russlg
Member
Hi all, my name is Russ and back in 1995 I bought a 1979 L82 4spd for $4000. It needed a rt side quarter and fender and since at the time I was a collision repair technician, I bought it to fix up and enjoy... Soon after, I met my wife and started a family and sold the girl for what I paid for it so we could buy a house. Every couple of years after a fever would set in and I would begin to scour e-bay and other sources for used c3 vette's. I am now in full bloom of Corvette fever. I am not in a position to buy, only dream at the moment. Having not looked for one seriously in about five years I am astonished at the wide range in pricing for the '75 and up C3's. Not intending to offend ANYONE, I just find it odd that a 165hp 1975 or 1976 L48 would garner much over $10,000 unless it were truly a #1 car.
As I have seen quoted on this forum, It appears the axiom of "What a man is willing to pay" must ring quite true. My desired vette is another 1979 L82 4 speed or a 1981 4 speed. The '81's are so intriguing with all of the refinements a C3 offers and the "last" year of a true 4 speed manual transmission. I have seen them range in my area from $8,000 all the way to $20,000. With over 40,000 being built, it just doesn't seem that any of them have a leg over each other in terms of worth... If I were to buy an automatic, it would probably only be a 1980 L82. Such a pity that car couldn't have had a manual gearbox! I also don't get hung up on miles. To me nothing is more overrated than mileage. The way the car was kept when idle matters more to me than what the odometer reads. A car rarely driven parked on grass would be worse than a car that was driven often and parked indoors everyday!
In my scouring of Craiglist, I am shocked at the values of the '84 through '90. Although these cars are not my particular cup of tea, the fact that you can pick one up for under ten grand and as little as $5000 is good news for anyone looking to enter the hobby. When I look at ads, the first things I look at is whether the engine is bone stock or has someone glammed it up with aftermarket crap. The '81 was unique with the L82 style valve covers and the chrome atop the air cleaner, touches I find to be PERFECT!. I look at the brand of tires, nothing to me tells about the previous owner than cheap, no name tires! BFG's, Goodyear's and Firestone's carry alot of weight with me. It seems to me that the 255/60R15's just make the car look the way it was intended, even though it was optioned for only a portion of those sold. When I am able to purchase, I want a car that has near perfect interior as I found with my 1979 it can nickel and dime one to death to make it right. Being a former collision tech (Who still moonlights from the workshop at home) paint condition will not matter as I would rather paint my car knowing it is done right than to always wonder what kind of prep went into the "newly painted" one I may have bought.
Hopefully one of you seasoned members will set me straight, rereading this I seem to come across as arrogant but I can tell you I am really not. I am just a guy with a sickness who knows exactly what he wants and is patient enough to wait for it.. However long it may be. Thanks for creating this great forum for me to get my fix!!
Russ
As I have seen quoted on this forum, It appears the axiom of "What a man is willing to pay" must ring quite true. My desired vette is another 1979 L82 4 speed or a 1981 4 speed. The '81's are so intriguing with all of the refinements a C3 offers and the "last" year of a true 4 speed manual transmission. I have seen them range in my area from $8,000 all the way to $20,000. With over 40,000 being built, it just doesn't seem that any of them have a leg over each other in terms of worth... If I were to buy an automatic, it would probably only be a 1980 L82. Such a pity that car couldn't have had a manual gearbox! I also don't get hung up on miles. To me nothing is more overrated than mileage. The way the car was kept when idle matters more to me than what the odometer reads. A car rarely driven parked on grass would be worse than a car that was driven often and parked indoors everyday!
In my scouring of Craiglist, I am shocked at the values of the '84 through '90. Although these cars are not my particular cup of tea, the fact that you can pick one up for under ten grand and as little as $5000 is good news for anyone looking to enter the hobby. When I look at ads, the first things I look at is whether the engine is bone stock or has someone glammed it up with aftermarket crap. The '81 was unique with the L82 style valve covers and the chrome atop the air cleaner, touches I find to be PERFECT!. I look at the brand of tires, nothing to me tells about the previous owner than cheap, no name tires! BFG's, Goodyear's and Firestone's carry alot of weight with me. It seems to me that the 255/60R15's just make the car look the way it was intended, even though it was optioned for only a portion of those sold. When I am able to purchase, I want a car that has near perfect interior as I found with my 1979 it can nickel and dime one to death to make it right. Being a former collision tech (Who still moonlights from the workshop at home) paint condition will not matter as I would rather paint my car knowing it is done right than to always wonder what kind of prep went into the "newly painted" one I may have bought.
Hopefully one of you seasoned members will set me straight, rereading this I seem to come across as arrogant but I can tell you I am really not. I am just a guy with a sickness who knows exactly what he wants and is patient enough to wait for it.. However long it may be. Thanks for creating this great forum for me to get my fix!!
Russ
Jane Ann
