murraybs

Hello folks,
I'm looking to buy a certain '73 Vette in my area and I was wondering what I should look for to make sure I'm not getting screwed.

From what the current owner says, the engine was put in 11k ago (not sure of the specs though) and the TH400 in it was overhauled at about the same time. From the pictures, the body lines are straight, paint looks cherry, etc. but I'm sure there'll be something that's a common problem that I'd overlook since I'm new to C3s.

Here's the link to the car.
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

Thanks in Advance.

Scootin_Z

I would start by asking for receipts for that motor and trans. If he put it them he would know what's in it. Also is the car local? I personally would not but a car sight unseen. I say look at it in person before you buy it. Especially if there has been a motor swap. Who knows whats under the skin.
Not sure if the 73 was as prone to the usuall birdcage rot and kick ups in the frame but my guess would be yes. I am new to C3's as well...but I learned as much as I could on the year I was looking at and went to look at mine with a veteran vet guy who is local.

Good luck. Car looks nice from the pics...

ETM

The more documentation the better.If the engine was rebuilt 11K ago he should have some paperwork to back that up.Remember that anyone can say anything.

The condition of the interior speaks alot about the overall condition of the car.Weatherstripping,carpet well cared for or ratty?Ofcourse checks for leaks,collision damage.

Many of these car were rode hard and let out wet so accidents are common.


Corvettes do rust...check for that as well...is it a Cali car or is it from back east?..if its from the East or North where they put salt on the road rust could be there.

Just some thoughts.

Dont be mesmerized by a shiney paint job.

murraybs

Yes it is a local car. So far as I know, it spent it's whole life here in California, and I have reason to believe that the engine and trans were replaced 11k ago as a result of the car being labeled a classic by the California government in 2003, meaning that it would no longer be subject to Smog regulations.

I do plan to look at and test drive the car before buying it.

Where are the most common rust spots?

And for the sake of clarity, what do you mean by birdcage rot and frame kickups?

8T Shark, I'd rather have a car that looks like crap and runs well than the other way around. :-P

Bluey

Hey,
I have a 73 and although I am only new to the game, here are a couple of things you must check out.There are plenty more, but this is a start.
* Check for rust everywhere!!!!
* Check for rust in the Trailing arms
* Check for rust in the Radiator support (underneath/lowersides)
* Check for rust around the windscreen frame

Also look for stuff like leaking heater core (painful to change) and leaking brake calipers. Check spare wheel and jack are in place. Where you can, have alook at the body mounts/bushes.

Most cars have 'issues' and that's cool. As long as you pay a fair price and you are aware of the particular problems the car has. GoodLuck

curtis74

Coupes of these years can leak more than the convertible, due to the T-top design which can let water leak in the center of the roof. Look for rust around the windshield frame.

The vacuum lights can have problems, along with the vacuum powered wiper door. Be sure to check these for smooth operation. If you have problems, or expect to, the place to go is Chris Prow's Corvette Vacuum Home Page http://www.vettevacuum.com/. Chris wrote the book, literally, on the vacuum systems on Vettes.
Fiber optics were advanced for the time, too much for most to repair. Non-working Fiber Optics could indicate past body damage so check them and then check that area. Often body shops thought they were wires and would cut them, do the repair, and then tried to "solder" them together. If you are handy with such things, Radio Shack probably has enough fiber optics supplies to help you fix what you need.
As another member said earlier, check for rust everywhere. If you not sure about the mechanics of these cars, bring along a friend, or mechanic who knows what they are looking at.
Good Luck!

murraybs

Thanks for the replies folks,

He wants $10k for it, which I think is an extremely good deal if the rest of the car looks as good as the paint does.

Hopefully I'll be a good enough judge of it's condition, as I've been mechanically inclined since the age of 14.
The point of this thread was to get a general idea of where the most common problem spots on C3s were, and what to look for that would indicate issues down the road.

Curtis, you said something about fiber optics: What purpose did the fiber-optics serve? And where should I look for them?

I'll probably be able to look at it tomorrow, and I'll let all of you know how it went whenever I see it's condition.

curtis74

Here's a little history for you on the '73. 1973 Corvette adapted the rotary engine in the 4-Rotor gull wing door XP882 Prototype. Four thousand serial numbers for the 1973 model year were never built. The last Corvette built in 1973 ends with 34,464 but production only totaled 30,464 the missing numbers are VIN 24,001 through 28,000. Rear bumpers were unchanged from 1972, but front bumpers were changed to meet federal 5MPH standards which added 35 pounds of weight to the vehicle. A new hood, with rear cold air induction was introduced.

I'd sure like to get my hands on one of those missing prototypes!

murraybs

Yeah, I saw a picture once for a 1973 car called the "Supervette", or at least thats what I think it was called.

