1979 Corvette w/ a 350, suggestions?

Time to buy a car, I found a 79 vette in the paper for 5800 obo, I'm gonna try to haggle him down to 4500 (condition is a factor I suppose). He claims its in excellent condition, or so it said in the paper, I haven't called yet, so I wouldn't know if its a stingray (here's hoping it is). Says T-top, red (color condition excellent), power windows, power locks, has a 350 w/ a m12 transmission :yup::yup: so that's like a huge plus :happy:, also has aluminum rims and says it runs good.

Now the reason I'm posting is this, does anyone on this board have a 79 corvette or run a 350 engine? I wanna know, like gas wise, is it gonna be uber expensive or highly expensive (hey we all know its gonne be expensive either way, lesser of two evils I suppose)? Also, should I go for something else as a first car?

Reason it caught my eye is cuz I've always wanted an old skool stingray corvette, red or blue (if its blue, then w/ white racing stripes :cool:) and I mean the 350 is like icing on the cake.

Just wanted your suggestions, what would you do?

I strongly advise against getting this as a first car. Just think about insurance costs. :pinch:

If you have to even ask if it's going to cost you "gas wize" then it's not for you.

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Originally Posted by Virtualbody1234

I strongly advise against getting this as a first car. Just think about insurance costs. :pinch:

If you have to even ask if it's going to cost you "gas wize" then it's not for you.

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lmfao, I realize that insurance is gonna be up the ass and gas wise I know approax how much it'll cost, but I mean, 5800 obo, that's an awesome price for a 79 vette :(

It'll definitely suck gas. No doubt there's a reason the guy is selling it so cheaply.

:shuriken:

probably 8-12mpg, and if this is your first car, the insurance is going to be insane.

It'll bleed you dry :s

And if you want a Corvette, then buy a 1967 or 1969 Stingray :D

If I had loads of money and didn't give a fuck about the environment I'd have one of them :lol:

Get an insurance quote before even phoning the seller.

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Originally Posted by Chewie UK

Get an insurance quote before even phoning the seller.

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Ya that's for sure, and this would be my 2nd car (buying), but nonetheless, the insurance company will be up my ass on a daily basis digging for money :unsure:

Man when it comes to vette's fuck the environment (damn you hypocritical thoughts :pinch:)! This car is a beaut, well not this one, but the 69 stingray like Skweeky said, those things are just plaing beautiful cars, along w/ the 69 mustang :D.

Guess I'll have to play the waiting game, prob wont be buying a "dream" car like this till I'm like 25 or something :(:(:(:cry:

And ya the price did strike me as odd, there's something obviously wrong with it, no sane person would sell their baby for that cheap unless it's seriously fucked up or they need the cash bad.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

You win again you stupid waiting game :dry:

8 MPG at the most, premium only. 10,000 mi/yr @ $3 gallon = $3,750 yr gasoline. $4,000 a yr insurance, assuming separate policy teen age driver. $1,500 yr repairs, just the parts. Maintenance at least $200 yr, synthetic oil, filters etc, parts only. At least 2 speeding tickets a yr, $250 x 2 = $500.

So $5,800 purchase price.
$3,750 gas
$4,000 insurance
$1,500 repairs
$200 maintenance
$500 speeding tickets

=$15,750 first yr cost of ownership.

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Originally Posted by cpt_azad

Time to buy a car, I found a 79 vette in the paper for 5800 obo, I'm gonna try to haggle him down to 4500 (condition is a factor I suppose). He claims its in excellent condition, or so it said in the paper, I haven't called yet, so I wouldn't know if its a stingray (here's hoping it is). Says T-top, red (color condition excellent), power windows, power locks, has a 350 w/ a m12 transmission :yup::yup: so that's like a huge plus :happy:, also has aluminum rims and says it runs good.

Now the reason I'm posting is this, does anyone on this board have a 79 corvette or run a 350 engine? I wanna know, like gas wise, is it gonna be uber expensive or highly expensive (hey we all know its gonne be expensive either way, lesser of two evils I suppose)? Also, should I go for something else as a first car?

Reason it caught my eye is cuz I've always wanted an old skool stingray corvette, red or blue (if its blue, then w/ white racing stripes :cool:) and I mean the 350 is like icing on the cake.

Just wanted your suggestions, what would you do?

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If you bought it, you'd own one of the biggest dogs Chevrolet ever built, a smog-mobile that'd be hard pressed to break 16 seconds in the quarter.

No Corvette built during that period is worth it's fiberglas, and that is precisely why the price is so "reasonable".

Other Corvette owners would laugh at you.

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Originally Posted by Skweeky

It'll bleed you dry :s

And if you want a Corvette, then buy a 1697 Stingray :D

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Yeah, if you can find one of those, you could sell it and get 10 ZL-1s, 20-30 C-6s, a bunch of '63 split-windows, a couple of '53s, L88s...the sky's the limit.

You could probably even afford insurance. :D

BTW-

The chances of damaging the environment with a '79 'vette would be minimal; it had quite possibly the most comprehensive collection of anti-smog hardware ever jammed under the hood of any automobile in history.

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Originally Posted by cpt_azad

Guess I'll have to play the waiting game, prob wont be buying a "dream" car like this till I'm like 25 or something :(:(:(:cry:

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:lol:

:shuriken:

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Originally Posted by MagicNakor

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Originally Posted by cpt_azad

Guess I'll have to play the waiting game, prob wont be buying a "dream" car like this till I'm like 25 or something :(:(:(:cry:

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:lol:

:shuriken:

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Indeed.

