Need advice on '80 vette

[Ryan]

Hi


I have been a big fan of vettes since i was little and now finaly at the age of almost 30, ive found a vette that i can own for my own driving plesure.


Im am not a car mechanic so i dont know much terminology about the engine or any of its parts. I figure that will come over time when i own the thing.


ok, heres what i do know:


1980 vette


L-48 automatic w/ 72,000 original miles (2nd owner)


Color Dark claret on doeskin interior (this is a guess, its an off-white color interior, or would this be oyster?)


Body is in terrific shape and the interior even smells new.


powersteering, powerwindows, a/c, power doorlocks, cruise, etc.


it has it all and everything is in great working condition (as far as i can see)


the guy wants $11,500 for it. Is this a good buy?


thanks for the info,


Ryan

[Bill Baird]

Re: Need advice on '80 vette

Determining the value of a car is always tricky, particularly if you've never seen it. That, however, has never stopped me from commenting on questions such as this. You should remember, though, that only two people set the value of a car during any transaction - the buyer and the seller. It gets down to two factors:


1) How badly do you want the car. 2) How badly does he want to sell it.


Several comments on things that you wrote:


The L-48 is the base engine. The L-82 was the optional engine with a few more ponies and some stronger pieces inside the motor.


Doeskin is usually a tan or saddle like color. You're probably looking at an oyster interior.


How does the car feel when you drive it?


Any evidence of frame rust? A key spot to observe is the frame sections right in front of the rear wheels.


My comments on the asking price:


For the most part, and remember I haven't seen the car and am only going by your few descriptions, it sounds like the price is a little high. An L-48 with that many miles on it doesn't generally command that kind of price. The car might be worth that, but the only way you'll get a good feel for that is to do your research. Read everything that you can on Vettes (particularly the 80 model year, in this case). If you can resist the urge to buy impulsively, and take the time to gather information, you'll be a lot better off in the long run.


One other word of advice. Financially, you're almost always better off to spend more money up front and buy a better car, then to buy a cheaper car that needs more work. (Okay, you're almost always better off financially if you DON'T buy a Vette, but I don't like to look at it that way. :>) ) There a lot of Vettes out there. You'll find the one for you if you're persistent.


Bill Baird