Dirk

Relatively new to the forum. Have never owned a vette, always loved them and now ready to shop seriously and BUY!

Car will be a driver (hence the small block, automatic and air as indicated below) and must be original.

Looking for long-term enjoyment and investment (will probably only do this once, so want to do it right!)

[Minimum] Requirements:
- #'s matching
- Coupe
- OM, 327/250, 300 or 350 hp (hydrylic lifter)
- Factory air
- Automatic Transmission

Other options I would not mind adding (as I feel I could add / remove w/out molesting the car) include:
- KO's
- Gold or Redlines
- Side Pipes

QUESTIONS
- What are the pros / cons that will help me decide on the year (i.e. '65 , '66 or '67)?
- Can I have a conversation / hear the radio in a coupe w/side pipes (or if I can't, will I care....?
- Suggested "leads" to find my car....
- Price I should expect to pay....

And of course, any other suggestions you folks have to offer.

Thanks in advance!

Herb396

Dirk,
You took the words right out of my mouth,,"Have never owned a vette, always loved them and now ready to shop seriously and BUY!" and I have a lot of the same "wants' in a mid year vette as you described.

Suggestion,,,keep asking a lot of questions on here and talk to other vett owners. Price wise, I think there's always a car for what ever money you decide to spend, but gotta be thinking like mid 20's. The day will come and the right car will be there. Just depens on how long were willing to shop.

Good luck and give us all a shout out when you find it!!!!!!!!

:cool: :cool:

Dirk

Thanks for the reply. Will keep you posted on my progress and wish you luck w/your search as well.

bcwaller

The cars are so similar in that range, that I suggest you look at the differences to see if it matters. Last search I did, I set my goal for a car from any of those years as I did not have any complaints about any of them. I wanted a car that came with disks, and that was my main deciding factor.

But, if you are looking for a #s matching car as an investment, then you will really need to educate yourself on all things #s so you buy a legitimate car that will make you happy. I do wonder if "driver" and "original #s matching" are mutually exclusive here. Think a bit more about this. How imprortant are the #s and will you really drive it? There is nothing worse than having a car that you are worried to drive because you don't want to wear out some factory component.

If you have a strong voice, you can hold a fine yelling match on a side-pipe car. :lol: I have a convertible with pipes and the pipes and teh wind noise make it difficult to talk, and long trips require ear plugs. I would never change a thing, I love it this way.

There are small styling differences between the years, and the '67 has the e-brake between the seats instead of under the dash, but otherwise they are very similar cars. Since you don't know now which one you like better, I bet you will be very happy with any mid-year...

Dirk

Thanks for the response, Brad.

I have given the #'s / originallity a lot of thought and feel if I am going to spend the money to buy an original / investment quality vehicle w/the idea I will drive it, it can always be restored to original when / if that day comes. I realize it will not be a "survivor". Please let me know if this thinking is sound.

Thanks for the feedback on the side pipes....your thoughts are mine....have to have them!

Regarding years...do you think there is any appreciable difference (from an investment standpoint) between the '65, '66 and '67's? I too feel the [styling] differences are minor and would / could be happy w/any of these years.

Look forward to your response.

hot1corvette1

Lot's of elements to this discussion.

One not mentioned so far: you will probably pay quite a bit more for a numbers matching car. "Numbers matching" is a complete discussion in itself. Are you looking for a NCRS topflight or just something that matches? Price for a topflight can go to $50k or more, but you may find good cars in the $30k range if you are lucky.

In addition, for a "driver", you will have to have regular insurance as opposed to the collector insurance. The problem with a lot of regular insurance policies is that they don't cover the actual value of the car very well.

Also, 67's seem to carry their value better than others, but mostly this is with the big blocks.

Lastly, from my own experience, I am generally nervous about driving the car and leaving it any parking lot (shopping, schools, offices, you name it). So it makes it a bit impractical as a regular car. But this is mostly my own paranoia and it may not bother you as much. I can certainly say that driving it is a real kick. And it attracts crowds no matter where you are.

