When buying a used Corvette, try to find a running car that fits your needs, rather than a project car that will cost much more in the long run. Buying an inexpensive Corvette is not so inexpensive after the appropriate repairs and replacements have been made. If you have worked on project cars in the past, it may seem that buying replacement parts is a simple and inexpensive way to fix up an old car. But, Corvette parts are expensive and hard to come by, even on eBay. A project Corvette can also end up costing much more time than you are willing to commit, which makes the money saved on a project car money that was thrown away. Once you have decided to buy a used Corvette that meets your needs, it is important to check a prospective purchase for rust. The body of a Corvette will not rust, being made of fiberglass, but there are several parts that can. The chassis may have rust problems that would make the car a bad deal, so it is best to crawl under the car and check it thoroughly. The cross members and vulnerable areas of the chassis, such as the area ahead of the back tires, should be checked for rust. The front radiator support of Corvettes tend to rust along the bottom, so a thorough examination of the underside of the car will reveal rust in that area. When the rust inspection is over, there are still more areas that will need to be looked at. One way to see if the car has ever sustained major damage is to look at the A-Arm shims. Look for many shims on one side and fewer on the other. This indicates that there is still something wrong with the car that has not been fixed. No shims on one side and many on the other indicates some major issues, such as a bent cross member. There may also be suspension damage to the car left over from the damaging incident in the past. If the car has passed the visual inspections, its time for a test drive. During the drive, the inside accessories and features should be checked and found to be in working order. Test the windows, heat and air, the radio, the seat adjustments, and any other features inside. Pay attention to how the car handles and any noises it makes. Some Corvettes make a popping or whining sound from the rear end due to worn positraction units. If the sound is not too bad, it may not be a problem that warrants expensive repairs beyond the addition of some positraction additive to the gear oil . If the noises are severe, it may warrant a change in the price to compensate for repairs that may be necessary. More indications of a used Corvettes hidden problems can be found with an inspection of the body of the car. Most of the time when a fiberglass panel has been damaged, it is replaced, leaving little evidence of the damage. But by inspecting the front bumper, you may be able to tell if the car suffered a collision in the past. Look at the area of the bumper that attaches to the fiberglass. If that area has ripples in the paint, it was likely repaired from a head-on collision or other major trauma. Collisions of this kind can cause unseen damage to the cars suspension, which can be costly to repair.
Michael has written many articles on automotive topics, including <a href="http://used-corvettes-for-sale.net/moreinfo/salvage-project.html">Used Corvettes for Sale</a>, <a href="http://www.paintcodes.net">Automobile Paint Codes </a>href="http://www.musclecarforsale.net/chevy/index.php?q=1969&catid=6164">Used Chevelles for Sale</a>.
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