Opinion on corvette purchase

[Blown85]

Hey, I'm new here. I just have a question for all the veterans. I have an opportunity to pick up an 85 vette for cheap and want to get some opinions. I live in So Cal and here is the skinny on the car:

85, 7 speed, black on black. Paint is oxidized and in bad shape, but no accidents. Motor was replaced with new 20,000 miles ago. Was running perfect but had leak in the intake manifold. Owner began to fix (he pulled the manifold off) and now it's just been sitting for about a month. He was driving it every day. Has a crack in the windshield, needs new carpet, passenger window motor does not work. What do you think something like this is worth? Should I buy it? It will need to be towed home so I won't even be able to test drive.....

Any opinions are appreciated....

 

[buddyleejd]

How Much?

 

[Blown85]

How Much?

$3500 is what he threw at me. I will just counter with like $2000 or $2500, I dunno.... I am just wondering if it is worth all the work and money it will take to get it up to par. Am I just better off buying something nicer?

 

[Blown85]

COME ON GUYS! I know you get newbies in here every day probably asking the same questions but I would really like to know if this looks like a decent deal before I make a move.

 

[jrbartholomew]

sounds like a lot of work but 2000 is cheap. most vette parts are expensive ask my wife.

 

[GS Diva]

For $2,000, you could probably make something out of this car...but, and this is a BIG but, things for Corvettes are not cheap! Just a repaint alone will cost anywhere from $3-5k, and I don't know anything about a leaking manifold. If you're mechanically inclined and have a lot of discretionary $$, go for it!

By the way, the '85 doesn't have a 7-speed transmission. It's called a 4+3, and many have had a lot of trouble. There are a lot of people who never have any problems, though.

Good luck...and let us know how you make out.

Elaine

 

[Blown85]

I am a decent mechanic and I know how to paint. I'll have to sleep on this a couple nights.

 

[69MyWay]

I love a good project, but you need to weigh it out long term.

Is this the Vette you really want to keep for a long time? Is this your dream Vette (1985 model). If not, you should pass. This is because for the $10,000 or more you will end up spending on paint, weatherstrips, glass, window motors, interior, suspension, engine work, a/c, etc. etc. etc. you could also get an older C3.

It is up to you.

 

[Blown85]

I was kinda thinking that I could just enjoy it a little, while I fix it up and make money off it after it''s running. It's not my dream corvette at all, but it looks like it could be. Maybe I would really like it after I put some work into it. But then, maybe it's a bad idea since everyone is saying that the parts cost an arm and a leg.

 

[Mad-Mic]

don't let them scare you. parts are no more expensive for a C4 than for any other car. most parts are interchangable just like any other V8 GM car. it's the specialty parts that gets expensive. if you can get it for 2k that would be a steal. put 2 or 3k into it and you got a nice ride. the 4+3 would be the only thing i would worry about. now they are expensive to fix if the OD unit goes up from what i've heard.

if you like it and don't mind working on it then go for it!

Good luck and let us know!

 

[Blown85]

I have test driven a few and they all clanked and rattled like total junkers. Is there a way to go through them and make them tight like new? What usually is the cause of all the rattles in these cars?

 

[69MyWay]

I have test driven a few and they all clanked and rattled like total junkers. Is there a way to go through them and make them tight like new? What usually is the cause of all the rattles in these cars?

This is true.

Mad-Mic is right about the basic engine mechanical costs. Not much different than a Z28 or trans am. The interior however, is high dollar---seat covers, door panels, carpet, sill covers, and trim. You could drop $3K in the interior.

Good quality paint materials (base, clear, primer, paper, tape, prep stuff) if you do your own paint is still $1,000.

Tires are $600 to $1,000 depending on brand.

I just rebuilt the suspension and rear diff in my 90 and spent $3K on just parts! That included brakes, bearings, gears, shocks, bushings, U-joints.

So...While Mad-Mic is right abou the engine, no doubt it will cost at least what the car is worth in good ready working order to get it decent.

You asked for opinions, so that is mine.

Otherwise, it sounds like a great candidate for a mod car where you do what you want...ie, racing seats, custom dash with analog gauges, custom rims, body panels, etc....

