Hi guys, I'm just purchasing my first classic vette, and I asked for some pictures of the birdcage, frame, and body mounts to check for rust.  I don't have an experts eye, so what do you guys think?  He is asking around $6500 and everyting is origional with matching numbers.  1976 L82 engine/hydamatic.  The engine runs strong and the transmission seems to work well.

Sorry i forgot to mention that there are 69,000 miles on the origional L82 engine.  Thanks!

It's pretty difficult to tell from pictures; you really need to use your trusted mechanic, Vette or not, to get it up in the air and check it out. I'd look at the frame front to back; suspension, bushings, steering, brakes, tires, ujoints, and etc...... There are a few check lists out there that you can use so you don't miss too much. Willis762007-10-17 08:06:14

I agree with Willis76.  Have a good  mechanic look it over.  I'm not an NCRS judge by any stretch, but there's an awful lot of overspray  in those pics; leads me to believe the car had a cheap repaint at some time.  Also for "all original", those don't even resemble GM wheels

I've got my '76 up on my lift right now (replacing T-arms, U-joints, etc.) and it doesn't have anyware near  the rust that is shown in your pics.  Granted,  mine is a west coast car, so that amount of rust on that car may be normal for your area.  Thats just my observation for whats it's worth !!

First, good luck on finding your dream vette!

Second, that looks like a lot of rust, but that can be pretty common on older cars that were driven often in wet conditions, or where the roads are salted in the winter.   

I agree with everyone above; you really need to have someone check it out to make sure that it is only surface rust, and that you aren't looking into some serious repair problems down the road.

In photo #4 it appears to be more than just surface rust. Keep in mind that if it's really bad on the frame, you're looking at some expensive work to take care of that before it causes serious damage. (If it hasn't already.) From that photo alone I would guess that the rest of the car looks like that underneath.

Now having said that' the price doesn't sound too bad, but maybe you can get him down some because of the rust repair. The rust can be taken care of a little bit at a time, especially this time of year when the car should go into storage. I would make sure that it is numbers matching though. Again, having someone look at it in person would be the safest thing to do. Photos can hide a lot.

Good luck!

Thanks everybody for your quick response.  So I obviously am now going to take it to a near-by garage with a lift to get all the rust checked out.  He told me it was nothing but surface rust, but It will be worth getting a different mechanic's opinion.

Ditto on all of the above. It is a great investment to have a Vette mechanic or expert check the car out. There are so many hidden problems that can cost a lot of money and time. $6500.00 isn't bad if the engine and tranny match the VIN and the frame and birdcage are solid. Paint and body work are very expensive on these cars. What you don't want to do is pay to much at the start and then invest so much in car repairs that you will never recover your capital. These rubber bumper cars are only worth so much even in pristine condition. Do your homework and consult with the experts here.

Best of luck with your search,

Scott