MOPE

Ive been on other forums and know that some people like these sorts of questions while others hate them. I am new around here and this is my first post.

I am looking to get a corvette for a summer project (or a few summers). I am trying to find out as much as I can about them before i dig myself in a hole that I will never get out of. I'm interested in a vette somewhere between a 68-81.

The question:
What are some problems that are common things to look for and stay away from? Such as "well all 69's have frame rot and no parts are available." (this is just an example)
That sort of thing.

Please, if you have time to spare or another good post to direct me to that would be great.

Also, if anyone is looking to get rid of a vette that needs majow work for under 5000 and is less than 6 hours away from Chicago Illinois, please let me know!

Thanks

~MOPE~

MikeC

FRAME ROT!!!!! Make sure the frame is in excellent condition. They go just before the kickups for the rear wheels.

MYBLU71

Body Damage around the wheel wells... and Frame Rot :chevy

wayne_69_427

Frame rot is the killer, as for the rest of the stuff you can fix and get parts for. Check the frame close around the rear wheel area

MOPE

thanks for all the input.

I was looking more for which years/models had more problems and what else to stay away from. thanks a bunch.

MOPE

thanks for all the input.

I was looking more for which years/models had more problems and what else to stay away from. thanks a bunch.

Mope

page62

All years are about the same. Some folks say that '68 has some model-year-specific parts, but that's about it. Some years have more stock HP than others, but around here we know how to fix that. So go for what you like!

Oh, and stay away from FRAME ROT! Also watch out for WINDSHIELD FRAME ROT!

NHvette

You can (pretty much) swap out many body parts and frame/suspension
components in all C3s. If you want to do a "correct" resto - then - well - not.

After you take in all the obvious issues that a C3 may or may not have -
then there is the "unseen". This is like a horror movie that you thought was
gonna be the Muppets.

For now, go to my website and look over the 75 pictures. These illustrate
the "unseen" side of an unrepairable vette body/frame. Most people think
that the fiberglass body will last forever. Well, it will - but the reinforcement
body steel (birdcage) and frame will not.

Check it out here NHvette.com and come back with more questions.
PS - don't eat less that 1 hr before viewing these images. :U
:seeya

MOPE

Without tearing the car apart where would be the most visable spot to sneek a peak while shopping around?


THANKS, thos pics gave me a good idea about what i might be getting myself into.

MOPE!

RMVette

I :iagree: with all of the above post concerning frame rot. Check the frame where the trailing arms attach. Right below the pivot bolt (is that the correct name for that bolt???) there's an area that prone to rust because of salt and dirt collecting and holding water. I should have checked mine a little closer! Good luck and welcome to the forum! :cheers:

mapman

If you can go to a show and closely inspect a high quality car. This will give you a starting point for your search - now that you have seen what a good car looks like. Study the Eckler's and Zip catalogs - this will give you an idea how much the PARTS for any repairs will cost. When you are interested in a car, list all its known problems and estimate their repair costs. This will give you some idea as to what the car will eventually cost you.

Purchase the best car you can afford. I purchased mine at an auction because I wanted a project - well I got what I wanted. I would not recommend a purchase at an auction, it is better to evaluate the car by driving it.

Most of us have spent far more on these cars than you could sell them for. I look at what kind of new car I could purchase for the amount of money I will have in my C3 - the C3 wins hands down.

In addition to the items already listed. Get a flashlight and a mirror so that you can see into nooks and cranies.

Look for rust/rot on the radiator frame. Look ahead of the radiator, or between the radiator and air conditioning condenser if an AC car, for the radiator frame being rusted through.

All these parts are available it just costs money and time to repair.

Check the alignment of body panels and gaps between body parts (doors). Do the doors open and close smoothly, windows work, brake calipers leaking (fluid streaks on inside of tires)? Lift the hood. Does the engine look like a POS or is it clean and nicely maintained?

If you live in an area that requires emissions checks, does the engine have the required emissions equipment and does it work?

Check the hood hinges and latches - does one side have a bunch of shims in order to align the hood?

Check the front end alignment shims on the top A-Arms - Are the number of shims approximately the same on both sides of the car? Is there a big difference in the number of alignment shims between the front and back bolts of each of the A-Arms? If so, this is an indicator of collision damage.

