1982 Collector edition info needed

[Montvalegolf]

A very good friend of mine is headed to look at a 1982 Collectors edition with very low mileage. Can anyone put me in touch with someone very knowledgeable pertaining to this model? Any help would be very much appreciated.

Mike

 

[Vette Gal]

A very good friend of mine is headed to look at a 1982 Collectors edition with very low mileage. Can anyone put me in touch with someone very knowledgeable pertaining to this model? Any help would be very much appreciated.

Mike

Hi Mike

I have had my 82 CE for almost 20 years and have been entering it in Car Shows for the past five years. Won a few top prizes that I am very proud of. Plus the fact that we have a friend that is a Corvette Specialist that knows Corvettes inside and out.
Although it is in great shape (all Original) have done a lot of research on this particular model. We know a lot of the quirks and the oddities about this particular model.
So maybe I can help you out. We have looked at a lot of 82CE's, just to compare ours to theirs, as most folks do and you wouldn't believe what some people do to resell their CE's, so that they look original. Some of it very sneaky indeed. So any questions..fire away and this might help your friend find a good CE.
Cheers Vette Gal

 

[Montvalegolf]

Thanks for the words. One of the first things we need to know are: what are the common maladies and oddities associated with this vehicle? especially one with super low mileage (under 2,000). We would need some of your first hand insight etc. I remember these cars brand new as a young 20 something but it's a different story all these many years later.

 

[Vette Gal]

Well Mike,

If this CE has under 2000 miles, in should be in mint condition, numbers matching, just like the day it came off the showroom floor. It should have original tires,
because you can't get original tires for CE's anymore,
The decal work on the hood and sides are also obsolete
and unavailable, so they should also be in mint conditon, and not reproductions. The pinstripping should
be that of a 82 CE, get photos of a CE anywhere on the internet, The leather inside should have absolutely no sign of wear, no cracks, no sagging of the leather, stitching should be showing no signs of any kind of wear. The steering wheel leather should be perfect, no fading, no scratches, no marks of any kind. The radio/cassette should be original. The carpets should be that of a short pile and no signs of wear or fading, the original carpet in these Vettes were like cast iron, Mine is still like new as are my mats and I drive my car every summer. The rubber under the pedals should be as new, and you probably know to check the gas petal and brake pedal for signs of wear.

The storage compartments should have no crack, fading, etc. The weatherstripping around the T Tops should be original as all the weatherstripping, the back hatch also,
The back hatch should close easily and stay open and the original weatherstripping should be firm,with no cracks, the replacement weatherstripping is made from a softer material and does not form a really rounded mould look all the way around.

The antena should go up and down automatically, sounds silly but once they go, they are very difficult to put in (reproductions.) so people do strange things to make them work.

I mean if this car only has 2000 miles it should be in showroom condtion, just gleaming. Unless of course the speedometer has rolled over after 100,000 miles.

Under the hood, it should be immaculate, you can tell by the belts and hoses. I hope I do not sound demeaning, but these are just the things we looked for during our 4 year search for the perfect CE.

Check under the nose, to see if the rubberspoiler is in good conditon and not ripped or wrinkled.

Look for stress cracks behind the doors in the main body
and anywhere else, check the clearance on the doors when they are closed, are they both the same.

Test drive it, listen for wind whistle from the T Tops.
check to see how easy it is to put the T tops in out out.

Oh the Vanity Mirror on the passengers side, check to see how perfect it is, does the light come on. Does the cover close snuggly and the visors stay up after you have put them down.

Ask for service records, ask to see the documentation of any kind that came with the car, they should have it.
Check the VIN number out with the Corvette Museum in
Bolwing Green Kentucky, it's a toll free call, and they may even have the dealer sheet on that particular car.
I have mine, and I know what options came with the car, who the dealer was, the price etc, so the guy I bought the car from didn't tell me any falsehoods.

I know this isn't much, maybe more specific questions and I can tell you more. I am sure you may think some of the above sounds rather crazy, but there are reasons for all of the above. And they are the points that can show wear and wear means more than 2000 miles.

But one thing for sure I absolutely love my CE, in years it hasn't let me down but I drive it sensibly ( well most of the time ) and I have it serviced regularly and I keep it all original.
It is not driven in the winter because of where we live,
I keep it in the garage throughout the winter.

