Hello,
Almost retired and I want this car if it makes sense.
The thing I do not want is major issues and a drain on my savings.
Here is the link: (1980 Chevy Corvette for sale by owner - Fountain Hills, AZ - craigslist)
This car has no AC and I live in Arizona.
Is this a reasonable asking price?
Thank you in advance.

 

I would want under pics and rust checks in key areas.
adding ac will be a drain on your savings .
if not diy you could buy a better car with working ac with the money in it to add.

you will spend money on this car. It’s an older car.

 

thought a/c was on all 80's.
kinda vague on engine stats

after market a/c is avail.
does beg the question why no a/c

 

Pretty much what Interpon said above. How much of a stretch financially is a classic car, for you?

Any older car can get expensive. Esp a C3. But then again, you never know until you try, some aren't. You probably ought to go look at it before deciding you want to buy it. Take someone who knows these cars. (THESE cars...is the key phrase ..no someone who just works on older cars or restores antique tractors)

 

Flex fans, braided stainless hose covers, and parts store special Edelbrock dress up parts all scream pretty bubba to me. It looks clean from the pictures, but like what has already been said, you need to look underneath at the frame and other components.

I would be very concerned as to what the “minor issues” are. Some things that might only be minor as far as driving the car can be hard and expensive to fix.

Overall, not a bad car, but the asking price is a few thousand too much IMO.

 

it goes without saying, check for the usual vette issues.
my advice is don't let a pretty face make you settle.

you want/need a/c.
should be many other cars that will satisfy this.

patience, patience, patience.

car overall has many red flags, to me
good luck

 

It had it originally. '80 was the 1st year A/C was standard but this Vette has been modified.

Which also makes the price a tougher call...

 

From the pictures it looks pretty decent for the price but no AC in AZ...be about 6 months of no drives longer than 5-10 miles. These cars get really hot inside especially the coupes and you could easily drop another $10K into the car adding AC and fixing all the other stuff. I would suggest maybe a C5 or C6 with std AC for a bit more money but fewer restoration issues. If you are new to the Corvette world definitely have whatever you buy checked out by a Corvette expert. Good luck in your search.

 

Nice car, for the same $ you could find a C4, Just sold my !981 which I totally restored, money would have been better spent on a C4 or C5. Good luck shop around. I'm retired so my $ was in short supply.

 

The car looks decent cosmetically and as some have pointed out the ac issue could be a concern since from the photo of engine bay if see the evaporator case is not there. Makes me what else was removed. Some dress up stuff in the engine bay could provide you with opportunity to change things if you do not like them but that stuff is fairly straight forward and if you do the dress items fit the car. I would want to see the underside and the garage or parking spot to check for puddles or leaks. Also would want to know why current owner is selling the car.

At the end of the day it is still an older fun good looking car that may always be worth 9-10k

 

Agree with all of the above and have one big question. How are your automotive skill sets? Can you do basic repairs i.e. brake jobs, change out calipers? These are old cars no matter how new the paint and unless you have the skill and the desire to do these basic repairs your retirement account will be drained quickly. Especially if you drive the car a lot. No a/c would be a game changer for me and I live in South Carolina. AND a black car no less! Unless you are really in love with the look of a C3, you could esily get a C4 with all the creature comforts ( A/C) for about the same money. Keep looking.

 

I'm sorry, Tommy F is full of it...

No time to drive it... Well it's a black car with no AC in freak-in Arizona...I would not make time to drive it either..

Small leak that has never been a problem: If it's no problem then why isn't it fixed, small leaks don't get smaller, they generally get bigger..

His add reads like it was written by a guy sitting there in plaid pants with a wide white belt and white shoes, your classic used car salesman...His whole text tells you just about nothing...

60

 

Keep searching. You can and will find better. Too many aftermarket parts under that hood. For me I would offer $7500 on that car. Good luck.

