Shoehorn

I have been looking at an 80 L-82 Claret colred Vette. The block and intake are original but it has a Holley carb on it without a choke of any kind manual or electric. It started up nice, ran and shifted ok has normal wear and tear on the inside. Tach and clock don't work, defrost is weak. Small oil leak from the rear right valve cover that was smoking when we got back from a 6 mile test drive from the oil burning, not much but visable smoke. Body is straight and from 15ft looks awesome but as you get closer you see minor imperfections in the paint nothing major. Cracks on the very top/center of the hood as if there was a high rise that the hood couldn't quite close without hitting it. Acouple of stress fractures in the cowling in front of the wheels and right behind the headlights. The guy is asking $6500. Here is a small picture but you get the idea.
http://www.superford.org/registry/ve....php?id=114022


[Modified by Shoehorn, 7:26 PM 3/24/2004]

2TONE82

First, is it a numbers matching L-82 car? I don't have my Black Book at work (seem to need it more here than at home) but if you will post the VIN we can tell you if the car is an L-82 car. You say the block is original but have you checked to ensure it matches the VIN and the suffix is correct.

To a novice there are no other indications that will affirm the car is an L-82. Certainly don't go off of the L-82 badges and raised finned valve covers. Over 40K 1980 Corvettes were produced but only 6K or so were optioned with the L-82 motor. It was an easy badge change to give any Corvette the L-82 option.

As for the price, from what you stated about the condition of the car there are a few things I would dig further on but $6,500 seems fair…you don’t mention miles though.

Shoehorn

Yes it is matching, the block number matches the VIN. The mileage on the car is supposed to be about 69K. The fellow that owns it had a compression check done on the engine and it I was looking at the report and the compression numbers looked good. I have 3 that I am looking at and that is one of the three that I am considering, so any input is helpful to finalize my decision. Thank you.

2TONE82

Hate to be nit-picky but that's what I do.

The engine block may match the car's VIN but is it an L-82 Car?

I've checked the black book (I'm at home now) the fifth digit of the VIN should be a 6 for the car to be an L-82 car. Also, the numbers for 1980 were 40,614 cars produced, 5,069 had the L-82 option. Also, 1980 was the last year for the L-82 and a shark without a computer.

If that is the case than $6500 with less than 70K on the speedo is a good starting point.

Recommend you drive it further than six miles. Take her around town and on the highway. Check for rusted frame and any body damage or hints of a wreck.

Make a list of items that you would want to replace/repair (is the dash cracked, seats ripped, carpet faded, how are the brakes, radio and other options like A/C working) so that you wont be surprised at the cost to repair these items later on.

I don't think you will get the price down much more but I'd start in the $5700 range and go from there. Justify your starting price with the list mentioned above.

Good luck. My first Vette cost $5,700; a high mileage '82. I learned a lot from working on that car, sold it five years later for $7,500. I looked for almost two years to find a replacement before buying my current car, a low mileage '82. It was a great experience and you are doing the right thing by protecting your initial investment, however large or small it may seem.

Shoehorn

Your not being nit-picky. I asked for input and you gave it, thank you. I was actually thinking $5,600 as a starting point if I decided on that one. Once again thank you for the input. :thumbs:

80L82

Doesn't sound too bad to me. I bought my 1980 L-82 for $6,000 last fall. 90K miles, interior had new carpets and seat covers, new tires, good exhaust, running decent with matching block but mismatched Holley carb. It needs a paint job, but looks fine from 20ft. Like another poster said, make a list of what it needs and see how it adds up. I didn't realize how expensive it was to paint these things($5-6K with little bodywork), esp. since mine's black. I decided to leave the paint alone for a while and had the motor/tranny rebuilt (no major mods thought).
I probably should have spent a little less since the motor was a little noisy, but it was a black on black 1980 L-82 and that's EXACTLY what I wanted.
Good luck!!!!

neverendingproject

check the front crossmember for cracks around the lower a-arms. more than likely it has some and that will help you get the price down some.although the price he is asking is not out of line at all.

Dk Met Grn 80 L82

I would say the price looks good. But most important is to decide about what you want out of the vette. NCRS?, hot rod?, daily driver, trailer queen? There is no right or wrong answer, it is just what works for you. After you decide that it will make your search easier. The 80 L82 is a desirable low production number car but it doesn't matter much if you plan to change out the engine or perform extensive mods. Decide what works for you, and you will be happier in the long run.

Shoehorn

Well, I offered them $5700 and they accepted, so I will be going to pick it up tonight or tomorow night.....probably tonight.... :D I have waited 30+ years so I figure thats long enough... :) The owner had mentioned wanting a Chevelle so he and his whole family could fit in it and I hope he can find a good deal as they seem like nice folks... :)