If you say it needs painted thats a minimum of 3k in supplies and can do alot of work yourself, assuming no damage to fiberglass. Next time you look at it check around weather stripping for different colors, checking to see if the paint was removed or just covered.

 

I wouldn't repaint. I'd either run it like it is or I'd experiment with wrapping but the point is I don't see myself buying this one. I'll use this one to see what a really bad one looks like so I have something to compare to going forward.

I didn't mention it before but, when I was looking at this 76, I took the air cleaner cover off since the nut was missing. The entire circumference of the inside of the air cleaner housing, outboard of the actual air filter, was loaded with acorn debris. It was obvious that a mouse had been living in there.

 

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but it's a good idea to briefly state your question in the title when you start a thread, so it can be seen without having to open the thread.

 

I just accidentally got on the for sale page for C6/C7. I was surprised that this site let's dealers post.

I frequent a popular shovelhead (old Harley model) forum and dealers/ salesfolk are quickly shown the door. I'm not in Kansas anymore am I?

 

Best reply ever, follow the advice. I would buy the best car you can.

I purchased a project, but I have others to drive. I will be upside down on the cost - but it's what I want to do. It will take 3 years to complete, my retirement work. (and the other half doesn't car if I'm working on the car, sometimes she helps). I'm not selling it when I'm finished.

You can get over your head very quickly. Especially money wise.

Unless you want to spend months rebuilding the car and not driving the car - send as much as you can for the best you can find. Join a local club and take a member who judges or builds with you and get his / her response.

If you get an early C4 with a stick, depending on your state laws - you can switch to a carb - remove the injection and enjoy the car cheaply.
It wil not be NCRS but a fun driver. and reliable, very cheap to maintain.

 

Sorry, my first post and I've already broken the rules, story of my life. I confess to having a wacky sensk-a-umor and a mischievous nature and that title demonstrates both.

 

I saw those rules and think they're accurate and will TRY to follow them. I have an old shovelhead and fully realize that only in an exceptional situation can you get more out of an old 'vehicle' than you put into it.

I'm not doing this to save or make money, nor to be cool (me cool - what a joke), nor to demonstrate how much I know about anything (call me Sgt. Schultz). I'm considering this because I love machines and working on them. I was raised around cars and have missed not having one to work on for the last 40 years. You can't work on your daily driver and that's all I've had most of my adult life.

This hit me again last year when I had to fix the rear suspension on the 2003 Malibu I took from my wife when she got a new car. I dropped the rear cross member with lateral links out of that Mailbu, cleaned the cross member off with my angle grinder and drills with wire brushes, rust converted and painted it. Then I replaced the totally rusted out lateral links and put it all back together again. God help me I thoroughly enjoyed doing it, sick b__tard that I am. The experience reinfected me with the desire to work on cars so here I am looking for the only car from the 70s or 80s that I consider worth having that I can afford.

BTW, I converted my 2004 H-D Road King Classic from EFI to carb. Interesting process, never thought about doing it on a C4 but I have no doubt I could. What does NCRS stand for?

 

Hi r,
NCRS is the National Corvette Restorers Society.
Google NCRS and check out the site.
Regards,
Alan

 

Thanks, my hat's off to anyone that enjoys and can afford to do that.

 

Sorry I should have given an Idea of what NCRS involves.
You may see some cars with NCRS awards and stickers. These cars are restored or original sometimes down to the last matching bolt. To rehab a car to NCRS standards can be extremely expensive as all the parts must be "original" or as close as possible. All dates on all parts must match. All parts and bolts must match original / or be original.
Its a very intense rebuild.

I took an 85 that was in trouble and put in a 6 speed and rebuilt the engine. The entire project was less than 10k. I started with a 4 speed car. went with a carb. It's been 4 + years and I've even used as a daily driver.

The only problem I run into when helping friends on their cars - the wiring on a lot of newer cars has been messed with. I try to stay away from the computer controls. Also you may find some electronic modules are no longer available.

Since your handy a smart buy can give you many year's of joy. (both in the shop and on the road)

 

You've done what I'm thinking I'd like to do. Find a driver that's basically solid yet needs some love and entertain myself with it.

In a few minutes I'm going to look at a C4, an '87 with a 4+3. Pictures look good but that don't mean jack. Owner told me he put a Jasper rebuilt engine into it about 15K miles ago. Searched the forum about Jasper engines and there's a lot and it's very mixed, no surprise there either.

If I get a C4 I'd have to do what I can to lower the driver seat. At 6'6" I know C4s are tight for me. I'll post later about what I find with this C4. I expect some here will find it entertaining regardless of the outcome.

 

go take good pictures and post them here.
you will learn more than the previous owner, could ever imagine.

 

Only pictures I took were of the options plates. I did start a couple other threads about what I learned about the car.

 

Rusty76
You brought back some good memories for me, my dad was carrier army, in WWII, Korea & Vietnam. I also remember working on his cars with him back in the late 60's early 70's.....
Rebuilt his 1968 Firebird 400 convertible with him....

 

We were lucky to have fathers from whom we learned the basics of automobile repair.