this lady is selling a vette im interested

1976, l-48 engine, 4spd
power steering, power breaks, power windows
missing heater core
has some body damage, such as tip of the hood is "ripped" up, (the fiber glass) few scratches here and there
78,000 original miles
this lady is the second owner

she is asking 8000

 

Offer $4K. Just my opinon and what I personally would do.

 

well, the car is probably all original, so it needs paint all new bushings all around probalby brake and shock maybe susspension work...8,000 is in my opinion high for a car that needs work... and there was nothing special about that year anyway. definetly try to talk her down to the 5,000 range or so

 

i was thinking i could haggler her down to at least 7k because of the heater core and it could use a break job, along with the body damage

 

I think you can find much better C3s for $7K. That car isn't worth much over $4K, in my opinion.

 

Heater core is a pain to fix. Body work is not cheap. This car has the potential to become a white elephant real fast. The only way to control this is to limit your initial outlay of cash. $4K is generous, IMHO.

Plus, no offense intended, a '76 L-48 in fair shape is not a rare car. If the owner does not take your offer, its not like she has the world's only '76 L48 for sale.

 

very true

 

I feel like I got ripped. I paid 10 k for my 80 L-48 and have $800 (alt, weatherstripping, 3 calipers, carb rebuild, and odds/ends into it with everything working except the a/c.

I'm still happy though...and I guess that is what counts:)

 

:iagree: $4-5000 car. Body work is not cheap and all the lurking little things will nickle and dime you to death.

 

I think $4000 is more than generous for a '76 that needs mechanical and body work. keep in mind this is what you know of, what else will you find wrong. what work has been done on the car recently?
i look at this from the point of view that the car is approching 30 years old and if repairs (such as trailing arms and u-joints, brake calipers) have not been made, you might as well plan on doing it. Bill

 

Better check it good for any frame and rocker channel rust. If it's like new underneath and everything works, 7000 is not a bad price (but obviously not everything works). A friend sold his 76 for 12,000, but it had only 27,000 original miles and the car was like new. If you find frame rust I would find another. 75 and 76 years didn't have enough horsepower to get out of their own way, but that can be fixed. :D

 

I'd offer 2K and then settle on 2.5K at the most. Just my $0.02 Wave cash...people love cash.

 

Can anyone say how much a '76 L-48 in mint condition is worth? I don't have specifics, but I do not think they are worth that much on the open market.

 

if u guys dont mind, can u compare this car, and this car in my other pose....78 pace car
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=813063

sorry for all the confusion, but im deciding between these 2 cars...
which would u guys go for?

 

As anyone who reads my posts here will attest, I am far from an automotive expert, but:

My first piece of advice is to take a car in the best condition you can afford. Especially if this is your first Vette. You will come out money ahead in the long term. Unless you enjoy repairing cars more than driving them, you will enjoy your car a lot more than if you are buying an abuse victim.

My second piece of advice is not to fall in love with a car, never be afraid to walk away from a car. If this car is not the one for you, there will be others out there that are right. Take your time.

The '78, as described, seems to be in somewhat better condition than the '76 (although a paint job will still not be cheap) but still too much money. A few years ago I got my '69 350/300 4spd, no major issues, for $8,000 cash.

Use that as a very rough benchmark.

 

theres not much to choose from in NJ
the dealerships ive seen all sell totally rebuild 60s/70s vettes that go for 30k easy
by looking at countless websites i found the Pace Car by chance

and with total LUCK i happened to drive by a yard with the 76 vette for sale

in the classifides all i see are 80 (which im not a fan of) and the new model cars, again for 20-40,000

i like the 70s models
i want 1 with a big engine, 4 speed, and something that doesnt go for more than 10k....but who doesnt, right?

its hard to find options around here

in all the vette trader magazines and most websites selling old vettes and the such, they are all in arizona, ohio, california, etc.....not in lil ol new jersey

 

just to throw out an example here is an ebay '77 vette in New York that is running down with only one bid of 5000.00. I think this may be high, but point being is that no one is beating the door down to buy this Vette. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6168


[Modified by bmar, 1:11 AM 5/5/2004]

 

since im looking for my corvette
what do u guys suggest i look for?
the pace car and the 76 are "Easy access" meaning i dont need to travel 200 miles to buy the car

i really like the c3 models
im hoping to find an engine bigger than the l-48, and i want it to be manual

 

You are right, the deals on 70's vettes in CA, Arizona, etc. are a much better buy than apparently in jersey. Maybe even enough to pay for a one way airfair and rental unit to bring a car back to jersy from finding a good buy elsewhere (maybe even down south-say vacation in flordia and drive your "new" vette home)? Just a thought. You can find really good deals on line - but usually have to act fast. The cars in condition you are finding, for that price tend to stay on the market for quite a while. You can often find a forum member willing to check out a unit in their area for you.

I bought my 79 L48 350 (with a 350 turbo hydro auto tranny) here in san diego for only $3600. But ... I was the first one there the morning the ad came out and two hours later the seller had several people willing to buy it sight unseen (good thing I left a deposit). AND .... I went into it knowing it needed lots of work, but the frame channels and birdcage were essentually rust free. Now, 3+ months later, and with another $2500 in it (not counting lots of my hours of labor) - it is licenced, smogged, good running condition, new front bushings, ball joints, shocks and brake/calipers, new power steering, DIN stereo with new 6x9 speakers in the back & new 4x6 speakers in the dash, I repaired some minor fiberglass cracks in one wheel well, etc.. Basically I can drive it now and be confident it will get me home (my commute is 95 miles a day) and it looks ok. However, the AC still doesn't work, the paint job is a 20 footer, and I still want to "rebuild" the rear end (shocks, brakes, ?trailing arms, ?u-joints, etc.).

The local used vette dealer here in san diego sells 78-80 style vettes for $9-10K or so (drivers that look pretty good - most all things work - could probably drive cross country). They sound like a better deal than these your are discussing.

If you don't "enjoy" fixing a fixer upper, spend a bit more and get a good driver for $7 - 8K or so, from a better market area.

And check out on line sites that provide really good info on what to look for when buying a used vette (i think http://www.corvettefaq.com had really good info).





[Modified by martinsw, 9:37 PM 5/4/2004]

 

It kinda depends on where you are. Here that'd be an acceptable price for that condition. People value Corvettes higher here. But it's only worth what someone is willing to pay.