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I came across this listing: https://dyler.com/cars/chevrolet/cor...-blue-for-sale
and wanted to get the community’s thoughts before I pull the trigger. I’m curious whether it’s a good deal, and also whether there are any red flags I might be missing.
Based on what’s posted, does the asking price seem fair compared to similar examples?
Anything that seems off or misleading?
Price seems a bit high. The prices for a C3 coupe in the South, where I live, normally run in the high 20’s or low 30’s. Being a California Car, it will have to meet emissions standards, so that could make the car Cost more. Google the posts on all the important thing to look for when buying a C3. Good Luck.
You'll want to see photos of the engine stamp pad and the VIN tag on the driver's side windshield post. You also want to see a photo of the trim tag on the on the driver's side hinge pillar. A 72 at this price should have the engine and transmission it left St. Louis with.
The price seems o.k. UNTILL you get to the part of the description that alludes to the fact that the car might well need to be painted.
If that's so, it makes the asking price quite high.
You'll also want to see photos of the frame and birdcage (where visible) and all the running gear.
So asking price is $29,900. Power brakes. A/C. The car looks very clean with minimal deviations from stock. I think the asking price is in the "fair to high" ballpark with the selling price falling to about $26-28k -- it's a dealership after all.
The center console gauge trim is really, really misaligned to the dash -- more than most -- but that may be able to be minimized with more careful work.
The engine stamp pad looks original.
I can't spot any swelling of the front header bar rivets.
How tired the paint is is a subjective thing. If it's lacquer, it can still be polished to a beautiful gloss.
What they don't show are any under-car pics. That could be the deal breaker. I'd also ask for pics of the VIN and trim tags to look for windshield frame and pillar rust. (The car needs to be inspected in person for birdcage rusting - you can't do this by photos alone.)
Like rule #2 of post #107 of this thread says, never buy a car sight unseen if you have the ability to. I would get your own pictures of the birdcage, rear kickups, radiator support, and any other areas that are known rust points.
The price is on the high side, which is typical of a dealership. I’m not an expert on ‘72s, but that gap between the radiator and the support doesn’t look right. I would check the date codes on the tires too. If you really like it you might be able to haggle down the price with the things it needs.
Last edited by Piersonpie; Sep 19, 2025 at 01:14 PM.
Like rule #2 of post #107 of this thread says, neverbuy a car sight unseen if you have the ability to. I would get your own pictures of the birdcage, rear kickups, radiator support, and any other areas that are known rust points.
The price is on the high side, which is typical of a dealership. I’m not an expert on ‘72s, but that gap between the radiator and the support doesn’t look right. I would check the date codes on the tires too. If you really like it you might be able to haggle down the price with the things it needs.
The replacement aluminum radiator is not as thick as the GM copper/brass, so has that larger gap. There should be foam sealing strips in there which would minimize the gap and make the radiator more effective. (It's actually missing all of the foam seals - not uncommon when a regular shop does Corvette work.)
Last edited by barkingrats; Sep 19, 2025 at 03:41 PM.
The replacement aluminum radiator is not as thick as the GM copper/brass, so has that larger gap. There should be foam sealing strips in there which would minimize the gap and cool make the radiator more effective. (It's actually missing all of the foam seals - not uncommon when a regular shop does Corvette work.)
Thats what I was thinking. It looks like the higher performance models come with a foam piece there, but I couldn’t find anything for the L48.
OP, good job asking for advice about this car. If the place that did the work would overlook something like this I would be very cautious about any other Corvette specific work that was done.
To me the car looks very nice.
But pictures make everything look better.
I would want to see the frame, birdcage and paint in person before I pulled the plug on any Corvette.
You can’t see much, but you can crawl underneath with a flashlight to look at all the frame for rust and up under the dash for any rust dust.
You also want to look closely around the windshield frame.
Running a CarFax is useless because a 72 will only have a 13 digit VIN and CarFax requires a minimum of 17 digits.
One other thing is a 72 is smog exempt in California so no emissions inspections are required for a sale, transfer of title and there would be no semi annual inspections.
Is it priced high or low?
Hard to say depending on the overall condition and how badly you want it!
Good color combination, Air conditioning, Great looking wheels and tires. Nice Vette. I don't believe the claim of 23,000 miles to be true. That alone would cause me to be suspicious of other claims being made by the seller. You need to see the condition of the frame and cage before making an offer, as others have said. Otherwise, a Pig in a Poke. New paint could go north of $ 20,000.
Good color combination, Air conditioning, Great looking wheels and tires. Nice Vette. I don't believe the claim of 23,000 miles to be true. That alone would cause me to be suspicious of other claims being made by the seller. You need to see the condition of the frame and cage before making an offer, as others have said. Otherwise, a Pig in a Poke. New paint could go north of $ 20,000.
I, for one, 100% believe that's what the odo says!
You can't see the pedals in any of the pics but hopefully those were changed out with the new interior... Underside pics would certainly show what I'd expect to be a 123,000 mile car. If the underside really does indicate a 23,000 mile car then the price is very good.
I didn’t realize about the 13-digit VIN and the smog exemption in California. I agree, seeing the frame and birdcage in person would tell the real story. Thanks for taking the time to share your insights!
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1972 Chevrolet Corvette listing
