The_Dude

I drove home about 70 miles with the window down so I could see. The heater core is pretty bad, but for $4800 I was expecting some problems. I'm sorry for the quality of the pictures. The body actually looks better in person, but the interior looks a little worse. I checked the numbers on the engine and they do match :).







[Modified by The_Dude, 11:03 PM 12/14/2001]

Stingy74

Hey, looks pretty good. Get that core fixed soon though. You don't want to be ingesting ethyl glycol or whatever the hell it is. I still wish I had my 79, but without the rusted frame :U


[Modified by Stingy74, 12:09 AM 12/15/2001]

gerry c

Looks good. What size gun did you pull on the seller for him to give it to you at that price? :lol:

Heater cores are a pain in the a** to replace but if that is all that is wrong it sounds like a great buy to me.

groovyjay

Nice... :cheers:

DaveL82

From the look of it you did real well. Even the enigne compartment looks like it hasn't been messed with too much. Only item missing is the air pump for the L82. You even scored the stock dual snorkel L82 air cleaner and hoses.

Looks like a real good base to work on over time!

Dave
1980 L82
L82 on stand with ZZ4 in engine bay
Vette Brakes suspension

Alwyn678

looks great....Have fun with the core..I am sure that it is an a/c car as well..I just did mine 4 months ago and it is as close to taking the car all apart as you will ever get

Tahos

Great buy it looks like to me. Get a shut off valve and stop the flow through
the heater core until you check it out good.

SharkAttack

And it's a 4-speed car, too? Great buy. The heater core is not difficult to replace, but does take a long time. Enjoy.

Paul L

I think you got excellent value for the money. A very driveable and presentable car; an excellent base on which to tinker with cosmetics. Congrats! It does look like an L-48: iron intake. The L-48 also did not have a smog pump. Dual snorkels were standard on the L-48 in 1979 unlike 1978 when only the L-82 had the duals.


[Modified by paul79, 10:31 AM 12/15/2001]

paso

I ditto everything paul79 said you got a good deal for a fair price:)

The_Dude

I'll have to check the VIN. It is very suspicious that it doesn't have an aluminum intake (I should have noticed that. Good eye Paul). They probably just stuck on the L82 emblems when they painted it. So, it's not quite the steal that it sounded like. Here is a list of the problems I noticed on the drive home:
bad heater core (of course)
heater fan doesn't work
clicking from the rear that speeded up with the engine, not the speed of the car (stereo maybe)
wipers only work on high
speedometer cable is broken
electric door locks aren't working
passenger side window is slow
turn signals don't work
E-brake is missing the handle locking mechanism
it has the "bubble" style tail lights
the car tended to wander in the ruts on the interstate

Other than the above, the car ran and drove fine. Does anyone know how to check the VIN for what this car really is?
1Z8789S427474
Thanks!



[Modified by The_Dude, 12:08 AM 12/16/2001]

Paul L

The fifth digit (8) means L-48. A fifth digit of "4" would be the L-82. Unit 27,274 in a 1979 production run of 53,807. Still a very good deal!

Budman68

I would just bypass the heater core until you have a chance to fix it. Just make a loop and drive. Heats for panseys....... :lol: :lol: Great buy and Great car.

Paul L

I do not think heat is for pansies. Maybe in Texas but here it is 28F and snowing. Heat/defrost is a basic safety feature of a car. Go for it. If you wish to try the repair yourself, see Juliet's link as I notice you have A/C. Someone help me with that link.

Chris@VetteFinders

Seems a good deal. Never seen a remote mirror addjusted on backwards like that before.

Chris Fowler

electric door locks aren't working
Mine didn't work when I got the car. The lock mechanisms were rusted up. I sprayed all the joints with carb cleaner and then a lubricant and silicone spray. I also made sure to get a good bit of the lubricant down into the lock solonoid. They've been workin every since.

passenger side window is slow
My passenger side is slow going down. The drivers side is fast going down.
My passenger side is fast going up. The drivers side is really slow going up.
I haven't looked into this one yet...

the car tended to wander in the ruts on the interstate
Mine does the same thing. I get the feeling it's reasonably par for the course...

The_Dude

Thanks Paul. Oh well, I didn't get what I thought, but it still seems to be a good buy provided that I don't run into any major mechanical problems. I'm embarrased to say that I bought a '76 on ebay, last spring, for about the same money that was in far worse shape and had to sell it at a loss because it was misrepresented, and far too much of a project for me. In comparison, this one seems to be a bargain. Anyone know where I can get those L48 emblems to fill the holes in the hood?


[Modified by The_Dude, 12:22 AM 12/16/2001]

Chris@VetteFinders

Pretty sure mid america and ecklers sells them.

Budman68

Paul79, I bet your vette would turn into a deep freezer in Canada without heat. Trust me even in Texas it gets cool. I definely have heat, but it would not stop me from driving my new toy.

The_Dude

One more nightmare. :cuss The seller had lost the title and gave a lost title form and a bill of sale releasing his interest. It turns out that there was a lien holder, and I can't get a title until they release interest. I contacted the bank, and, fortunately, the seller had paid them, so I just have to wait for them to send me the form releasing their interest. My wife told me to have them accompany me to the DMV before giving them any money so we could avoid problems like this. I hate it when she's right. I always get to hear "I told you so!" :U Anyway, it sounds like it was an honest mistake and they don't owe anymore money. :D