If a C3 is what you want, buy it. Enjoy it. The aftermarket is loaded with Vette stuff. Since you own one, you know what they are about. When I sold my C4 in October, the C3's were going for more money. Find the right one, and have fun.
If a C3 is what you want, buy it. Enjoy it. The aftermarket is loaded with Vette stuff. Since you own one, you know what they are about. When I sold my C4 in October, the C3's were going for more money. Find the right one, and have fun.
Ok. So if you just HAVE to do it here's my advice. It's a car I happen to know a little bit about:
Don't bother with a post '73. The '68 to '72 are the most valuable but the '73 has a following too (it was Zora's favorite). If you don't know who Zora is then you might consider looking it up as he was key in the development of the Corvette. Big block was not available after '74 but fits in all of them with minimal effort. But heck. This is GRM. We don't care about the valuable ones or being stock.
Here's what I'd do and in fact DID. Well, pretty close. Find a '76. It's unique in that it has the same steering wheel used in Vegas (the steering wheel that came in Vegas should have stayed in Vegas...see what I did there?). The '76 is also the unloved step child of all C3's. All Corvettes too for that matter. Get one with the L48 engine. You don't need to pay more for the L82. An automatic transmission is likely what you'll find. Now go and find a cheap 454 from an '80's truck. The ones with the peanut port heads. Nobody wants them. Make sure the bottom end is sound and it has good compression. Then get ready to spend some cash. Get some Edelbrock aluminum heads, intake manifold, and their 750 CFM Carter clone. You might prefer a Q-jet but that's up to you. Cheapy headers, an X pipe, and Flowmasters. Now for around 10 to 12 thousand you've got a car that can whoop a new Camry on a good day.
What you really need is a 4-speed car with side pipes and a 6-71 
I thought about side pipes when I had mine but they were expensive. Not that a 6-71 won't be.
hey wait a minute...isn't there somebody on here that rally crosses a red C3? Seem to recall that they hit a deer with it awhile back. We need to hear from him.
mazdeuce - Seth said:dculberson said:In every measurable way they are worse cars. But I still get it.
This can't be quoted enough. The C5 is better in every way that can be measured. However, a C5 isn't nearly as cool and probably not as fun and for sure doesn't pull chicks like a C3 and a proper application of gold chain.
A C3 pulls chicks like ice cream cures cancer 
I've had my 75 Stingray since 2001. And it's a "shark-bodied" car as opposed to a solid axle or midyear. Only revisionists call them C3s!
It was an L48 with th400, air and power steering, power windows, deluxe interior.
It's currently on jackstands waiting for me to finish the install of an LT1 and 4l60e from a 9C1 Caprice.
Will be upgrading the steering with a Borgeson powered box, going to side pipes, and running 93 Sawblades 17x9.5 rear and 8.5 fronts. Looking at Wilwoods for at least the front brakes.
What I'm trying to say is just do it. The mid 70s cars have little collector value and GM made over half a million shark-bodied cars between 68 and 82. You should be able to find a very decent car to make your own fairly easily.
I wouldn't track one however unless you did some serious upgrades to the suspension and steering. They suffer rear toe-out under cornering that will spin you fast if not prepared for it. A lot on the market to fix that, but $$$.
Corvetteforum.com can be your friend or a headache depending on who responds to you. Digitalcorvettes is a pretty good forum.
Here's Sasha at the last autocross we ran at Stowe, Vermont a few years back. Sorry about the sound quality.
I'd embed but not sure how.
George
Why not both that’s what my dad has. 69 427 convertible th400,390 hp but has had a 12 to 1 tripower autocross engine in it since 1981. He bought it about 3 years old. And he’s got a 2003 zo6 he ordered brand new.
I specifically want a 78-81. Blasphemy, I know, but I rather like the plastic bumpers and updated interior, along with that awesome fastback rear window. Yeah they were total dogs from the factory, but I plan on ripping all of the emissions equipment off on day 1, including the cats. A big block will fit into any of them, so why not buy the body style I want? Plus it just so happens that the post-78 ones are dirt cheap!
MotorsportsGordon said:Why not both that’s what my dad has. 69 427 convertible th400,390 hp but has had a 12 to 1 tripower autocross engine in it since 1981. He bought it about 3 years old. And he’s got a 2003 zo6 he ordered brand new.
Because I don't really want the C5 anymore. It costs a fair bit of money to insure since it's a sports car and I'm 25 wih a rather short driving history (got my first car at like 21). Plus my C5 is an automatic and isn't a Z06 so it's not all that quick anyways.
https://lexington.craigslist.org/cto/d/1981-corvette-reduced-firm/6464361705.html
I say go for it. This guy wants to trade his older vette for a newer one.