 

[92ghost]

As long as you have a different car for your daily driver, and have some extra time and cash on hand then go for it. However, don't expect to make money on it after you fix all that is wrong. You will be lucky to break even at best in my opinion. Even if you are very mechanically inclined and have a friend with a paint booth etc. the parts alone will cost a considerable amount. I say go for it... but do it to have fun and pride in restoring an 85.

 

[tyrel]

I don't mean to sound like a smartass, but the car is worth what you're willing to put into it. I too have been tempted many times at the occasional $3,000 Corvette that "needs work", most notably a ragged out 1987 convertible that kept me tossing and turning at night a few months ago...I wound up passing on it. Why? Because it's a lot of work and the parts can be expensive, just like 69myway says. So I did a spreadsheet of numbers, and I pull it out every time I see a car that needs work, just to remind myself that it will take at least $10k to bring it back to good condition, and maybe another $5-10k back to cherry condition.

Sure, for a couple thousand you can get it running again, and it will be a fun car to drive, but it won't look like much. Chasing down rattles leads to more parts, like wheel bearings at least $200 each, and if you need them on all four corners that's $800. And if your a/c compressor is gone, there's another $400. Oops, new u-joints, that's another $300. Oh, the water pump is gone, another $100. Oh no, a nail through the sidewall, have to buy a new tire and while you're at it, you notice the others are bald, so there's at least $800 for new tires. Damn, the dash went out, that's another $300. Alternator's gone, another $100. Battery is dead, another $60. Power brake booster is hissing, another $200. It goes on and on.

And this is all assuming you can do the work yourself and not have it towed to an independent mechanic for $65 an hour, because god knows you don't want to take it to the service department of the Chevrolet dealer unless you want to take a second mortgage on your house.

Here's what I suggest: If you love the car that much, then rely on your everyday driver to get you where you need and slowly restore your Corvette over a couple of years, adding parts here and there. There's lots of deals on used parts on Ebay. If you're looking for an everyday driver, I suggest you pass on this one and plan on spending more money on something more reliable.

Just my two cents.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

We have been doing ¨project¨ cars and bikes for over 30 years. These projects include a Bug-Eye Sprite, XKE, 60&63 Vette, Porsche 912, Morgan+4, Mercedes 190, at least 10 British, German, and Italian bikes and lots of other less distinctive rides. Here are a few lessons we have learned over the years:

Multiply your cost projections by 3, and then add about 25% just to be sure.

Have the cash in hand for every part you buy. Borrowing money to finance a non-running car is just plain dumb.

Multiply you time projections by 5.

If the vehicle has been out of production for more than 10 years expect critical parts to be unavailable, get ready to scrounge E-bay or the Junkyards and be willing to marry a girl who’s father owns a machine shop.

Do not expect to be married to the same person at the end of the project.

Do not expect any finical profit from a ¨project car¨. Your profit will be the enjoyment of the ¨project¨.

Now, if you really want a project, go for it.

As I type this we have 2 long-term projects in the shop and I am looking for a ZR-1 project.:duh

Good luck, if you go for it, will be here to help.

 

[RedRagTop]

If the engine is in fact new with 20K on it and only a gasket needed to get running the parts alone are worth 2K. They all rattle after a while so this does not have to mean major repairs are required. How are other major componants? Any work history? How many miles does the rest of the car have on it? Can you check the wheel bearings, dash etc. before you buy?
I assume it is a coupe.

 

[Blown85]

Thanks everyone. The thing is, I am buying it from a guy here at work who has been using it to commute for years. I have seen it in the parking lot every day with it's oxidized paint and door panels that are falling off and I always stop and look at it. I think to myself: "If I ever got my hands on that car, I would fix it up". Well, the guy who owns it was asking me some engine related technical questions the other day and I asked him about the car. He said it needed and new intake manifold and he didn't have the time to fix it and his wife is getting ****ed that he has too many projects laying around (I'm sure most of us here can relate with that one). It's kind of a beater, but I thought it would be cool to drive a vette to work, beater or not. I mostly work on drag boats so I have a lot of general chevy motor experience (well, at least big block chevy) and I always wanted one of these. It looks like you could practically reassemble a junker from parts from ecklers and e-bay and wherever. I knew vettes had a big following but I din't know it was THIS big This might be a way for me to own one for cheap, and slowly put it back to par. I always thought the 4+3 was the trans to have. I was kinda shocked when people started telling me that it's actually a negative thing....