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I am looking at buying my first classic, and it's a C3 vette. I've done a ton of research into this specific model which means I know enough to know that I don't know anything. I wanted to hop on this forum filled with you lovely folks to make sure I am thinking about this rationally.
The primary questions I need help answering:
Is the frame rust (photos below) at a dangerous point in your opinion?
What would you consider a fair price for this vehicle?
What are the first few replacements/upgrades that you would suggest making?
Here are the details:
Year is 1979
Test drive went well, engine turned over a couple of times on the cold start but sounded very happy once it got going.
Listing/odometer says under 20k miles. I don't think that is possible and I am 90% sure the odometer has rolled over. Dealer tells me there is no good way to confirm but I am probably right.
Engine bay looks surprisingly clean and well taken care of. Looks like some replacements have been made.
Paint is in good condition with some scratches and marks of age.
Interior is definitely dinged up.
Not afraid of making upgrades/replacements to this car, would consider that a labor of love.
Would be getting this through a dealer with a very good reputation.
I would really appreciate anyone's advice on this and I am looking forward to what is likely the start of a very expensive hobby!
The rust you are seeing is nothing to be concerned with. It is mostly surface rust from being an old car that just sat in what most likely was a humid environment. The rust you need to look out for is in what is called the birdcage. It is framework that goes around the windshield, down the front of each door, then along the frame rails under the doors and then it comes up behind the driver into the roof, or halo. The major areas that rust first are down by your feet. You can usually see these areas with a flashlight and not removing a lot of trim. Take the kick panels off and look inside, you wiill see the hinges and hopefully not a lot of rust. The other really bad place to have it is around the windshield, especially along the top. Seeing that is not to easy without removing more trim, which they may or may not let you do. THe issue is that water gets between the stainless trim and the header bar and just lays there, or drains down along the 2 sides of the windshield. That all can be repaired but can easily run a lot of money. And look at the support under the radiator, the core support. They rot out pretty easily but are a critical part of the front of the car.
As for upgrades I wouldn't worry about that yet. You will need to replace just about any part of the car that has rubber, from tires ( look at the date codes on the sidewall, not the tread) to brake hoses. Change all the fluids including brake fluid and then drive the car for a month or two. Find out what it needs to be reliable. After all of that you can think of upgrades. Or you mnight realize this isn't the dream car you want. That has happened to lots of us. These cars require lots of love and work.
THis car is not anything special so the price should be reflective of that. It might be original miles, but again, these were pretty common cars. As for a fair p[rice, do soem homework. Look for similar listings in yrou area. If the dealer has a good reputation, that is a plus. Think about what you can afford, and leave a little off for the mehanicals you will need to get it running. Be honest with yourself about your skill sets and what you can do ( with our collective knowledge here) and what you will have to send out. That will make a difference in your offering price.
ALl in all it looks like a nice car. I probably wouldn't go much more than....no, not going to give you a price. Sorry, that is too subjective. But it looks like it has good bones.
The rust you are seeing is nothing to be concerned with. It is mostly surface rust from being an old car that just sat in what most likely was a humid environment. The rust you need to look out for is in what is called the birdcage. It is framework that goes around the windshield, down the front of each door, then along the frame rails under the doors and then it comes up behind the driver into the roof, or halo. The major areas that rust first are down by your feet. You can usually see these areas with a flashlight and not removing a lot of trim. Take the kick panels off and look inside, you wiill see the hinges and hopefully not a lot of rust. The other really bad place to have it is around the windshield, especially along the top. Seeing that is not to easy without removing more trim, which they may or may not let you do. THe issue is that water gets between the stainless trim and the header bar and just lays there, or drains down along the 2 sides of the windshield. That all can be repaired but can easily run a lot of money. And look at the support under the radiator, the core support. They rot out pretty easily but are a critical part of the front of the car.
As for upgrades I wouldn't worry about that yet. You will need to replace just about any part of the car that has rubber, from tires ( look at the date codes on the sidewall, not the tread) to brake hoses. Change all the fluids including brake fluid and then drive the car for a month or two. Find out what it needs to be reliable. After all of that you can think of upgrades. Or you mnight realize this isn't the dream car you want. That has happened to lots of us. These cars require lots of love and work.
