Webineer

Sorry to vent guys but in the last two weeks I have taken 2 different cars to my mechanic to check out for me. Both are verts with 4 speed trannies. The first was a 69 and the second was 70. Both cars looked excellent on the outside and even underneath with a flashlight I thought both were tight. The prices were both over $20K and in each case the owners said the cars were in excellent shape and ready to drive cross country.
In both cases my mechanic spent 30 minutes and told me to walk from both cars, the list of problems from rust to bad ball joints to mufflers held with wire to leaks of all kinds to numbers not matching when they should and the list goes on and on.
I have owned 7 vettes but I have never seen so much crap on the market with shiny paint. It is really hard to find a solid car out there without getting taken for a ride.

Does anyone have a solid 70 to 72 vert 4 speed in the maryland area for a fair price?
Thank you for allowing me to vent, I feel better already

vettebuyer6369

While I can relate to the problem of dealing with misrepresented or junker cars out there, it is possible that maybe your mechanic might be unreasonable about the condition of some things.

I have no problem walking away from misrepresented wrong numbers, or frame rot (not just a little surface rust) or other serious issues. But on the other hand, bad ball joints and wire-held mufflers are not the end of the world. The fact is you are looking at cars that are nearly 40 years old, and if you don't expect some issues like this, you are asking for too much.

"Over $20k" for a chrome bumper convertible is not a lot of money. A wise well-known Corvette dealer once explained to me that while you do not want to be misled or taken by pretty shiny paint, you should also not be afraid to pay for nice cosmetics. An excellent paint job costs more than a lot of suspension work. Nice chrome bumpers are probably more expensive than a muffler system. It's possible the car you are expecting's asking price might be another 50% of what you are experiencing.

I brought a mechanic with me once to look at a Split-window that was about 10 hours from home. He was horrified by the awful rear spring and unrestored suspension parts, told me it would cost plenty to replace it all and dont consider buying it, let alone driving it home. I loved the correct numbers, matching components and paint, and overall condition. I made a sweet deal and drove it home. I also paid him to fix the suspension. The car worked out great. Sometimes, the Corvette Buyer has to balance his knowledge and willingness to have certain things fixed within an overall budget vs. a mechanic's sometimes myopic viewpoint.

What I'm saying is, be critical, yes, but make your overall expectations reasonable.

R1234

Maybe you need to take a few 30,000 to 40,000 dollar cars to the mechanic for a comparison.

Chris Farrer

When I bought my car it was sight unseen by me. I didn't travel to the States and had an impartial NCRS judge of some repute inspect it for me. I must say his and my judgement were quite different. Anyway when she arrived down under I was let's say a bit disáppointed. When my painter friend and I got into repainting it we found it had not been body off, this may be a good thing. The body did not really need to come off and that's pretty good for a 36 year old car. I might get some surprises though if I ever do as I have seen some great looking cars until the body is taken off.
I asked the judge to specifically check all numbers and this was my biggest let down, reckon I have spent 15000 to get her right.
Would I now be able to add 15000 to the value of a '72 BB Auto Vert with correct engine #, I paid 29000 for three years ago ???
I hate rusted cars, most other things are tolerable.

vettebuyer6369

The only way you could "do" that is restamp it, and thats assuming the block number and casting dates will cooperate.

Derrick Reynolds

I agree with what the others have said, if you are looking for a chrome bumper convertible with no issues whatsoever for $20K, I think you are setting yourself up for frustration.

Here is one on e-bay that looks pretty nice:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-...=p4506.c0.m245

Unfortunately, it is nowhere near you (California). But, given the few pictures they post, it looks like it is in great condition. The "Buy it Now" price of $39,900 is telling me that cars like this are being bought in the $30s.

This isn't to say that there isn't a lot of junk for sale out there as I know from first-hand experience that there is. I just think that to some degree, you get what you pay for. Good luck.

Webineer

You guys all make very good points. I guess most of the problem for me is that I love these cars but I have no talent to work on them. The one car I mentioned with the wire holding the exhaust etc. also is having a bunch of electrical issues. He has offered me the car for $17500. I think I am going to try to find one that is in decent shape here on the forum. Most of the guys here seem to take care of their cars the way I believe these cars deserve to be taken care of.
If I had the talent to fix some of this stuff, I would jump on this vert.
Thanks for your comments.

vettebuyer6369

I have 2 '69 convertibles, and I'm here to tell you, they are never done.

I've had 16 Corvettes, and I'm not remotely considered a mechanic. Sometimes you pay people to fix stuff. Nothing wrong with that.

$17.5k is pretty short money. However, the old guideline is, "buy as much Corvette as you can afford."

