what are the things to look for when purchasing a '75 corvette??

[shanonm13]

i am interested in purchasing a '75 corvette..and i would like to know what to look for..such as mechanical things..

thank you!

 

[inferno-vette]

Well surprise, surprise, Corvettes do rust so look for it! Any thing else is fixable!

 

[jimred75]

I would check out the rear body mounts for age, mine were pretty much rusted and cracked, else just wear on exhaust for leaks and if its a ttop check out the rubber, you not get rained if only washing but doing a little speed, its always odd how a drip gets in.

 

[wolf_walker]

Brakes and rear end problems, specificaly the wheel bearings back there. Funky noise, grinding in the rear, funny tire wear, tires tilted at odd angles, lots of play, noisy and/or weak brakes.
I could go on for hours...

 

[Big Fish]

Look especially well above the 2 gussets that are welded to the bottom of the frame in front of the rear wheels. The gussets form a sort of crap collector above there and that is where you will most likely find rustout. Anything mechanical can be fixed easily, but to do a frame off repair you have to go all the way. Paid a grand for mine, probably will have 10 in it before it leaves the driveway, not including a paint job.

 

[SilverMN6]

"Chevrolet Corvette Restoration Guide" by Lindsay Potter, MBI Publishing Company, has a very good chapter called, appropriately, "Buying a Used Corvette". It contains a lot of good advice on what to look for, what to avoid, etc.

Most major bookstore will carry it, or you can go to www.motorbooks.com.