I’m 16, I’ve been fixing up my moms 76 Vette. I have lots of old trucks, but I have a soft spots for vettes. I just found this on marketplace. I’m well aware of all the possibilities of rot. I’m well aware of the checklist, and how to search these things up and down for problems. I don’t see a reason this isn’t worth 1k even if it’s rotted out. What do you guys think? Should I blow my savings on this? Unfortunately it’s a Auto, but I can change that to manual. I’ve heard it a 1000 times, I’m aware it’s slowwwww.

“Nothings more expensive then a cheap corvette.”

Runs and it has the title.

 

Better than wasting money on cellphones or video games. Its a great hobby, and taking an old abused car and making it great is a fantastic way to spend time and money......if you do it for the right reason, which is to enjoy it, take pride in it, and actually create something.

 

Runs and has clean title. Buy it. Clean it up as best you can. Flip it for 5K

 

Well, I'm 52 and still play every new title that comes out...Call of Duty, Sniper Elite, Halo and others.....on my 60" TV from my easy chair.....been playing video games since Dad brought home an Atari 2600 in 1981...and he would play with me (He was 30 at the time)......took a hiatus from games for many years in the 2000's......around 2017 my stepdaughters bought me Call of Duty and couldn't believe how games had evolved......they really are amazing.....and FUN!

Anyway......do the typical Corvette checks...(frame, birdcage, Bubba) and be careful......there are plenty of these cars around, don't by struck by the first one you see......
But....as stated above....it can be great rewarding hobby that builds mad skills......and in the not too distant future (it is already happing)....skills, will be the new currency!!!! Too many now that have none!

Jebby

 

$1000 running and titled? YES.

 

You could sell the glass roof panels and the wheels to get right side up. DO IT !!!

 

I would do it...16 and driving a vette to school....you can make that car look so cool with a good buffing and have fun!!! You could just get it running good enough to through a cheap turbo on it or nitrous and it would be plenty fast...lol

 

For $1K and clear title == NO BRAINER

 

 

clean title and 1k its worth it. Heck there is always parting out as an option or just clean up and flip it. The other option is spend some money on it and driving it for awhile. You will get back all of the money that you invest if you are smart about it. Start off with the "have to do's" first. Then if you like it and want to keep it then work on the "want to do's". I would go and check it out. Don't be afraid to call the owner. This is the best advice I can give you because when I was a kid nobody would tell me much. I grew up in the 70s and 80s. As a kid we spent most of our time outside on adventures. My friends and I found a 1940 ford pickup parked in a lean too down the end of my road. I knew the people who lived there because during summers they would hire us neighborhood kids to help clean up the property. The son built a nice house next to his parents home. The cool part was in the front of the home were working gas pumps which back before WW2 were in use. Anyways, we would sneak into the lean too and play on this 1940 ford pickup. As a teenager, I was very unsure of myself. I wanted that truck but knew I did not have the confidence to talk to the owner. Fast forward 10 years, I remembered that truck so I went by my old parents home to see if it was there. Nope gone just an empty lean too. Now, I do not know if the son would have sold it or not but at that point I realize it was up to me to make things happen. I told myself never again am I gonna pass on not asking. I bought my 62 corvette by inquiring whether the parts were for sale or not. A year later, I followed up and sure enough it was my time to buy a bunch of C1 corvette parts. So do not take no for an answer. At some point, the "no" could become a "maybe". A "maybe" could become a "yes". But in your case, its for sale.

Here is my son's 74 so don't let anyone tell you a 16 year should not be driving a C3. My son was able to drive it for a few weeks when he was 16 before pulling the engine for a rebuild. Now, he just turned 17 and is cruising the town. We just got it back on the road. Tonight, we are going to drain the oil and check the filter for any metal.

 

And so it begins

 

I really appreciate it guys, I tried to buy it, but it was sold before I could get to it. I’m always looking.

As far as video games go, I don’t play them. At a time a couple years ago I would play before school, and after school. One day I realized, I’m spending money on something I will never touch physically. If I spent this same amount of money and time, I would have some nice stuff.

I worked for neighbors, bought a $2500 mountian bike, started that, now I got 7k into a mountain bike. Still ride every once and a while.

I spend my days with school. Then work, sleep, repeat. I spend time working on trucks too. Got 2 1975 K20’s, 1 76 K-20, one 79 K-10, 1 80 C-35, 1 81 K15, and a couple less important ones. As I mentioned I primarily have been fixing up my moms 76 Vette.