Check the suspension bushings on the a-arms - have they begun to rot.

At the rear end suspension, besides frame rot, what is the condition of the trailing arms? Are the rubber spring mount bushings ok?

Several Corvette "Restoration Guides" available at the bookstore will give you additional information.

I see from your ID you live in Illinois. At Bloomington Gold they put on many classes on all aspects of Corvettes. They usually have classes on how to purchase a Corvette. This might be of interest to you.

Gator81

From 68 to 82, every year has something a little different, but there's no particular year to avoid. They're all great. Really. :chevy

Here are the things that, if I had known about them, would have allowed me to bargain down the price I paid for my '81. None of these things would have made me decide against the car, but I wouldn't have paid as much had I known about them.

1. Brakes. Just because the brakes work fine when you test drive the car, that doesn't mean they have no problems. From '65 to '82, they all had the same design - a plain iron caliper with four pistons. The brake fluid absorbs moisture from humid air, and the calipers rust on the inside. You buy the car, and you decide to put on new brake pads whether they need it or not. And the brakes start to leak the next day, making the car dangerous to drive. This happens because the new pads are thicker than the old worn pads, and they push the pistons back into their bores a little, where it's rusty. And the piston seals can't seal over the rust. So they leak. I had to replace all 4 of my calipers (about $100 each) with stainless steel sleeved calipers from Vette Brakes. Plus new pads and fluid, of course. Unless the calipers on your project car have already been replaced with SS sleeved units, you can simply plan on spending the money. Be safe.

2. Bushings. Same deal as brakes. All old Vettes need new bushings. Rubber simply doesn't last forever. Sometime between 15 and 20 years, it will harden and crack, chunks will fall out, and you will have metal on metal in the suspension. Unless your project car has been treated to new bushings, plan on spending the money. First for safety, but also for ride and handling. There are lots of old Vettes out there tha handle like pigs because the bushings are shot. Figure on somewhere between $200 and $400 for a kit, depending on whether you go with rubber or polyurethane, and whether it also includes steering linkage parts (tie rods, etc.). I would recommend the "Super Kit" from Vette Brakes. Tighten up your steering linkage as well as the front suspension.

3. Springs. Same deal as brakes and bushings. Old springs get tired. Unless your project car has new springs, plan on spending the money. Mine had a stack of washers over 2 inches thick on the drivers' side rear spring bolt, to make up for all the sag in the spring. Passenger's side was about an inch of washers. You need to get a reasonable ride height, and worn out springs can be dangerous. My front springs were probably over an inch lower than normal ride height. A pair of 460 lb-per-inch front coils and a composite 330 lb-per-inch rear spring kit from Vette Brakes cost me $420.

4. Struts in the rear suspension. On many old Vettes, these struts have been bent intentionally to achieve correct camber during rear alignment. That's wrong, of course, but it happens anyway. If you see that, it means that either a real Bubba did the alignment who didn't know how to do it right, or that there is so much wear in the suspension that all the adjustment range on the strut rod was not enough to counteract the wear. Look closely at the strut adjustment under the differential. If all the adjustment is used up and the rod is bent, you are looking at major, major expense to fix it properly. No reason to walk away from the car, but a good reason to bargain down the price. If it just needs new struts, I'd recommend Smart Struts from Vette Brakes, for about $220.

5. Weatherstrip. Like bushings, old rubber weatherstrip breaks down sometime between, say, 15 and 20 years. Then the doors, windows, and tops leak and rattle. Which leads to rust, mildew, and frustration. Unless your project car has new weatherstrip (very easy to see if you look for it!), plan on spending the money. A complete kit for a convertible will be about $300, for a coupe about $400 (one of the very few instances where a 'vert is cheaper!).

That's enough for now. The other guys told you about rust. Believe them. And about the uneven shims on the A-arms. Also true.

Good luck finding your car. :seeya


[Modified by Gator81, 9:51 AM 1/29/2003]

Blankman

I don't have any more to add than what these guys have stated, but after looking through the list I can't believe how lucky I was. I looked over the '78 I got fairly well but didn't know any of the specific things to look for concerning c3's. I could have gotten a car in a lot worse shape than I did! Whew!

desi

All responses here should be enough to tell you to ...LOOK FOR FRAME ROT.

