Going to look at an 82...advice?

[Emmasdad]

Hey all,

My wife and I are going to look at an 82' non CE on Sunday. We saw it at Carlisle, she loved it. Here's what I know/remember:

Relatively new maroon paint (claret?)
Tires are good at about 80%
Mirrored t-tops - no leaks
air conditioning recently recharged, works fine.
65,000 miles
No visible rust, will put it up on hoist on Sunday
ran fine, will also drive on Sunday
power windows, locks, mirror
gray interior (good shape, nothing spectacular)
cloth seats, more rare option, but wishing it was leather
some documentation, not sure how much, all original engine and tranny
The price was $10,900 which seemed to be in the ballpark, I've seen a little better but much worse too.
The latest market report had an average at $13,000 and a good at $16,500. I would put the car better than average, less than good, but darn close.

What do you think? What should I be looking at on Sunday. Thanks in advance for the advice.

Matt

 

[Yoda]

Matt,

Under the Corvette Action Center Banner is a link called the Tech Center and in the drop down menu is a tab for "Buying A Corvette" it has a print-a-ble check list.

Good Luck

Bud

 

[minifridge1138]

There are a lot of good things about the 1982.

The crossfire fuel injection works very well when it works correctly.

The bad thing about the 1982, is that very few people know how to keep the crossfire running correctly.

It was only in corvettes for 2 years, so parts can be hard to find. A capable mechanic willing to work on it is even harder.

If you're willing to own a system that is greatly misunderstood and (can be) difficult to fix, then the 1982 corvette is a great car.

 

[hotshotzny]

There are a lot of good things about the 1982.

The crossfire fuel injection works very well when it works correctly.

The bad thing about the 1982, is that very few people know how to keep the crossfire running correctly.

It was only in corvettes for 2 years, so parts can be hard to find. A capable mechanic willing to work on it is even harder.

If you're willing to own a system that is greatly misunderstood and (can be) difficult to fix, then the 1982 corvette is a great car.

i had an 82 and just sold it for an 84... both have the crossfire in them, like it has been said, the crossfire can be a bit tough to get to know and its REAL hard to find a mechanic who can work on it.... either way i dont mind it, i like it, its far from a rocket on the road, but the 82 gets a lot of looks going down the road which i really miss.. the main reason i sold mine is i honestly couldnt find a body shop to paint it for me that i wanted to do it for less than $7K..... i loved my 82 and wouldnt hesitate to buy another one, but if you dont know a mechanic who can work on it or if you arent equipped to work on it yourself then i would be cautious...but mine was is rough shape when i bought it and i could have cared less.... i loved it, and i love my 84, and i know im gonna be just like i was with the 82 one of these days.... but i also paid a lot less for mine and sold it for more than i paid .. basically i helped you in no way...

 

[topless82vette]

I'de run the car and listen to the transmission. When mine bit the dust it made this rattling and ticking noise before it disintegrated. guess they were a bad 700r4 in the early days.

I stuck a 90 700r4 in mine so at least you know a later model will fit fine. all I did was swap my 82 tailshaft housing ion this 90 vette 700r4 and it worked fine.

 

[Emmasdad]

Thanks guys

Thanks for the info. guys. I appreciate the comments. The car sounded pretty good when we started it at Carlisle, and looked great on the surface. I'll be able to see more when I put it on the hoist. Given the little info. I was able to provide you guys, how do you feel about the price?

Like I said, I think we are in the ballpark and it is priced at a reasonable level. It's average milege is 2500 per year and has spent a significant amount of time in an older couples garage on one of our NYS finger lakes (probably a good home).

 

[minifridge1138]

$10,900 is a pretty good price.

I definitely recommend driving it and getting it on a lift.

Yes, the early 700R4 transmissions are considered weaker than later ones. But as said, the newer ones are a direct fit.

I've ridden in a 1984 with the crossfire, and that ran like a bat out of hell.
The low end torque and throttle response were great.

When they work, they work very well.

 

[LT4man]

I have seen pretty rough 82s that were priced higher than the one you are looking at.

When you are looking at it on the lift, grab the rear tire at the top & bottom and move it to feel any play. There should be close to no play in the assembly. The correct way to measure is with a dial indicator with the wheel removed from the vehicle. Just leave the tires on and look for play. Any more than just a very slight movement means the rear hub & bearing assembly needs to be replaced. Costly repair!

Sounds like you have found a nice one! Good Luck!

SAVE THE

 

[oceangal]

My tranny went too, I didn't realize there were others here with the same problem.

My resto mod on my '82 is almost done. I paid $6500 for the car and jeesh I don't know another 8-12k into it for the 383 stroker, new tranny, xram, tires, total new interior, new brakes, new rear end, just about everything replaced under the hood, except the radiator, the other owner replaced that , even a new antenna! And I should add I only had to pay for parts, not labor. Well the motor came from someone but you know what I mean.

