desue

Hello all. Let me just start by saying I have always been a huge fan of Vettes. I am finally near a point in my life where I can consider buying one of my very own! I have got my eye on a 73, or any from the 3rd generation are my favorite. Let me also say that I am a woman near 40 not wanting one to go hot rodding in,(my Vette will be babied!) engine "size" doesnt matter much to me, lol and not mechanically inclined! (but have friends that are) What I am looking for does not need to be in perfect condition but not a POS either. Any tips/advice or even if anyone knows of a good deal on one please let me know. And btw, I just toured the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, AWESOME!! I recommend everyone go if your near that area.Thanks!!

Vette_DD

I have moved your thread to C3 General. These folks can give you good advice. And welcome to the forum.

garage-ghost

Here ya go.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-corvette.html

3JsVette

WELCOME!
1st I would say don't buy anything without having someone who knows these cars check it out for you. Even if you have to hire a service. No matter what you find try not to make it an emotional decision. That could be very expensive. Remember all of these cars are at least over 30 years old and many are over 40 years old. While you say it doesn't have to be "perfect" you want it to be mechanically sound and most important not rusty.
Also it may not be a bad idea to tell us what part of the country you are in. It's possible that there are Corvettes local to you that forum members may know of. I'll close by saying take your time and you will have a much better chance of finding the right car for you.
Good Luck in your search.

Jase

I picked up the most recent edition of Corvette Black Book on Amazon for about $13 and felt like I got my monies worth. Some good reading in the front of the book about how to verify numbers and what they mean. The rest of the book has all the specs you need which is nice....especially if you have a range of years of vettes you are looking at.

Alan 71

Hi d,
Thinking of a NEW old Corvette.... NICE!
I really agree with 3j that it would be wise to have someone VERY knowledgeable about the year cars you may consider look at the car with you.
Uninformed buyers can/have make some pretty serious, expensive, and sad mistakes.
There are great cars out there to be bought, but also some real traps waiting for a new owner to be caught.
GOOD LUCK!
Regards,
Alan

Tim H

Look for a vette that is mechanically sound with all new brakes and front and rear suspension in great shape. These are things you don't want to mess with yourself anyway.
You can't drive it without brakes or the wheels falling off the car.

TedH

First, know your priorities and keep them written down (as a checklist) when you check out prospective purchases. Your budget needs to take into account initial purchase and the cost to make (or pay for) repairs that may be needed immediately or down the road.

When I started my search, I accepted that I was going to add to my mechanics toolsets and knowledge of vettes. I was 'raised' on Chevrolet and was pleased to find that, other than the bodywork and rear suspension/drivetrain the C3 shares MANY mechanical parts with other chevrolets from that era.

Had I to do it over, I would have sought a low-mileage C3 (verifiable). I found a cream puff '79 for about the price I spent on my '80 L48 but with less than half the miles. It was also an L82. Had I acted, I probably would have saved thousands on the work I performed just to solve all of the ills of my '80. Although, I've had a BLAST and have logged close to 40K miles since purchase in '97.

Also, know the difference between 'all original' and 'restored'. Some C3 that has sat with 1,500 miles with all of the plastic protecting the interior is probably less safe than a 100K driver that has been well-maintained. Since the last C3 was built 30 years ago, look for one with lots of documentation and key maintenance and repairs.

With the age of the cars, if any of the following has yet to be replaced, they will need to be:

rear trailing arms/bearing assemblies
All front/rear suspension wear items
transmission (rebuild)
engine (rebuild)
Brakes (calipers)
Rear differential, drive shaft and half shafts
Cooling system (radiator/hoses, heater core/hoses)
Charging system (alternator, starter, battery)
Interior (seats, carpet, door panels, dashboard)

To a lesser degree but important:
Glass (windshield)
Vacuum systems/hoses (there are 4-5 vacuum systems depending on vintage of the C3)

I looked at lots of C3's during my search. I learned the difference between 'restored' and a fresh coat of paint right away. A car may have a great shine but look underneath the hood and under the car. If you see a lot of rusty parts (and nothing new), walk away. The car will require work. I also learned to stay away from the 'hot rodded' C3. I popped the hood on many C3's only to find everything stripped from the engine compartment save for a rusty set of headers, poorly routed spark plug wires, aftermarket air cleaner and 'rodded' distributor, no vacuum lines and a spliced fuel line to accommodate an in-line 'see thru' filter. Such a 'stripper' has likely been run hard and modified in the search for that elusive power output.

Look for a C3 that has been owned by the same person for a number of years. You will get a sense of 'ownership'. I also stayed away from car lots that were selling a C3 (if it is the lone C3 on the lot, the dealer just wants to move the car, they've no knowledge in the car... from my experience).