I did not do that with my first one, bought it from a dealer, and when I took it in to safety it....guess what....Frame rust along with a lot of other problems. I had to get DOT involved and sue the dealership....took 3 years to get my money back. The car was a basket case and parked in my garage all this time.

My suggestion: do your homework and familiarize yourself with the problem areas. If you can find a local vette owner who is willing to look the car over for you, that would be the ultimate. I did that with my current vette.

Good Luck. [

NHvette

You might get a glimps of the windshield rust peeking out from behind the
interior trim (looking through windshield) - top header bar and lower corners
are most visible. There is easy access to a couple of view ports with simple
hand tools.

Take the front kick panels off - this gives direct access to the metal birdcage
where it has one of the body mounts and the door hinges. This is depicted
in at least one of my web pics. While you are down there, take a flashlight
and try to see as much steel as you can from the inside - under the dash.
Often, the top left corner will have rust-through to the inside. Poking with a
screwdriver helps, but the owner may not like that (putting holes in his thin metal).

Also, in front of the rear wheels - in the wheel
well - there is a 'door' that can be removed with 4 screws (they may snap).
This gives access to the birdcage at the #3 body mount - another problem
area. While in this area, look at the frame kickup that the trailing arm goes into.
Look for cracks, excessive rust and expanding metal. The end of the frame
rail in front of the rear wheel is almost always rusted to some extent. Many
are rusted through - or about to. screwdriver - poke poke - ooops :bb

72GACRZR

Welcome to the forum. for more readind go to the site below for the first of three buying checklists. It gives you most of the good advice above in check list form.
http://www.corvettefaq.com/c3/dpg/part1.htm

Good luck, and don't rush. We all have been there done that and have a few regretes, but it's still fun.

MOPE

Thank you very much for everyones helpfull information. I will keep everyone posted letting yopu all know what I end up buying.

I'm sure you will see me around the forum from time to time.

THANKS

MOPE :flag

JB

Absolutely the best thing you can do is look for forum members near you with the "neighbors" search function, and send out an email to those guys (or post here for people near you) asking if anyone wants to come along and take a look at the car with you. I've gone along on a couple of these "look overs" & boy, do these guys know what to look for!

JB

TCracingCA

SOUND ADVICE, DO NOT BUY ONE IF YOU ARE NOT CAPABLE OF WORKING ON IT YOURSELF UNLESS YOU HAVE A DEEP POCKET BOOK. A CORVETTE WILL EAT YOUR WALLET BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER FIND AN END TO THE LIST OF THINGS YOU WANT OR NEED TO REPLACE IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON DRIVING IT ON A REGULAR BASIS. IF YOU CAN DO THE WORK YOURSELF, THEN IT COSTS YOU ABOUT THE SAME AS MOST OTHER PEOPLES DRIVERS WHEN THEY TAKE THEM TO THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRMAN.

WHEN THE CARB FLOODS OR AN AIR BLEED CLOGS, OR THE POINTS SOUR, OR THAT FUSIBLE LINK POPS, OR THE HIGHLIGHTS WON'T COME UP, OR WATER PUMP STARTS SPRAYING ALL OVER THE ENGINE, OR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SNAPS LOCKING THE REAR WHEELS, THE CLUTCH ARM SPRING BRAKES WHILE YOU ARE OUT ON THE IMPORTANT FIRST DATE AND STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO FIND OUT THAT THE CONVENTIONAL TOW TRUCK WON'T TOW YOU, AND YOU NOW NEED TO FIND A FLATBED TOW AND YOU AREN'T SURE IF YOU ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT LEAVING YOUR CAR IN THE QUESTIONABLE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU WERE PASSING THRU OR THE GIRL IN THE QUESTIONABLE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO YOU HAVE TRUSTED TO WATCH YOUR CAR WHILE YOU FIND A PHONE BECAUSE YOUR CELL WON'T CONNECT BECAUSE YOU ARE IN A DEAD ZONE. :grouphug: