vairxpert

Thought maybe you were one of the two guys around Valparaiso who drive C3s year round...even during the worst snow storms.

How many miles are on the car? Has it been in northern Indiana its whole life and driven during the winter? If so you better have the frame and bird cage inspected very well.

I had my 75 for 12 years and the mileage when I bought it was in the 50K range. I drove it quite a bit and had to do repairs on a regular basis. Never thought I did that much until I dug out all the receipts to give to the new owner. As the mileage climbed over 80K along with being 37 years old, I could foresee issues multiplying...or spiraling down as you say. I love working on cars and have a large well equipped garage; however, I grew to despise wrenching on the C3.

Any car built in the 70s can't compare to a newer car. When buying a used car back then 100,000 miles was considered used up. Today it's considered low mileage.
You can invest your $6K into it and make a decent daily driver but it WILL continue to need regular repairs. If it has rust issues I wouldn't invest a dime into it.

When I sold mine a few months ago I replaced it with a very low mileage Porsche as my special interest car. I'm now currently shopping for a C5 Z06 to replace another car of mine. I want to be able to hop in it and drive to Florida and back without thoughts of being left stranded.
Apples and oranges compared to a C3 and there seems to be a never ending amount of amazing C5s at very reasonable prices to choose from.
Before investing all that money into your C3, take a C5 out for a spin and you may not feel so bad about trading up a few decades!

LeMans Pete

Snap out of it. Grab a wrench, a beer, and get to work. Self pity is not prosperous.

richard emmanuel

heres a plan,,if you sell the c3 and saab get about 10 plus 6 =16 buy a c5.
Now look at this. C3's are slowly going up in value. C5 is going down. The best plan is to fix the c3 now while parts are cheap and drive the saab. The c5's will continue to decrease while you do this and the c3's will continue to slowly increase value wise. Once you finish the c3, save a little and sell the saab and buy yourself a cheap c5. You will have a classic restored c3 and a daily driver in the c5.
Just my 2 cents
Richard

damoroso

Get it out of your system yet?

I'm assuming you don't want to sell the car so, this becomes basic project managment. First, what's your objective? A solid daily driver, show car, race car, you have to start with what you want to accomplish and be as specific as you can, realizing things may change along the way. Once you've decieded that, start prioritizing the tasks necessary to accomplish the objective, realizing some tasks are dependent on or precidents of others. Then, work within each task prioritizing the work necessary for each, and pretty soon you have a project map. Once that's done, you can start assigning budget to each task.

Doing a project like this gets you to that "eating and elephant one bite at a time" approach and can take a complicated job into workable pieces. Realize things will change as you move forward, learn new things or find new problems, but this helps avoid the shotgun approach and wasted time and money.

You've got the SAAB to drive, so, what's the objective, what are the problems with the car, and start planning.

Lot's of help here when you get your projects identified!

sprtplt

I just don't think I would ever own one of these cars if I was not able to do most of the work myself (and, ENJOY doing it).

And, if a C3 was my only vehicle that would never work either.

I suppose if you had a very good local shop that you "knew" (did good work at fair prices) you could have things done as you go- but even then you really need to know enough to make the call on priorities to be fixed.

Honestly, the most practical, good to drive, reliable vehicle for me has always been a late model Silverado.

Easy Mike

Where are you?

69 Chevy

7T1vette

OK, I'll be the 'bad guy' and do the "reality check" on this thread....

I totally understand where you are in life and also understand that you like C3's and really want one. But... your present situation does not lend itself to spending a lot of time and money working on your car. You just don't have that luxury right now.

If you really like the '80 car you now have, store it away and focus on getting to a point where you have the time and money to get it refurbished like you want it. Or...

Sell the '80 and put a plan together to determine exactly what C3 year and type of car you really want, then work toward achieving that goal. In any event, if you don't have the skills/time/workspace to be doing major mechanical work on your car, buy a car that is more expensive...but doesn't need to have all the mechanical work done on it.

Your car needs to fit your life. And, right now, that is not the case. So, think about it; acutally get a pad and paper, turn off the TV/Ipod/computer, sit down at the table and think about this situation and what you really want....NOT how to make the 'best' out of what you have now.

{just my 2 cents....wish you the best }

jesse10886

Brooklinite

Totally agree with 7T1vette on this one, and I've been there.