Good luck,
Mark

Dirk

Hi Mark. Thanks for the response.

Not looking for NCRS level....the 30K - 40K range is where I thought I would be.

Thanks for the clarification on the value. I had seen other chat w/in the forum re: '67 value being a bit more, but not mention about being tied to BB.

As far as being paranoid....I am sure I will have to fight it, but I just cannot see (at least my feeling now) having the car of my dreams and not driving it as much as I can....

Any other feedback is appreciated.

Dirk

396 RAT

"I have given the #'s / originallity a lot of thought and feel if I am going to spend the money to buy an original / investment quality vehicle w/the idea I will drive it, it can always be restored to original when / if that day comes. I realize it will not be a "survivor". Please let me know if this thinking is sound."

To me its very sound thinking. .....But not to everyone.
Just do not buy a "Numbers matching"
car, if what you are after is a car that's original. The term Numbers matching changed (10 yrs ago? 15?) to mean, parts just like the ones that came on the car from GM when new. Most parts are not a big deal, but if you want an orig car, the block/heads/ trans/RR should be the orig.
Not numbers matching. Does that make sense?
Any yahoo these days thinks he can stamp a block/trans "what ever" and fool the world. In the name of "restoration"
If you want an orig car, make sure it really is orig.
(Its not all that hard) A real car will have History. A numbers matching
will have no history. Funny how that works?
There are more out there than you think. I would guess 10-20%.
And as far as driving it, why not? Almost anything can be rebuilt.
This should not be a factor. The static you get about wanting an orig car
to drive will come from those who either didn't know when they bought,
Or didn't think there were any left. There are enough moth balled trailer
queens already out there, so no one need's to worry about preserving our cars, and not driving them.
Most of us drive our vettes less than
5000 miles a yr. How long will it take you at that rate to destroy a fresh rebuilt orig engine? Your biggest hurdle will be the patience required to find the right car. But, good things come to those that wait.
And some of the most fun is in the hunt!
Good luck! & Stick to your guns! If it makes you happy, It makes you happy.
**** on what anyone else thinks. ;)
You decide what's right for you. :smash: :smash: :smash:
I have only owned (2) 65 vettes, and both were as you described.
Never entered a show, Just work on 'em & drive 'em.
Because thats the part of the hobby that I like. There is a place in it for everyone. From NCRS winners, to 58's with Cobra front ends. :lol:
Sounds to me like your on the right track! :seeya


[Modified by 396 RAT, 7:28 PM 11/2/2002]

gilbybarr

Any of the midyears will make a great car for you....the 65's and up have disc brakes.....the '64 is probably the "least desireable" of the mid-years, but that is a just relative term....they are still midyears and very much worth a look. I personally like the '65's...just a little biased. The '65 and '66's will go for a little less than a comparable '67. The old advice goes buy the best Corvette you can afford....look for a restored car....my '65 cost the previous owner twice what I paid for it to restore it. I like the small blocks better....and be prepared for thumbs up whereever you go.
:seeya

Denney

Dirk, welcome to the Forum and good luck on your search. :seeya I admit I am a little unclear why you think an automatic is necessary for a driver, but I assume you just want an auto (4-speeds work fine in drivers too).

Dirk

Great respose....Thanks for the support. I feel like a just got a shot in the arm!

Dirk

Thanks....makes sense and the way I have been leaning (re: search for a resorted).

Dirk

Dirk

Certainly enjoy driving the manual. My thinking....1) auto better for the highway 2) less chance for [previous / historical] abuse if an auto....?

Please let me know your thoughts.

Dirk

Tom73

Dirk,
How about some comments from a non-C2 owner? I love the style that you are looking for, hopefuly that will be the next Vette for me, to go with my C3's and my C4.