I don’t make a ton of money, so I decided to part out one of my trucks. I’m amazed at how fast parts are selling, if I continue I can save up and buy a Vette. My dream is a 73 l-82 4spd manual car. I hope to have it by the time I’m out of high school.

 

Keep working hard at it, stay focused and get something you can drive and enjoy. I bought mine when I was 17 and dove off too deep into a project without proper planning for funding, so I'm one of the LOOOOONG term projects wishing I was driving my car. Finding a good drivable candidate and keeping the projects small and achievable is the way to go when when you're just getting started. Best of luck to you!

 

That's why buying then flipping or parting out then take the earnings and do it again sometimes works well. I tried to explain that to my oldest son. A few years ago he picked up a 78 Big10 for like 500.00. It was in really good shape. The owner was moving and needed to sell the vehicle. The original owner keep accurate records up to 2010 when he sold the vehicle. The next owner had a problem with the QJET. My son bought it. He rebuilt the carb that afternoon. He borrowed some tires and brought a battery plus a gas can. Within a couple of hours, he got it running and drove it 45 miles home. Everything worked in that truck (even the air conditioning). My friend and I told him he should not do anything other than to change all of the fluids, get new brake pads and tires. Detail and sell it for 5k or so. Nope, he would not listen. Instead he lowered it and drove the hell out of it then blew the engine up. Now, this truck is taking up storage space at a storage facility. He dumped a bunch of money on mods which he did not have to do. Lesson is don't get too attached to a vehicle which you are only spending a grand or so on. Best to get it and flip it for a small profit and keep doing that until you get enough money saved up for something really nice. He even said that was a bonehead move on his part. Its not like he did not have another vehicle. In fact, he has a 66 C30 flatbed with an LS which is sitting on a trailer. He could have used the funds to really get that truck driving on the road.

So a 1k investment could be 5k... A 5k could get you to 6-10k and so forth. 6K-10K can get you further up and so forth. Getting attached is not going to get you what you really want.

I told my youngest son who has the 74 to drive it for awhile. Keep track of what has been done and keep the receipts. Understand how much we have invested and what you can realistically can sell the vehicle. Make a small profit then find another pre-smog vehicle. Keep doing that will get him driving something nice. Plus, he gets to learn what to do and not to do. Also, I told him not to don't beat on it. Check the fluids and make sure everything is in working order. Don't keep driving it if something does not sound right or feel right.

 

You sound like my older son. He had a 66 C10 long bed, a 64 C30 flat bed, a 1995 volvo 850R and some other vehicles plus a speed boat.

If your dream car is a 73 corvette then get that one you are looking and flip it or part it out. Fix up some of your trucks or sell as is. Keep one vehicle as a daily driver and find other ones to sell. You can get there no problem if you invest right and sell. Don't get attached. Do the work yourself. Flip parts, bike parts whatever... Heck spend time at the pick n pull start finding LSs which have been wrecked and flipping anything you can find. As one person I know would say "I would sell my last six pack of beer if I can make a dollar off". Its all about motivation and the end prize.

Find items that need to be cleaned up and resell on line. Heck, I would buy corvette parts like that during my 62 restoration project. I would buy a lot of parts. Pick the best one then clean up the other to resell. At the end, I would be close enough to break even with my free part or I would make a profit and get to keep the best one.

 

I commend you on your good taste. Enjoy the hobby.

 

Carter
A 1978 just showed up on OfferUp in Kent. $2500. The ad claims the guy drove it to its present location. Looks like its had some Bubba Love. Not sure if its your cup of tea but they don't come much cheaper.

https://offerup.com/item/detail/e27c...rvette&cid=5.1

 

With a good portion of C2-C3 owners now 55-75 years old, it's good to see young guys involved. $1000 today sure isn't what $1000 10 years ago was. If that is your life savings than no you shouldn't be buying a vette, if you are working a part time job going to school and can work on it as you can, go for it.

 

“An grade school education is cheap.”

“A grade school education is cheap.”

(An) goes before a word starting with a vowel.

I can play the game too idiot. I bet you feel real smart right now. Imagine getting corrected by a high schooler.

 

Looks nice. I may work something out. I’d like to have a garage spot for a Vette. They don’t deserve the elements in Washington.