Buying a used Corvette can be a complicated undertaking as there are many criteria to meet and the price can be prohibitive. After seeing the price of some of the models in good working order, the temptation to buy a Corvette that doesn’t run or one that obviously needs a lot of work can be great. However, cars with these problems may not save you money if you fix them yourself. After adding the price of parts and other expenses, it probably would have been cheaper to buy the car that was in good condition in the first place.

Deciding to buy a used Corvette in good condition means a potential purchase should be checked for serious flaws like rust. Rust affects the underside of many used corvettes and is only visible when going under the car to look. If there’s nothing to hide, a potential seller won’t mind taking a look at the chassis, which is more prone to rust. While under the car, visually inspect the cross members and the vulnerable area in front of the rear wheels. The bottom of the front radiator support should also be checked for rust. If the bracket is rusty, it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker, but the replacement cost should be factored into the cost of the car.

When the rust inspection is done, there are still more areas that will need to be checked. One way to see if the car has ever had major damage is to look at the A-arm shims. Look for a lot of shims on one side and less on the other. This indicates that there is still something wrong with the car that has not been fixed. A lack of shims on one side and many on the other indicates some major issues, such as a bent crossbar. There may also be damage to the car’s suspension left over from the damaging incident in the past.

If the car has passed visual inspections, it’s time for a test drive. During the trip, accessories and internal features should be checked and found to be working properly. Test the windows, heat and air, radio, seat adjustments, and any other internal features. Pay attention to how the car drives and the noises it makes. Some Corvettes make a clicking or hissing sound in the rear due to worn positive drive units. If the sound isn’t too bad, it may not be a problem that warrants expensive repairs other than adding some posi-traction additive to the gear oil. If the noises are severe, it may justify a price change to compensate for any repairs that may be needed.

More indications of hidden problems on a used Corvettes can be found with an inspection of the car body. Most of the time, when a fiberglass panel is 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 has been in a collision in the past. Look at the area of ​​the bumper that joins the fiberglass. If that area has ripples in the paint, it has likely been repaired from a head-on collision or other major trauma. Collisions of this type can cause invisible damage to the car’s suspension, which can be expensive to repair.