Opinions on 1982 Corvette

[Rogue]

Hi everyone. New to the forum.

I'm currently considering purchasing a 1982 Corvette and I was wondering if you guys and gals can give me some expert/experienced advice. I have never owned a Corvette. This will be my first. I'm buying to restore it to original condition and keep it as my weekend toy.

The car in question is in all original condition with 131k original miles. It is also a 20+ year old car so it needs a lot of work. Body is straight but needs a new paint job. Interior needs to be redone as the upholstery is cracked and surfaces worn from being out in the Socal sun everyday. Althought the dashboard is in good shape. Weatherstripping/rubbermoldings around the doors needs replacement as they're cracked and rotting as well. The seats needs to be replaced. The left side headlight doesn't open. The power antena is broken. It also has an aftermarket CD player with speakers cut out on each door so new door panels need to be fitted.

The car does start right up and idles at around 700 rpm. But, while idling, the car shakes a bit. Not vibrate but shakes. Hmmm....No smoke from the tailpipes though. The engine revs up easily and smooths out once running. There seems to be good power with no unusual noises from the 350 V8. Just a bit loud. The auto tranny has 50k miles on it (it was replaced). The throttle requires a bit more force to push down than what I'm used to in modern cars. The brake pedal goes a long ways down before there's resistance. The car wanders all over the place while at speed. It pulls strongly to the right when brakes are applied. The suspension is stiff and bouncy. The car does have the wrong size tires that are well worn: 275/60/15 on the factory wheels.

The owner wants $5600 for it. I'm thinking I'll need another $5k to restore the interior, body, suspension, & brakes. According to a Corvette publication, a "crummy" 1982 'Vette should be priced at around $6600 so I'm thinking $5600 is good.

What do you all think? Good deal? Can anyone give me an idea how much it would cost to rebuild the engine/tranny/differential? Basically the whole powertrain to factory specs? What about to rebuild the chassis? Like new bushings, shocks, springs, brakes? Is 131k miles a lot so that the engine requires a rebuild?

Will another $5k be enough to bring this once beautiful car back to its original condition? Pls. don't laugh as I'm a neophyte at this but I still really want my Corvette. I just don't have $15k-$30k to pay on a 1995 or newer model with little wear.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Tims93]

For $5600.00 you should be able to drive the car away. From your description it sounds like the car has been neglected for a while, which leads to a long list of unpredictable problems. My opinion is to keep looking, it's a buyers market right now and I think you could find a nice 82 driver for under $10,000 and drive it this summer. A good paint job alone will run at least three grand, which makes makes the restoration of the car you are looking at well over $5,000. If you are going to purchase this vette make sure you get it on a lift and check the frame completely and then try to get the price under 4K. As always though, this is just my 2 cents. Good luck and happy hunting. Tim

 

[jim's82]

Welcome!!!

I love my '82 but it's a money pit. Mine has 39K original miles. Over the past 2 years I've spent ~ $500.00 getting the crossfire working properly (part of the problem was a bad intake man. gasket), stopping oil leaks (not counting all other fluids). $1,200.00 rebuilding the trans. ~ $400.00 getting all new bushings in the rear end, new wheel bearings & all wheel alignment. ~ $300.00 for new power steering pump, control valve & slave cylander (they all leaked). Lost track of the $$ spent when I first got it.... it needed new radiator, water pump & brake system. I'm just now ready to get in to the cosmetics. It needs paint, I've received est. ranging from $3,500.00 to $7,500.00. The intereior's not bad.... just a little sun faded.

My car may have required more than yours will..... mine sat for over 10 yrs without any attention at all before I bought it. Plus, I'm only a "do-it-yourselfer" with the small projects.....

If your willing to travel to get one.... a friend of mine just told me yesterday that his neighbor is selling an '81 for $8,500.00. He didn't know any specifics about the car except he said it looks & runs real good.

Good luck, let me know if traveling to Kansas is even a possibility & I'll get ALL the scoop plus bottom $$ for the black '81 for you.

 

[Neepawa]

I think tims93 is right. Buying the parts for restoring the car can get expensive. Mine needs new interior door panels, but they are almost $400 each, so I have to save my allowance for a while first.

Also, keep in mind that an '82 may never be worth more than $10k, so you don't want to get in too deep unless it is the one that you really want.

You should be able to find a pretty nice late '70's or '80's for around $6 to $8k.

 

[MidShark]

Rogue
For a car with that many miles and needing so much work, $5600 is way too much money. Keep looking, nice cars for decent money are out there. I have an '81 I'm contemplating selling, and it is a nice 82,000 mile car, just needs a little tweaking on the carb, and it's ready to cruise. The only negative is weak paint. I'm thinking about $8500.
Also, for your first car, I'd suggest getting something that's not going to require quite so much work (and money!) It's easy to underestimate the amount of work it will take (and money!) to restore a car, and you could end up at the very least losing your enthusiasm, and maybe your shirt! Get something that needs minor work that you can safely drive while you fix it up, and it will be a lot more fun! Good luck!

Dick

 

[Rogue]

Wow! You guys are great.

I think I need to be more honest that I already am. Digging deep into the logic portions of my brain and dumping the emotions, I have a strong feeling this car will cost at least $10k to restore. I've been searching around the 'net for parts and I can already see the costs spiraling. I will take all your wise advice and keep looking for a 'Vette that's in better running order. It's just that '82 looked so sweet. And being all original with the original owner.....[sigh] the car was crying for a good home and I thought maybe I could provide it. But yeah. An honest assessment reveals a car that needs a considerable amount of work. Thank you all. I'll continue to look. Unless of course the seller of this '82 lowers his price even more!

Jim, thanks for the offer to look into that '81. However, I don't have the time to go over to Kansas and drive back.

 

[2tone81]

My advice. Keep looking.

Some thing low mile and less problems will turn up. The economy is in the tank right now.

82s are a nice car....but like someone else mentioned. you'd be hard pressed to got 10grand for it if you had to sell.

The collector 82 is the money car of that year, and if I were heart set on an 82, that would be the keeper. And as someone else mentioned, they have their particular set of problems.

Not that I'm selling (I'm not) , but my 42,000 mile 81 was 6300.00. Everything worked(every option), new brakes , exhaust,rear end, and battery. That was 3 years ago, before everyones 401k took a crap.
Your deal is still out there. Good Luck. Jim

 

[78SilvAnniv]

My Best Advise:

Buy the best maintained vette you can afford.
If it has documentation of all repairs or upgrades that is even better.

I think you could find within your price-range a vette that someone has taken care of and maintained in a safe and reliable manner...this would provide you with immediate enjoyment as you get to drive it before you have to fix it!
Try to find one that has already been 'restored', the owner will never realize the money spent and you would reap the benefits. Pay now or pay later, for the repairs.
Heidi

Good luck in your search! The right one will come along.

 

[Rogue]

Thanks for all the advice.

Currently shopping on eBay and have found a couple of prospects that meets my budget. Both C4's.

Crossing my fingers.

Gosh. I've always dreamed of having a Corvette. So has the wife. We're both very excited. After years of driving around in 4-bangers & sixes, it would be nice to have that V8 again! We'll see.

BTW, this site is a great resource.

 

[page62]

Try your local newspaper and Auto Trader, too. Ebay can very much be a "hit 'n miss" proposition...

PS: You REALLY want a C3, don't you?

 

[Guy]

I love my 82's and there a lot of deals to be had on low milage ones if you look around. This is the best site on the web for finding Vettes for sale: http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com/ .

Other than usual maintence items like tires, brakes (and one heater core), I've had no problems and I just returned from a 2500 mile round trip today with not even a burp.

I've also had offers on both my 82's for WELL over what I paid, but I'm just having too much fun with them right now.


Guy

 

[BORDERBUM]

Way too much money for the problems that lie ahead. The owner probably thinks he has a classic instead of a neglected moneypit.

What's up with that c4 stuff? Whichever way you go good luck, A vette is America's Sportscar, Welcome to the Pride!!!

GIT R DONE____________________________BORDERBUM

 

[Glensgages]

IMHO, it's a bit much asking price. Ask most ANYBODY who owns a 'nice' C3; you'll have MORE than $10,000 by the time you're done. A fellow I know has a '77 with just 60,000 miles, in very good shape; asking price is less than $10,000. You began talking about an '82; here's a few ('80-'82) from the June issue of CORVETTE TRADER ; they may be a better starting point: Black '80, 76,000 miles, $10,900; Black '80 4-spd, 71k miles, $11,500; Black/Black '81, 60k miles, $11,500; '81, 94k miles, $10,000; White '82, 80k miles, $11,800; Lt. Blue/Dk. Blue '82, 58k miles, $11,000. You don't REALLY wanna get a C4,...., do you???