Buying a ''69 to '72 C3

Rob Williams

Rob Williams

Busy user
Good Evening
I posted on this forum about a week ago and received some very helpful advice from CCC members. I was asking for help with purchasing an early C3 (bumper version)! Any advice really and as I'm new to the Marque didn't (don't) have much experience with these cars. I bit the bullet and became a club member although I seem to have just as many privileges now as I did as a non member. After researching and listening to the advice given by fellow CCC members the car for me is as follows. '69 to '72 C3, big block or small although the big block is amazing! A sound chassis and birdcage, and a complete original car. Matching numbers are not super important to me but yes obviously preferable. I realise that's maybe what everyone is after.
I've been looking in the UK and Europe but then followed a link from one of the forums to the unfortunately named "Car pervert" AKA Johny Smith. This individual has imported several cars from America using a logistical transport company named CFR Rinkens. Well, Johny it seems is well versed in the procedure and makes it sound viable. It looks like there's way more choice over the pond and cheaper prices which make the cost of a shipping agent and 5% import tax worth the hassle!
My big question is, and it wasn't on "Car perverts" video agenda, what is the best way to find the right car. I mean you wouldn't want to buy a car over the phone without seeing it but then it's not like you could just "pop over" for a viewing. Apparently you can pay to have a vehicle checked over before committing but that's a lot of trust! I suppose the obvious thing is to get on a plane have a holiday in America and buy a car at the same time!
As a side note there seems to be cars out there that are in fantastic shape above and below. There's also a lot priced the same but when you get a glance below I'm sort of thinking, to get this car right, the body is going to have to come off anyway. Makes you think better to buy something cheaper and do it yourself!
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who may have been in a similar situation and how they got on. By the way I did contact Gavin from EMC cars who imports and restores C3's. He was very helpful and that's also an avenue I'm looking down
Thanks Rob Williams
 
Rob Williams

Rob Williams

Busy user
Hi, I did follow a link to that auction site and yes they are all very nice cars and right up my street. Just not literally! I'll be watching Maple brothers and do more research to see how best to move forwards. Thanks teamzr1 for the link(y)
 
Emc

Emc

Supporting vendor
Rob, as to your comments " " "buying a car over the phone" with 38 years of importing I would never buy over the phone, the sellers are aware that once you have paid the money and received the car you are unlikely to try and rescind the deal or complain about it. I have driven hundreds of miles in the states only to find the car not as described as always, " buyer be ware" maybe you could come over for a coffee and a chat and get to know corvettes
 
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Boeingdriver

Boeingdriver

CCCUK Member
I was after a 72 or 73 in red. I am new to the marque like you….I read all about these cars and did all the prep but to be honest I am no mechanic and there are some howlers out there . Go and visit Gaviin for a chat (unbelievably knowledgable, helpful and definitely not pushy) and have a look at some of his cars (he has a few in) had my red ‘73 from him last month & cannot rate highly enough….sourced my car in US and kept me abreast of all work done, sent pics of immaculate birdcage and frame, strip down, re -spray, even pics of parts replaced etc, it’s like new above and below..…drives like new, he deffo doesn’t buy rubbish…
All the best.
 
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Roscobbc

Roscobbc

Moderator
Savvy American's know that their cars are definitely on the 'up' price wise in their home country. With C1's and C2's at a premium C3's are gradually catching up. Can't see any of Jon's selection being cheap though.......the real 'pick' could actually be the LT1......lower compression for '71 it might be a little more drivable on today's gas......won't be cheap though.
 
