Hello all,

Name is Jon and I'm interested in C3 corvettes.

I've been looking at local ads (Virginia) and am looking to educate myself on these cars.

I'm not really looking for a finished car, but I don't want a basket case either. I've watched quite a few of CorvetteBen's video's on youtube. Not running doesn't bother me too much, if all the parts and pieces are there. I have never rebuilt a chevy engine. Most of my mechanical experience is from working on and rebuilding motorcycles. Different, no doubt, but probably similar in some respects. I did resurrect a 1988 Chevy Blazer (6.2 diesel) years ago. Fun project, but I sold it and moved on.

Now that it's established that I know nothing, I'll be poking around on here from time to time. I'll probably ask a few dumb questions along the way, but please bear with me.

Glad to be here.

Jon

 

New at this myself. I knew nothing about Corvettes and very little about Chevy engines in general. Im a Ford guy. So what did I do? I bought a 73 Stingray. Start at the deep end, which isnt the best advice.

 

Ha! Love it.

 

Welcome! I'm an idiot and I occasionally still pee on the floor, if I can get my 68 put together and going down the road anybody can!

 

Welcome to the forum Jon. Good idea to learn a fair bit about these cars before purchasing.
lots to learn.

 

I have hope!!!

 

Thanks for the welcome.

Trying to currently get my head wrapped around prices. I'm seeing a pretty wide range in my local area for respective condition. Don't know enough to know anything really.

 

Hagerty.com is an excellent value guide for pretty much every Corvette model; as well as adjustments for options and condition. Without an account they’ll show the values for “Good” condition. Set up a free account and view everything. Most cars for sale are good condition anyway. Many sellers believe their “good” condition cars are in the excellent category. Many sellers think their hopelessly rusty cars are “good” condition. Lots of previous posts here on checking body mounts and windshield frames(birdcage rust). 1976 and newer cars are great values, but if you live in a smog regulated area, engine upgrades can be limited.
Have fun, Charlie

 

Think frame and paint.... Find out where to look for frame and bird cage rust issues and if you find a car that has them, run away. Some people skilled at metal work and welding can fix them, paying someone is very expensive. Some people say you can't find one without issues, well mine does not... Find one that has a frame in reasonable shape. Try to get a car that has a body and paint condition that is acceptable to you because fixing and painting one of these is very-very expensive... Read over the stickies at the top of the forum, great info.

60

 

Thanks for the suggestion Charlie. I wouldn't have thought about Hagerty, but that makes sense. I agree about owner's over-valuing their cars. Maybe this is still from the high prices due to the pandemic??? Didn't know about 1976 and newer... I don't live in a smog regulated area, so no problems there.

 

60,

Will focus on frame and paint. Good way to whittle the choices down.

My quick 1-day research tells me that the window frame can't be inspected without the windshield being removed. Also, the birdcage can be inspected possibly after removing the lower driver's side kick panel. I might have some of that wrong...

You and the others may have an opinion on this... If a seller doesn't mention the birdcage or the frame their ad, does that tell you something about the vehicle or the owner?

Jon

 

Invest in a bore scope camera, they are easy to poke around and see future problems. Have you read the Post on what to look for when buying a Old Corvette? I had the seller take my car to a reliable mechanic that I trust. The mechanic put the car on his lift and gave me a list of mechanical items that needed fixing, along with their repair cost. Will worth the $ 75 he charged me.

 

The condition of the “birdcage” is the most important to assess. Read up and educate yourself well on this before you go looking for a car. The reason for this is that a badly rotted ‘cage can cause you to put a fork in the car after you’ve sunk your hard earned cash into it. Yes, many times if the rot isn’t too bad it can be repaired but you need some special skills to do that and there aren’t many people who can do this. Determining the full extent of Cage rot is not easy to assess as it is hidden by fiberglass and/or trim so you need to know where to look extensively. It requires removal of trim and panels which is intrusive for a seller which is why they typically remain silent on its condition.

Frame rot can be serious and replacing frame sections, while not like falling off a log, is fairly straightforward. It will require pulling the body off the frame but that is not as bad as one might think.

A paint job today that is of quality deserving of a vintage Corvette can run $15000-$20000. Materials alone can easily top $5000. Painting is a lot of work but there are plenty of folks who can do the job so this one is a financial concern, not like cage rot which can be existential or frame rot which is more problematic when it comes to skills.

Mechanical on these cars is, for the most part, no different than any other Chevy. The differential/independent rear suspension has its own set of unique characteristics but with proper understanding, repairs and restorations are doable by someone with solid mechanical skills. Brakes have their own set of quirks can be tricky so read up.

Getting parts for the series Corvettes is a challenge today as many of what is sold is made in a certain country on the western shore of the Pacific and the quality of same can be frustrating. Caveat Emptor when buy Finding people who can do top-notch work on them is also a challenge. As a group, many of us aficionados of the C3 are into our 70s and many of those we’ve relied upon all these years are gone with few true replacements coming on line. Unless you are capable of doing a lot of the work yourself, you can be looking at some sobering realities.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to dissuade you into buying one. I bought my 69 52 years ago and it has been (and continues to be) a joy to own. I just want you to be sure you go in with eyes wide open. Good luck hunting.

 

As said before, rust and paint, everything else is (relatively) easy.

 

The summer before last I was offered $18k cash at a car show for my '76.

When I got home I checked Hagerty for the current value at the time....$18k in #2 excellent condition..

 

really do your homework before buying one of these cars . They are not like other muscle cars of the era .. completely a different animal good luck 👍

 

.... my nephew is different. But much less interesting too

 

I'm agreeing with everything said above.
I would rather purchase one with a solid birdcage, frame and great paint that's completely missing the engine and the brakes need work. Than a great runner with a rotten cage or poor paint.

 

Great advice! Buy Corvette with the expensive items in good condition!

 

I like this. Another tool in the garage! I probably should have had one years ago, so this is probably a good time to go ahead and buy one.


I did go to that sticky post and started reading through it, but stopped because it looked as though the initial poster removed his post. Glad you suggested to read through it. Found the "list" on page 6 or 7. Great info there.

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