Then the biggest item of all is how much do they want for this car, because I do know what prices they are getting for VE's depending on the condition.

anyway Mike, that's all for now that I can think of, if something else comes up, I will email you again, but in the meantime, ask any more questions and I will try to answer them
Cheers Jan

 

[JQ01Z06]

Mike,
Everything that Jan has stated is correct. Also, one of the most common maladies with the '82 Vettes is the Cross Fire Injection. CFI is very temperamental. It often results in issues with idling speed, and acceleration. It can be remedied, however.
I have an '82 Collector Edition that is as Jan describes above. It is a museum quality survivor with 925 original miles. It is in showroom condition and received an NCRS Top Flight in 2008.
I purchased it 2 years ago with 454 miles. It ran horribly. This may be the case with this car due to the extremely low mileage. The solution for me was fuel injector cleaner, premium gas, and letting her run! I've put 200 miles per year on it and it runs great.
Superb ones are rare but can be found. I looked for over a year before I found mine.
Joe

 

[82ColEd]

Mike,
agreed with the previous posters.. One thing to keep in mind: 82 CE's are 1982 Corvettes with a special package.. Look at the CAC's Buyers Help section for the C3's. That might help you out.

And be aware of RUST.. Look under the B Pillar (right behind the doors), is there any frame rust, or just surface. With a low mileage car like that, there should be NONE if it was stored correctly. Also, the front floorboard/A pillar shouldnt have any.

Look at the registry over at the 82CE website HERE, see if the VIN# is listed. Not all of them are there, but you'll get a hint of whats out there.

While low mileage CEs exist, i am always suspect of them, as Jan indicated there could be rollover of the mileage and some monies can make ANY car look original/good. ;squint:

Check the pedals, do they look like under 2000 miles? EVRYTHING on this car should be near to pristine (Which should also reflect in price), unless it's a barnfind and hasnt be cared for over the last 27 years. ;squint:

Joe: Good for you for driving it! I think i remember you buying it (that 454 miles ring a bell). Good for you.

And Mike, if you arent familiar, your friend should take someone with him/her that knows these cars. I imagine it's a pretty hefty sum to pay and i would want the records be 100% as well as the car.

Feel free to ask questions, we're here to help.


-Stefan


PS: Btw, the fader decals and pin stripes are available as repros and look very near original (i was told).

 

[shark454]

I bought mine used as a second owner. A service engine problem came up. The computer was replaced before under warranty before me by the first owner. The real problem was the connectionsbetween the computer and the harness. I wound uo slipping each wire out and cleaning each contact and then the CPU board connections. After that I had many yearrs of problem free mileage.

FYI, The plastic frame surrounding the rear storage doors and their frame had a molded color a little darker than the interior. They make interior paint that matched very well, but mine wasn't painted, just this dark beige plastic.

The dash and console finish has slight "beige" tint. Replacements are black and noticable when you compare them.

As mentioned, dark brown hood and side striped are applied decals. The pinstripping is also an applied decal.

HTH
Mike

 

[Vette Gal]

A very good friend of mine is headed to look at a 1982 Collectors edition with very low mileage. Can anyone put me in touch with someone very knowledgeable pertaining to this model? Any help would be very much appreciated.

Mike

Mike another thing to keep in mind the nose and the spoiler are not fibreglass, they are plastic and any CE I have seen that has been repainted, well no matter how good the job was, those two areas tend to look a bit wavey, not smooth, you have to look really closely to notice it, but you will. also check and drop the spare tire holder located under the rear end. That will tend to
to tell you a lot and if memory serves me correct, if it is original you might find some kind of paper worked tucked inside. We found ours there.

We had our Vette appraised for insurance purposes and collector plates, and the appraiser knew Vettes inside and out and if your appraised is good, he can even tell if any windows have been replaced. In Canada our cars are rated from one to six....one being never driven, two being driven but in showroom condition and 6 being OMG don't even go there. Happy to say mine is rated a number 2. So the cost of the appraisal was worth it.
Also be weary of how this guy is selling his Vette, thru a broker, a dealer, privately, etc. Can make a big difference. If I were to sell mine, I would take it to Barrett Jackson, or maybe not, heard about horror stories about that auction, friends have bought there
and thought they were getting a great, rare car, then when they got it home, nothing but problems!
God Luck
Jan Vette Gal

 

[Montvalegolf]

Thanks

Thanks everyone. Appreciate all the heads up. I'm not new to buying Corvette's(I have owned 9) or musclecars (I have owned 44) but needed all of your insight for the 1982 Corvette as I have not owned one of them ...yet. My friend is interested in finding the finest example available and isn't interested in problem/issues so my thread was meant to hear the common maladies of said model. I truly appreciate all the words that everyone shared so far. I will keep you updated as to the outcome upon inspection.

