Visually I love the C3, mechanically....eh, are we afraid of a little cut, weld, drive around here? LS1, suspension tuning, sounds like fodder for some great GRM articles.
Send me a car and some $$ I'll send you writeups and pictures :) You guys can edit my terrible writing...sounds like a plan to me :)
NONACK wrote:Bobzilla wrote: high curb weight, a chassis as rigid as a wet noodle, mediocre ergonomics and bad suspension geometry. What else do you need?Wait, now I can't tell which late 70s/80s American car we're talking about
I'd rock one, but make mine with sidepipes.
My 78 ws6 T/A has better ergonomics than my 85 911....it's pretty rigid too and honestly I doubt the weights are far off.
Keith Tanner wrote: It looks like a kit car. It's a big fiberglass blob.
That rarely stops people from liking the C5's appearance. 
Streetwiseguy wrote: Golly, the least desireable vintage of the least desireable body style. Lets go with, "Spend the money on pizza instead."
+everything
As weak as their performance was, the '80 and '81 models were some of my favorite 'Vettes. I bought a 1980 as one of the very first weekend toys I ever had. Used it in my wedding. What a fun car, I still miss it.
Keith Tanner wrote: It looks like a kit car. It's a big fiberglass blob.
This is a kit car blob? C'mon, man!
I know this is a 69, which looks different than an 82, but its still a C3 Vette.
If you crib anything, crib Guldstrand.
I have driven a 67, 71, 75, 78 of the C2/C3 generation. The C2 is better in about every way; except now, cost. Their chassis are essentially the same, and indeed, a convertible cannot be on stands while doors are opened/closed.
The L82 "decent" 350 cannot compare in sound or feel to the ol' 350hp/327, and the long hood gets sort of old.
If I had to pick one, between 78 and 82, I would pick 82 for the novelty of the era, and then take it apart and slap a new frame/chassis underneath, perhaps from art-morrison or something, and some variant of gen III/IV engine in front and be pretty happy.
Papa's Toy's a car collection in Cornelius Oregon some special model from the 78-83 period... it was on this mornings TV... anyway... it has only 110 miles on it.....
If I could actually choose what vette... I'll take a 1965 Fuel injected model....
I would go '78, since I think they look "cleaner". I've always kind of liked these, but have never driven one. A friend used to have a '72, and even then the panel gaps were never great. But that was a fun car to drive.
Always loved them, and would like to see what GRM would do with one. Could be neat to buy both, one for GRM and one for CM. GRM goes all track car crazy on it, CM cleans theirs up with some improvements and do a run off between both to see how much performance can be gained...
Back in 1982, a coworker traded in his mint '67 Corvette coupe on a 1982 Collector's Edition. That may have been one of the worst decisions ever.
Appleseed wrote:Keith Tanner wrote: It looks like a kit car. It's a big fiberglass blob.This is a kit car blob? C'mon, man!
Okay, I'll give you that one. Much better looking - and well photographed as a bonus. If they all looked like that, I'd be more partial to them.
I'd go with the regular '78.
When I was a kid and these cars were new, they were everywhere down the shore during the summer. Riding along on my Schwinn, these were cool. 36 years later I know they weren't the high point of Corvette history. I do see them as unappreciated raw material to have some fun with. The 7 year old kid in me would enjoy reading a build on one.
I would jump on a L82 4-speed 78 at the prices they go for now. I don't care for the redesigned front and rear caps on the 80-82 cars. Not that it looks bad on its own, but put them both side by side and the earlier car just looks better.
But in any case the later C3's are pretty similar, and the right answer is always buy the best you can afford without regard to model year.
And for those thinking that the 82's have collector potential for being the "end of the line," I have an 81 T/A that is the "end of the line" for those and collectors aren't exactly lining up to buy it. The hatch (on 82 Vettes) is neat though, interesting how GM gave a little C4 preview at the end of the C3 run.
My dad will never, ever live down making my mom rock a 79 vette as a family car. Mom, 2 sisters, and me. Usually me and one of my sisters riding in the bubble of the back window. Ah the days before silly seat belt laws and parents being concerned about the safety of their kids. My dad had a company car so we would take that a lot for family stuff, until he got a 82 Collector's Edition as a company car. 2 vettes with 4 seats between them for a family of 5. Sucked being the youngest since that meant I never got an actual seat.
I'll take the 80, 81, and 82 front end. I certainly think this would be one of the more interesting project cars in a long time.
Tuff! Can't make my decision!
I used to like them a lot.......until I drove one. While I was in college we let a buddy keep his 76 Vette in our garage for safekeeping. It was far from stock--- and 70's fabulous! ( chrome wire wheels, stars and stripes motif on the sides, sidepipes, etc) As the car had a built 350, it hauled ass and made all the right noises. I was really looking forward to driving it, and when the time came I jumped at the chance.
For a non-tall guy (I'm 5'8") it was nearly impossible to see out of. You sit low, and those Buck Rodgers fenders rise up and block your view of the edges of the car. The hood is about as long as a 71 Eldorado's too, so seeing in front of you isn't great either.
I still like the styling in a Saturday Night Fever kinda way, but I'd imagine it would be a pig to autocross. I know it's been done, but it seems like pounding a square peg into a round hole.
so yes.....we should do it! 
my big problem is i dont fit in a c3 with the windows up. my shoulder hits the glass.
ive restored a couple of different c3's for customers, chrome and rubber bumper. i personally like the rubber bumper cars better. interior quality is nicer, and they just "feel" more solid.
id vote the 82, just because.
If you do one, it HAS to have the stars and stripes.
stuart in mn wrote: Back in 1982, a coworker traded in his mint '67 Corvette coupe on a 1982 Collector's Edition. That may have been one of the worst decisions ever.
A guy my dad used to work with at NASA traded a 427 Cobra for a new Corvette in 1976. He had bought the Cobra new and it of course was just an old sports car at the time. He thought at the time what suckers to trade a used car for a new one even up. hummm wonder what he thinks now?
I prefer the 53/4 and 63-73 model years......late C1's, late C3's, all c4's just look bad to me for some reason. I don't mind the C5-7 generation though.
nicksta43 wrote: Danny Popp's C3 is not floppy.
That's about as much C3 corvette as my Truck is....
In reply to Bobzilla:
and you think the potential GRM C3 wouldn't end up in a similar situation?
Whenever people talk about a particular vehicle here, unless otherwise stated, assume it will be a project and eventually taken to crazy degrees of customization and hackery to allow it to live up to the dreams of the builder.
You'll need to log in to post.
