1971 Chevelle convertible opinion

[sappdogg]

Hello, 

I hope someone can help me out. 

I am about to purchase my first classic car. 

I live in Florida so I need a car with Air Conditioner.

I found a 1971 Chevelle SS convertible. Price is in the 40k range. I checked around for comparable. Not too much around.

There is anyone that can help me with an opinion?

Here the description.

1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Convertible, 350 V8 Engine with Aluminum Heads, Roller Rockers, Super T-10 4 Speed Transmission, 12 Bolt Rear End with 3:31 Gears and Posi Traction, Power Steering, 4 Wheel Willwood Power Disc Brakes, Cold Vintage Air Conditioning, Custom Gauges, Tilt Steering Column, 17" Front and 18" Rear American Racing Wheels with good tires.

 

Thanks

[TerryB]

Is it what YOU want?  That is what matters the most.  Since it has been modified from stock condition are you happy with that? 1970 is the big money year for that series car.  1971 cars look good too and the fact that is that year will save you some money.  My concern would be that the car is well sorted out and everything works as it should.  Another thing to remember it’s a 50 yr old car so it will always need a little fussing to keep it happy.  Good luck!

[sappdogg]

I love the car. I don't mind the price. I just wonder if the price is right. I don't want to buy something and in 6 months at the same condition somebody will tell me the car value is 15k and I overpaid the car. That's it. I already know I will need to spend some money etc etc. Not scare about that. The dealership seems very very nice.

 

Thanks

[Morgansdad]

My opinion only, if you are really interested in the car, pay for a professional appraisal. It can save you a ton of money in the long run. They will also tell you of things that you may not have seen. The $40000. seems about right if the car is in very good condition. No matter what you spend make sure it is what you want. You most likely won't get your money back out of it, but who knows. The collector car market is always in a up and down cycle. If you buy, post pics for us to see. We love all kinds of cars and trucks. Good luck....

[TTR]

Opinions ? 
Well, here’s mine:

The best or most useful advise to help you decide would probably come from your family members or those who know you personally enough to suggest whether or not you’d be happy with a car you describe.

What some random strangers, including me, think of the car is or should be irrelevant.

 

As for its value, it is same as any other car or object for sale, i.e. whatever somebody (you ?) is willing to pay, not more, not less.

 

[George Cole]

5 minutes ago, Morgansdad said:

My opinion only, if you are really interested in the car, pay for a professional appraisal. It can save you a ton of money in the long run. They will also tell you of things that you may not have seen. The $40000. seems about right if the car is in very good condition. No matter what you spend make sure it is what you want. You most likely won't get your money back out of it, but who knows. The collector car market is always in a up and down cycle. If you buy, post pics for us to see. We love all kinds of cars and trucks. Good luck....

Agreed.  If you are not familiar with cars, definitely go with a professional appraisal.  Watch out for copious amounts of bondo, underbody and frame rust.

[TerryB]

Saw it listed on Hemmings site.  If it’s a real SS and not a clone then price seems in the ballpark.  If you are paying for SS, be sure it’s the real deal.  

[joe_padavano]

There are probably ten times as many "SS" Chevelles now than Chevy ever made. If you aren't sure you can tell the difference between a real one and a clone, get help from someone who can. Nothing wrong with a clone if it's what you want, but don't pay "real" money for one. Also, many assembled cars that I've seen have shoddy workmanship - poorly-welded patch panels, missing fasteners, half-fast assembly. I'm always suspicious of an assembled car like this. I'm not saying that they are all crap, but I've seen many that were, and have talked to a lot of unwitting buyers who unknowingly bought "projects", not fully sorted cars.

[alsancle]

Listen to what Joe said.   From my reading of your original post,  it sounds like you are not going to be happy when you find out your is worth 1/2 of what you paid.   Which, btw, is what is going to happen.

 

Also, I know my opinion is not really the consensus around here,  but professional appraisals tend to be worthless.   

 

You would be better off spending a month educating yourself on Chevelle's before making any decisions on what car to buy.

 

http://chevellestuff.net/1971/engines/index.htm

[joe_padavano]

Is this the car you're looking at?

 

https://pastandpresentmotorcars.com/inventory/39183/view/162634/Winter Garden-FL/1971-Chevrolet-Chevelle SS Convertible

 

Unfortunately, for 1971, there is no way to prove the car is a real SS from the VIN or the cowl tag. This car has obviously had much custom work, so it's doubtful it's real.

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure why a "T10" trans has a "Muncie" shifter...

