Help! C3 acquisition questions

[Lib]

Greetings all - new to the forum and very close to becoming a C3 big block owner. I have owned and restored a number of classics - mostly Fords (am I permitted to say that word here?) and british classics. I am a very capable garage mechanic and bodyman.

I am near purchase of a 74 big block, numbers matching, very nice original car. (Yes, I've now sold the Fords and the MG's). I am at a point in my life where I want to spend more time on the road and IN the car - rather than under it. Now the questions: should I be looking elsewhere?

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

You're considering buying a 35 year old machine. Like any machine of that age, if it has been well looked after, maintained, restored as required and is in need of nothing then you'll rarely need to open the hood other than to admire.

Very few Corvettes are in such condition however. I get a laugh over somebody moaning how fed up they are with fixing their 'unreliable' cars, only to later find that the bits that have failed are simply worn out after a 1/3 century of service. . One man's definition of great condition may not be the same as another's.

If you are paying a premium for a car in original condition, have a knowledgeable Corvette person go over the car for you before buying. There's lots of phony cars out there. In any case do a complete mechanical inspection of the frame and birdcage. Walk away if there's rust.

 

[Evolution1980]

I would say that any old car or any year vette has the potential to have unforseen problems. However, mechanically speaking of just the engine, the small block and big block chevy's have always been pretty reliable short of the expected(?) oil leak from the rear main seal.
As you're probably aware, with the older cars you only need to be concerned with vacuum, electrical, and fuel delivery. If you have those three things covered, you should be good to go. Anything else that could go wrong could happen to any car.

Find out if the brakes have been redone / replaced. Leaky calipers is just as common as the engine main seal leak. And T-Tops leak. Other than that? You should expect to get many years of solid, relatively trouble-free driving with the car.

Welcome to the
Be sure to stop in to the New Member Introduction section and introduce yourself!

 

[73shark]

Welcome to the forum. Best advice I can give is to really educate yourself. Talk to local Shark owners and Corvette club members. Most will be more than happy to tell you what you need to know. Lots of books on the subject too. Sounds like you'll be able to deal w/ any problems you encounter. It's just nice to know about them before hand. Good luck.

 

[6880 Mike]

This helps.

Good luck.

 

[Lib]

Thanks. That was my first purchase several weeks ago. I'm very close to writing a check!

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Thanks. That was my first purchase several weeks ago. I'm very close to writing a check!

So I take it the professional inspection went well?

 

[Lib]

Extremely well. Current owner has a favorite mechanic - who also happens to be a friend of mine. (That is actually how I learned the car was for sale.) Spent several hours with the mechanic and car following my second test drive.

 

[White75]

Extremely well. Current owner has a favorite mechanic - who also happens to be a friend of mine. (That is actually how I learned the car was for sale.) Spent several hours with the mechanic and car following my second test drive.

Awesome, hope you get it and when you take delivery, you will be required to post pictures of it here so we can all drool.

 

[Lib]

Absolutely.