Buying advice on this '78 C-3
 

Happy fourth corvette forums! Long time reader, first time poster. My dream car has always been a manual C-3 corvette coupe with bubble rear glass. Recently I found this one on Craigslist and went to check it out for myself. http://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/4543140438.html

I did read the ten rules for buying a C-3 and it was very helpful. Amazingly, for as close to the shore as it was, it didn't look like the worst case examples of body rot that were displayed in the buying guide.
I have done a full restoration on one car in the past, a Jaguar XJS, and had pretty much done everything between myself and my dad apart from restoring the engine and transmission. I am fine doing some light mechanical work but really want to avoid something that needs a frame-off restoration or pumping big money into the engine. This one looks like it might need some love, I'm just not sure how much. The brakes don't work so I couldn't test drive it. The owner said it is either the calipers or the master cylinder but he's not sure. The last time he had it on the road was 5 years ago. It has been sitting outside for about a year, but in a garage before that. It is a manual, which I don't see many of, and it's got the wider rally wheels that had to be special ordered.

He is asking 6,000 which will leave me with a 2,000-4,000 budget to restore it. If it is too much for me to handle, I wouldn't be mad if someone reading the forums went out and bought it. When I see rusty classics sitting outside on someone's lawn I feel the same way my wife feels about the sad animals in that Sarah McLachlan commercial.

Here are some pictures.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...433d723fd9.jpg


Interior looks good, some patching on the driver seat, but I have restored interiors before.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...11faf3b0af.jpg


Here is a piece of the frame, it's a good representation of what the frame looks like everywhere else. Is that too much rust?


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...2f26578145.jpg


Suspension and exhaust on the right side. It was a bright day (hard to see the screen on my digital camera) and some of my pictures may not be the best.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...a07b2ac27b.jpg


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...9dd0a072b3.jpg


Left side suspension and exhaust. Too much rust on the suspensions, probably needs an overhaul.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...82bc4f066d.jpg


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...79ad4b97c2.jpg


These are what really concern me. The areas around the body mounts are cracked. Does this mean I would need a frame-off restoration?


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...7db7fe9c96.jpg


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...a8f968c7c6.jpg


Engine looked good to me and it did start right up like the guy said. No knocks or tapping. Just a little rough due to the old gas. I don't have a lot of experience restoring engines though.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...d04736b839.jpg


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...db4afba7f7.jpg


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f7adfa344e.jpg

Thanks for looking!

Take the $6,000 plus your restoration budget and buy a better car, you will be waaaayyyy ahead in the end. The car pictured car looks like a huge money pit to me. YMMV

:iagree:

$10k will get you a much better car

cars sitting outside and cars not being driven at all are most problematic

I agree with all of the above, you can find a really descent C3 for 10K

And you can find a better C3 than this one for $6K.

Buy the best car you can afford, and don't be afraid to travel a distance to get the right car.

Agreed. Keep looking

Things that I noticed ( I have a 78 as well, L82)

To many unknowns IMO.
Wrong exhaust going into mufflers. Should be one pipe not two. Total redo.
Rear springs looks worn out.
How many miles? All wheel bearings and trailing arm pivot bushings
U joints?
Worn rear end axel stubs ( right name?)
Tires
Brakes
L48 motor. Low hp version.
Trans/clutch... Who knows


Take the panels off beside your ankles as if you were sitting in the car. #2 body mounts are right there. Inside rear wheel well, near your butt if you are seated, little metal panel,#3 body mounts, check for rust. #4's in your pics, almost if not already rusted through. Rubbers are "done". Yes those are cracks in the fiberglass.

Its not a pace car, can't tell if its silver anniversary painted car (silver over grey?) you should be able to find ALOT nicer car for the money you'd have in this one to get it road worthy.

Dodosmike:canadaflag:

For 6 grand, run, don't walk away from this car. Just run.

There are some nice cars for sale in the for sale section of this forum that might be worth a look at.

I have to agree with everyone , there are a lot better cars out there that are already drivable and dependable for 10 K and a lot less headaches. I did own an L48 '78 and loved it

If you are interested in the '78 model only and have the budget the silver anniversary with L82 and four speed would be the one I would look for.