 

 

Here's an example of what I consider "half-fast" workmanship. Note that for $45K asking price, they couldn't be bothered to connect the windshield washer hoses. What else isn't connected? There are a LOT of non-original parts, and one has to ask how well they work together. There's a reason why the factory didn't hang the ignition coil on the inner fender, for example. More to the point, unless you have the skills to diagnose and repair these non-stock items yourself, don't expect to find a shop that has a clue. In this photo alone, I see aftermarket disc brake conversion, aftermarket steering shaft (why?), Edelbrock carb (that may or may not be jetted to match the engine's needs), MSD ignition, aftermarket Sanden A/C compressor, and aftermarket serpentine belt drive system (which means the car has a non-original reverse-rotation water pump). Again, there is nothing inherently wrong with these parts, but were they selected to work together, or just to add bling for a car that was going to be flipped? And unless the car comes with a notebook full of part numbers, how will you know which serpentine belt or water pump to buy as a replacement? I'm not saying this is all bad, but be aware of the implications and make an informed decision.

 

[joe_padavano]

Note also that the car has headers and a scattershield. While good for drag racing, the headers will require frequent attention to tighten the bolts and replace gaskets that blow out about annually. Again, I run headers on all my musclecars, but I also do all my own work and these minor issues get fixed easily. If you are paying a shop to do the work, you won't be happy. The scatter shield will tend to make clutch replacement a little more difficult also. And it appears in this photo that the front brake calipers are not original GM but aftermarket. Be sure you know which replacement pads they take. Are the rotors OEM size or different, and if different, where do you get those? Are the brakes actually balanced properly for the car so one end doesn't lock up prematurely? Again, I'm not faulting aftermarket parts (I install a lot of them on my own vehicles), I'm just trying to point out things that may be an issue in the future. We don't know your skills or experience when it comes to cars like this, but the fact that this is your first suggests that you are not a long time hotrodder.

 

[sappdogg]

Yes. That’s the car...

I also live in Miami where the majority of the workers are unreliable... So... good luck to me if I will need help to fix the car...

 

[sappdogg]

I am not even american... I am Italian and I don’t even know what you are talking about.. LOOL... 

[sappdogg]

I was just looking for a classic car with AC.. 😂

[alsancle]

I think there are probably much better cars you could buy besides that one.    Everything Joe said is spot on.    As a general rule,  resto-mods as we Americans call decent cars ruined by crappy upgrades are generally not the greatest deals unless you really know what you are doing.

[TerryB]

There are classic cars with air conditioning.  Vintage air is a company that makes air conditioning for old cars.  You can get AC in an old car even if it did not come with it.

[jan arnett (2)]

What is your definition of classic.  To me this is not classic but a clone with mismatched numbers .  You should buy the real deal.  To many red flags.

 

[sappdogg]

I see... But without knowledge is hard to find a good car for me... If you guys have any suggestion for better cars in that price range, please let me know.

[caddyshack]

It is a beautiful auto, and the above comments (good and bad) are spot on. 1971 was a transition year for Chevrolet and the insurance industry was raising heck with emissions, horsepower, cubic inches, etc., etc.. The engine options for SS related Chevelles were many, and the days of the SS-396 and SS-454 high horse power engine options were disappearing. I agree that the after market items on this vehicle could be a future/or immediate problem. Get some sound advise from local Chevelle clubs/collectors, it may help you decide.

If stock appearance, and money, is not an issue, go for it and have fun. Best of luck in your decision.  

[padgett]

OK. Its a restomod. How well done is unknown. Very little of what I saw was factory  though the AC assembly on the passenger firewall & dash looks factory. The compressor is not stock.

From the vin 136671R162634 It is a 71 V8 Malibu Convertible built in Arlington Texas. In 71 the SS was mainly a "dress up" option available with any 350 or larger (not the 307). Unfortunately I do not know enough about chevvies to tell how real other than not much under the hood or exhaust is stock. Is that red bellhousing a scattershield ?

[Terry Bond]

Thanks for the pics, meat car but it's not original as you know. Imho, overpriced.

Terry

[Lebowski]

2 hours ago, sappdogg said:

 The dealership seems very very nice.

 

The salesman will act like your best friend at ALL dealerships whether they sell new, used or classic cars. I personally think that the car is overpriced. I would suggest buying a car that's mostly original because it will usually maintain its value better than a restomod. Also, look up the dealer on the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) website because if someone else bought a car from them that they're not happy with they may leave a complaint with them to warn others to avoid them. Keep us informed and good luck.... 

[joe_padavano]

41 minutes ago, sappdogg said:

I am not even american... I am Italian and I don’t even know what you are talking about.. LOOL... 