Boeingdriver

Boeingdriver

CCCUK Member
Ps I now have an all original L82 engined ‘73 car. It’s had some great performance enhancements made by the previous owner. I have the original T-top bags, the original owners manual, receipts for work done in the states, there are even original Chevy stickers in the engine bay. I am in touch with the previous owner, a long retired NASA engineer who had it since 1979, it was his baby and he is over the moon to keep in touch with the car. Being an amateur trying to source and import my first American V8 was daunting at first but the whole experience of buying and owning a c3 has been a journey that has exceeded my expectations. Now a convert from the Italian / euro stuff…..
Good luck
 
Rob Williams

Rob Williams

Busy user
Thanks Boeingdeiver I am really listening and heeding all these comments! I wish I'd had this advice years ago when I bought my first Jaguar. What heap that turned out to be! Gavin does seem to be the man and I did speak to him over the phone! I'm going to contact him when I get back home and next time I'm up that way ask if I can visit for a chat! probably the best way forward!
 
Last triumph

Last triumph

Well-known user
Having bought and personally imported my own car last year after a 10 month long search for a chrome bumper car, my only advice is that to succeed and reduce your odds of getting burnt you really need a contact(s) over in the US to look at cars for you if you are considering buying from the US. To do so remotely without an insider or without you being there in person is very challenging, and/or expensive.

My budget dictated that I had to buy privately as I couldn't afford to pay traders/dealership profit margins, so scoured all the Craigslist, eBay and Facebook search engines and usual websites daily.

The issue arrises when asking for more detailed and specific photos of cars as the sellers either can't be bothered, don't want to deal with someone out of the country, think you're a scammer etc so it becomes really hard work.

When you find a seller willing to work with you, and there are a few out there, one of two things normally happens.

1) You finally get the pics you asked for that reveal the car to be a basket case.
2) You lose out to flippers who swoop on the car within hours of the listing going live and whisk the good ones away before you can even get hold of the seller, or if you're quick, they sell it whilst you're waiting for photos to arrive.

I paid for a few inspections which revealed the cars to be bad examples, and in the end, over my months of trawling made some friends on the various forums over there who offered to go and look at any cars local to them for me in exchange for gas money and lunch.

This at least gave me half a chance as they could be the local customer on my behalf who could swoop in, take a load of pics there and then via whatsapp with me on the phone (often at some crazy hours) ready to pull the trigger.

In the end, this is what worked for me and I bought a car from Craig's list not long after the ink had dried on the ad, with a queue of buyers round the block to snap it up.

Ironically, I ended up with a '81 (my other choice, although I'd have preferred an early car) because I learned having chased down so many with a very fussy and particular non-flexible criteria that often the right car will find you, and it might not be what you went looking for so might be good to keep an open mind.

Just remember, these cars are 50 years old, produced in relatively low volumes and most (not all) were neglected, disposable beaters for decades where cherished, pampered, dry climate cars are VERY few and far between. They are are out there, but to buy one without paying absolute top whack can be difficult.

Best of luck and keep us posted.
 
Rob Williams

Rob Williams

Busy user
Well I've got a beard but my flares went when I joined the Navy in '79 so that's out! "Last Triumph", your comments were very interesting. Having listened to your experience it sounds like a lot of time spent looking and a bit of luck too. I didn't even know about Craigslist which shows how much I know.
I'm not writing off the American angle despite all the hoops to jump though. I have time on my hands and the longer I wait the more up market I can go! I glanced at an ad in America for a C3 convertible (40K $ I think) and the garage boasted they could ship anywhere in the world at their expense. Which I suppose means they add it to the price!
I have never bought a car in my life that I didn't go over and crawl under before shelling out! It goes against the grain for me to buy something on faith, no matter how many checks you pay for. So I don't know how to get round that one, France the Netherlands and Germany are much nearer and I'm looking there too!
My search continues and I will update as and when something happens. Meantime thanks for the comments
(y)(y)(y) RW
 