Mike

 

[6880 Mike]

I agree with what has been posted, but feel a cautionary word may be in order. While the car has only 2000 miles on it, it and everything on it is almost 30 years old. While it may look new, it isn't. Care should be taken until the new owner has become very familiar with the car.

Think twice before taking a cruise at highway speeds on thirty year old tires.

Good luck.

 

[Montvalegolf]

I agree with what has been posted, but feel a cautionary word may be in order. While the car has only 2000 miles on it, it and everything on it is almost 30 years old. While it may look new, it isn't. Care should be taken until the new owner has become very familiar with the car.

Think twice before taking a cruise at highway speeds on thirty year old tires.

Good luck.

Whatever 82 Corvette my friend ends up with will not be driven, but I agree with you about driving any 30 yr old car with 30 yr old tires etc...Not safe at any speed sometimes.

 

[73shark]

Brake calipers could be ready for work due to rust pitting. Another reason not to drive it 'til a thorough mechanical inspection. And I doubt that the hatch gas struts, if original, will hold the hatch up. Good luck to your friend.

 

[RoccoG]

Still Looking for a PERFECT #1 CE Corvette/

Whatever 82 Corvette my friend ends up with will not be driven, but I agree with you about driving any 30 yr old car with 30 yr old tires etc...Not safe at any speed sometimes.

Parting with my FULLY documented 1982 CE Show Car. 355 documented miles... One owner... Properly stored from new... EVERYTHING is original & Perfect. Sending to auction in January. Currently there are 4 offers... Saw your old post and thought I may give you a shot? Thanks!

 

[RoccoG]

Sold!

Parting with my FULLY documented 1982 CE Show Car. 355 documented miles... One owner... Properly stored from new... EVERYTHING is original & Perfect. Sending to auction in January. Currently there are 4 offers... Saw your old post and thought I may give you a shot? Thanks!

Just wanted everyone to get a heads up... Just sold my CE Corvette for $52,000. Sold privately without the hassle or multiple costs of an auction. So I feel I did very well. With these vehicles, top dollar is given for true Concours & super low mileage supported with significant documentation... If anyone is looking for one of these, please post a request and I'd be more than happy to help. RG

 

[UKVETTEHEAD]

Collectors Edition - After twenty years

Just wanted everyone to get a heads up... Just sold my CE Corvette for $52,000. Sold privately without the hassle or multiple costs of an auction. So I feel I did very well. With these vehicles, top dollar is given for true Concours & super low mileage supported with significant documentation... If anyone is looking for one of these, please post a request and I'd be more than happy to help. RG

I have had my CE for nearly twenty years. I bought it here in the UK and it had 28000 miles. Now it has over 60000. All the comments made here are correct but I would add that it is important that all the sensors for the cross fire system are good. I have replaced the 02 sensor twice. Try to find someone with access to all the diagnostic kit . It helps a lot if there are any issues. After the first few months of ownership, I found that the engine would cut out in right hand bends or very steep hills. This always happened when the fuel level was low and was due to the fuel pump inlet becoming uncovered when the fuel was pushed into the corners of the tank. There are no baffles in the tank. An amazing oversight by the GM design department. Keeping the tank topped up is the easy fix but is not always convenient when on a long trip. This problem is now sorted with a scheme stolen from the racing world. The camshaft lobes had a great deal of wear and I replaced the cam during an engine rebuild . I also fitted a gear set for the cam but this is noisy so when I fitted aluminium cylinder heads I changed the gear set to a duplex timing chain. The car goes well now but I would not recommend any further attempts to get more power other than a hotter cam and the ally heads. The fuel system cannot keep up with higher airflows - my Renegade manifold experience was disappointing.

All the suspension rubber bushes started cracking and are now all replaced with Poly bushes. The car rides well on these. I also try to use 98 octance fuel otherwise there is a tendency to pink under load. Happy motoring.
UKVETTEHEAD

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I I also try to use 98 octance fuel otherwise there is a tendency to pink under load. Happy motoring.
UKVETTEHEAD

The engines in these cars were built to run on 87 AKI fuel which is equivalent to about 84 RON which I've never seen in the UK .If you need 98Octane to avoid detonation either there's something wrong or someone has modified the engine.