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Im looking to buy my first C3 corvette, I’ve done quite a bit of research on it but am still very new to the market and am worried I don’t know enough to make an informed purchase. There is a 1976 c3 with a “mildly built California cruiser 383” with about 50k miles for sale. It looks to be in good condition and the seller states that it is in good mechanical condition with all other original components minus the ac not working. What would something like this be worth, what should I look for? Is there a way I or service for someone more experienced than me to take a look at it (paid for their services ofc).
First, Where are you located?
You need to know what your state emissions laws are and whether or not you’ll be able to register it there with the modified engine.
Second, we would need pictures of the entire car before anyone could consider a value.
Sure, I’m in Texas and the car is located in Oklahoma. I have attached images of the car I’m looking at. Also, any insight on that particular engine, not too familiar with it. Let me know if any further info is needed.
Thanks again for your help!
Originally Posted by OldCarBum
First, Where are you located?
You need to know what your state emissions laws are and whether or not you’ll be able to register it there with the modified engine.
Second, we would need pictures of the entire car before anyone could consider a value.
It gives the appearance of numerous modifications, whether its the rear spoiler from an 80, engine mods, aftermarket tach shoehorned into the instrument cluster, hood scoop from (?) and unless you have others that can troubleshoot someone's else notion of performance and looks and tweaks, stick with a stock Corvette as your first buy.
First thing, get yourself educated on birdcages and frames. Corvettes have fiberglass bodies but are built on a steel chassis and have a steel structure around the cab referred to as a birdcage. A rusted birdcage and/or frame is often a dealbreaker so read up on the topics. Lots of posts here on the forum but easier to just Google C3 birdcage.
Appreciate the advice on sticking with stock, that’s what I was originally looking for but this one popped up and looked much better than anything stock for similar price point which is why I started looking into it. But you’re prob right for my first buy. Thanks!
Originally Posted by hunt4cleanair
It gives the appearance of numerous modifications, whether its the rear spoiler from an 80, engine mods, aftermarket tach shoehorned into the instrument cluster, hood scoop from (?) and unless you have others that can troubleshoot someone's else notion of performance and looks and tweaks, stick with a stock Corvette as your first buy.
thank you! Yes, I’ve heard about the importance of checking for rust on birdcage/frame and made sure to ask about that.
Originally Posted by 69L88
Welcome.
First thing, get yourself educated on birdcages and frames. Corvettes have fiberglass bodies but are built on a steel chassis and have a steel structure around the cab referred to as a birdcage. A rusted birdcage and/or is often a dealbreaker so read up on the topics. Lots of posts here on the forum but easier to just Google C3 birdcage.
I hope I don’t get flamed for this one but I actually haven’t learned to drive manual yet, it is something I want to do but figured until I do it’s prob best to stick with an automatic. Is the manual transmission much better than the automatic on these cars or are you speaking preference wise?
Originally Posted by Bikespace
Before one buys a C3 with an automatic transmission, one should carefully consider if they really want an automatic transmission.
Speaking from experience, it is a very costly mistake to undo.
Never start a sentence saying "Back In The Day"
However, if I had a nickel for every Impala, '55 Chevy, Camaro, El Camino or Nova For Sale on the side of the road that claimed it had a 327 . . . . .
We didn't have easy access to engine block numbers back then and trusted the seller.
Later, when tearing down the engine, that bad *** 327 turned out to be a 283, 265 or even a 307.
What's the moral of the story? Get documentation on that 383. (That is accomplished with a 350 block & a 400 crank)
Pretty common combo today, but still, verify it is. Could be several thousands of dollars difference.
Not sure what's going on with the hood latch mechanism. Not a big fan of rear spoilers or hideous hoods. But to each their own.
Dash pad, or as I like to call them: cracked dash cover. Power windows is always a plus.
Many posters will mention the Bird Cage Inspection. No seller in their right mind will let a total stranger remove trim pieces around the windshield. Not going to happen. If the seller offers to, that's different. Or maybe you can peek behind the kick panels.
