Some Questions about my first-ever Vette...

Good Afternoon,
I just found this site, and am extremely impressed with the amount of information available here!!
I just totaled my bike last weekend, and the wife and I have decided to fulfill a longtime dream, and buy a C-3 Corvette. I have looked at several so far, and I came to the stark realisation, that I am fairly "Corvette-Ignorant".
I am hoping that some of you folks may take the time to let me know some pointers or tips on what to look for in my Corvette. It will be used as a driver,(not daily, but on weekends etc.)
The one that I am very interested in is a 1971 coupe. It is a 350/270, 4 spd. It was repainted from stock orange to a pale yellow. We test drove it for about an hour, and it ran great. Everything works except the wipers. All the fiberoptics and gauges are perfect, and the headlights function perfectly. My fear is that underneath, there are two supports in the front, one of which seems to be getting rusted. The frame is fine, just the support is not great.
I guess my question is how hard will it be to replace the supports, and are there any other known problem areas that I should look at??
I hope to get alot of help here, and I thank you all in advance for taking the time to help me out!!
Sincerely,
"Roadrash Grizz"

I'd say that if you could take it to a trusted mechanic for a once-over, that would be your best bet!

As with any used car, make sure everything that is supposed to work, works. Check the compartments in the back, make sure there is no battery leakage that ruined the battery compartment. If it has T-Tops, you may want to run a hose over it to make sure there are no water leaks. You may also want to pull the plugs to make sure none are fouled or showing signs of fouling.

Basically, take it to a shop for a once-over and all your questions will be answered!

Good Luck, and keep us posted on your progress!

I agree w/Adam. Find a trusted mechanic. Also try to get as much documentation on the car as possible. Good luck and enjoy your vette.

I bought my '71 just a few months ago. As the other guys recommended, I paid an experienced corvette mechanic $250 to give me a complete summary of the cars condition. Glad I did as I would have had very little to go by otherwise. He gave me an 8-page summary of the car. He found everything from rotten radiator mounts to a worn steering coupler -- much of which I got the seller to fix. Good choice with '71!! '70 & '70 were the years that I looked for from day one of my search.

|UPDATED|7/15/2002 9:30:02 PM|/UPDATED|