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Chrome bumpers have a higher value than rubbers right now. But I bet as the 30 something's get into the financial position of buying up their childhood dreams (and most of the restoreable cars), the late C3's will step up in value similar to the chrome bumpers.
I've been waiting 25+ years for this to happen. Taking inflation into account the later C3s are worth less now than back then.
The rubber bumper cars are almost 40 years old. The guys that wished they owned them when new are now almost 60. If they haven't bought them by now................
Although I am WAY younger than just about everyone on this forum (born in 1997), I do prefer the looks of the chrome bumper models. But as a 17 year old, there is no way I could even dream of touching one for another... 10 years if I'm lucky. Although I do happily have a 78, and I'm modifying to my tastes to become my car (without the bumpers...). I think it just comes down to everyone's personal preference and maybe not particularly age.
Enjoy it whenever you can, when i got my 81 i was 23, from the last money i could scratch together, and what a great feeling that was.
I admired the chromeys back then too, but they were not affordable to me.
But i didn`t care when sitting and driving...
Chrome bumpers have a higher value than rubbers right now. But I bet as the 30 something's get into the financial position of buying up their childhood dreams (and most of the restoreable cars), the late C3's will step up in value similar to the chrome bumpers.
Originally Posted by Mike Ward
I've been waiting 25+ years for this to happen. Taking inflation into account the later C3s are worth less now than back then.
The rubber bumper cars are almost 40 years old. The guys that wished they owned them when new are now almost 60. If they haven't bought them by now................
I believe what happened was rubber bumper cars 74-82 were so many more than the 68-72's and in that we see more left to rot away,
They just do not seem to have the "classic" appeal the chromies do,
Even if that is just myth, it's easy to sell a 427 425 horse beast not so easy on the 185 hp driver...
And they are the ones that were really getting modded, or hot rodded,
About the time the rubber bumper c3's were coming into that age nitch was when the AC Cobra replica trend hit it's zenith,
The rubber bumper cars that will be the hot item are the ones that are already hot, the convertibles the big blocks, I don't see the base 74-82 ever being what the chromies are to some people...and to be anything it would have to be a really nice one...
And the 73 oddball year of 1/2 and 1/2 was duntovs favorite c3 so....
I think we often confuse value and personal preference. Personally, my favorite year is likely 69, but if I was the designer, I think I would have drawn the nose a little differently. I love the rear of the chrome C3s, but, have never really been keen on the front. The 73 seemed like the best of both worlds to me, but, wish they retained the 68-69 gills on the fenders. It's all just a matter of personal taste; they are all Corvettes!
Mine is a 77. I bought it because at the time the price was right and I always wanted to own a C3 Vette.
I do agree the chrome bumpers are nice, however I would have a hard time to justify modifying a chrome bumper car. I believe the higher value makes the chrome bumper cars more likely to remain stock or be restored to factory.
I wanted a corvette with more power and better handling than stock and at the same time not have to worry about losing value by modifying it .
I now have most of what I want in those areas and I don't have to feel guilty about modifying a classic chrome bumper vette. I might own a chrome bumper some day but it will be restored to factory for my collection.
Mine is a 77. I bought it because at the time the price was right and I always wanted to own a C3 Vette.
I do agree the chrome bumpers are nice, however I would have a hard time to justify modifying a chrome bumper car. I believe the higher value makes the chrome bumper cars more likely to remain stock or be restored to factory.
I wanted a corvette with more power and better handling than stock and at the same time not have to worry about losing value by modifying it .
I now have most of what I want in those areas and I don't have to feel guilty about modifying a classic chrome bumper vette. I might own a chrome bumper some day but it will be restored to factory for my collection.
In my case my first vette was a 72 bb 'vert I loved that car but got silly and traded it in,
I had too many other cars through the years but always missed that car, it was my personal favorite,
The reason I got a 69 this time was it popped up first at the price I could afford,
in the range of a chrome bumper convertible, I did come close to buying a 75 convertible that had a 502 in it and 80 style front and rear bumpers ( I would mod it for my tastes anyway ) So investment had zero to do in my case
While it will sound like blasphemy to some I would have no reserves modding any car,
I feel badly for people I see post or hear them say how they love their c3 but hate the color or whatever and won't consider changing it because it's "stock" "original",
But in the case of my 69 I got it cheap because it was modded with a 73-79 modded front clip, and while never my favorite year look it sure grew on my while driving the car and in traffic people thinking it was a 73, I even had one purist fellow with a real 73 not wanting me to park next to him at a cruise.
even with my 72 I wanted some personal touches and those I am doing some 30 plus years Later to this 69....I believe that the most important thing isnt so much year number but making whatever year c3 you own your personal car.