Hell yeah. Sometimes we get so caught up in the technicalities and engineering specs cars (ok, I guess this is a MOTORSPORTS, site but whatever), that we forget that wrenching on and then driving something that you have an emotional connection with that sounds right to you, looks right, and even smells right is the best part of this hobby. If we were talking DD status, I'd call you crazy, but for a weekend project/cruiser/fun car...dude, get what you like and don't look back.
Do what makes you happy, you've got time, you can always get another C5, if you care too much about what the internet thinks you'll never do anything. Better do it now, too, as the scale moves to the right C3's are going up in value.
I personally love C3's, and the crappier the better. There's one locally for $3k that I keep wanting to bring home but it's totally the wrong time for it.
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:https://lexington.craigslist.org/cto/d/1981-corvette-reduced-firm/6464361705.html
I say go for it. This guy wants to trade his older vette for a newer one.
Man, if only that wasn't halfway across the country. I wouldn't want to do a trade that far away, it would just be a giant hassle. Plus I'm not sure of the condition of a Corvette out there... I'd feel more confident getting one that's lived in Arizona or California, as they do tend to have frame rust pretty badly in other parts of the country.
penultimeta said:Hell yeah. Sometimes we get so caught up in the technicalities and engineering specs cars (ok, I guess this is a MOTORSPORTS, site but whatever), that we forget that wrenching on and then driving something that you have an emotional connection with that sounds right to you, looks right, and even smells right is the best part of this hobby. If we were talking DD status, I'd call you crazy, but for a weekend project/cruiser/fun car...dude, get what you like and don't look back.
Agreed. My daily driver is a 2000 BMW 540i touring with 202,000 miles, so that's hardly more reliable than a C3. It is more comfortable though, and faster than most C3's in stock form hahaha
CLynn85 said:Do what makes you happy, you've got time, you can always get another C5, if you care too much about what the internet thinks you'll never do anything. Better do it now, too, as the scale moves to the right C3's are going up in value.
I personally love C3's, and the crappier the better. There's one locally for $3k that I keep wanting to bring home but it's totally the wrong time for it.
Yeah, I'm starting to see C3's going up in value so it's definitely a good time to buy one. I have nothing against taking on a project, as I'm mechanically inclined and have loads of free space and free time to work on a car. I was super close to getting a C3 that was like 90% restored, it just needed to be put back together. Unfortunately it slipped away very quickly.
They're gorgeous cars, although I prefer the early cars with the steel bumpers. (As most people do apparently.)
However, I hate the way they drive.
Heavy and noodly and dog slow stock. (Even the 350/4 speed cars) As others mentioned, rear suspension geometry sucks.
I'd still have one for the right price if the stars aligned just right, but I'd also start over on the chassis/suspension.
I had a customer bring 3 of them into the shop that all had rotten frames (probably the "birdcage" thing Pete Gosset mentioned) before he eventually gave up on having one and bought one of the shop's split bumper second gen Camaro's we were building. And these were all California cars.
Although, you must consider the source. I am expecting to drive around a car cobbled together from 2 pieces of garbage, so....
Crackers said:They're gorgeous cars, although I prefer the early cars with the steel bumpers. (As most people do apparently.)
However, I hate the way they drive.
Heavy and noodly and dog slow stock. (Even the 350/4 speed cars) As others mentioned, rear suspension geometry sucks.
I'd still have one for the right price if the stars aligned just right, but I'd also start over on the chassis/suspension.
I had a customer bring 3 of them into the shop that all had rotten frames (probably the "birdcage" thing machinebeau mentioned) before he eventually gave up on having one and bought one of the shop's split bumper second gen Camaro's we were building. And these were all California cars.
Although, you must consider the source. I am expecting to drive around a car cobbled together from 2 pieces of garbage, so....
The steel bumper ones do look a bit better, but I'm not about to go and spend big money on one just because of the bumpers. I can definitely live with the plastic bumpers for the right price!
As for heavy, you have to consider that my background is in driving cars that weigh 4000lbs or more! My daily driver is 4000lbs and I used to daily drive a Range Rover which was 5400lbs. Most C3's weigh in around 3500lbs, which is feather light compared to what I'm used to. Plus with aluminum heads, removal of all emissions equipment, and a proper aftermarket exhaust I bet I can shave a few pounds off that as well.
I also drove a 1996 Mustang GT 5-speed for a while and thought the solid axle handled fine, so I am clearly not too picky when it comes to suspensions.
A 401 CJ said:mazdeuce - Seth said:dculberson said:In every measurable way they are worse cars. But I still get it.
This can't be quoted enough. The C5 is better in every way that can be measured. However, a C5 isn't nearly as cool and probably not as fun and for sure doesn't pull chicks like a C3 and a proper application of gold chain.
