Rickw96

Hello,

I'm the guy looking for a 1975 for the wife. I am new to the Corvette scene.

What are the top questions I should be asking when looking for the car? This is what I have come up with so far:

1. Rust, frame
2. Does it have P/S
3. Does it have A/C
4. Condition of engine/trans
5. Auto/Manual trans
6. Miles
7. Documentation
8. Rear end posi?
9. Interior condition

What am I missing??? I have heard about rust in the "bird cage"???

An input would help.

Thanks
Rick

rydoc

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/D...00/guide2.html

Here is a place to begin

Rod
Love the Vette

Rickw96

Thanks Rod!

Tewski

This website has some good information for the inspection process, print it out and take it with you.

http://www.corvettefaq.com/c3/dpg/part1.htm

LYLE

If you ask don't think you will get the truth as the ones that know could lie and the ones that don't know can't help either. Find a Corvette guy who has been around the hobby and pay him if needed to inspect any car you like before you buy it. Learn all you can but to be safe get help in buying an old Corvette.

rydoc

If the owner will let you, remove the kick panels, check the rust,



Driver side



Passengers side

these are quite clean, not driven in the winter

If you put a white towel on the front floor up close to the under side of the dash...open and close the door a few times...check the towel for flakes of rust...

Rod
Love the Vette

rydoc

Very good advice

Rod
Love the Vette

Michigan Vette Guy

Are you looking for a casual driver? Want to enter it in a few shows. Daily driver?
Is your Wife pretty **** about her car. Likes to have all the ***** and Doo-Hickeys in all the right places? I looked at a lot of 71-74 Vettes before buying my '73. I don't really want a show car. But I live in a small town, and they have a few Classic car days here and it might be nice to just sit around for a day and have people google and ask a bunch of questions about my restoration, etc.
But my main reason for getting a Vette was to drive the darn thing! So trying to find the right car can be a bit of a search. I looked at a few beauties. And had to have my wife talk me down. I had set a price limit and knew I had to stay there. But when you see a couple of those nice resto's, it's hard at times to keep focused...at least for me. In the end I found a mechanically sound rust free framed Vette, that had a straight body and ninotable imperfections in the body. No hit history.
In trade for that, I have to replace a few buttons or ***** here and there. The carpet was replaced, but I'll put back the original. Probably will need a shifter console and instrument Bezel as well. But the engine and engine compartment is spotless and I have all the paperwork on the engine rebuild 10k ago. Drives nice down the road with new BF Goodies on it. The front bumper is cracked, but that is pretty ordinary for these bumpers.
A big price gouger to look for...as I found out. Is the Paint. My Vette has Good paint. Not Very Good and not Bad. But needs a poaint job. And a paint job will cost anywhere form $2500-$8000 depending on a bunch of variables. So, that is something "I" suggest you consider. But surely, don't pit paint above safety or basic drivetrain needs. I could probably get by with my paint for a few more years. But, the more I look at it in my Garage, the more I get more discouraged with the present condition of the paint.
Many folks will chime in and give you great advise! You have come to the right place to ask such a question. Good Luck

LYLE

With the prices I seen low horsepower sharks selling for at bloomington I would spend my money on great paint. The rest I can do myself a little at a time. Painters take forever charge more cause they let it set around and are a pain in the butt. Don't buy a rust bucket. I have to laugh at someone thinking a seller will let you pull off the kick plates. First the sill plates need to come off or you will break the bottom corner of the dash. If the owner never had the sill plates off the screws are hard to get out. If you have a good flashlight look between the frame and the body for the channel to be rusted out under the doors. If #4 body mount metal cage is rusted bad or gone their is rust everywhere to some degree.

rydoc

Taking off the kick plates will require removing the sill plates...common sense... liquid wrench and ten minutes
For a sale ,the owner if he has confidence in his product will probably take them off himself, I know I most certainly would,(already have) I would have a flashlight, a small hammer, and within reason anything else that maybe required...I have confidence.
Knowing your product is key to a sale.
I would make a point of showing the would be buyer, the things to look for, good and bad about my product.

For a sale in this economy, people are going to bend over...it`s a buyers market...don`t forget that fact.

So yes there are a lot of things to look for in buying a vette, educate yourself..and if the buyer isn`t willing to assist then my advice is to walk away...there are going to be a lot more toys coming onto the market...as people will need to eat,and have a roof over their heads be patient.

Get the best bang for the buck

Rod
Love the Vette

rydoc

Reads: and if the buyer isn`t willing to

Should Read: and if the SELLER isn`t willing to

Rod
Love the Vette

LYLE

Only about one out of ten sellers have any idea what is wrong with the car they bought a few years ago and now want to sell it. I have showen a few how bad the rust was like #3 body mounts rusted out and the body sitting on the frame. I would say most sellers forget what I showed them as soon as i leave. They hope the next guy just wants a Corvette.

rydoc

Then I would suggest buying a vette from a foum member...being as they would be an informed seller. Maybe a solution to the problem...
again an educated consumer is an informed and a happy consumer

check out the vettes for sale on the forum

Rod
Love the Vette

jds68stang

Don't assume the owner/seller knows anything about their vette. I've found that in some vettes I was interested in, they knew nothing

One I looked into that the guy had for a year didn't know if it had headers or not, and had to look while we were on the phone
I asked if he could pull the kick plates and send me pics before I drive 2 1/2 hours to see it, I had to explain what they were to him. Must not have looked to good as I never did get any pics.

Then tells me that he was told when he bought it that it was an LT1 motor, I asked for the pad #s, never got them. Saw it on EBay a few months later and the add said "blank engine pad".

If this guy can ever come to the conclusion that he bought into a bunch of hype when he bought it and take what the cars truly worth now, I'll be glad to give him 10K for it. Till then he can go for his 17K asking price because thats what he has into it and I don't think he wants to admit to himself he got taken.
No one is going to pay 17K for that car.

rydoc

Quote "If this guy can ever come to the conclusion that he bought into a bunch of hype... "

I`m in full agreement...
A lot of people have bought into the hype...not just in the car world but into everything...house appreciation #1

There are a lot of guys who think they will flip the vette for a major profit...too much Fleabay...Barrett crap...and yes they don`t have a clue about the car...stay away from these guys.

Educate yourself, reading and asking questions are key

I`m no authority on vettes...just what I`ve picked up from the guys on here...and thanks to them I made an informed choice

Rod
Love the Vette

jds68stang

Thanks to this forum and what I've learned here saved me from a major blunder on a custom I'm interested in. From what they've said about customs and their value, I've seen it to be true on EBay as the cars bring nothing $$$ wise compared to what the owner wanted.

If I was selling a vette I'd have the kicks removed also, those that won't take the time to remove them I'd walk away from. I still have a lot to learn about vettes, but at this point I think I could make an informed choice on the type I'm looking for, thanks to this forum.

LYLE

One way to check for rust in the top windshield is on the inside put you fingers up between the trim and the windshield if rust falls out their is a problem. I have seen the VIN tag behind the windshield rusted off on the bottom and check all the way around for rust looking through the windshield. Open the doors and look for rust holes in the jams or bubbling paint. From the bottom laying on the ground look up with a good light you can check the condition of the U channel that is part of the birdcage.
To check for #2 and #3 body mounts rusted through the U channel slip a 4" wide piece of stiff cardbord between the frame and the U channel and push it to the top and then put a line at the bottom of the
rocker moulding on the cardboard. It should be the same at both ends on each side. The rear is the one you find droped an inch or more sitting on the frame.