Last triumph

Last triumph

Well-known user
Rob Williams said:
Well I've got a beard but my flares went when I joined the Navy in '79 so that's out! "Last Triumph", your comments were very interesting. Having listened to your experience it sounds like a lot of time spent looking and a bit of luck too. I didn't even know about Craigslist which shows how much I know.
I'm not writing off the American angle despite all the hoops to jump though. I have time on my hands and the longer I wait the more up market I can go! I glanced at an ad in America for a C3 convertible (40K $ I think) and the garage boasted they could ship anywhere in the world at their expense. Which I suppose means they add it to the price!
I have never bought a car in my life that I didn't go over and crawl under before shelling out! It goes against the grain for me to buy something on faith, no matter how many checks you pay for. So I don't know how to get round that one, France the Netherlands and Germany are much nearer and I'm looking there too!
My search continues and I will update as and when something happens. Meantime thanks for the comments
(y)(y)(y) RW
Click to expand...
You MUST remove the idea of using good faith as part of your strategy. You MUST be strict and make sure, without doubt that the car in question is what you need it to be, as there are a LOT of terrible cars out there dressed up like show ponies and just as many dealers/flippers/traders more than happy to take your hard earned for them. (Some great dealers / traders too).
 
Mad4slalom

Mad4slalom

Well-known user
Rob Williams said:
Well I've got a beard but my flares went when I joined the Navy in '79 so that's out! "Last Triumph", your comments were very interesting. Having listened to your experience it sounds like a lot of time spent looking and a bit of luck too. I didn't even know about Craigslist which shows how much I know.
I'm not writing off the American angle despite all the hoops to jump though. I have time on my hands and the longer I wait the more up market I can go! I glanced at an ad in America for a C3 convertible (40K $ I think) and the garage boasted they could ship anywhere in the world at their expense. Which I suppose means they add it to the price!
I have never bought a car in my life that I didn't go over and crawl under before shelling out! It goes against the grain for me to buy something on faith, no matter how many checks you pay for. So I don't know how to get round that one, France the Netherlands and Germany are much nearer and I'm looking there too!
My search continues and I will update as and when something happens. Meantime thanks for the comments
(y)(y)(y) RW
Click to expand...
 
fine69

fine69

Busy user
Yes as others have said, a messy c3 is a horrible car to inflict on anyone. They get expensive to fix really quick. They generally aren't worth what you would spend on them over buying a better car (rare cars excluded). Go and look at a few to get an idea, have a prod around the frames in the known weak spots etc.
Paint is expensive also being fibreglass, my paint job was around 9K to give you an idea of a bare glass respray cost.
 
Roscobbc

Roscobbc

Moderator
These auction houses have certainly 'upped' their game recently - really verbose, wordy text and generally meaningless detail about the car...............but read 'in between the lines' and the observant reader will note that the auction houise is actually telling you little of real importance, yes they'll go on about this and this but won't go as far actually saying "it ain't the original engine"......... and that the body colour will be a Peugeot, Audi or VW colour. In short they provide the seller with a fully catalogued legally protected sale. These vehicles are aimed specifically at people new to the hobby, and those captivated by clever intelligently prepared adverts that promote any good, shiny parts of the vehicles in question.......but overlook and ignore the questionable areas of the car.
 
fine69

fine69

Busy user
I'd get a small block if I were you. Although we all love a big block! The vette engine bay is tight as it is and working on my small block is a pain in the ass, getting to plugs and adjusting the clutch must be a real pig with a big block. Small block also lighter and better on fuel. My 383 really shifts and handles well too.
Matching numbers means very little in the real world (except rare engines), a small block Chevy is a small block Chevy pretty much. I didn't even look when I bought my '71 (I should have incase to was a 305!) and it wouldn't have affected how much I was going to pay for the car. Matching numbers is important with very original cars as it's part of the package of originality. Your average vette with a matching numbers engine isn't worth anymore than the next average one without the engine, as much as the owner would like to think it adds lots of £££.

And 'original', what does that even mean when you can't buy GM parts anymore. Vette's full of Taiwanese Ecklers junk parts going rusty, Mustangs with crappy Scott Drake stuff all over them. A real can of worms! Far Eastern parts are the real bain of our hobby.
 
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