73Corvette

Hi Welcome to the forum.....great place.
Now I am a bit prejudiced, but I think for what they are calling an "entry level" vette the 73 Big Block is a good choice.....If you drive a manual I would be inclined to try and get that also.....Tilt and Tele are extremely desirable options as well.....I just think this is a good investment as these cars will only go up in value............anyhow, my 2cents. Good luck, have fun and congrats!

desue

Haha... I am nearing 40 and I'm getting rusty too..I live in Western Kentucky.. I will have to put that in my profile soon. Thanks everyone for the quick replies!

desue

heres where i found one http://www.countryclassiccars.com/ They are listed by year (1973) they got soo many nice old cars. seen it in person back in October. Like i said i am not mechanically inclined, so I couldnt tell ya if it was in decent shape just by looking at it. I think it said 2 owner, 59k miles. I emailed the place and asked for more info. Not sure what exactly to ask thou

Mgrad92

Don't fear 40. There is life on the other side, and it's pretty good, especially if you have that special car to share it with.
One general point that is extremely important: It always costs less to buy one that's done rather than do it yourself. If you're not mechanically inclined, buy the best car you can afford. You'll be a much happier buyer.
Good luck and welcome to the Forum.

desue

THanks! i will be getting one of those. I like to do tons of research before buying anything

7T1vette

Well, Debbi, we don't yet know what you are looking for. And, in fact, you may not have settled on exactly what you want either. So, here are some things to consider:

If you are looking for a comfortable "cruiser", you might want to focus on an '80 or '82. [I didn't mention an '81 because it has some 'one-year-only' engine hardware. But, if you come across an '81 that has been changed over to a standard carb and HEI system, you can also consider it.] The '82 was the only C3 to have an overdrive auto tranny installed, so that's a plus, also.

If you prefer the earlier C3's, the 71-73's are normally less expensive than the 68-70's, and they can run on low octane unleaded fuel.

And, since you aren't into the mechanical aspect of 'vintage' auto ownership, you might be better off spending a little more money for a car that is already mechanically sound (brakes, steering, suspension, engine, tranny and drivetrain all in good shape with relatively fresh rebuilds). You can have some of your 'mechanically inclined' friends with you to make that assessment.

If you aren't really concerned about engine power, then don't buy a high-HP car. A car with lower engine power benefits from better reliability!

Oh, don't buy a car with a paint job that you are not happy with. Getting a car painted is a BIG headache and is ridiculously expensive.

Good luck with your search, and have fun!

desue

lol nope not exactly sure what I want yet, just know I like the C3's best. I am just now learning about Vettes other than "ooooh, thats soooo pretty.." I haven't put much consideration into it. I enjoy learning about them and appreciate everyones input!

den(thevetteman)78

Look for the right car before buying. The less modified = less troubles.
The wrong car in the wrong hand could be a money pit and will mean losing interest in the car of your dream.

I know a guy who always wanted a good driver without too much issues. He ended up with a red '73 4 speeds that had a new paint job. It did look real good (i did test drive the car after he bought it) and for me it wasn't the right car for him because that car had a racing clutch that needed a HULK left leg and a after market headers and exaust system that was a bit loud. Not long after he bought it, problems started. Always minor things, like ignition problem, clutch, leakking headers, tach gears problems and the list goes on but after a while he lost interest because every small thing, he had to bring the car somewhere to have it fix because he was not able to do any mechanic himself and now he drives a New Honda Civic Coupe.

Don't let the wrong car ruined your dream.

Just make sure you learn as much as possible on those car before buying.
Bring someone that know those models years with you and test drive as many different model years you can this way you will find the one year you like. Some will prefer the chome bumber (68-72) with the removable rear window. Some will prefer the 78-82 model with the smoother ride and for the room behind the seats for luggage for a small trip. I suggest you test drive C4 and C5 as well.

I did it 23 years ago and still enjoying my '78 like the first day i bought it back in '89.

bucwheat

Welcome

Easy Mike

Doing your homework is an excellent start.
This is reasonably good but it is not a buying guide:


This is good but is out of print. You might still find a copy:


Any of the coffee table Corvette history books will have background information on the C3s.

Plan a trip east to Bowling Green. Visit the museum and tour the plant.

Good luck with the hunt.



P.S. Mayfield beat us for the state football championship back in 67 or 68. Broke my heart, but I won't hold that against you.

dgood

When you go to look at the car, ask here on the forum to see if anyone is local and they will go with you.

Also, look on the C3 For sale link here and see what they are going for on this forum and then go look at a car local. There are people here on the forum that live and die Corvettes and know everything about them and what to look out for. Ask and you shall receive.

Spocc

drive it before ya buy it

when you find that perfect C3 for you, make sure you know what it feels like when out motoring

that way no surprises

i've had my 80 as a DD for over 5 years & i don't want to drive anything else (except the bikes lol )


Pete