New to Corvettes.. need buying tips!

Hi there :) I'm really interested in buying a StingrayII model Corvette. As I understand, this body design began in the late 60s and continued on until the early 80's right? Anyhow, I was wondering if you folks could

a. recommend a good model from that period (power, reliability) etc.

b. let me know how much I can expect to pay for one in good running condition (not pristine, but not crap) used?

I really liked the MakoII that never made it to production. I also like the 79-80 model a lot too :)