stingray buying help

[younggun]

I've just found a 74 coupe for sale by the second owner who says the first owners had two people pushing the car out of the garage and cracked the bumper, now hears the part iam a little worried about, the car is black with a brown bumper, doing so research i dont think black was a paint optian that year, the second owner thinks the car was origanly brown but isn't sure, plus the motor was rebuilt with only 69k on it, first iam wondering is this worth it because I think that the car was most likely rear ended, and second do you need to rebuild and engine with only 69000 orignal mile on it (or could that be just from ageing part why it was rebuild), now back to the bumper, the second owner has only had the car for 7 months and is selling it because it was his wifes car and "she is to sick to drive" so he never got around to fixing the bumper for her. My question 1. does this story sound real or does it sound like a hoax 2. if this is for real how much would it cost to paint the bumper to match the rest of the car.

 

[L48]

Check the trim tag inside the door jam on the driver side. It is on the A pillar just above the door hinge. That will tell you the paint code. This link will tell you all the available codes in 1974: http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/c3/1974/74prod.html

How much are they asking for the car?

If you don't beleive their story see if you can take the car to a good mechanic to have it looked at. Anyone with experience with Vettes will know where the repairs are if it was rear ended.

 

[younggun]

The cars 10 grand

but the part iam curious about is why was the engine rebuilt, the first owner did put a few small mods on it

 

[78SilvAnniv]

When was it rebuilt? If a vehicle sat for any length of time to allow seals and gaskets to dry out, any engine would possibly be in need of a rebuild. My original engine made it to 190k, but we drove it daily. I'd be happy with the rebuild if it was fresh. (Less than a few years old) If you buy, ask and write down the mods they made to the engine.
Heidi

 

[jdp6000]

The cars 10 grand

but the part iam curious about is why was the engine rebuilt, the first owner did put a few small mods on it

Sounds like a lot for a 1974. Aside from the bumper is the rest of the car mint?

Jim

 

[Willis76]

Could be any number of reasons why something failed in an engine. Sometimes miles has little to do with it. Also, people have their own varied definitions of the word rebuild.

Suggest you take the car to someone who knows C3s and have them go over it with you. Ask plenty of questions and drive it like you would if it were yours, well within some reason.

If it checks out and it's what you want - great. Just remember - try not to fall in love with the first one (like many of us have) because there are too many good cars out there looking for a new home. You can buy a lot C4 for $10K too, but I love the C3s.

Good luck!

 

[MMM]

This may not be important to you, but I have been told that original equipment type rear bumper (two piece) are not available for '74 cars, either from GM or aftermarket.

I believe a one piece aftermarket bumper (with the dividing line molded in) is available and that will work. The lack of the OEM type is only a problem if you want to keep the car stock appearing.
Mike

 

[goertz]

be very suspicious with motor rebuilds on low mileage cars. There's a reason for the rebuild, and it's probably because the car doesn't have low miles. on cars of this age, finding one with under 100k is difficult at best. I've seen a million cars that the owner says "it has 30k original miles on it". yeah right. just because the odometer says 30k doesn't mean it hasn't rolled over a few times. Check things like wear on the pedal pads, shifter, steering wheel, etc. Heavy wear on these areas is indicative of high miles. 10 grand is a lot for a '74, it's not a bumper car. There is some yahoo on eBay right now advertising a '72, with an entire '73 front end, and something stupid like 25k original miles. anyone who knows anything can look at the pictures and tell you it's at least 125K, but more than likely 225k. All of this seller's crap cars he lists are "low miles". none of them are. it's a blue '72, in NY. you can see it on ebay right now. just keep in mind, these cars are 30+ years old. I have a 1999 Trans Am, it has 72k on it, and it's only 6 years old. no one bought these cars thinking they would be worth $$$ some day, so they were probably not bought and just sat around. they were driven.

 

[74bigblock]

Pull a front wheel off and look to see if the rotor is still riveted to the spindle. If it is, then chances are you have a low mile car. I paid 12.8K for my '74 big block. It had 38K miles on it with a fresh rebuild. the car sat for 12 years... this is why it was rebuilt.

 

[srs244]

the trim plate should also be able to give you the info you seek regarding the original exterior color and original interior color. it is located in the driver's side door jam (front upper under the window pillar). if it's missing, i'd be real leary of the car on general principles. (just my 2 cents worth).

 

[younggun]

sorry for not getting back right away. I decided not to get the car because of the bumper and I just wasn't really 100% happy with the car, I would rather have one with a chrome bumper and a big block and a vert (like from the movie Rush Hour) but if I keep saving I might beable to get a cheap c5 or a really nice c4, And thanks for the buying tips I will try to remeber them if Iam ever looking at a stingray again

 

[Crimson Thunder]

The "Rush Hour" car was a small block.It was in Vette magazine a while ago.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Pull a front wheel off and look to see if the rotor is still riveted to the spindle. If it is, then chances are you have a low mile car.

My '73 has at least 125,000 miles on it and still has the original front rotors riveted to the hubs. I don't think that this is a good indicator of mileage on Corvettes.