81 barn find no keys
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
81 barn find no keys
ok so I was given an 81 for free by an old lady whos had it in her backyard for the last 20 years. its pretty rough but its FREE. problem is there are no keys. so..
1. is it possible to get a key from chevy?
2. if not can I hot wire it? I atleast need to unlock the steering so I can move it.
3. does anyone wanna buy a 1 owner 81 vette?
whats this mess even worth?
1. is it possible to get a key from chevy?
2. if not can I hot wire it? I atleast need to unlock the steering so I can move it.
3. does anyone wanna buy a 1 owner 81 vette?
whats this mess even worth?
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 131
Likes: 26
From: Fort Valley Georgia
Also this isn't a barn find. There's no barn. This would be a back yard discovery. Lol.
Last edited by GaToy; Jun 4, 2015 at 10:57 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
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
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
I know of a red one that hasn't moved in over twenty. I have been meaning to take a pic of it and post it. It is sitting in an open field behind a house. After what I have learned about c3's the bird cage is probably non existent.
Also this isn't a barn find. There's no barn. This would be a back yard discovery. Lol.
Also this isn't a barn find. There's no barn. This would be a back yard discovery. Lol.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,091
Likes: 40
Looks like a parts car now , glass tops ?
Sitting outside exposed over dirt on the east coast is recipe for having a dead car.
It would have been a lot better in a enclosed barn .
Shame people would rather let a car go to waste ...basically tossing away money , than save it by selling to a new owner who will appreciate it.
Sitting outside exposed over dirt on the east coast is recipe for having a dead car.
It would have been a lot better in a enclosed barn .
Shame people would rather let a car go to waste ...basically tossing away money , than save it by selling to a new owner who will appreciate it.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
Looks like a parts car now , glass tops ?
Sitting outside exposed over dirt on the east coast is recipe for having a dead car.
It would have been a lot better in a enclosed barn .
Shame people would rather let a car go to waste ...basically tossing away money , than save it by selling to a new owner who will appreciate it.
Sitting outside exposed over dirt on the east coast is recipe for having a dead car.
It would have been a lot better in a enclosed barn .
Shame people would rather let a car go to waste ...basically tossing away money , than save it by selling to a new owner who will appreciate it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 38
From: Space Coast Gator Territory
This is an unfortunate reality with many nice cars across the country falling to a similar fate. As stated, a good locksmith can make you a key and keep from damaging the tilt steering column.
If it were me, on the way out of the yard it resides, I'd stop at a coin car wash and spend about an hour there pressure washing under the hood and everywhere there is dirt and debris. A trailer will have it up off the ground and make cleaning the frame much easier. After it has dried, you can better make a thorough inspection. If the frame and birdcage are solid, you have a project car. If not, there are many useable parts other builders can recycle into their projects.
Good luck with it!
If it were me, on the way out of the yard it resides, I'd stop at a coin car wash and spend about an hour there pressure washing under the hood and everywhere there is dirt and debris. A trailer will have it up off the ground and make cleaning the frame much easier. After it has dried, you can better make a thorough inspection. If the frame and birdcage are solid, you have a project car. If not, there are many useable parts other builders can recycle into their projects.
Good luck with it!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
This is an unfortunate reality with many nice cars across the country falling to a similar fate. As stated, a good locksmith can make you a key and keep from damaging the tilt steering column.
If it were me, on the way out of the yard it resides, I'd stop at a coin car wash and spend about an hour there pressure washing under the hood and everywhere there is dirt and debris. A trailer will have it up off the ground and make cleaning the frame much easier. After it has dried, you can better make a thorough inspection. If the frame and birdcage are solid, you have a project car. If not, there are many useable parts other builders can recycle into their projects.
Good luck with it!
If it were me, on the way out of the yard it resides, I'd stop at a coin car wash and spend about an hour there pressure washing under the hood and everywhere there is dirt and debris. A trailer will have it up off the ground and make cleaning the frame much easier. After it has dried, you can better make a thorough inspection. If the frame and birdcage are solid, you have a project car. If not, there are many useable parts other builders can recycle into their projects.
Good luck with it!
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 139
From: Syracuse NY
Unless she produces that title in a hurry, you should sell it off as a parts car. (Obtaining a lost title in NY is a pain in the ****)
As many have said, its surely rotted from the underneath. Sell it and take the proceeds as a down payment on another C3!
As many have said, its surely rotted from the underneath. Sell it and take the proceeds as a down payment on another C3!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
x2 on pressure washing, a good cleaning/get keys made (maybe)and sell it off as a project with 4 tires with air in them; let someone else learn their lesson on buying something cheap and "fixing it up". That ones just too far gone to fool with
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 848
From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Miracles have been known to happen, I agree the coin-op car wash or a pressure washer are your best bet. Why would someone do that to a Corvette?