If you've got those ****ling little "did I buy the right car" thoughts try this: Imagine that it has been stolen/trashed & you've had the insurance pay you the purchase price (Ha Ha, some hope!). Get into that frame of mind & then think about buying another Vette. If you think "Wow, I can get that xxx that I really like" then you probably bought the wrong car. If you start thinking "But I want MY car for the money :cry " then you have definately got the right one for you.
My brief & limited experience of Vettes is that even if I got a fully restored, factory condition, ideal car - I'd still spend far too much on it
You only live once, it's not a trial run, so if you like the car make the most of it & enjoy yourself!

 

Leo 81 has the correct philosophy....exactly !
:cheers:

 

I wish I woudl have known more and at times thought that I should have bought the '72 I looked at instead. But you never know what kinds of problems you're going to run into with the car you would have bought instead. Gotta get over it and work with what you've got.

 

I see the car as an investment.............An investment in myself and my utter and sheer happiness when I am driving the car...Plus where else can u get a sweet convertible sportscar for under 12k :jester :D :cheers:

 

A friend once told me "A good deal is really just a state of mind". My car has certainly proven that to be the case. Did I pay more than I should have? Probably. Would I do it again? Yup!

 

I don't think anyone would second guess my vette purchases. Bought the 62 in 1972 for $750 and used it as my everyday driver until I started its restoration in 1974. Bought a 71 in 1974 and got more than I paid for it when it was stolen in 1976. Bought the 84 in 1985 for $15,000, am still driving it with 110,000 miles on it and only major repair has been to the transmission. Also had to repair the paint where the clear coat began deteriorating a few years ago.

 

I'm w/ Mack... The initial price wasn't bad. It was the almost the equivalent amount of money I have spent since. AND I am not anwhere near done. :( So yes, I got the Corvette Post Purchase Blues.

But then I was the vette and take it for a drive. As soon as the first kids tries to climb out the window to see it, I am totally refreshed!!! :D :D :D :D

Tim M.

 

Best advice in the world would be to spend some time on this forum before any purchase, unless you are made of money and can afford to hire all the work out. If you plan to do some/most of the repairs/restoration yourself, would also be great to spend some time at local corvette club or with a friend who owns a corvette and help him/her work on their car, this would really 'teach' you what to look for, and what you'd be comfortable doing yourself.

I bought my '81 3 years ago because I liked the color combination, and the body style, and had never even heard of this forum. Since then, my three ring binder which holds all the receipts in those 81/2" x 11" clear sheets, is now about 21/2" thick!!!! Below is a partial list of what I've done:

Rebuilt motor, water pump, fuel pump, starter, A/C compressor, heater core, master cylinder, brake caliper, parking brake hardware, heater blower motor, heater control valve,R-134a conversion, cruise control transducer, lower speedometer cable,4 shocks, front suspension rebuild including idler arm, frame&lower control arm braket welding repair, ps slave cylinder rebuild, rear strut rod bushings, rear spring bushings&bolts,1/2 shaft U-joints, 21/2" new dual exhaust and mufflers, passenger side horn, fan clutch, battery, power steering hoses, transmission seal, headlight bracket, electric antenna, shift plate, boot, & gauge lenses, a/c vent outlets &duct to drivers side vent, oil pressure sending unit, oxygen sensor, other engine sensors but can't remember their names, 2 headlights, license plate light assembly&all exterior light bulbs, jack, lug wrench, and chev. spare rim(had a spare mounted on a ford rim in the spare tire carrier), 2 new 255/60/15 tires, center cap(2) for aluminum wheels, 4 new lug nuts, locking nuts(4) for wheels, all new fluids, filters, belts&hoses, repair/rebuild radiator support, ignition cylinder lock, door handle seals, window anti rattle clips, rear speakers, radio harnness rewire kit&radio support bracket............you get the idea here, I did all work myself except for welding, which translated into a lot of time and a real hobby!

 

I love my Vette, but I certainly wish I had known more before I bought it. I had done some wrenching on my Z28, but knew little about all the problems these cars develop with suspension. Would that have made me buy another car? Probably not, but at least I'd know what I was doing. Small blocks are small blocks and the frame is in good condition, but I had no idea the work involved with the suspension and body mounts, etc. You can swap out the Lower Control Arms and Panhard rod on a Z28 in about 1 1/2 hours (if even that) and the body is a unibody construction with no body mounts to be found, but what scares the bejeezus out of me is the TA's on my Vette. I know they need to be redone, but I just don't have the knowledge or resources at this time to do the work.

I just look at my Vette as that loveable mutt you pick up at the pound. No, it's no pure breed perfectly groomed show dog, but it's a great car that I enjoy, problems and all. The way I know that I made the right choice is this: When fantasizing about winning the big Lotto jackpot, do I think of what car I'd buy, or how I would fix up the Vette I got. I fix up my Vette EVERY time.

 

I wish I knew what I know now but then I probably would have annoyed the seller with the specific faults I found and I would have not been able to make the purchase. I don't regret it for this is the car I want. Now it has my name and signature on it with all the work I put into it. It's mine! :cheers:

 

There are people in the world without enough to eat. There are people who are suffering/dying from a disease. There are people in the world without a place to live.

And you're worried if you paid too much for your Vette. Don't worry about it, enjoy the car. No one knows how much you paid anyway.

 

I knew what I bought! A POS salvaged title vette w/ theft damaga that needed everything :D I got it dirt cheap though and I'm a wrencher, I wanted to customize the vette that I was going to buy so no use in moolesting a perfect car.

This is the last progress pic, more to come (on my pages). I now have a fiberglass shell w/ everything removed standing besides a partly stripped frame (going to blast, zinc prime and powdercoat it). Then in come the rear flares, VB monoleaf + 2 point rear leaf + strudrods+moon crossram+zf-6 speed and a lot more.......



Marck