Though I actually thought :noes:

Certainly not unless we learn the proper speeling of "plaing".

Theres a time to be cool, and a time to be smart. Whats the point of having the damn thing if you cant afford to drive it. Your best bet is going for something like a honda, saturn, izuzu..the list of ricers go on. Good mpg, good reliability..cool upgrades.

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Originally Posted by Smith

Theres a time to be cool, and a time to be smart...

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...neither of those would be a good time to buy a '79 'vette. :sick:

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Originally Posted by j2k4

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Originally Posted by Smith

Theres a time to be cool, and a time to be smart...

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...neither of those would be a good time to buy a '79 'vette. :sick:

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:lol: True..its such an ugly car lol. Please dont tell me its that off white colour :sick:

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Originally Posted by Smith

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Originally Posted by j2k4

...neither of those would be a good time to buy a '79 'vette. :sick:

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:lol: True..its such an ugly car lol. Please dont tell me its that off white colour :sick:

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Oi, if its a stingray 79 then its a beaut. car, obviously the 69 is better :cool2: and no its not ugly off white :sick:

Oh, and although ricers are reliable, i despise their uglyness :sick: screw upgrade I aint gangsta like that. :happy:

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Originally Posted by j2k4

If you bought it, you'd own one of the biggest dogs Chevrolet ever built, a smog-mobile that'd be hard pressed to break 16 seconds in the quarter.

No Corvette built during that period is worth it's fiberglas, and that is precisely why the price is so "reasonable".

Other Corvette owners would laugh at you.

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Originally Posted by Skweeky

It'll bleed you dry :s

And if you want a Corvette, then buy a 1697 Stingray :D

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Yeah, if you can find one of those, you could sell it and get 10 ZL-1s, 20-30 C-6s, a bunch of '63 split-windows, a couple of '53s, L88s...the sky's the limit.

You could probably even afford insurance. :D

BTW-

The chances of damaging the environment with a '79 'vette would be minimal; it had quite possibly the most comprehensive collection of anti-smog hardware ever jammed under the hood of any automobile in history.

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A wise man indeed, must have been a wrench turner at some point in his life ;)

The car is more than likely a piece of junk if he’s willing to sell it for that price. It probably needs a shit load of work, which is going to cost a fortune and that’s probably the reason they’re getting rid of it.

so it's probably going to be something along these lines-
http://www.angelfire.com/mo3/mycars/79corvette.html

I also forgot to mention what a piece of shit this thing is to work on. You won’t be able to perform any routine maintenance on the car because it’s just too difficult. The only thing that you’ll be able to do is put gas in it, which you’ll be doing often. Any of the other work that will need to be done will have to be taken to a well qualified automotive technician like myself.

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Originally Posted by BigBank_Hank

I also forgot to mention what a piece of shit this thing is to work on. You won’t be able to perform any routine maintenance on the car because it’s just too difficult. The only thing that you’ll be able to do is put gas in it, which you’ll be doing often. Any of the other work that will need to be done will have to be taken to a well qualified automotive technician like myself.

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what makes it so difficult? I've never had the pleasure of turning wrenches on a corvette, so I wouldn't know.

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Originally Posted by BigBank_Hank

I also forgot to mention what a piece of shit this thing is to work on. You won’t be able to perform any routine maintenance on the car because it’s just too difficult. The only thing that you’ll be able to do is put gas in it, which you’ll be doing often. Any of the other work that will need to be done will have to be taken to a well qualified automotive technician like myself.

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Fill me in, I have never actually worked on a vette before :(, and ya I checked it out today, not worth it, loads of problems with it, the fucking electrical system in that car is a mess, no headlights (even tho they're new), what the hell is a radio, and the speedometer doesnt even work :pinch:

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Originally Posted by cpt_azad

what the hell is a radio, and the speedometer doesnt even work

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just tell people that you got the "radio delete" option for high perfomance, and you broke the speedometer from going to fast. you just gotta put a positive spin on things you see...

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Originally Posted by Tempestv

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Originally Posted by cpt_azad

what the hell is a radio, and the speedometer doesnt even work

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just tell people that you got the "radio delete" option for high perfomance, and you broke the speedometer from going to fast. you just gotta put a positive spin on things you see...

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:lol::lol: love your optimism

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Originally Posted by Tempestv

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Originally Posted by BigBank_Hank

I also forgot to mention what a piece of shit this thing is to work on. You won’t be able to perform any routine maintenance on the car because it’s just too difficult. The only thing that you’ll be able to do is put gas in it, which you’ll be doing often. Any of the other work that will need to be done will have to be taken to a well qualified automotive technician like myself.

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what makes it so difficult? I've never had the pleasure of turning wrenches on a corvette, so I wouldn't know.

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Ultra-tight fits, lots of special toolage, fiberglas doesn't rust, but causes other one-off concerns with electrical stuff and radio interference.

Independent rear works great until it breaks (which it inevitably will), and then will be a pain forever.

All of this alongside the fact the car is a performance pig; absolutely the worst.

Power-to-weight ratio compares poorly to a bicycle.

Any decent six-banger could rip the paint-job off it.

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Originally Posted by BigBank_Hank

The car is more than likely a piece of junk if he’s willing to sell it for that price. It probably needs a shit load of work, which is going to cost a fortune and that’s probably the reason they’re getting rid of it.

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A piece of junk when it was new, then likely abused to the point of no return.

Where you been, Hank? :)