So in reality, you have to roll the dice and hope for the best.
I hope I don’t get flamed for this one but I actually haven’t learned to drive manual yet, it is something I want to do but figured until I do it’s prob best to stick with an automatic. Is the manual transmission much better than the automatic on these cars or are you speaking preference wise?
Join a car club, or ask a friend/relative to teach you! I've taught a few people, and it's a rewarding experience for everyone.
Again, speaking from experience, my manual 80 is about a million times more fun to drive than my automatic 79. The 79 is off the road right now to get a (very expensive) manual transmission upgrade.
Any stock C3 Corvette from the early 70s up is gonna be slooooow. And a stick shift in a Vette is now a must-have for me. Also, I taught a 19 year old kid to drive a manual in my hopped up Vette one night in a parking lot. Within 30 minutes he was doing donuts. Next day he was out driving it like nothing. You can do it.
At least it looks like it’s been taken care of, as others have said check the frame and birdcage for rust. If the frame and birdcage are good, then the rest of the modifications are personal choice. If the frame or birdcage is rusty, it’s junk and it can hide behind a good body.
Personally I don’t mind an automatic for town driving. You can always upgrade the th350 for a 4 speed automatic in the future.
First thing, get yourself educated on birdcages and frames. Corvettes have fiberglass bodies but are built on a steel chassis and have a steel structure around the cab referred to as a birdcage. A rusted birdcage and/or frame is often a dealbreaker so read up on the topics. Lots of posts here on the forum but easier to just Google C3 birdcage.
THIS
I thought I knew how to inspect a C3 when I bought mine, but was an amateur and missed some major rust. My lower windshield frames were rusted and it was hidden with sealant. There was a tiny rust hole in the rear frame kick up - ended up having to replace the rear 12" rails on both sides. I ended up going into a frame off to make the car right . These items were all fixable, and fortunately I was capable of doing all the work. But it certainly cost me time and money and made the car not the "steal" I thought it was after I disassembled it.
Here's what I would check:
remove all windshield trim and check for rust
remove kick panels and check #2 mounts.
remove covers in wheel wells and look at the #3 and then the #4 behind it
dig around lower windshield frame corners with a screwdriver
thoroughly poke around the frame with a screwdriver and a hammer. Especially at the kick ups under the #3 mounts.
wiggle your rear wheels to check for play
Is the paint good enough for you? Because it ain't cheap to paint them
I thought I knew how to inspect a C3 when I bought mine, but was an amateur and missed some major rust. My lower windshield frames were rusted and it was hidden with sealant. There was a tiny rust hole in the rear frame kick up - ended up having to replace the rear 12" rails on both sides. I ended up going into a frame off to make the car right . These items were all fixable, and fortunately I was capable of doing all the work. But it certainly cost me time and money and made the car not the "steal" I thought it was after I disassembled it.
Here's what I would check:
remove all windshield trim and check for rust
remove kick panels and check #2 mounts.
remove covers in wheel wells and look at the #3 and then the #4 behind it
dig around lower windshield frame corners with a screwdriver
thoroughly poke around the frame with a screwdriver and a hammer. Especially at the kick ups under the #3 mounts.
wiggle your rear wheels to check for play
Is the paint good enough for you? Because it ain't cheap to paint them
I doubt many sellers would agree to this. I wouldn't.
I get people wanting to check for rust, but if I'm selling a car and someone shows up with a screwdriver and a hammer wanting to poke around...
Yeah, nah, not going to happen.
Originally Posted by Sayfoo
I doubt many sellers would agree to this. I wouldn't.
The screwdriver and hammer part obviously depends on the condition of the car! If someone tried that on my restored car, i'd lose it as well! lol I'm recommending this for un restored cars - the frames have surface rust so tapping with a hammer in suspect places isn't hurting anything. I wish I was this thorough when buying my project car.
C3 corvette purchase help