 

All four of my grandparents came from Italy. 😉

 

You begin to understand my point. As others have noted, this modified type of car is typically called a "restomod", meaning that is has been partly restored and partly modified. The AACA is dedicated to preserving original cars, so you'll find that most folks here will not find this type of car to their liking. Personally I have no problems with this type of modified car - some of my own are similarly modified. The problem is that a modified car will NEVER have the same level of engineering and testing as the factory put into their production cars, so expect any modified car to have some "issues".  If one is experienced and understands that and has the tools and skills to maintain such a car, they can be a lot of fun, plus since it is NOT a rare, restored original, you won't feel guilty driving it. The downside, as I've pointed out above, is that a modified car like this will usually have reliability issues - non-original brake lines or exhaust pipes won't be routed or secured like factory and may rattle or rub through over time, for example. When something does break, unless you have full details on how it was built, you won't know what replacement parts to buy. And while some here don't see value in a car like this, I can tell you that the sum of the parts alone comes close to the asking price, not counting labor to install them. That last point makes me suspicious, since why would someone take a loss on a car like this?

 

[TTR]

1 hour ago, joe_padavano said:

There are probably ten times as many "SS" Chevelles now than Chevy ever made. 

Reminds me: 

"Of the +/-thirteen thousand '32 Ford Roadsters originally built, few hundred thousand exists today and new ones are discovered daily."

or

"Of the 3 Bugatti Atlantics made, at least 11 are known today"

 

[carbking]

No comment about the pricing, I don't know.

 

Comments about the car (RED FLAGS):

 

Aluminum heads SCREAM premium fuel, or race fuel (read $$$$$).

Headers SCREAM periodic maintenance (read $$$$$), PLUS do you really not wish to talk to whomever is sitting beside you when the engine is running?

Scatter shield on a 350 SCREAMS I'm gonna race the crap out of this thing, and I want to save my legs when I over rev the engine. How hard has it been run? What type of warranty?

 

No mention of the camshaft used.

The aftermarket carb may/may not be the correct size for the engine. Many folks buy aftermarket carburetors the way a hillbilly buys shoes (the salesman said my size was 9, but 10's felt so good, I bought 11's). (in other words, often too big); which combined with a big cam aluminum heads, a 3.31 rear gear, and headers MIGHT mean driveability issues in town.

 

And as a couple of folks have already mentioned, how much homework did the builder do to assure all of these parts would function well together.

 

You stated this would your first "classic" car. Won't argue the adjective, but will substitute muscle car. Would highly suggest a car with fewer modifications for a first muscle car. 

 

Jon

 

 

[joe_padavano]

2 minutes ago, carbking said:

Aluminum heads SCREAM premium fuel, or race fuel (read $$$$$).

 

That's not necessarily true. It's been proven that the improved heat transfer with aluminum heads actually allows you to run about an additional point of CR as compared to iron heads, with all else being the same (including the type of fuel). Aftermarket aluminum heads today are well engineered (even the imported ones) and are not necessarily tiny chambers for ultra-high CR. As Jon correctly points out, however, we know nothing about the pistons, cam or any other internal details of the motor, which is obviously modified from stock. Those items will have an effect on the street driveability of the car.

[sappdogg]

My daily drive is a Hellcat... So.. I don't care about the speed.. I just want a nice convertible with AC and easy to maintain. (easy to maintain means I am not interested on a project or semi project) I though buying an old car was good in term of keeping the price. (of course the car must kept in the same condition or better) 

Last year I was looking for the same cars and the price were the same... I don't know if I explained myself correctly... I pay 40k the car.. I use and maintain properly the car for 2 years and I sell it for 35k... Something like that...

[sappdogg]

Joe, do you think this one could be a better option? https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars/1971/oldsmobile/442/101045227

Just trying to understand something more. I am sorry if I am a pain...

[sappdogg]

or this one.. https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars/1969/oldsmobile/442/101336006

[padgett]

The 71 442 looks good but have one issue (may be a typo but original owner): "454 ci engine replaced in 2008 with less than 5000 miles". Is automatic and air for city driving. VIN matches a 442. 71 engine should be low compression but depends on what the replacement was. Having the original would be a Good Thing.. Resale red and white interior. I suspect that's the one. 69 is ok mostly original/some aftermarket.

[Lebowski]

Here are three classic car dealers with thousands of cars for sale. Many are in the $40k price range and some are higher or lower. Two of them have several locations around the country and one (Volo) is in the Chicago area. **Make sure you AVOID Gateway Classic Cars!** Good luck....

