corvettesforevor

http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/4581483226.html

I am thinking about trading my car, a 1984 corvette, plus 1700$ for this 1975 corvette. My car is in pretty good condition, not perfect, 100k miles. His car has a new paint job, fair interior, 80k miles, all original. His car needs new tires and an alignment so I would tack on at least 500$ to the price. I have been wanting a c3 but no deals have worked out for me yet. I am thinking about meeting him on thursday. The only thing that concerns me is that it has been on craigslist for around a month and hasn't been sold yet. Other than that It seems like a good deal and looks like a nice car just wanted to see what you guys thought.

Do you think I should do this trade plus cash?

thanks

ddawson

There is no mention of the Bird Cage and Frame. I don't care if it has a $50K paint job if it's rusting underneath it.

corvettesforevor

He says there is no rust on either.

PeteZO6

Do you want to look at your Corvette or do you want to drive it? I still own my C3, and I still have fond memories of my '86 C4. http://www.myruffhouse.com/1986_Corvette.htm
Hands down, the C4 is the better driver, heck, the better car.
Take the '75 on a nice long drive through some nice twisty roads. If you really like it, then buy it. But if it doesn't measure up to your '84, then you'll have your answer.
Let the flames begin, I'm ready.

vettebuyer6369

If you can get $5kish credit for a 1984 towards a decent '75 in a deal, do it 100 times and twice on Sunday.

7T1vette

When a for sale ad states that the car "needs an alignment and tires", that's a pretty good 'tell' for it having steering and suspension in poor condition.

Otherwise, the owner would have forked out $75 for an alignment and you would not notice any "steering problems".

gbvette62

You need to determine that for yourself, DON'T take the seller's word on that.

You said the car's been for sale for about a month. The seller's ad says the car was painted in May. That leads me to believe that someone threw a quick paint job on that car, to try a sell it. For what a decent paint job costs today, it's hard to believe someone would have done a proper job on it, and then advertise it at a price that would barely pay for a basic paint job. I'd be a little concerned about how well the body was prepped, and what kind of shape it was in before painting.

Without seeing the car in person, I'd say a 75 that needs interior work, is painted the wrong color (black wasn't offered in 75), and with what may be a quick paint job, just to help sell it, may be a little strong at $6750. There are no pictures of the interior, frame or engine, and no mention of whether it's the original engine. These are all things to take into consideration, when determining a value.

All of that being said, personally I think any other year Corvette, would be an improvement over an 84. I don't like to be unkind about other people's cars, but from a value and desirability standpoint, 84's are the bottom rung of the ladder, of all Corvette years. I don't know your car, but if the 75 is in decent shape, it is likely worth more than your 84 now, and surely will be in the future.

Whether your 84 and $1700 for the 75, is a fair deal, it's hard to say without seeing both cars. There's just not enough info in the ad, to make an educated guess about the 75, and we don't know anything about your 84.

Take a good look at the 75, before making any deal. Check the base of the windshield pillars for rust, as well as the frame, rockers, trailing arms, etc. Check the back of the tires for signs of brake fluid, to see if any of the brake calipers may be leaking, and check the power steering slave cylinder and control valve (if equipped with PS), for leaks too. Look the body over closely, for signs of repairs or poor prep work. Black paint will show all of it's sins, if it wasn't prepared properly, so do look it over closely.

Don't get distracted by shiny paint, or your desire to have an earlier Corvette. You need to be realistic and objective, when you look at it. If it all checks out, and your comfortable with the condition of the car, then go for it. I think that in the long run, you'll get a better return on your investment, with a 75.

FireballXL5

Lol. Who refers to their c3 as 'this thing'... Anyone?

Love my 'new to me' 81 vette... Turn heads every time I drive it!

But they definitely take the type of owner who is willing to wrench on it, wax it, and drive it. ;-) they do take $$$ to keep em on the road... And more $$$ to MAKE them reliably road worthy as a daily driver if the current owner didn't put it through those paces...

There's nothing like the classic look of these cars compared to later years... No comparison

80Baby

Looks like he did some rear suspension work as well. The car sits a bit high in the back. Just my opinion, but this ad makes me nervous. Obviously you're gonna go and check it out. Maybe then you'll see why it's been on Craigslist for a month.