 

Do you have a preference in what you're looking for? Do you want a stock Corvette to run around in and enjoy or are you looking for a customized toy to show off in? What drew you to this car, all the modifications, the color, the year, it's location or was it just the price? What is your skill level for working on an old car? It would be helpful to know some or all of these things to know if this is the right car for you.

If you're not aware, this car has received quite a few modifications. It has an aftermarket hood, 84-89 emblems, 84-89 steering wheel, lamps added to the grill, modified gauge cluster to accept an aftermarket radio, an engine of unknown origin or condition with chrome dress up goodies and it looks to have 10" (or wider) wheels on it with a lot of positive offset (which puts a lot of unnecessary loading on wheel bearings).

I can't understand why people remove the AC from old Corvettes, especially 77-82's that have the modern R4 compressor which is rather efficient and doesn't put drag on the engine like the earlier A6 compressors did, and I'm not that big an AC guy. If the temperature's below 85-90 I usually have the windows down and sunroof open in my pick up or the tops out and windows down in my Corvette or Trans Am. But even here in NJ where the temps rarely get above 95, I find it nice to have AC. Dry heat or not I can't imagine having any car in Arizona without AC, and especially a black on black one.

Reading the ad over there's a lot of PT Barnum BS going on, and without many real details about the car. If the "small leak" and "MINOR issues" were really that small and minor, wouldn't you think they would have been fixed before trying to sell the car? It could be a a decent car but the seller doesn't really give us much worthwhile information about it. Personally I've never been a fan of that particular style of aftermarket hood, I haven't liked wheel/tire combos that stuck out beyond the fenders since I was 15, and no AC would be a big turn off to me, especially if I lived in Arizona, but these are things you might be okay with?

I'd say it's really hard to make a recommendation on this car without knowing more about what the OP is looking for, and without better pictures and more information about the car from the seller.

Welcome to the Forum, and good luck with your Corvette quest!

 

My deflated 2 cents:
I would only purchase a heavily modified car from someone I knew very well. Since modified cars are so hard to repair if something goes wrong, it is a challenge from the start. Wiring diagrams don’t match, not sure what parts were used, etc.
We can see the engine is not stock. Flex fan, it should have a HEI distributor, aftermarket carburetor, it has headers, …who knows what else? Does it have a cat? Stock cam? What heads? Transmission the original 3-speed or was it changed? What about the rear end gearing? The wheels either have spacers or something else is going on since they stick out (not my taste). So little info in the ad.

You could get an entire Vintage Air system for about $2K but installing it is pretty challenging. Are you up for that?

I prefer to start with a clean slate and a stock car rather than try to figure out what someone else did.

On the other hand, the car looks great. If the frame and birdcage are solid, it has potential to be a great car. 80 is a great year. It could make someone a great project car.

Before I would even consider the price, I would decide if this the right car for you depending on your goals and capabilities. Even if we all agree the price is great for the car, it does not suit you if you if you don’t want a modified car.

If it were me, I would increase my budget a few thousand and look for a good condition, but original or close, C3 as a clean canvas to start my retirement hobby.

 

I agree with must about everything below.
I do think it is one of the best looking rubber cars I've seen though.
The b.s. wording in the ad would make me NOT want to deal with this clown selling it.... and, really, why would you remove the a/c? and not fix the minor leaks?
Overall it looks pretty good. After you eyeball the problem area, then offer him half the asking price and keep an eye on it for the next few months.....

 

Keep looking. That car has been hacked up. It did have AC (see inside vents). Looks like the system was removed to install the ignition box. I have a black/black 66 in Florida. I installed a Vintage Air system myself and the center vents blow at 41 degrees. As mentioned above, are you up for installing an AC system in an unknown car??? Too many good cars out there to select from. Keep looking. Jerry

 

I would never buy a vehicle from someone that constantly refers to it as "she". That car will drive you crazy tracking down and fixing all the gremlins. Offer him 8K and when you are sick of working on it, should be able to get most of your money back. Best to pass on this one.

 

I think you can do better.