 

https://www.streetsideclassics.com/vehicles

 

https://www.volocars.com/auto-sales/vehicles?q[0][name_dir]=price.asc

 

https://www.vanguardmotorsales.com/inventory?q[make_eq]=Chevrolet&q[0][name_dir]=published_at.asc

 

 

[cheezestaak2000]

in 1971, was a bench seat an option in the SS?

 

[Guest]

Of the 3 cars you've posted, the Chevelle is the best choice, in my opinion. I have owned several and they are much easier to find parts for than the Oldsmobiles and Chevelles ALWAYS have a strong following so resale shouldn't be difficult.

It's probably a badged up Malibu rather than a true SS, but who cares?  It's a great looking car that will never be judged on a Concours field anyway.

If it were here in the greater Los Angeles area it would bring $40K all day long. Convertible 4 speed cars always ring the bell. You don't get much in "muscle car world" for $15K today.

And, unless the builder is going for judging points or stratosphere type money where nothing matters but numbers and originality, I'm seeing many of these muscle cars with upgrades/mods similar to this one. 

I like the car.

Here is my recommendation:

If you're not real familiar with the make, go to the Chevelle forum at:

https://www.chevelles.com/forums/#information-exchange

and sign up. I am a member there also, plenty of good information.

Introduce yourself, explain what you're looking at and ask for someone in the Orlando area to come with you to look at the car. This is very common on all forums. And I'm sure there will be many members in and around Orlando.

Keep the car nice and drive it for a few years. I would bet dollars to doughnuts, if you keep it nice, it will be worth more later, than what ever you pay for it now.

Good luck, Greg

 

[joe_padavano]

The 1971 442 has a 1973-76 smog motor, as evidenced by the intake manifold. Both 442s seem overpriced, but those are asking prices, with room for negotiation. Neither one is totally stock, but that's not a deal breaker. The Chevelle certainly seems like the better value for the money, but it is also the most modified of the three. Ease of getting replacement parts for a Chevelle is meaningless if they aren't original. Those Wilwood brake components are not going to be available at the corner auto parts store.

 

Simply looking at photos isn't going to determine anything. Dropping $40K justifies an in-person inspection and drive test by someone who has experience with the specific type of car you're looking at. I'm personally about a 1000 times more knowledgeable about the Oldsmobiles than the Chevy.

[JACK M]

19 hours ago, padgett said:

Is that red bellhousing a scattershield ?

Yes.

Its a heavy steel bellhousing used in racing to protect the drivers feet and legs if the clutch blows up.

[JACK M]

And they are dated.

If you go faster than a certain speed it cannot be old..

[padgett]

Last time I was at a drag race it was 1/4 mile and only Top Fuel and Funny Cars had silly motors.

 

Now they seem to be 1/8 mile and thousands of hp are common.

 

I quit when bracket racing came in, now it seems you need too much and a computer to dial it back (and their computers do not do near what a '75 F16 at 100 ft "hard ride" can.).

[zepher]

It is a very modified car and looking the pictures on the website I am not a fan of the wiring job.

The way the extra positive leads are mounted to the positive battery terminal leaves a lot to be desired for an over $40k car.

Car looks great but others have pointed out plenty of red flags with this one.

[Morgansdad]

Sappdog,

23 hours ago, sappdogg said:

My daily drive is a Hellcat... So.. I don't care about the speed.. I just want a nice convertible with AC and easy to maintain. (easy to maintain means I am not interested on a project or semi project) I though buying an old car was good in term of keeping the price. (of course the car must kept in the same condition or better) 

Last year I was looking for the same cars and the price were the same... I don't know if I explained myself correctly... I pay 40k the car.. I use and maintain properly the car for 2 years and I sell it for 35k... Something like that...

Do I understand that you are only asking about the resale value of any Car ? If that's correct, no one here could answer your question with absolute accuracy because the price of any car is only what someone is willing to pay for it. You may pay $40000. today and keep it in as bought condition and in 2 years you may only get offers for about $35000. or on the other hand, you may get offers of $45000. or more. It is a crap shoot at best. This is why everyone here is telling you to buy what YOU really want. Just in case you aren't able to recover your money.

[padgett]

Back when I had a 3500 lb clutch (common for racing) in the Judge I used to get left leg cramps on cruise nights. Centerforce clutch made a huge differnce. Given the scattersheild I have to wonder what kind of clutch is in the Chevelle. As for holding values, I'd suspect the 71 442 would be closer to original and lots easier to maintain.. Did 71's have the His and Hers ?