LS4 PILOT

Flame because your comment is just ". -----" ..of course the ten year newer car has better suspension ...but I rather ride ten miles slow in a beautiful 75 C3 than go 5 mph faster in a curve a butt ugly firebird looking C4....or an of the Z O. Nothing's that all look like a bar of soap nothing

MidShark

Car does appear to sit high, but a lot of that could be the too low of a profile tires he has on it. Check not only for rust, but the condition of the trailing arms, rear suspension parts, etc. If it's never been touched underneath, it may need a lot of work.
I wouldn't be too concerned about the car being on craigslist for a month. Has anyone here had a car for sale on craigslist lately? I sold my beatiful '93 a couple of months ago and had a grand total of 2 calls on it from the ad in 2 months. My '75 convertible is for sale on here and on craigslist for the last 2 months, and I have gotten ZERO inquiries from either ad. Certainly it depends on the car, but I think the market is pretty sluggish right now.

AkrHack

I agree with gbvette62's point about the recent paint job. If corners were cut during preparation, the paint job that looks presentable now will begin to chip and peel sooner rather than later.

540 vette

I would do the trade if the 75 had no rust issues. I would try to talk him down on the cash, maybe offer a grand. To be honest I would try to make an even up trade. A 75 is the same as a 84 as far as value. Everyone here is talking about the condition of the C3, we don't know the condition of the C4. It may be in the same condition as the 75. As for the tires, they may be just worn normally. And the alignment, it may not mean anything either. Usually when I buy an older car I replace all the brake parts and front end. If it needs it or not. Unless the PO did it just before I got the car. The paint may very well be a quick job by Macco.
We also don't know how much work the 84 needs. It may need the same amount comparable to the 75.

In the end it is your decision, do what will make you happy.

sweeet76

If everything is ok with the car and somewhere down the road you really miss the 84, you should be able to sell the 75 for enough to buy another 84.

sahhas

since you own a corvette and are probably aware of the 10 rules in buying a C3, you should reread them.
one of them is: figure out what kind of car you want (year, model, features etc).
do you want a C3 over a C4?

if you took the $1700 you would be paying to him in the trade and got things fixed on your '84, would you be happier?

he doesn't say the engine size, but the stock '75 had a 165hp engine (now it could have the 205 hp engine, but he doesn't say & granted the '84 has a 205 hp engine in it)

good luck!

sjohnson2615

It is not just suspension. The C4 has better brakes, A/C, engine( most years) ,seats, etc. pretty much everything better except looks,and you can't drive looks. I do love C3's by the way but facts are facts.

540 vette

Facts are facts.....the C3 is a better looking car. You can never get a C4 to turn heads like a C3 but with some time and money you can get a C3 to perform and handle like a C4.

stingraymyway

Line up a mechanic to check it out. Might be looking at needing a front end rebuild kit. These older cars need TLC. Just know what your really getting in to. With a little knowledge, you may gain some bargaining power.

skeptic

I wouldn't trade my '81 for a C4, but after years of thinking they look boring and borderline ugly the looks are starting to grow on me. Let's be honest, every new generation of Corvette is a big step forward in overall performance. I'd also say a C4 is going to be more reliable than a C3, cheaper to keep running, nicer to drive on long trips... Decide what's more important and go with it.

Shark Racer

Not more reliable, C3's probably cheaper, yes.

A number of C4 components are falling of the market, and the electronics are early stuff that's not very reliable. At least in the TPI cars.

EFI + IAC do make the car respond to road trips better (changing elevation, variable temperatures, electric HVAC vs mechanical).

But when you're looking at the C4s, you have digital dash problems, digital HVAC problems, a number of emissions components and switches that are not being reproduced, etc.

Tires are going to be more expensive, the computer components are a LOT more expensive than a Quadrajet / HEI rebuild, etc. The manual transmission options are either far less reliable (4+3 with a troublesome overdrive unit and hard to find parts) or expensive (ZF6).

If I had to live w/ the car... well, I could more easily drive an early C4 every day more so than a smog era C3, but... I went with a more reliable car to drive every day and kept the "cooler" (my opinion) car.