You guys are great and I have been reading the forums for the last few weeks.

I'm a 33 year old mechanical engineer who always wanted a corvette. I'm looking at a 78-82 model, just my favorite style within a reasonable price range.

My first car was a VW bug and I have done soome work on a triumph. Nice thing about those cars is that one guy can take any part of that car apart with a swiss army knife and everything but the block can be lifted with one hand.

With that in mind here are my questions.

Reliability - I am looking for a summer fun car that I can tinker with and repair/upgrade when I want to. It will go 10 miles a day to work for 3 months a year. Can I expect to get to my destinations or is this the type of car (like my bug) that you needed to travel with a volt meter, spare belts, tools and jumper cables?

Repair work - Is this a good choice for a reasonably mechanical guy with no muscle car experience to work on? Can I replace the shocks, springs, interior, dash, universals, front end etc on my own? I will leave engine work to the pros, but I might enjoy carb tweaking.

Cost - I know this is not a cheap hobby but is it the type of car where every little stupid tiny part costs $500 and needs to be researched or can parts be found from many aftermarket suppliers at a "reasonable" cost?

Splurge - Now a tough one... Pay $6000 for a decent car with under 100k miles that needs interior work (easy), has been well maintained but not rebuilt. Will need engine, tranny and rear end work some day..... OR Pay $8000 for the same car where it has had the engine rebuilt and some brake and other similar work? If I buy the cheaper one I can have the work done the way I want it and know it gets done right. That also may mean that something fails and I have to shell out money for it when it dies. If I buy the expensive one then maybe it only needs minor work and it gets boring. Plus who knows what "rebuilt" means? Could mean they took the valve covers off, looked inside and called it an overhaul.

Advice?

 

Cost wise almost everything for these cars can be found at a vendor. The most expensive stuff I have seen is with the headlights, and interior of the car. As far as engine parts look at places like summit racing for the best deals.

 

Buy TedH's car for $10k and just drive it. You can fix/upgrade stuff as you want to. Seriously, buy the best, most complete car you can afford. Especially if you want to drive it and not have to worry about it leaving you stranded. Don't worry about a "done" car getting boring. Ask someone whose car has been down since July...

BTW, I grew up in the Fitchburg area and lived in Beverly for a little while before moving to Detroit. My dad still teaches at Greater Lowell Voc. Tech.


[Modified by Scooter70, 4:21 PM 11/26/2003]

 

Thanks for the info so far. I live right nea rthe Lowell line.

Who's TedH? Link to his car for sale please? Is he local (to me)?

 

I agree TedH's car is a bargain considering all the work he has done to it.

Just scroll down and see "TedH's C3 Up For Grabs."


[Modified by OHSIXX, 4:28 PM 11/26/2003]

 

Pay special attention to the frame and the rear end. The rear end (all components such as spindles, bearings, half shafts, and all other moving components) seems to be the most difficult item to do correctly and it is very expensive to rebuild if done by a good mechanic who specializes in Corvette's and knows what he/she is doing.

As for the frame, make sure that it is not too rusty and doesn't have any holes or deep pits.

As mentioned above, purchase the most complete (which usually means most expensive) Corvette and you'll be $$'s ahead rather than fixing problems.

 

Aftermarket parts can be reasonable, and are very easy to find.
IMO you should buy a car that's done unless you want more performance than offered in the 78-82 models.

THEN, you should just buy a Vette sans motor or tranny and drop in whatever you want...

Get a BB, with NOS and more life insurance!!! :D