THis car is not anything special so the price should be reflective of that. It might be original miles, but again, these were pretty common cars. As for a fair p[rice, do soem homework. Look for similar listings in yrou area. If the dealer has a good reputation, that is a plus. Think about what you can afford, and leave a little off for the mehanicals you will need to get it running. Be honest with yourself about your skill sets and what you can do ( with our collective knowledge here) and what you will have to send out. That will make a difference in your offering price.
ALl in all it looks like a nice car. I probably wouldn't go much more than....no, not going to give you a price. Sorry, that is too subjective. But it looks like it has good bones.
Thanks for the feedback, really relieved to hear I'm not overlooking anything major! I will make sure before shaking hands that I do my best to determine if the birdcage is rusted out, and check that core support you mentioned. I know this was their most popular year and this isn't a collector's car by any means, but it sure as hell will be fun to drive
This circled section of the frame looks eaten away -- definitely something I'd examine a lot more closely. The other side too and up where the trailing arms are bolted to the "kick up" part of the frame. The trailing arm looks like it's a bit rust-flaked too.
T
This circled section of the frame looks eaten away -- definitely something I'd examine a lot more closely. The other side too and up where the trailing arms are bolted to the "kick up" part of the frame. The trailing arm looks like it's a bit rust-flaked too.
T
Thanks for the note here. When I am looking at this frame am I primarily checking to make sure the structural integrity of the frame I still intact?
I already decided I would want to replace the trailing arms, so definitely agree with you there.
It looks like new rear brake calipers and hoses — but they didn't fix the snapped parking brake cable.
The power steering hoses are twisted up
Rubber suspension bushings need to be changed
Looks like tach needle is not at zero
Complete new exhaust or just pipes?
What is the ballpark price they're looking for?
I noticed that leak and it looks pretty ugly. All of these are really good points that I should ask them before pulling the trigger. Thank you!
Asking price is ~$17k. Having a tough time knowing if that is fair given that it likely has over 100k miles and I can budget out several grand in improvements that I would want to make before driving it a whole lot.
I don’t want to be blunt but the dealer is dumping a money pit on you.
The trailing arms look totally shot from rust.
If the trailing arms look that bad I can only imagine what the inside of the frame and lower birdcage look like.
As stated above there is a lot of rust shown in the photos.
Some is surface rust but I would be concerned with what you can’t see.
I would walk away from this 79 unless you can pick it up really cheap and only if you can do all the necessary work yourself.
A couple thousand dollars you have to cover the repairs probably won’t cover what this 79 needs.
For $17k you can easily find a C3 in better shape.
Look through the C3 for sale section here on the forum.
I agree with the others. Not saying this is a crap car, but that for $17k you can do much better.
I am always suspicious of a car that has a squeaky clean engine bay but filthy everywhere else.
On a laptop computer, I can zoom in on the frame. You Do Not Want To See That Photo Close Up !
The rear crossmember no longer is welded to the main frame. Complete separation from rust. And it looks like that, just to the left of the snubber bushing and bracket that someone "played" with two tubes of JB Weld on the crossmember. It has that gray look of a patch? Maybe?
Let this car go to someone with lots of money & time.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Mar 5, 2025 at 09:13 AM.
Keep us posted on what your directions you went, what I read, I would pass, and look for something that didn't need all the money and to get it rideable.
Keep us posted on what your directions you went, what I read, I would pass, and look for something that didn't need all the money and to get it rideable.
do yourself a favor run don’t walk . That frame looks tired . Buy with ur head not ur heart . Be patient
Have someone who knows what they are looking at specifically look at the frame on a lift. Period.
Maybe I missed it, but is this the original motor? What do the numbers say? No its not a huge collector car, but if the numbers are right, its better and you are asking about value.
No body pictures? Is the color original? Is it black/black? ‘79 spoiler kit?
They made more 1979s than any other model. They are not worth a ton. $17k sounds high without looking at the car.
I wouldnt eliminate the car just yet until you can get experienced eyes on the car. There arent a lot of these cars that are pure and without faults. But real frame issues are a disqualified, as is a very high price.
The under side of this car looks like it was used as a daily driver in an area where the roads were normally salted and was owned where there is a lot of dampness.
It could also have been subjected to flood or left outside and stored in tall grass for a period of time.
The engine, body and upper birdcage could be in nice shape, but the lower portion of the car could be a total loss.
Be careful what a dealer tells you about the cars history, because you know what they say about used car salesmen.
By the way, I have a bridge for sale, cheap, just don’t pay any attention to how it looks below the water line.
First Timer's Advice
— but they didn't fix the snapped parking brake cable. 