To me, basicly, there is no difference in the 65-67. Yes the 67 is the cleanest looking and they moved the parking brake handle to the console. But for those three years I would not choose any one over the others.

Basic rule is to just buy the best car you can afford. Don't be too picky on the options. There are a lot of 65-67s out there, but not that many really good ones. Find a great one that you feel you can live with and go for it.

tom...

Dirk

Thanks Tom....Good advice.

396 RAT

65's are my favorite.
Partially because of the lack of smog equipment + (dash, brakes,
3 big fender slots, & engine options.
It was a big deal here in Ca. Not all that long ago, you had to get 66's and on checked every 2 years at the smog station, because they had emission crap. (It was a real nightmare) Visual, and tail pipe. The smog pumps, thermactors, tubes coming out of the heads, what have you, none of it ever really did much, just made your car a bear to tune every 2 years to pass. (And forget about ANY mods)
Then you had to set it back if you wanted it to run.. I picked up a 66 Mustang conv. in 85, thinking next year the car would be N/A (20 yrs old) Nope, they changed the law. And it lasted for what seemed like forever. So it was a 65, or nothing after that.
Those days are gone (for now anyway) But still favor the 65's.
If I were in the market, I would not overlook 64's though. Since your interested in a coupe, I would bet you could find a great deal on an injected 64 for about the same or less as a base engine 67. I know which one I would grab! :blueangel:
In my mind, they have the most bang for the buck as an investment
right now. If that is playing a role in your decision.
However, if you have your mind made up on a 65-67, get one!
Just thought I would mention it........
(Also, if you can drive a 4 spd, get one over an auto. More fun, and when it
comes time to sell, you will be glad its not an auto) The 2 speed auto works great, just tons more fun going through the gears)
But then, I also have no plans on growing up. :D


[Modified by 396 RAT, 8:52 PM 11/2/2002]

Dirk

Good point (and a reminder for me) on the smog equipment....Thanks.

Talk to me about fulies....difficult to keep tuned, maintain....comparable or worse than the solid lifter 327's?

Thanks,

Dirk

SWCDuke

The highest horsepower you can get with Powerglide is 300. SHP/FI engines were only available with manual transmissions.

For a beginner I would not recommend FI unless you are very well versed in mechanical systems and are willing to read all the information on the FI system and gets your hands dirty. It is not really that complicated if you have a good knowledge of automotive fuel systems, and there are plenty of guys around who know how to maintain and troubleshoot them.

I would also recommend avoiding Holley carburetors, so that narrows it down to '65, which is the last year the 300 HP engine had a Carter AFB.

Also, don't overlook '63s and '64s as they have the advantage of easy and low maintenance cost drum brakes. Page down to see a recent thread discussion drums versus disks.

Duke

Duke

Lightfoot

Welcome Dirk :seeya ,
Well i cant add much to all that has been said except i agree with most of it. You will find that most everyones favorite midyear is likely to be the model which they have. I dont think you can go wrong with any mid-year. They are all the coolest looking cars on the road in my opinion, and you simply have to study each model year and decide which one you like best or which one best suits your needs (and billfold). This place is an excellent place for advice and help with any questions you might have, but i would also recommend going to the library and reading everything you can get your hands on about these great pieces of history. Whatever mid-year you decide on, you will not leave the driveway without getting a wave or thumbs up from somebody along the way, and whenever/wherever you stop for gas-you had just as well plan on answering some questions, which is one of the coolest things about these cars. People love'um!
And i gotta say, i have never had any material thing bring with it as much fun, and help me to make as many friends as 'ole blue has. These old cars are sometimes finicky and particular, can drive you absolutely nuts trying to fix a little something wrong, and will keep your knuckles sore, but no matter your choice, you will have fun. Again, welcome in and please-make yourself at home. You are with friends. :cheers:
:seeya

Dirk

Thanks for the information, Duke. Will check-out the brake chat.

Dirk