Still to do: AC, lucky its cool up here now so maybe I can skip that for now. I still need painting and that will be some more cash.

I would for sure check all the motor mounts and tranny mount. The only thing holding the old motor in place was the tranny mount. My rear end was a mess and after less than a few months of driving the tranny bit the dust.

 

[cinci5]

Thanks for the info. guys. I appreciate the comments. The car sounded pretty good when we started it at Carlisle, and looked great on the surface. I'll be able to see more when I put it on the hoist. Given the little info. I was able to provide you guys, how do you feel about the price?

Like I said, I think we are in the ballpark and it is priced at a reasonable level. It's average milege is 2500 per year and has spent a significant amount of time in an older couples garage on one of our NYS finger lakes (probably a good home).

$13,750.00 for this one Hamburg NY south of Buffalo 65000 miles

 

[Emmasdad]

The car was (is) very nice

Thanks for the input on the 82 guys.

LT4Man - the rear hubs were really tight. I was surprised. Virtually no movement. I also checked the motor mounts, from what I could tell there was nothing wrong there. The frame was solid. There was some oil on the bottom of the oil pan area, but I looked where it had been sitting all morning and no drip spots. The 1/2 shafts from the rear end were tight, u-joints were solid.

It pulled a little to the right, not that bad. I didn't know what to expect as far as horsepower. I'm used to our 93'. The motor seemed like it has a fair amount of torque. When we stepped on it, the tranny downshifted well and shifted out well. The brakes felt pretty mushy compared to the 93' and I'm not all that impressed with C4 brakes.

In all, a nice car. If it is still there in the spring we might go back. $10,000 was the bottom price. Just not good timing right now. I really want to pay off our 93' before we buy another one, but it's really hard to pass this one up. We considered borrowing money from our state retirement accoount. Right now a C3 seems like a better investment than the market!

The paint is in great shape. It seems that claret color has a little brown in it.

I wasn't overly excited about the cloth interior, but the air conditioning, power mirrors, power windows, etc. all seemed to work. Aftermarket radio/cassette was nothing special.

Thanks again for the input.

P.S. cinci5 that is a very striking 82' you have as well. Sharp!

 

[cinci5]

Thanks for the input on the 82 guys.

LT4Man - the rear hubs were really tight. I was surprised. Virtually no movement. I also checked the motor mounts, from what I could tell there was nothing wrong there. The frame was solid. There was some oil on the bottom of the oil pan area, but I looked where it had been sitting all morning and no drip spots. The 1/2 shafts from the rear end were tight, u-joints were solid.

It pulled a little to the right, not that bad. I didn't know what to expect as far as horsepower. I'm used to our 93'. The motor seemed like it has a fair amount of torque. When we stepped on it, the tranny downshifted well and shifted out well. The brakes felt pretty mushy compared to the 93' and I'm not all that impressed with C4 brakes.

In all, a nice car. If it is still there in the spring we might go back. $10,000 was the bottom price. Just not good timing right now. I really want to pay off our 93' before we buy another one, but it's really hard to pass this one up. We considered borrowing money from our state retirement accoount. Right now a C3 seems like a better investment than the market!

The paint is in great shape. It seems that claret color has a little brown in it.

I wasn't overly excited about the cloth interior, but the air conditioning, power mirrors, power windows, etc. all seemed to work. Aftermarket radio/cassette was nothing special.

Thanks again for the input.

P.S. cinci5 that is a very striking 82' you have as well. Sharp!

it is for sale

 

[oceangal]

The one in the photo is claret? It doesn't look like my claret at all.

 

[Vette79]

cinci5, your ride looks tight. I wish I were in the market for another. Are you firm on the price? Do you have pics of the interior and engine bay? In case anyone is interested...

 

[cinci5]

cinci5, your ride looks tight. I wish I were in the market for another. Are you firm on the price? Do you have pics of the interior and engine bay? In case anyone is interested...

I can take any pictures you want anytime. Thanks for the intrest.
Price is firm

 

[Vette79]

I can take any pictures you want anytime. Thanks for the intrest.
Price is firm

Can you PM me some pics of interior and engine bay? What's wrong with it? Wife gave approval to ask so that's a good sign...

 

[cinci5]

Can you PM me some pics of interior and engine bay? What's wrong with it? Wife gave approval to ask so that's a good sign...

nothings wrong with it, I lost my job, plant closed need the money, wife on SSI she cant work. I will PM pictures as soon as possible

 

[oceangal]

I'm sorry to hear your bad news :-( This is one tough economy.

 

[cinci5]

I'm sorry to hear your bad news :-( This is one tough economy.

My job is going to mexico. American Axle Sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Evolution1980]

Matt, if your wife is hooked on the body shape and color, you might want to look for an equivalent 1980 model. No computer controls there...just the good ol' Q-Jet 750 carb. Won't really notice any difference in the car itself. Plus, you can possibly find a 4-speed if you really want one.