Reader-Owned 1982 Corvettes

I purchased this vehicle over a year ago from a car dealer. It had no original paperwork with it. I'm not sure what the original color was. The only info the dealer could give me was that the previous owner had it painted purple about 5 years prior. It has 80,000 original miles and runs excellent! The paint has a few small chips, but still shines up nice. The only thing that I have done is put on a new exhaust, and added a HyperTech Power Chip. I would like to put it back to it's original color, but have no idea what it was. No evidence of the original color anywhere on the vehicle. I'm looking forward to driving this classic for many years to come. Thanks again for all the helpful information I've gained from your site !!!!!!!! Awsome !!

My wife purchased a 2014 C7, and she had it about a year when we began looking for another Corvette for me. Coming into manhood during the late 70's and early 80's meant that the C3 body style was the American Sports Car that I dreamed of. Out on a drive one afternoon, I noticed a Corvette, the color of which I had never seen, and I was intrigued by it. I had driven by from time to time and noticed that it never seemed to have been moved. One day there was a man outside, so I stopped to ask about the car. He told the story of how he had bought the car for his wife. She had driven the car a couple of years before becoming ill. Unfortunatley, she passed away, and since he couldn't bare to part with the car, it just sat in the garage only being driven occasionally by him or his son to keep the battery up. I went over the car and found it to be in pretty good shape for a 36 year old car. I asked if he would be interested in selling it. After much thought he felt it was time to let it go, and agreed to sell it to me. He set a fair price, and now what was once my dream car is my reality. I have done a lot of restoration to bring the car back to its original beauty. I promised him that I would take good care of the car, and I will keep that promise.

Binnie writes:

Thanks Jeff, your '82 really is a gorgeous example of the final C3 run .

Here is my white '82 Corvette. This car is all original. A friend of ours received this as a gift from her son. He bought it for her new at Christmas. The dealer delivered it to her driveway with a big red bow on the hood. She was in her 50s then. In her 70s, her husband had a stoke and she decided to trade it in on a wheelchair accessible van. The dealer only wanted to give her $xx,000. I told her I would buy it. We are good friends and since it was sentimental, she agreed to sell it to me. She knew that I have a passion for old cars. I have a 1974 GTO which I bought new. With only 56,000 original miles, it is still a beauty. With her knowing that, it reassured her sure that the Corvette was going to be in good hands. The Vette had 12.000 orginal miles when I got it and now it has only 13,000. I really wish it could make Corvette of the week. I would print it out and give it to her. This car was bought for my wife to take to car shows, while I take the GTO. I know this is a Corvette site but I will send a picture of both cars. Because without the one, I probably wouldn't have obtained the other. The car is the 350 Crossfire, white exterior with red interior.

Binnie writes:

Thanks very much Gary for sharing your Corvette story. We all appreciate it. A very sharp looking GTO as well!

The car is a 1982. It is silver on silver gray. It has new paint, wheels, t-tops and exhaust. Maybe a year or two from now, the interior will be redone. I work at NASA, so the Space Shuttle shot is an every launch photo op.

This is my '82 with 38k original miles. I got it about six months ago and it is tons of fun to drive. Because the color is not so common, the car gets lots of attention.

Here is are a few pictures my 1982. It is in pretty good shape if I say so myself. I am the 3rd owner, has 75,500 original miles on it, never wrecked, painted once, and all numbers match. The car is a Michigan car, sold at a Chevy dealer in Warren, Mi. It is a stock 350/5.7L, all original except the K&N filters, Firestone 255/60/15 Firehawks, and stock exhaust. I had the front suspension rebuilt and a few things done to the rear suspension, stock parts only. The carpet was new in 2005, all the gauges work, crossfire ignition is fine at the moment. It stays covered in my garage. The previous owner had it for 8 years and it was only driven 2500 miles in that time frame. It is exceptionally clean for a 'northern' car with no rust or corrosion, frame was cleaned and painted so that you can eat off it. There are no leaks. I did replace the master cylinder, new brake system front to rear, new front coil springs, and shocks.

I really like the picture of your 'Cuda. I never had one but I had a real good friend who had two '70 models, one that was an army green landau top with a 340 and the other was the purple monster with a 440/auto. The 340 was a 4 speed with the 'pistol grip' shifter. very nice cars. I always loved the 'Cuda. Thanks Binnie.

Binnie writes:

Art, you have a beautiful '82. Also, with your love for 'Cudas, I know you have great tastes!

Please consider my pride and joy, a 1982 low mileage all original car for C3 of the week. It has all available options (except the CE option). I've had the car one year now and it has just over 48,000 miles on the odometer. I searched for quite some time for my car and do believe that 'you'll know your car when you see it' is true. I knew when I first laid eyes on it that this would be my car. The car has been very well cared for as you can see, nice paint, no fading on the red carpet, nice interior, and so on. I have replaced the Goodyear Eagles due to their age, with Goodrich T/A's but other than that the car is still as you see it here. The car drives great which we do often when weather permits. Hope you all enjoy.

I am in the United States Navy and I have recently purchased this beautiful 1982 Chevrolet Corvette. As you already know the 1982 was the last of the Mako design before it was changed in early 1983. Although not quite the horsepower beasts (SB 350 TBI) as some of the previous years due to stricter emissions and gas spike of the late 70's early 80's, the 1982 was a beautiful automobile nevertheless. My corvette has 81000 original miles, original paint, original interior, and of course the stock Chevy SB 350 TBI, all well maintained, no exhaust work either, a true original. I have the Car sitting on American Racing Torque Thrust II's, as I found them to be more attractive than the stock rims. I hope you enjoy these pictures, this body style is still my favorite out of all the different body styles that the Corvette has had throughout their history. Car has been in storage as I am currently stationed on board the USS Kitty Hawk out here in Japan. I will be returning in May '08 and can't wait to drive her again. Thanks again and God Bless.