1982 Corvette Stingray C3 - Chevy 350 Crate Upgraded Engine! Gorgeous Car!!!
Description
I am a Corvette guy, and took this in on trade for a truck that I have. It is in really good condition so I knew it was worth it. I am selling here because I don't have room for another Corvette (or vehicle for that matter). If I did, this one would be staying for sure! Gorgeous car! You won't be disappointed.
I don't like the typical car listings on here, especially for older vehicles, because they tend to be vague. "Clean Interior" just doesn't do much for me when buying a car from pictures on the web. Who wants to bet their money on "Clean Interior" or "Runs Good". I will be as specific as I can here so there aren't any surprises.
The previous owner swapped the under-powered Cross Fire Injection engine that everyone hates with a Chevy Crate 350. This opens a world of opportunities if you want to do anything for performance beyond the current upgrade. They also painted the car last year to the original color, re-carpeted and re-upholstered the interior. Overall, they have put THOUSANDS into restoring and improving this car (I have a folder full of receipts) - it is clean, reliable, and in great shape. A little attention to some of the small details (read below) and this car will go from "Very Good" to "Excellent". If you want "Excellent", please spend the $60k for a fully restored vehicle. If you want a really good looking and great running classic Vette for much less than that, keep reading!
Exterior:
The exterior body is near flawless. Just beautiful. Fiberglass seems perfect. The only flaws that I see are the trim around the back window is no longer black, but it is in good shape. The rear emblem could be replaced as it was hand-painted. T-Top is in great shape. New tint on windows. Driver's window is hitting the new weather stripping and may need to be adjusted as it leave about a 1cm gap. The car has been in New Mexico and rust isn't really an issue here. I can only find some very minor rust here and there. That's it. Car is BEAUTIFUL!
Interior:
The interior was redone as mentioned above and they did a good job. Door panels look good but not perfect.Seats look great. Driver's seat needs a new power seat control, but I was able to jump the connection with 12v and it functions fine. The dash has some cracks but has a new cover that matches the interior on it. Wipers work well. Headlights work well - up & down, on & off. Turn signals work. Gauge panels (in front of steering wheel and on middle cluster) are carbon-fiber (looking?) and very clean. On the gauges - I will say they work if I am getting a reasonable reading. I can't say they are calibrated correctly but seem to be in the ballpark for sure, if not spot-on.Speedometer works. Tachometer works. Fuel gauge works. Voltmeter works.Oil pressure and oil temp don't seem to work. After-market Kenwood stereo feeds a few speakers in a box in the hatch - works & sounds great (if you can hear it above the engine/exhaust!). I can't test the defroster (wrong season!) but the back glass is in great shape and looks like it should work. Heater and fans work but the AC does not. Power locks work to lock but not to unlock. Power windows work without issue. New window weather stripping. Power mirrors work in some directions but not others. Steering wheel is covered. The wood under looks good with some minor wear.
NOW WASN'T THAT BETTER THAN "CLEAN INTERIOR"?!? I am amazed people buy older cars with descriptions like that!!! Gamble if you want to I guess, but this is the internet and people like to hide problems!
Mechanical:
I am not a mechanic but have a pretty good general knowledge of engines. The engine starts right up and sounds AWESOME! It has an upgraded exhaust to go with the engine upgrade. I can't find anything wrong with it mechanically other than a small oil leak somewhere (it leaves a few drops in a day's time), and it is burning a small amount of oil but nothing serious from what I can tell. The previous owner said they never need to add oil between changes so it can't be too bad; no huge smoke clouds or anything like that, just some visible smoke if you stomp on the gas. I would not imagine this is a car that would leave you stranded somewhere or has something critical that is about to go out. The engine bay is clean but not where you would be eating off of it.
Driving:
Driving is a real pleasure. I shouldn't do it anymore or I will have another car! Throttle response is quite nice. Fast car for sure! Shifts smoothly, brakes quickly, and drives nimbly. It is a Corvette and acts like one! I can't express how cool driving this car is - all I can say is that it is awesome! The brakes were done recently and work like they should. At times a high pitch noise (not very loud, but there) comes from the rear driver's side. Not sure what it is, probably an easy fix (something rubbing?).
Don't know what else to write - let me know if you have questions and I can take pics or answer them. Cell is 505-615-0770. Thanks!
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