A C3 pulls chicks like ice cream cures cancer
they do if you're 18 and a senior in HS. That was a glorious year in my red '79
Crackers said:They're gorgeous cars, although I prefer the early cars with the steel bumpers. (As most people do apparently.)
However, I hate the way they drive.
Heavy and noodly and dog slow stock. (Even the 350/4 speed cars) As others mentioned, rear suspension geometry sucks.
I'd still have one for the right price if the stars aligned just right, but I'd also start over on the chassis/suspension.
I had a customer bring 3 of them into the shop that all had rotten frames (probably the "birdcage" thing machinebeau mentioned) before he eventually gave up on having one and bought one of the shop's split bumper second gen Camaro's we were building. And these were all California cars.
Although, you must consider the source. I am expecting to drive around a car cobbled together from 2 pieces of garbage, so....
I did always like the way you sat low and plush in the seats though. And although not fast, they make fun noises while trying hard to move, and they shift nice and hard. I also always liked the way they felt a little like a driving hammer throw. You were the hammer as the backend slid around corners, at least in the hills of east Tennessee. Fun car, mine was never able to keep from eating it's rear end though, never could figure that out.
In reply to grover :
They feel great until you actually start driving them around. LOL They're great cruising cars, but not much more IMO.
Another customer we had fell victim to snap oversteer on a fairly regular basis. He bent the passenger side trailing arm 4 times I know off from sliding into curbs. (Those trailing arms were almost $300/ea used in late 90's SoCal to boot.)
Having driven a few C3s, i do think in general it's pretty crazy to go from a c5 to a c3. However..
I feel like the C5 feels too much like a normal car. Like it's drivable and doesn't reek of gas and oil all the time. I want something more hot rod-esque, something that's a little more punishing but rewarding to drive. I'm not chasing after lap times or stats, just a certain feel.
I get the situation. C5s were pretty close to the top of my shopping list at one point and they'll never truly be off it (until i've owned one). But i've driven, autocrossed, and done some fairly serious mechanical work on auto C5s and i get that if you're not modifying it OR tracking it, it can be underwhelming. The auto takes a lot of the drama out of the power it does have, and if you're also DDing a v8 station wagon that's reasonably quick in its own right and better at every other DD measure, that's a de facto mark against the stock auto c5. It's corvette-ness isn't going to shine through until you put it in a turning race, and its auto-ness isn't going to show any great advantage unless you modify it (converter especially). If you're not planning to do either one of those things and already have a great v8/auto DD... might as well build that c3 instead!
I am simply here to enable you. I've owned 2 C5 and one C3. The C5 was a far superior car in every measurable way imaginable...power, brakes, handling, interior, etc... However, the C3 was one of the coolest cars I ever had and I loved it. Mine the first "fancy" toy I ever bought. Got it when my now wife and I were engaged. We used it for wedding photos (didn't bring it to the wedding because it was pouring rain that day). It got endless looks and thumbs up everywhere we went. It was a joy to drive, a great cruiser. My personal favorite body design is the '80 and '81 (like the '82, but it's the Crossfire injection), which has the curved up rear spoiler and chin spoiler. Mine was an '81 which had been modified. It looked a lot like the picture below...similar hood, body kit, rear wing, etc....except mine was pimp gold with a black stripe going around the middle, like a belt. When I bought the car, the stripe was actually 3 toned...various shades of yellow, straight out of the late '70s/early '80s disco era. I tracked down the cars history, and turned out it was bought new by a local drug dealer. I had the stripe painted over to be black, making it look MUCH better.
Flares, side pipes, and 315s or don't bother
In reply to dannyzabolotny :
Not at all! Like most of us you want to control your destiny.
Here’s the deal. Modern NASCAR cars are elemental, basic, and wonderfully raw but they handle vastly better than their 1970’s equivalent. Same parts, just how they are assembled makes the difference.
You can do much the same, it will just take research.
I assume from the tone of your post you are talking about a street car? Then if you want decent handling and power don’t restore one or buy a restored one. Go ahead and buy a roach. Treat it like a blank canvas. These wheels those tires, that engine and this transmission. A big block in a in a small block chassis? Do it! So what if the numbers don’t match, you’ll have a big block.
It’s your canvas. Do what you want and ignore all the small little people who will try to look down their nose at you. They won’t have what you do so it’s their loss. Grab life by the ba-ls and go for it!
When you get right down to it we're talking about a toy here. It's fun to compare spec.s and capabilities but really it's hard to imagine a scenario where a Corvette of any vintage is a purely rational choice for a car. Get the one you like the most.
Disclaimer: this advice comes from someone who road races a big block gen 2 Camaro.
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