I had a '77 when I was 21, limited funds, the car regularly needed something minor done to it, no place to store it, had to have another car for the winter, etc, etc. Hanging on to it was becoming really stressful (sound familiar?) so I sold it. But I swore that I would get another one someday, when I had the money to get what I wanted, and I had a garage to keep it in. It took me 15 years to get there...ymmv.

I really missed it, but it was the right decision and it made the next one that much sweeter.

vettebuyer6369

Ive had a lot of these cars since the 70s, and Ive never done most of the work.

Many people on this forum will try to make you think there's something wrong with that. If you want to try to do work on your car, fine. If not, then don't feel like you have to explain to anyone why you don't. It's a hobby, not a job.

If you aren't interested in learning to fix the car, calculate the costs of paying someone to do stuff into your budget. If you can't afford it now, either 1. store the car if its "the car" for you (which I seriously doubt) until you are in a better cash place or 2. sell the car until you can buy something you can afford to obtain close to finished or that you can pay to keep in good order. A car you really want.

Of course, a key is developing a relationship with a mechanic/shop you trust.

This hobby is supposed to be fun. At that point when you are feeling bad about ownership, it's time to walk away from it to help determine if it's something your should continue.

indydoug

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but NEW ALBANY is a suburb of Louisville, not a central IN city like ALBANY.

Keep searching for a helper on the forum, I'm sure you will find someone closer, like Muncie or Richmond.

Double_0_7

Oh. nevermind then. , ...When I lived in Fort Wayne, I found a shop I REALLY trusted. Maybe I'll just take a drive up there one day, hang out with old friends and leave the vette with them for an inspection. They've done stuff for me in the past to earn respect.(Stuff like once telling me when their parts guy is being stupid so I could save just by looking for myself and bringing it to them, and another time when they cleaned and reassembled my driver door latch for $35 instead of replacing it for around $200)

I've decided that if it's rust free, I will keep it and work on it. I've been reading a lot, and when I get a chance, I'd like to post pictures here and see what you all think. When I bought the car in '08, I met the seller at a corvette restoration shop in MetroDetroit, but I think he was more into helping his friend sell a car than providing an honest assessment. So I don't know the difference between surface rust and something worse. That's what I need to know.

I did some shopping around, and complete suspension and steering rebuilds don't cost as much as I thought. Maybe it still won't happen, but I think the rust would be the biggest reason.

couperdecar

You said you had purchased the car as a DD . Now you have a 2nd car. I'm no pyschologist, but I'd say you're stressed because you know the car has served its purpose and now its time for it to go. Let it go and be happy you are not a wack job like some of us on here who spend all of their time and money on this damn addiction.

camarokracker

I agree.... I guess im one more with that addiction only I have a Vette and a Camaro and an autocross car... I went from rediculous to idiotic to just plain stupid.. I need a shrink.. please dont get into my shoes..lol..

Honestly, If it doesnt have a bunch of ROT issues.. (not surface rust since that can be easily dealt with.) then do what your heart says. The camaro I own is the one i drove to college oh so many years back. I drove it to 260,000 miles then the engine gave up. I couldnt afford to fix it or do much of anyhting. Luckily i had a place to put it and i just held on to it till i was able to treat it to the proper rebuilding it deserved and i am now more than happy that i did.

Just remember.. It is an addiction.. no its a sickness that there is no reasonable cure for..

Double_0_7

I added pics in the first post.

Double_0_7

input?

tyancey00

Sell it! When you have the money to buy another one do it. You now know what to look for in the way of problems... My a motorcycle for some cheap fun in the interim ... That is what I did.

Clubby99

Sounds like a major restoration is not for you. Why not sell the car and then use the proceeds plus your extra $6,000 to buy a better C3? Be careful to check it out for rust this time. Maybe take a trip to California to find one? Why do so many people buy these rusty "snowbelt" cars?

Then work on improving the new C3 with new carpets or seat covers etc. If you start on this car I think you will be over your head. I think your "gut" is telling you that/

Double_0_7

I did drive it through a significant portion of winter for the end of one winter and start of another. Granted I didn't know what to look for at the time so I can't be sure, but I'd bet it was in better shape when I bought it.

I'm going to put the car up for sale for sure, probably this weekend.

You're right, I'd be in TOTALLY over my head trying to do things this major. Fear of this rust thing is what had me kinda down in the first place...