I am in the process of deciding whether or not to buy my friend's 1964 Corvette. 365hp. convertable. I have begun my research as I am new to these cars. I am more familiar with Chevy Bel Airs from the 50's era. I need to get as much relevant reading matierial I can so any recommendations are appreciated. I also need to check the VIN and other numbers off the marking plate to learn more about the car. Does the club offer a resource for this? Thanks very much. Mike mkalogridis@nycap.rr.com
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
Welcome aboard. You will find a lot of help here. The NCRS button above will take you to some reference material. I am in to 62s, but others will chime in. -
Re: Purchasing First Corvette
Thanks John.Comment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
Mike, like John said try the NCRS store. Noland Adam's book is good, the judging manual inclusive of '64's, and various books covering ID plates, engine stampings and numbers will all provide detail. Ask any question you have here on the forum and contact Chapter members and your national judging chairman for the year you end up buying. When you purchase your care take a detailed picture record along with noting anything you can about the car, the owner you bought from and any previous owners. You will be glad you did later. Welcome!
SteveComment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
Michael,
Welcome aboard; I had a '64 silver/silver coupe with a 365 4-speed. It was awsome; wish I still had it. Take it to a ncrs meet and let the locals look it over; you will get good input on the condition...I say buy it and charge on.
Dr. GeorgeComment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
For a relatively small fee, you can get a knowledgeable C2 guy to come give it an inspection, which will give you an idea of the overall condition of the car, an idea of what is original/replaced, and the heads up on any Corvette Nuances. If you like the car, great, but its well worth the money to know what you could be potentially getting, thus avoiding any pitfalls before they happen.
At the end of the day, its just a car, and you don't want it/the deal having an impact on your friendship.
$0.02Comment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
Thank you all very much. I appreciate the help. MikeComment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
Mike, if you post some pictures of the car and describe it in more detail, some members of this board can provide you some comments. One thing that will be asked is how you will use the car. Is it going to be a driver? Is it going to be judged, etc? The literature is great and can help you a lot, but buying a Corvette is different than other collectable cars. The best information that you will get is by asking others and having someone look at the car.
PaulComment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
When I bought my 65 I didn't know much about Corvettes and bought the wrong car. I had to replace my frame because I had rust. I would look very carefully for rust. My rust was primarily where the rear trailing arms bolt into the frame. I also had extensive rust where the door pillars in the birdcage bolt to the frame.
I would also look at all fiberglass and bonding strips to assess where the car may have been hit. "No hit" bodies are very rare so it is very possible there have been repairs and they may have been substandard repairs.Comment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
This is all so helpfull; thanks! I am going to get under, in and through the car on Saturday; take photos too. The seller is a very good, longtime friend and a perfectionist. He did a lot of investigation when he bought it. He says it wasn't hit, #s match and the frame is solid. But I going to see for myself. Mark, is surface rust where the rear trailing armsbolt to the frame acceptable? Paul, my intent is to drive and enjoy it; but who knows, someday I may want to get it to show/judging condition. If anybody wants to chat that would be great. email me your number or give me a calll at 518 248-1105 Again thank you all for your time and help!Comment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
Michael - surface rust is OK. You should research C2 birdcage rust on this site because there are several problem areas. One area is just under the lower corners of the windshield. The birdcage is the metal frame under the body that surrounds the interior area. I have used a body shop pick hammer to lightly tap around the frame and found rusted areas have a duller sound than solid metal. Trailing arms are also prone to rust so tap on them too. Where the fiberglass panels get bonded together is a good place to look for repairs. Also check panel gap variations for signs of poor repairs. - MarkComment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned solid lifter small block, good luck and enjoy.Big Tanks In the High Mountains of New MexicoComment
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Re: Purchasing First Corvette
Here are a few pictures I found on the web of some bird cage & frame rust. This is C3 but rust will form in the same places on a C2.
MikeComment
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