So You Want To Buy A Corvette Project 

1983 was the year no corvette was made This body style was from 1980-1982 (No 4-spds in 1982 although was year of the collectors addition) Great job doing the over all review.

My 82 was that project. A friend wanted me to build a hot rot for him after seeing me build an old truck. At first he thought of buying a Factory Five kit. After seeing the stupid amount of hours for the build he decided on a Corvette. He found a good looking 82 that was in fair mechanical condition and had been repainted a few years prior for $6500. He drove it for a year while we where collecting parts for the build. The first big purchase was the Dart SHP 427 from Tri Star engines. The base engine was $14k. Then another $4k for the FAST EFI system and another $2.5k for tue custom one-off serpentine accessory drive. It has an MSD pro billet distributor with the 6AL-2 and HVC 2 coil. The car was completely stripped bare. I removed, bagged, and labeled everything. The whole suspension was stripped, blasted, repainted, and rebuilt. Industrial steel reinforced fuel lines where installed along with a new fuel tank. The FAST supplied fuel pump and filters where mounted where the spare tire use to go; it's a large pump. The interior was stripped clean and all of the wiring removed. The interior was originally saddle tan. Dynamat was laid down throughout the interior. A new Charcoal Grey interior for 1982 was purchased from Corvette Central. I installed leather seats on top of the original dyed seat frames. The fun part was all of the wiring. I installed a keyless entry and ignition system with a hidden emergency backup system. The BCM controls everything, lights, windows, ignition, and locks. On top of that I installed a Dakota Digital instrument system with headlight control and attained power accessories. The car operates the same as modern cars where you just walk up to the car and the doors unlock and interior lights turn on. Just press the brakes and touch the start button. Once you park you touch the start button and walk away. The system will close the windows, lock the doors and set the alarm. I used heavy duty Industrial relays for everything. I built a board to mount all of the breakers for every circuit. The sound system is a Kenwood head unit with Polk Audio speakers. All of the weatherseals was replaced. New tires where installed on Z06 wheels with adapters. Brakes are performance ceramic pads with drilled and slotted discs. Because of the aggressive cam it has very little vacuum. I installed a hydroboost system from Hydratech and did an electric headlight conversion. After disappointing performance from a newly rebuilt steering system with a new steering box (too much end play) I installed a Steeroids rack and pinion system. Engine cooling is done with a performance radiator and fan system from Griffin. It's good to a 1000hp. I used an aluminum shorty pump from Jegs. The AC was completely rebuilt and an upgraded 220 amp alternator keeps everything charged. After some trial and error I found the correct power steering pump that works with the hydroboost and steering rack. The car handles like a dream. It's stupid fast, steers quick, and stops on a dime with no brake pedal effort. This car is flat out amazing. The previous owner I built car for lost interest in the car. He is a big guy and struggled to get in and out of it. He offered it to me first since I built the car. Of course I couldn't turn it down. Will I ever turn it loose? Don't know ow if I could. I love this car far too much now. 😍

Looking at a project c3 right now, I’m curious how much money you think it’ll take to fix up. The motor and trans are rebuilt and in good condition, but the AC doesn’t work, headlights don’t go up, powers steering leaks/doesn’t work, and seats are in rough shape.

Good looking C3 , it’s worth being a project car to get back on the road. It would be a shame to part out 🇺🇸

I use to live down the street from where they built corvettes in st.louis mo. My older brother worked there at the Gm.plant.

That's better than the 1980 vett I own.

I buy abandoned old C3 and C4 vettes myself. The one I'm rebuilding now is an 81, found under a tree, at a chicken farm in the middle of nowhere. It's a fully loaded optioned vette, but needed everything. I've already rebuilt the rear and front ends, frame is good, just had surface rust on it. Rebuilt the 350 motor, had 86k on it, rebuilt the tranny, and doing body and paint now. Between the companies that make parts, and corvette salvage yards, i have found all the parts i need. New wiring, vacume lines through out. Be in paint this fall, final assembly next spring. I'll have around 12k in it when finished. My wife has claimed it for her summer car, so it's staying in the family. Next is a 74 I got for 7200. Love my hobby.

i wouldnt buy it if it doesnt run. I can live with everything else but the engine and transmission problem. everything else is an easy fix without all the costs. engine and trans are not gonna be cheap. But i do love those seats and how they are in excellent conditon.

Did you end up selling it ?

Ha… I laughed when you said “public service announcement “. A lot of wannabe Corvette owners need to listen to this excellent advice. Let me know when you bring it to Baytown… that would definitely be worth a 45 minute drive.

So are you still selling it or did you part it out?

2000 cash wher it at

How much as it is

Great video. Great advice. My vote would be to save the ol girl!

I will never buy another project car again!!! After spending 29K on a 72 four years ago and put another 60K in restoration and its not even an LT-1!!!!!( Canadian funds)🤣🤣🤣

If people are handing you corvette’s..I’ll take one lol my dream is to build a c4 with my daughter

I would strip it down and turn it into a drag car. However, I would still do it right and pull the body and front clip off. If that wasn't possible at least put it on a rack so you could do the job right. Otherwise, this car looks to me like a full restoration.

Im seeing lots of potential in that rig. I myself am not into Vettes so much but that car could be fixed up real nice. Throw a 454 or 396 in it mmhmm...Away a guy goes.

Wow

Where can I buy corvette seats? I have a 1980

Good video

if you paid more than 1000 you good news you will loose not much

Long time street car owner. Looking at a C4 96 model for my first time Vette

LS swap it - leave the body rat rod - drive the shit out of it

it would not be worth a restoration the cost would be more than its worth , maybe fixing it for just a driver maybe, drag car i would think would cost a bit too

lol,did you start to say the Republic of California lolol

I've refurbished a number of older cars (15-35 years old), and currently have a 1988 Corvette manual coupe project underway. I try _never_ to buy cars with serious cosmetic or structural problems. Mechanical issues I don't worry about, because I'm a knowledgeable and proficient mechanic, and I have a suitable place to do that kind of work. But, paint and body repair are properly done in specialized facilities. Yes, you _can_ cover a car with paint in your garage, or in your back yard -- and the results will almost certainly suck. If it's a beater car, then fine. I've done minor things on those myself. But on 'Project Dream-Car' purchases, exterior cosmetics and the absence of significant rust are my top priorities. To have those things fixed professionally is eye-wateringly expensive. Interior parts can be very expensive, too, but really are not in the same league. As of now, most C3 and C4 Corvettes just aren't worth enough money to justify $15,000-$30,000 paint and body jobs. At some point, values may rise enough, but it hasn't happened yet. Certainly not for cars with 100k miles and automatic transmissions. The drag strip / hotrod mission discussed in this video is probably the best that can be done with this car, other than parting it out.

Looks like a pretty decent car. I would put a big inch SBC and a modified 700r4 and 3:55 gears. Remount the nose and replace the dash and steering wheel. then change the cross member to one from an older Vette and true dual exhaust. What do you think?

How much are you asking, and where are you ?

Hey man do you have any heads for a 92-96 lt1 for sale?

It's a parts car only worth 2k ❤

Restomod it