Rookie looking at 78 Silver L82

VetteDreamer : Sounds to me like you should take Brian up on his offer. He appears to have a very good handle on the C3 you are looking at. He has also posted a couple of cars that might just fit your requirements.
The Hagerty price guide he posted is not too far off. Have a good look at it, lots of very good information there. AS said, it is a buyer's market..lots of cars out there...and one will find you when you least expect it.
 
Thanks Ron. Am having trouble learning the ropes re this forum. Have lost a few notes. Your offer is generous but before we talk I should update everyone of the car I saw yesterday. Beneath all the oil and grease there lies a one owner 78 SA L82 w/4speed but to be honest, I could not tell if the car was leaking fluid from every orifice. The owner has been spray bombing the metal including the engine for years to prevent rust. He seemed as honest as the day is long but the car was, for me, impossible to assess. More as I catch up with others who have posted.
 
Thanks Caledon Brian... I'm getting a good feeling about this forum. It seems lots of folks are willling to help one another. Not sure I have found the right car. The one I saw may have been the 'diamond in the rough' but I need expertise to see through the mess it was in and the price is too high I'm learning.
 
Hello CCO... apololgies to all for intermittent use and short burst replies. The forum has overwhelmed me with good advice and offers to help. Amazing. I was away from home, looking at the prospective car, looking after my grandsons (degree of difficulty = 10 out of 10) and did not have great access to the web. Thanks to everyone. I'm making progress at least with making a decision on the car I saw yesterday in Concord.
 
Thanks Riley P for the warm welcome. I think I need to slow down and learn more before I wade into the water so to speak. The ad and follow-up phone got my attention because of "one owner", "original owner", "have bill of sale", "untouched original car", etc. The owner and I were on different planets when it comes to care and maintenance. I think I'm walking away from this although there could be a treasure under all that grease and oil spray I saw. Big bellows of blue smoke on start up scared me too. Ken
 
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To C3 Forum Contributors

Your offers to help and your advice overwhelmed me. I'm struggling initially with how to enter my responses. The Forum layout is quite different to another I belong to on British cars so bear with me. Due to your interest my reply here will be lengthy, sorry guys.

The 78 SilverAnn I looked at seemed like the real deal. Original owner with his bill of sale, L82 badge on engine hood... heads had finned valve covers, 4 speed trans, original paint and pin striping... in fact everything was original as far as I could tell including the tires. They were 35 years old! Mileage was approx 27,500 kms. The car reads like a dream discovery but looks like heck. The owner does not see the
 
RUN AWAY!
better cars are out there.....my car is 10 years newer, but with 93K....the underside is spotless! For that price, you should have a turn-key car, not what you said with all those issues. If it was a RARE Vette, worth big bucks, than I would look past it, but that is way too many issues. Do you have your heart set on THAT particular model? expand your search, and wait for the right car! (you would be dropping a substantial amount of money on a potential money pit IMHO)
 
Range said:
RUN AWAY!
better cars are out there.....my car is 10 years newer, but with 93K....the underside is spotless! For that price, you should have a turn-key car, not what you said with all those issues. If it was a RARE Vette, worth big bucks, than I would look past it, but that is way too many issues. Do you have your heart set on THAT particular model? expand your search, and wait for the right car! (you would be dropping a substantial amount of money on a potential money pit IMHO)
Click to expand...


You are right friend. Ken
 
I'll tell a little story of my search for a C3 last year. I too have always wanted an L82 4 speed car but I like the years up to '77 for my own reasons.

Last June, I found an ad for a '77 L82 4 speed 2.5 hours from home for $12,000. After much questioning over the phone, I made the drive after work one to look at it. I had been told over the phone that the paint was original but faded; very true. The car had some mechanical issues but was a one owner car. After adding up in my head the cost of a paint job, some minor repairs And the fact that the best price was $10,500; I decided to pass. I really wanted that car but I didn't have the money to fix it right.

Two weeks later, I found my present '75 with $9,000 in repairs bills, a 10 year old paint job that still looks good and a good base to continue to improve upon but one that I can drive now and enjoy as well.

Your car is out there. It will find you.
 
On Kijiji alone, there are a LOT of cars and they are not moving very quickly so you have lots of time to think. Don't ever feel pressured in your buying decision. If you have decided exactly what you want, just wait. It will show up. We looked for over a year and ended up with the car we wanted, low mileage, 13K miles, colour, silver, six speed and 1SB package. A year and 12K miles later, we know we made the right decision. It's a lot of money to spend on something so it had better be right. Your car is out there. Let friends know that you are looking. You never know where your car is going to come from. Talk to a car appraiser. These guys know where stuff is stashed away. Last year a guy I know bought a '64 Corvette that was stashed less than 10 miles from our place. An appraiser friend put him onto it.
 
Thx Keith... I can indeed wait. If I can sell my body-off resto 76 TR6 I'll know I'm personally serious and committed re a closer-to-perfect 78 vette or a rod. Pre 68 is not affordable IMHO hence the focus on the 78... it's something special to me. I can't believe this man did what he did to his 78 unless of course he is hiding something which I don't believe... he seems genuine. Ken.
 
Brian... I called the owner of the 78 tonight and explained my concerns over oil & grease hiding the truth, lack of certification, etc. He was most accommodating and is having his mechanic come over to work on the car tomorrow - Sunday. A pre assessment prep for certification me thinks. Bottom line, this guy seems genuine but his car is in a state that is way outside of our normal expectations... I am starting to believe the car is good but he has no idea that the hobby demands more from a car that is for sale.

I may be in touch with you for advice or a look see. The car is at Dufferin & Steeles which I appreciate is not too handy for you so we can talk. I will get in touch after tomorrow and my next chat with this seller re his adjusted price and willingness to serve up a genuine certifiable quality car. If I can't get comfortable with his next moves I won't bother you.

BTW, does my comment earlier about what I saw above the gas tank under the car seem correct? A reddish brown primer? Maybe I should connect with you outside the forum and send pictures. Ken
 
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