Larsson

Hi, I got the opportunity to ride with in i Corvette Stingray -75 yesterday.
What a ride! The sound, the acceleration, everything!

And that car is for sale, we are strongly thinking about buying it, so of course
I have some question that i'm thinking about.

On all Stingrays I've seen there has been a label saying "Stingray" located
on the sides of the front, near the keyhole for the alarm. But on this one
there was only the corvetteflags and no text saying Stingray.
Was this ever standard?
The car has been repainted one time so it's possible that the labels was changed then.

The vette has the L-82 engine, or atleast the label on the hood says so, since
I suspect that the other labels has been changed I don't trust it 100%.
I suppose that I can check with the enginenumber and see if it is a real L-82?
How is that done and where on the engine can I see the number?

Last question, how important do you think it is with matching numbers?
The -75 is a popular volume of the stingray, isn't it? But i read on http://www.l-82.com that there wasn't so many L-82 corvettes produced 1975 so can
it be valuable with matching numbers?
I've never really understood what I have to do to check the numbers, do I
need a special book or what?

Anyway, thanks for reading. Many questions are moving around in my head
right now, maybe in a few weeks there will be a two-toned grey stingray in
my garage, cant stop thinking about it (her).

/Christian Larsson, Stockholm, Sweden

Larsson

Alright, skip the question about the matching numbers.
Just saw http://www.l-82.com/vin.htm that described the VIN-numbers!

But I have another question that I need to get out of my head.
There was signs of rust around the doorhandle on the drivers side, there
was bubbles in the lacquer. Can this be a sign of that the hole
car is rusty or is it just something simple to fix?

Tom73

The '75 should have the script "Stingray" on the side. The crossed flags came along with the 77 model when the Stingray name was dropped.

You can tell if it came from the factory with an L82 by checking the VIN. The fifth digit will be a "T" if L82. For the base L48 it was a "J". But that does not mean that it still has the L82 in it. Would need to check the engine numbers to confirm that. In '75 on 2,372 of the 38,465 Vettes produced had the L82 engine.

tom...

Eddie 70

There was a point when the Stingray went away. Looking at Corvette America catalog, the emblem is out after the 76 model year.

Tom73

Nothing around the door handle that can rust, all fiberglass. The bubbles could be a paint problem or could be the fiberglass delaminating. Not a hard fix but would require repainting of the area.

tom...

JJ Deuce

Sounds like a paint problem to me, unless you're saying the chrome around the door handle is bubbly. Most likely, there's a problem with the primer or surface prep there on the door. I wouldn't worry about the body rusting, as it's fiberglass, but definitely get the car on a lift and check the frame for rust.

Larsson

Thanks for all the extremely fast answers.

I thought I had read somewhere that around the doorhandle was a good place to check for rust. Must have read wrong.
Concerning rust, i crawled around a little under the car, didn't check the frame
but for example the headers and exhaustsystem had surfacerust on them,
that must be normal or?
Or shell I not allow any rust at all when buying a stingray?

The thing with the emblems makes me kind of suspicious but it's probably nothing seriously.

If it's matching numbers, should the engine and the cars VIN number match
or do I need a book to say if they "belong" to each other.


[Modified by Larsson, 9:28 AM 9/9/2003]

Ganey

The factory wanted to change the new car so that it could be identified as new at the time. Some made changes so their car would appear "new" at the time.

Tom73

No problem with rust on the exhaust system, surface rust there is normal and cannot be avoided. But check the frame. Big problem area is at the kick up in front of the rear wheels. They have been know to break apart there. Also look for any sign of rust around the windshield frame area and the cowl. Run a white business card between the chrome trim and the windsheld and see if it comes out brown.

On the engine there is a machined pad on the block in front of the passangers side head. Should be two numbers stamped there. One should end with the last six number of the cars VIN if it is the original engine.

tom...

FinnShark

I think you have already got some good answers! Anyway, Welcome to the forum fellow scandinavian! :cheers:

Larsson

Thanks, this must be the forum with the best people I've ever meet.
Nice that it is so many swedes and scandinavians here in the forum.

How long did it take? Maybe half an hour and I got answers to many questions
that I have been thinking about.

Thanks tom and all others for your informative answers, finally I understand
how to check the VIN number on the car and engine. I'll try to free some time
in en end of the weekend to go see it again!
I'll try to bring with me some c3-expert from the swedish club to check everything for safetys sake.

When (not if, when!) I drive it home, it will be a thread here, belive me.

FinnShark

If / when you drive corvette home remember that we love pics... :thumbs:

Larsson

Pics and maybe a filmclip will be highest priority. A C3 may not be hottest news for you but for a 17-year old it is. Guaranteed! :yesnod:
The winter is soon here in sweden so I need some beautiful pictures as wallpaper!

73ragtop

After you've been here for a little while, you'll find that when it comes to C3s, we're all 17 year olds. :)

Eddie

flynhi

In addition to the other comments, closely inspect the front end. Numerous spot welds where the sway bar brackets attach, where the lower A arms connect and at the ends of the front cross member have a bad habit of failing after 25 to 30 years.