Somebody Stop Me!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 805
Likes: 11
From: Hickory Flat Ga
Somebody Stop Me!
I have a friend of a friend begging me to buy her '73 coupe 4 speed 350. It's been sitting in the same spot in the corner of an old garage for 25 years. The paint was scraped off with a friggin' razor blade prior to dropping it off for a paint job in 1982. There it sat to deteriorate into a basket case.
Would I be wrong to assume the car needs EVERYTHING, and when you are through spending years and $12,000 you have a $14,000 car?
Would it be worth $2,000? It's intact. I know a '73 isn't the most drop dead year so what do you C3 guys think about this little story? I want to help her out because she is broke but I don't want to get involved in a lost cause either.
Would I be wrong to assume the car needs EVERYTHING, and when you are through spending years and $12,000 you have a $14,000 car?
Would it be worth $2,000? It's intact. I know a '73 isn't the most drop dead year so what do you C3 guys think about this little story? I want to help her out because she is broke but I don't want to get involved in a lost cause either.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
Well, if its intact and frame/birdcage is not gone I think $2k would be a good buy. Take your time and shop around for whatever it needs. $12k I think to restore would be a choice thing, it can be done a Lot cheaper than that. I do all my own work, so that helps a lot, if you farm it out I can see 12 grand going by real fast
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs Colorado
:iagree hard to say w/o pics, but sitting for 25 years = 10k in parts.
If you dont love 73 coupes, and/or you cant do most of it yourself, Id walk away.
For example, I stumbled into my 73 # match vert when I lived in Vegas. I have dumped a ton of money into that car (crate motor, 5-speed, interior, suspension, brakes, exhaust, paint, etc, etc) and it is a real nice car but it is a labor of love to me. Not sure I could put that kind of money or time in a 73 coupe, unless it was a big block.
Cheers,
Crunch
If you dont love 73 coupes, and/or you cant do most of it yourself, Id walk away.
For example, I stumbled into my 73 # match vert when I lived in Vegas. I have dumped a ton of money into that car (crate motor, 5-speed, interior, suspension, brakes, exhaust, paint, etc, etc) and it is a real nice car but it is a labor of love to me. Not sure I could put that kind of money or time in a 73 coupe, unless it was a big block.
Cheers,
Crunch
Pro
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 647
Likes: 22
From: Norwalk CT and Boynton Beach FL
Walk away ---- the paint job alone will cost you $7K. The motor, tranny, must be redone if it's been sitting for 25 years. Need tires, calipers, brakes, master cylinder, radiator, heater core, etc, etc. The interior is probably all shot and if mice got into the electrical ---- well if I were you just give her the $2k and sell the car for junk. That baby will bleed you to death.
If a car hasn't been maintained and cared for ---- walk away
If a car hasn't been maintained and cared for ---- walk away
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,838
Likes: 10
From: Austin TX
If the car is complete and relatively rust free DO IT! You kidding,..$2000? And it's been indoors for 25 years? And it's a 73 (my favorite as well,..own 2). Just because it wasn't "maintained" is no reason to pass. if it had been "maintained" it would run $10-20,000 more. This way you get to build her the way you want. Look around,..you can't find worthwhile projects in this price range, Camaros, Mustangs, Roadrunners, Cudas, etc., and much less a Vette.
As far as spending money,..if truth told, 95% of us have more in our cars than they're worth, but we don't care. It's a great hobby, with great folks, and these cars are a blast to drive and work on.
But if you're going to pass, send me a PM and let me know about the car,..I'd be very interested!
As far as spending money,..if truth told, 95% of us have more in our cars than they're worth, but we don't care. It's a great hobby, with great folks, and these cars are a blast to drive and work on.
But if you're going to pass, send me a PM and let me know about the car,..I'd be very interested!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,527
Likes: 1
From: St. Petersburg, Fl///Columbus, Ohio
My '73 was parked inside over 10 years when I got it. New tires, fuel tank, carb overhaul and brake calipers was all that was needed to start driving it.
If rust is not an issue I'd buy a barn find in a Heartbeat at that price!!!
If rust is not an issue I'd buy a barn find in a Heartbeat at that price!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 2,116
Likes: 156
From: Mid West
Cruise-In III Veteran
If you are able to do the work yourself, go for it! As mentioned ealier, if you have a shop paint it, count on $4-7k depending on body and where you live, but if you can paint it yourself (not that hard .... paint gun, lots of patience, and a really clean garage) it can be done for under $1k.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
I wouldn't be the one to stop you. Think it is a good deal if the frame and birdcage is solid. As stated before you could parts it for much more. Probably double your $ if you just sell it as is for a project. 73's have their own following and prices have jumped in the last 2 or 3 years.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,154
Likes: 1
From: St Augustine FL
I have a friend of a friend begging me to buy her '73 coupe 4 speed 350. It's been sitting in the same spot in the corner of an old garage for 25 years. The paint was scraped off with a friggin' razor blade prior to dropping it off for a paint job in 1982. There it sat to deteriorate into a basket case.
Would I be wrong to assume the car needs EVERYTHING, and when you are through spending years and $12,000 you have a $14,000 car?
Would it be worth $2,000? It's intact. I know a '73 isn't the most drop dead year so what do you C3 guys think about this little story? I want to help her out because she is broke but I don't want to get involved in a lost cause either.
Would I be wrong to assume the car needs EVERYTHING, and when you are through spending years and $12,000 you have a $14,000 car?
Would it be worth $2,000? It's intact. I know a '73 isn't the most drop dead year so what do you C3 guys think about this little story? I want to help her out because she is broke but I don't want to get involved in a lost cause either.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 805
Likes: 11
From: Hickory Flat Ga
We are going to exume it from it's grave and shed the light of day on this poor forgotten vette. I graduted high school in the class of '73. My house was built in 1973. Good lord I may have a 1973 to go with it!
She said it used to be green. What is the name of that color? Elkhart Green? Oh yeah there is a '69 Camaro SS in front of it that is trashed too. Not to mention the 4 C1s and 2 C2s under tattered covers outside. Maybe more 25 year paint customers? The guy has 6 months to live 6 months ago. His son is a slacker jailbird.
I might have to 'help him out' with a few of those worthless junkers too.
Are parts reasonably easy to get for a '73? I get every catalogue there is for vettes. My '96 is showroom, and love working on it. I probably would not get killed if I flipped it as is later, right?
She said it used to be green. What is the name of that color? Elkhart Green? Oh yeah there is a '69 Camaro SS in front of it that is trashed too. Not to mention the 4 C1s and 2 C2s under tattered covers outside. Maybe more 25 year paint customers? The guy has 6 months to live 6 months ago. His son is a slacker jailbird.
I might have to 'help him out' with a few of those worthless junkers too.
Are parts reasonably easy to get for a '73? I get every catalogue there is for vettes. My '96 is showroom, and love working on it. I probably would not get killed if I flipped it as is later, right?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,837
Likes: 1,028
[QUOTE=tlong;1558684356 Oh yeah there is a '69 Camaro SS in front of it that is trashed too. Not to mention the 4 C1s and 2 C2s under tattered covers outside. [/QUOTE]
Are you nuts? Tell her you'll buy them all. Give her $10,000 cash. Sell what you don't want. It will pay to restore the one you want.
Are you nuts? Tell her you'll buy them all. Give her $10,000 cash. Sell what you don't want. It will pay to restore the one you want.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,407
Likes: 2
From: Carmichael CA
If you have the space to store it while you work on it then $2,000 is a cheap price for a base project...just check to make sure it wasn't stolen by running the VIN through your state highway patrol office. The neat thing about a vette is that it isn't going to rust if the only problem is that it hasn't had paint for 25 years.