dkdonkim

hello, c3 folks.
i am currently a owner of c5. learning much about it everyday.... c3 has been my all time favorite, but i was kinda afraid of owning such a classic looking (or it is) car for the first time. that was the first & the most excuse i went to c5. i have been studying c3 up until now, and finally came up with that 1983 is my favorite, which comes w/ cross fire injection for the first time.
now, even thou i am still studying about vette, i finally found one c3, all balck w/ cloth interior & only 9700 miles on her. the asking price was $25,000. i tried to search reasonable price everywhere, but could not find the price w/ such low mileage. my questions are......

1. is the price reasonable?
2. realiability issues?
3. parts are easily obtainable?
4. anything i should look for?

i have not decided anything yet. i am still kinda afraid? look forward to you folks' suggestions.

:steering:

79VetteMike

1. there is no 1983 Corvette
2. crossfire would be 1982
3. you don't mention what year the car is with 9700 miles

dkdonkim

sorry for the confusion.

the car is 1982 w/ 9700 miles. i heard no 1983 were actually out for sale. only a few of them at the museum.

thanks for correcting me.

:steering:

Stoge

IMHO the price is NOT reasonable. Keep looking.

sb69coupe

Depends on what you want to do with your C3 once you get it. Buying a low mile car is only a good move if you plan to keep it low mileage by not driving it. Paying a premium for a low mile car, then piling on the miles is a losing proposition.

So, what do you want to do with your C3? Do you want a stock or modified car? Chrome bumpers or rubber? Comfy cruiser or rough riding muscle car? All these things factor in to the decision of what car is right for you.

Shannon

79VetteMike

Where is the car? Is it part of a collection or in a museum or something? Be very careful. I knew this guy that had an '80 and he told everyone it only had 26,000 miles on it. Well, I knew it was a lie-he told me after I asked several questions to force him to tell me the truth. Anyway, the car was drop dead gorgeous. Even as gorgeous as this car was, it was never worth more than $17,000-that's my guestimation. I'd be very careful of believing that the car is actually a 9700 mile car. That's why I ask if it is part of a collection or museum. Is it a Collector's Edition?

JBR

Does this 82 have the hatch back? If it did that would bring the value up a bit. :cheers:

OHSIXX

Go for the 83. See if you can get one under 2500 miles and then you got something. :party:

Mike Mercury

I find it interesting that the CrossFire engine got such negative comments in the 1984 C4; but the same engine in 1982 was the coolest of engines to have.

dkdonkim

i will keep looking. i got your point. :D

jetlag

I have a nice 81 for sale ;) :hat

Love My 72 and 77

IMO 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 :smiliedrool:

BlueL36

A couple of suggestions- go to one of the bigger bookstores and skim through the Corvette books. Two that give lots of information are "Restoration Guide 1968-1982" by Richard Prince and "How to Modify and Restore Your Corvette 1968-1982" by Richard Newton. Not to imply that you go the NCRS route, but knowing what is stock versus what is not is valuable information when looking for your C3. And while owning an old car can be frustrating at times, if I had to make a choice between my C3 and my C5, the C3 would be my keeper. Good luck with your search! :seeya

AGVI

:cheers:

markdtn

:iagree: And if you do buy one with that few miles asnd try to drive it, you will have brake seal problems, transmission seal problems, fuel tank problems.....

LOTAHP

:withstupid: :lolg: But wouldn't the '83 be tooooo rare for a daily driver :shocked: :shocked: :D

LOTAHP

'73 :smiliedrool:

ddecart

To answer your questions:
1. The price is reasonable if you think it's worth it. $25k is high for an '82, but with so few miles, it could be worth that much.

2. They're every bit as reliable as any other 20+ year old car. Subject to the maintenance and care it has received. I've had several years with my '69 where I spent well under $100 on maintenance for a year and drove $5k miles.

3. Parts are very easily obtainable. Some tend to be pricey, especially 1-year-only parts, but they're out there.

4. Lots of things to look for. The biggest is rust. Frame rust has killed many many Corvettes.

Now, if you're looking at a low mileage '82, $25k might not be all that unreasonable. This is my neighbor's car. It literally has like 2 small paint flaws in it and is practically brand new other than that. I think it has about the same mileage as the one you referenced. Probably worth over $20k anyhow.