RED-85-Z51

Found one near me, he says it runs, has been in his garage for 4 years, needing a resto. He says the brakes have apparently stopped working now..

Asking 2500 firm, body is good, interior needs help.

Dont know what engine it has, but that it does have the automatic trans.

Ill admit, Im not up on C3 stuff...was this a good year? I know C3's dont have the nice aluminum susp. parts like C4's...and can have a rust issue. This one, I dont know its undercarriage condition, Im thinking of going to look at it tomorrow.

For 2500...and running, cant go wrong Id think. Im thinking of selling my Jeep Grand Wagoneer for parts..and pick up something like this.

sweeet76

Absoluty check for rust, especially behind the kick panels. Overall this year vette can be purchased for a good price and if you have any mechanical knowhow, and some money to spend, you can do alot of the work like the interior yourself.

RED-85-Z51

Behind the kick panels?...

Never heard that term thrown around in c4 gen...haha

mds3013

Take a digital camera and get pics.. Especially of the underside. Take a phillips screwdriver and remove the kick panel, at the drivers/pass. feet. You can get a pic. of the #2 body mount and birdcage there. Two screws hold it in place. One is up high at the back of panel. Last year of "Stingray". Two poss. engine options L48 base, L82 Hi Performance. L82 came with TH400 trans. L48 with TH350. L82 came with Aluminum valve covers, L48 painted steel. Just some things to notice. Good luck. mds...

dannyman

Frame rust is self explanatory.

Search "birdcage rust" in C3 tech/performance and general for 1001 threads.



'76 is not yet a collector item, but a cool ride none-the-less!

rcread

Most likely, you'd break even if he offered to give you 12,000 to take the car. But, inspect it and gather as much information as you can. You can buy a decent '76 for $7,000. It sounds like this would need a lot more than $4,500 to be decent.

Smadoo

The kick panel is a piece of plastic covered with carpet on the exterior side of the foot wells. (next to the driver's left foot & passenger's right foot). Remove the 2 screws holding the panel on, and the panel should slide right off. This will expose the body mounts as well as any rust that may be hiding in there.

dstaley

Just a minor correction- it's not covered in carpet. It is painted plastic.

Smadoo

You're right, I was thinking of the later C3 style interior.

gingerbreadman1977

getting nit picky now

champs65

Red, look for these quick red flags too:

VIN area at the windshield post. Any rust there is not a good beginning, and indicates that your windshield frame is probably bad.

Bubbling/swelling paint at the top of the hinge posts at each door. See above.

"Kickup" area of the frame...where the frame rails go up and back toward the rear, right behind the doors. That point is a common area for rust.

Front crossmember...the one under the engine. Look for any rust where the LCA's bolt up. Common rust area, and IMO, more of a kiss of death than bad frame "kickups". The belly of this crossmember can be replaced, but I've seen crossmembers get real soft above that point, where they pocket and weld to the frame rails.

Did you get that golf course job yet?

RED-85-Z51

no, but we are i nthe middle of our busy season and the money is coming in pretty good now.

Going to look at it after 4 this afternoon...

0Willcox Corvette

For me.. any Corvette that runs and drives for 2500 is a buy! If the car is horrible, it can still be parted out. IMHO.

I looked at a 76 yesterday and if anyone is interested, it was 1500.00 and I did not buy it!

This car is in Charlestown Indiana and not worth buying for parts! It won't run, parts are missing and it's been sitting outside with the windows down for what looks like 10 years (owner said 2).

Floor boards are rotted out, trailing arms are rotted out, center gauges and seats are missing. But someone might want this car so if you're interested just let me know.. I'll tell you where it's at.

Willcox

Goody

I only partially agree. If the cage is rusted out then because it is a '76 then I think the car is only worth the sum total of the parts. The frame can be replaced. However, a buyer that is experienced in these types of repairs it may be of some interest, but it just isn't feasible for Joe Buyer to tackle this type of project. There is no collectibility in the purchase of a '76 Corvette and the cost of repairs and parts will escalate way beyond the market value of the car. Especially since a good driveable car can be had for about $5K more.
Too many times a buyer views the car as a dream come true because the entry fee is too good to be true and then reality sets in and the dream quickly evaporates along with a car that languishes in the back yard under a tarp in many pieces.

MakoShark72

I think gingerbreadman1977 was referring to the kick panel being carpeted or not...

sweeet76

I'm confused as usual. I thought Red 85-z51 was talking about looking at a C3 76 vette. When I mentioned about possible rust behind the kick panels, he seemed to get a hernia from laughing because he said he hardly ever heard that term on a gen 4. Again, I thought he was talking about a C3

gingerbreadman1977

your onto it mako

RED-85-Z51

just got back from looking at it and talking with the owner.

Car is straight, looked high and low for frame rust..found none. I checked the windsheild frame, and down where the wipers are, and its all very smooth and clean. I looked at the kick panels, and they also look great.

Motor doesnt run, but it is as clean as you can imagine. I couldnt spot nay leaks or anything, I think I could do plugs on it and not get my hands dirty, its that clean.

Its been sitting for a few years, always garaged since he got it 9 years ago, but sitting the last 4 or so. All glass iis perfect.

Interior is indeed rough. The speedo is sitting on 30mph...in his garage. But its all there.

The cover over the e-brake is busted up. Seats are not original, or at least not the original black vinyl.


Has nice wheels on it..dont know what brand, but they are old.

Has the luggage rack too.

We talked shop for a while...he told me to bring him what I thought it was worth, in cash..and he'd probably let it go for that.

Car is red on black.

Smadoo

Sounds like a good deal. Worst case scenario if the engine is completely dead replacement engines can be had fairly cheaply.

champs65

If it's that solid, then why not. Are the floors good?

Title clean/no liens?