I'm in general agreement with the folks above. For $6k you can do better but you can also offer less than that or this one. You're always better off getting the best car that you can afford. Let someone else pay to update it. Most folks are happy to get 40 cents on the dollar that they put in.

I don't think this one looks terrible but there is heavy surface rust on the frame shown, rear spring and the exhaust. That would make me wonder about the birdcage and kick ups. Did you look behind the kick plates? Also, a good trick is to post pics of the VIN plate. A great place to see window frame rust. The car looks generally worn. The rubber, including body mounts, is old but not dead looking. They would need to be replaced over time.

In short, you can probably do better though much worse too.

It seems the general consensus is to stay away. This is more than the light restoration that I was looking for. I did not look at the kicker panels, but the birdcage looked little better than the frame elsewhere.
Good advice about looking at the for sale forums. Probably should have started there anyway. I will keep looking around on the forums for something with the options I like.
Thanks all for the recommendations and advice!

Yes, it is. To it's credit, the car is otherwise more or less stock.
:thumbs:

:iagree:
Keep that in mind. With a budget of $2-4000, you would only scratch the surface of what needs to be done to that car, let alone the paint job he says it needs.

That engine compartment looks unmolested .

But as others commented . It looks so original, that it probably needs about everything that you Can't SEE .

Cars like this are great if it is a rare BB car you dreamed of or such ..it's all original and your gonna keep it and restore it.

I d bet this car needs pretty much all new suspension refurbed, springs, bushings, trailing arms , bearing s, shocks ,tires , rear end gone though .

Generally the manual trannies are pretty tuff and it may only need a seal or two.....but joints and other stuff may need replacing as well.

Engine looks original ....so radiator , water pump, alternator ,starter , belts , battery , Dizzy may all need rebuilding or replacing to make a reliable driver. Also all the weather stripping on a corvette is big bucks .

To get a Corvette , an old one like this , even though it doesn't look abused or mistreated , to get this car to the point of having a reliable car and 98 % of the stuff works , handles , drives good is just a lot of money and time.

You might find a car where someone else has sank the first 10 K into refurbishing the car and is tired and will sell it just to get it out of the way and come out ahead.

You as most people do....wind up spending far more money than they dreamed..... My years of experience suggest you buy a corvette YOU really really dig ....color , trannie , year and all....not just like ..but love .....so the money goes to fix something you'll love and keep.

The question has been asked but I also would be curious in the mileage...starts right up after five years of sitting...that's a plus for me! :thumbs:

Consider it is an L48 M20 four-speed or the Saginaw cast iron four-speed only installed with L48s in 78 and 79...its freakin rare! Out of the 6502 Pace Cars, only 70 had the L48 M20 power team...no numbers for those 78 coups shipped with the M20.

You may have something here...despite the many dissenters commenting above whose remarks I agree with. But in this situation...you have something unique and at least worth a second look. As others have observed, it looks unmolested so you have many original mechanical components including master cylinder, alternator, probably carb though the compressor looks like a rebuilt but not unusual for a 35 year-old car. Even the emission control valves (ECF & EFF (can't remember the abbrevations)), the hoses and tape look unmolested.

Consider an offer of $4800.00! All of a sudden you have a 78 rather original with a unique power team configuration. Do the math, determine what it will take to make it mechanically sound and with the price of the vehicle...does it match your budget. Brakes from master cylinder to all four cylinders...probably $1200 doing the work yourself. Interior? Exhaust...clean it up? Engine...gaskets and paint? Carb rebuild...$250 to have someone refinish and rebuild? And you have the mechanicals taken care of. Probably the power steering control valve...parts cost? A nice DIY project.

Also noted that the spark plug wires look to be original as well!

You can study up on the four-speeds of 1978 at the link below if this 78 really intrigues you...

Four-Speeds of 1978

But do take a second look; do the math and determine an offer that favors you doing the work on a rather unique 78 model.

I'll admit, I looked at a rather high-mileage 1978 black/black that the owner wanted $12k that needed work. I opted for a 21k mile 78 anniversary for $15k that needed no work! So understand the tradeoffs as described by others.

If this is the first car you've looked at, keep looking.

The manual trans is obviously a huge plus. But he's asking about double what it'd pay for it.