked over the frame. He wanted to show me that there was no rust. I could have spent most of the afternoon with him. He wanted to talk about his car. We looked at the work he had done to it and we looked at the stuff that was going to need some attention if I bought it. Two weeks later I took it home. He owned it for 20 years and I could see that it pained him to let it go. He bought a beautiful '65 at Carlisle a few weeks later to cheer himself up.
Tho on some counts I strongly disagree with MacoSnark...(about electric fans, they are the MOST mis-used, mis-understood, NON improvement you can ATTEMPT to make to a C-3). Discussed AD INFINITEM here on the forums...electric fans are a poor band-aid.)
He makes some points worth discussing;
The steel spring ride can be cheaply and instantly improved beyond recognition by adding a fiberglas spring to the rear. Yea Verily, the 81 and 82 C-3 with the fiberglas springs were the PILOT PROJECT for the twin fiberglas springs in the C-4. The ride improvement is amazing...different car! (that and proper shocks designed for fiberglas..(Koni or Bilstein)
Find your local Corvette Club. When I bought my '72 last summer I emailed the club president. An hour later he sent out an email to club telling everyone what I was looking for. The next day, a club member contacted me about his car that he was looking to sell. There's a great body and paint guy near my home. He's done most of the work on my buddy's street rods. I stopped by to ask him about a car that I found in Michigan that needed some work. He told me there was a very clean car locally that he thought might be available but wasn't able to locate the owner's phone number. As it turns out the car he was talking about was the same one that the club member called me about. I went to look at the car and we went all over the car. He had it up on jack stands and we crawled under the car and looked over the frame. He wanted to show me that there was no rust. I could have spent most of the afternoon with him. He wanted to talk about his car. We looked at the work he had done to it and we looked at the stuff that was going to need some attention if I bought it. Two weeks later I took it home. He owned it for 20 years and I could see that it pained him to let it go. He bought a beautiful '65 at Carlisle a few weeks later to cheer himself up.
Thanks, that is one source I hadn't thought of. Before I retired I had no extra time to be invested in a C Club. There are 2 in my general area, Fort Wayne and Elkhart that I am aware of.
C3's are beautiful cars. As a owner of a C3 and a C4, I think the C3's are gorgeous and easier to work on, my C4 is faster, handles better, more reliable and gets better gas mileage. But none of that matters to you. I think on your journey to find the right C3, you got some great advice to get you started from the members here. As you inspect potential cars put priority on looking at the things you can't see ... frame and birdcage. The thing with 40 - 50 year old cars, no matter how low the mileage, they are still going to need work. From your budget perspective, you should be able to find a nice C3 in the year range you provided.
he is getting a car for the spousal unit. if she wants an automatic, it is GONNA be an automatic. what i wouldn't give for a wife that wanted a vette. mine won't even let me put mine in our garage in our new house in florida!
he is getting a car for the spousal unit. if she wants an automatic, it is GONNA be an automatic. what i wouldn't give for a wife that wanted a vette. mine won't even let me put mine in our garage in our new house in florida!
She wants an automatic just in case she decides she wants to drive it. She is 59 and never driven a stick in her life! If I had my choice we would have multiple models in our pole building!
Original miles or plus 100,000? Here’s an original 32,000mi car for comparison. High wear areas; seat
bolsters, door sill aluminum trim and carpet, chrome edge on center console, brake pedal, weather stripping, steering wheel, ash tray cover.
C3 Purchase Advice