Halorin

I can definitely relate. I've been looking on and off for a Vette for the past couple of years now, and I only recently have found one that I think is a good fit. It'll be my only car, so my main concern is that the core components are in good running shape. I don't have any mechanic skills, but I'm willing to learn with the help of a friend who works on his C5 a lot. I do know, however, that there will be some things I just can't handle by myself, so..

I would say keep at it. My experience has shown me that you'll find shady people regardless of what car you're trying to buy. Actually, you'll probably find the most genuine cars in these older Corvette, given their relatively simplistic maintenance in comparison to modern cars where it's much easier to mask issues.

The advice given to me was essentially to make sure the engine was in good running the condition, as well as the suspension. Also to check for rust around the birdcage and under the car. Other things, while they will cost me, are expected to be worn to some degree just from age and will have to be replaced at some point. Buying as much Corvette as you can afford is the best thing I've heard in a while in my quest for a Vette.

You'll find your car.

jet2vettes

There was a nice 70 convertible, red/black, 4 spd, 350/300 for sale on ebay in the Maryland area. Was this one of the cars you looked at?

TMU

It's going to take some looking and luck to find a clean bumper vert in the low 20s, expecially if you want something mostly original and nice. Under 20 and you can figure on it needing work for sure. The season and the economy are on your side right now though.

pbergmann

They are out there you just have to look and act fast! I just got a 71 SB 52k miles from the original owner. He had all the parts he ever changed in boxes. He did say I could drive it cross country HA! but it is pretty clean some rust in the back.
Needs body off and complete restoration. It is one of the most original ones I have seen. I am an NCRS judge and hope to top flight it in a year or so. It was on Ebay, no reserve i called him to see what he would take, I paid $13K.

Frogday

I was interested in this one and contacted the seller. He hasn't had this car for very long, the restoration was done by West Coast Corvettes while the previous owner had the car. The son of the previous owner had the engine rebuilt some time ago. At the time, he said $38,000 was the lowest he'd go. I think the last auction for this one ended at $37,900 and he either didn't accept the price below his reserve, or the buyer didn't want it. He wants to buy a 2009 C6. There is no documentation with this car. I ended up flying to NM to pick up a 1971 instead.

surfacetension

Keep looking, The way things are going the #'s should start to move on cars W/O all the #'s Matching/ NCRS/ Bloomington gold , silver or whatever. I think the #'s cars with pristine paperwork will hold but the rest should be on the way down a bit. I have been hunting a 69 coupe for a while and Non original #'s are comming down. 20 K is still alot of money in this country. ( for now anyway) . Don't give in and think more money will buy a better car. BUT I do like the idea of showing your Mech a few 30K cars just to give Him / Her a look at the market

TMU

That Grey coupe looks nice but I doubt if he had real money at +$37k. I notice that he quotes NADA and makes other comments about collecter car prices trying to convince people to step up.

Wow looks like a BIN for $35k!

Webineer

I think it may have been the one, if it was within the last week.

Webineer

I also like the idea of taking one or two cars to my guy to check out and see how he reacts to them. I have time on my side and I am a cash buyer so when the right car comes along, I will be ready to go.
Thanks for the comments.

CCrane65

Keep in mind, as the price of these cars goes up, it makes it worthwhile for the shady characters to get a junk Corvette and make it pretty but put all kinds of non-Corvette parts in it. A horn is a horn right, or a carb is a carb. A 305 instead of a 350 same numbers just switched around.

I wouldn't take just any mechanic to look at the car. Take someone who is knowledgeable with Corvettes first, and second, knowledgeable with the particular generation you are looking for. Corvette have idiosyncracies, mostly due to the fiberglass body, that Chevelles and Impalas don't have.

I've seen a lot of hacked wiring on Corvettes because people don't know what to do when there is no body ground.

cc

crossram

Excellent Steve

Derrick Reynolds

One of the things I have learned in my limited experience with Corvettes is: Expect electrical problems. The electrical systems in these cars were never the greatest, and they sure don't get any better with time. As others have said, over the last 40 years, these cars have had a lot of electrical problems, and it seems like damn near everyone bubbatized the repair. If you really have absolutely no desire or ability to work on a car, and don't have the money to pay someone else to work on it for you, I am not sure any 35 year old car is the right car for you. That said, keep in mind that working on electricals does not take experience or genius, it takes PATIENCE. Any of the knowledge you need is available here on the forum in the form of wiring diagrams and knowledgable people who know every wire on a Corvette and are willing to help. Correcting electrical problems requires very few tools, almost no special skills, and usually relatively little money.