Sounds like a candidate for the XP882, yeah?

curtis74

Welcome to the forum. I hope the car works out for you. Let me know if I can help with anything else. There are a lot of guy's on here that know their stuff............

murraybs

Thanks,
wilco.

Scootin_Z

Every car we looked at the first thing the guy that helped me look would do is get on the ground and tap on the bottom of the frame right at the back of the doors where they kick up and over the front of the rear wheels. He would tap lightly with something solid like the head of a stubbie screwdriver or something. This is a very common rot area since the rear tires would throw water at the frame there and it would sit and rot the frame. I'm guessing due to clogged drain holes or maybe just simply a bad design. At least this I know was common for 68 & 69. Thats what I was referring to as far as kick ups. You want to hear a nice solid sound and if it's REALLY bad...and I have seen it where you can poke right threw the frame. Something the seller will cringe on if he sees a pile of rust on the ground where you just poked a hole in his frame...lol...but I doubt you will see that if the car has been out there all it's life...but who knows..
The Rad support as Bluey mentioned is another area. The birdcage is basically the frame around the window and thats been mentioned as well. Hard to REALLY know whats under there until you tear it apart. If it's seen any amount of rain most likely there will be some rust under there if it's never been looked at. Best way to tell and really the only way without tearing stuff apart is to look in both lower corners of the windshield where the VIN tag would be. You'll see rot in there if has it.
Rubber bushings are a good sign of how it's been maintained as well. If it's been restored at some point, most likely their would have freshened this stuff up. Basics like shocks brakes leaking calipers (mentioned) all that stuff can be handled. Even a heater core but they are a PITA and all these are negotiating points to work with.
We even saw cars where you could see front end repairs that were done pretty good on a major hit until my guy showed me where the passenger side firewall was about 3/4 inch further back than the drivers side. There is soooo much to look at and for that price I would really go over this car well if it were me. Seems a bit on the low side for how it looks...but it's not # matching so maybe it's not that far off. Not sure what book is on a 73 with non matching motor and trans....
Either way, If you know a good body guy...or better yet a good Vette guy...pay him a few bucks to come along. It will be worth it if it's a turd and you don't catch it.

Is it me guys or does it seem a little on the low side? Maybe by a few thousand? I'm not up on 73's since I really only wanted a 69...so I could be off....
and these pips are ONLY the basics of what i picked up when looking. There is so much more...so keep asking guys questions. Even if the car is not that far...go look and jump back on. If someones around...they will help!
Good Luck!

Green73

Doesn't look too bad. The price seems fair for a custom painted NOM car. I've seen much worse for more money. Not sure what "new chrome bumper" means. Just replaced one? (could have been hit in a corner) or just lazy on the description and both are new. The "custom" wheels are just polished aluminum wheels. Pay attention to the mirrors on this car. Originally they came with the typical chrome stalked mirror. This appears to have been "upgraded" to a sport mirror from a later model. Just make sure they appear to be corvette mirrors and not some kinda junk. I'd be curious to know if they bothered hooking up the remote for the mirrors. (I believe these to be remote, right?) Also pay attention to the front bumper. This probably was replaced with either fiberglass or a new rubber one, but make sure. Other than a questionable license plate (what the heck is a Toad Vet, anyway?) it looks like a decent car. Get some more pictures!

7T1vette

If it has always been a CA car, you shouldn't have a lot of rust unless it was left outside a lot. Then roof leaks could have done some damage. Look for that. At least it hasn't had salt thrown at it in the winter!

vettebuyer6369

Uh, we are talking about a '73, correct?

Fiber optics ended in, what, 1971?
Wiper doors were last used in 1972.
This car will have neither of this concerns.

Also, regarding the price... there is nothing "low" about a 2 tone Champagne custom paint job coupe with an NOM selling at this price. Nothing against the design if that's what you like, but regardless, that paint is tough to sell. Don't get all excited that it's a screaming deal.

vettebuyer6369

So, what happened?

72LS1Vette

The crossmember behind the doors where the front of the differential connects is the most critical part of the frame. Everything comes together at this crossmember, and if it's rusted badly it will be difficult and expensive to repair. You can stick your finger into various holes in the frame to see if there is heavy scale buildup. If there is a lot of scale the frame will be weakened even if it doesn't have any rust-throughs. If it's a native Cal. car it's probably OK but check anyway.



Rick B.

Vette80regon

a 73 with a newer, slighlty built engine for 10k is a good price but you'll probably want new wheels & definitely new tires. Eventually a new paint job would arive in this cars future.

Scootin_Z

Still waiting.....

murraybs

Yeah, he never got back to me on the day I was supposed to go see it. Hope he didn't sell out from under me...

In any case, I'll be bugging him for the next week letting him know I'm still interested.