Grumpyvette / Other vette people Please help

[AgentZ]

Hey there,

My cousin has asked me to go look at this car

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=44954543&key=36956

 

What are some things I should be on the look out on this thing? He isnt looking for a numbers matching, concours 100 point car, and he realises that there is work needed. But anything that would make it a total no go?

 

Cheers!

[jt1]

Some things to look at on a C3:

 

-Poor function of vacumn operated stuff, particuarly the headlights.

-Leaking Ttops, they are notorius for that.

-Since it's had rear strut rods, look for negative camber in the rear tires. If you see any, the rear diff yokes are worn, pricey repair.

-Any frame rust, usually on the rear half of the car. Very bad.

-Original engine. It affects the value of vettes a lot.

-Any sign of fiberglass repair. Not a big deal if properly done, but a big hit on value if sloppy. If it's done right, it's almost impossible to detect.

 

If that's the same as US dollars, that close to double what that car would be worth here.

 

John

[grumpyvette]

when you get into the C3 corvettes and earlier your looking for over-all condition, age and options, like engine,trans and special features as the factors that determine price.

on the older corvettes I look for frame and suspension damage, rust, and pulling a CARFACTS report is MANDATORY

look in the gas tank for rust, look carefully around the windshield for rust and signs its replaced, put the car on a lift and look CAREFULLY at the frame and suspension components, stand at each end and look at the glass in the body for indications of body work,look behind the seats and under carpets for signs of water damage, look for un-even tire wear, oil leaks, brake fluid leaks, rust,cracked fiberglass ,spin the tires while its up on the lift look for wobbles and listen for noises,look for welds, cracks, repairs, bad u-joints, bubbles in paint, do a compression test if they let you, check the dipstick for water in the oil,dirt,sludge, check the trans for a burnt smell in the lube, play with the shifter, it should move firmly and smoothly,check the brake fluid it should be clear not dark/rusty, drive the car, it should track strait, not pull to one side, and the engine should idle steadly and evenly, the exhaust system should not be rusty or leak,the radiator should have clean coolant, no rust or oil and no bubbles when the cars idling (naturally this needs to be checked before it heats up)no take it on the highway,up to the speed limit for several minutes, look for overheating, brake problems, strearing, leaks, problems, don,t forget to drive in reverse, check the air conditioning is cold, lights work,headlights go upand down smoothly (SEVERAL TIMES) etc. now realistically on a 30 plus year old car there not going to be a perfect check list but you should minimize the work and replacement parts youll need to do.

[AgentZ]

Now thats quick response!

JT1, this is NZ dollars and of course most vettes here you looking $30,000 at least so this is a bit of a cheaper one. I sorta know the shop that is selling it (they are one of only 2 shops here selling chev stuff!!) I might be able to get it up on a lift to take a look. Cheers for you help

[dmyntti]

Common areas of concern for the C3 are as follows (some where mentioned already):

 

Rust: Look at the windshield support at the top, the radiator core support, and the frame where it kicks up in fron of the wheels. Look at where the trailing arm connect to the frame. Bad rust in this area is almost unrepairable and somewhat common.

 

Common mechanical problems: The cooling system on these cars is barely adequate and needs to be in very good shape to cool the engine properly, radiators commonly need replaced and are very expensive for this model. The next big concern is the rear suspension. Look for a cracked spring (they crack in the middle at the differential cover. Look at the differential cover (this supports the rear of the car and the spring attaches to it). The covers crack frequently, they can be replaced with a heavy duty cover to correct this problem but installing one is very time consuming (I just finished doing mine last night). Rear wheel bearings can also be an issue and can be difficult to change (most people purchase a remanufactured hub and spindle assembly).

 

These are the things I can think of off hand. Once all of theses itmes are sorted out these cars make great drivers and can be quite fun.