Young'n looking for clues...

[Eventhelosers05]

Hey everyone,

I have actually been a member of CAC for a very, very, long time. I believe since maybe 2002! At this time am turning 23....

Well, I am now outta college, and am looking to finally get my dream car as I have a great new job and am looking to sink money into something. Needless to say, I also want a project car!

Anyway, here are some questions I can't seem to find the answers to, and hopefully someone here can help me out!

First, what are the best places to find these fine vehicles? eBay Motors, classifieds, trader mags...? I am far from rich, so I will of course be waiting until I find the perfect car...

How much has everyone here put into their restorations? Are the any specific catalogs know for better quality at their price?

Lastly, When looking for the perfect vette, what are the most important things to look at? Is there anything that I should just walk away from?

Well, those are just my first questions! To the people of CAC - this is a great site, and I have been reading it for years! Keep up the good work!

 

[mkapp7879]

You can often find something in the Chicago Tribune newspaper, antique and classics section. Ebay has probably the biggest selection but you need to know what you are doing. Definitely go to look at any car you may be interested in. I have purchased 2 Vettes OFF Ebay. I wait til after the auction is over to contact the seller and discuss the car. Nicer ones usually don't reach reserve, too many buyers looking to get too good of a deal.The collector car sites seem to me to usually be overpriced, but occasionally a bargain may turn up. Don't know how much of a project you're looking for but I would spend the most I could for the initial outlay. Stay away from rusted frames and birdcages. Consider a later C3,78-82, as there are some bargains out there for low mileage. If you need to ship it, add that to the cost. Maybe $1 per mile or thereabouts. Most good restorations cost more than finding an excellent low mile example. I recently paid $13K for an original 11,000 mile L82 79. Feel it was a bargain. Good luck in finding something to your liking. Mike

 

[paintdaddy]

I think the best places to look for project cars are either ebay or swap meets.The cost of restoration work depends on how much you want to do your self and how much you want to contract out.There has been alot of discussion on this in the past.As far as prices on parts ,my opinion is either Corvette America or Corvette Central for small items and hardware.Big items are best to be bought through ebay or The last Detail ,and sometimes the Manufacturer if you know who they are.The things I would stand clear of ,being a newbie,is any car with alot of one year parts.68s are known for this ,of course this only matters if you want it to be original or close to it.Thats about all the advice I can give for now.

 

[Erik S. Klein]

You need to know what you want out of the project before you can decide what goes in.

Do you want a driver that you can make your own? If so then you've got more starting options since you don't have to worry about "correct" parts. Just get the car that has the right potential and work it up to your dreams.

Do you want a racer (Auto-X or dragstrip)? You'll want the newest car you can get your hands on, IMO, to get the most potential.

Do you want an NCRS type show-car? You'll want to find a basically complete, numbers-matching vehicle that you can spend countless hours (and dollars) seeking the perfect parts to finish it off.

Check for the basics for any of these - a clean title, a clean CarFax, and a clean car - be especially aware of rust issues with the older ones.

IMO it's best to spend your money on someone else's work or restoration. The closer the car is to your idea of perfect the less you'll have to spend on getting it done and you'll save in the long run.

Best of luck and enjoy the search!

 

[Eventhelosers05]

I am looking for not a racer or even a show car, but my car! I have spent years and years trying to decide exactly which model I want too, because I gaurantee that this is the only one I ever own - so I want it to be perfect, naturally!

Unfortunately, the 71' with LS5/6 is not gonna be cheap!

Thank you for all of your answers, and I will check out the eBay scheme you mentioned Mike, real sneaky. I like it too much!

I was a mechanic in high school and from there comes the desire to fix up a car. I'll probably do a little myself, but rather just help my friends and the shop when they do it for me!

Again, thanks all for everything!