Chrome bumpers have a higher value than rubbers right now. But I bet as the 30 something's get into the financial position of buying up their childhood dreams (and most of the restoreable cars), the late C3's will step up in value similar to the chrome bumpers.
Boy I dont know, maybe its just me but I dont see that ever happening IMO. To me the bumper cars are true classics its easy to see why they harness more money. Dont flame me too badly but when they put the first rubber rear on these cars they wrecked them, to me they just looked cheap and dime a dozen.
I would die for a big block 69 I'd take that baby to my grave and if I dont shut up may come sooner that I thought
Boy I dont know, maybe its just me but I dont see that ever happening IMO. To me the bumper cars are true classics its easy to see why they harness more money. Dont flame me too badly but when they put the first rubber rear on these cars they wrecked them, to me they just looked cheap and dime a dozen.
For me, I like the chrome bumper cars, but the bumpers are only part of it.
Living in California, the car has to be smog exempt. I have no problems making the smog systems on a later car work correctly (in fact I do so on my family owned and non-butchered 84 Monte Carlo with no issues), but would prefer not to on a car that has been indifferently maintained. So '75 and before.
Many complain about the wiper doors on the 68-72 cars, but I really like it, so now it's '72 and before. And I like the way the chrome front bumper line the front edge of the body. Makes the body lines very sharp and purposeful.
Years back I told a buddy that I was willing to buy a front-wrecked '73 he knew of and hang a 70-72 nose on it and he got PI$$ED! I don't care about the year, I just like the look. The guys that came up with the parts to convert a later car to a chome bumper look are heroes to me. Probably not to my friend. The 73 ended up getting parted because I could never get my buddy to share info on it to save it. Parted is better than hybridized, I guess.
I would have no issue rocking a later C3 with a manual trans even without the chrome bumpers, except for the smog issues. The chrome bumpers are just icing on the car, er, cake.
Chrome bumpers have a higher value than rubbers right now. But I bet as the 30 something's get into the financial position of buying up their childhood dreams (and most of the restoreable cars), the late C3's will step up in value similar to the chrome bumpers.
I completely agree that the future of rubber bumper car values is bright, because I think the classic Corvette look screeched to a halt in 1982. This was simply the last model that looked like a cool old car.
I would not agree that they will catch up the the chrome bumpers though. ( not sure if that's what you meant). The full chrome bumpers will always have an extra vintage dimension that will provide a price premium, IMO.
I completely agree that the future of rubber bumper car values is bright, because I think the classic Corvette look screeched to a halt in 1982. This was simply the last model that looked like a cool old car.
I would not agree that they will catch up the the chrome bumpers though. ( not sure if that's what you meant). The full chrome bumpers will always have an extra vintage dimension that will provide a price premium, IMO.
I realize chrome bumpers were less made but seems more rubber bumper cars are modded, I thought the real investment value came with being factory stock, I see 74-82's being fairly popular now with people who do want mods and to drive the car a bit more than shows or meets so when you say you see a bright future for their value do you mean a big jump from where they are now and in what time span?
I test drove a 72, but them I saw a preview of the 73 in some car magazine
with the new front bumper and thought it looked great. Kind of like the 1972 Ferrari 365.
I thought it was the best of both worlds, the rear chrome bumper and the new sporty front.
So I ordered the 73 in August of 1972 even though I could have bought the 72 instead.
I don't see any problem with any C3. Just my opinion and to each his own.
I test drove a 72, but them I saw a preview of the 73 in some car magazine
with the new front bumper and thought it looked great. Kind of like the 1972 Ferrari 365.
I thought it was the best of both worlds, the rear chrome bumper and the new sporty front.
So I ordered the 73 in August of 1972 even though I could have bought the 72 instead.
I don't see any problem with any C3. Just my opinion and to each his own.
Donnie
The new at the time 68 had many styling touches ripped from the 4-R-E Dino, the rear cove, duck tail...etc,
When custom outfits started doing the ugly to me Datsun z headlights in c3's it was to further that whole euro styling thing, Motion made them known but they were never too popular,
When the new 73 came out lots of people were like you, it was at the time all cutting edge wild over the top different, like T-tops were in 68,
Lots of c3's my 69 being one received 73 front clips to get that new smooth cool look.
Dont flame me too badly but when they put the first rubber rear on these cars they wrecked them, to me they just looked cheap and dime a dozen
They may not look as good as a chrome bumper C3 but they don't look cheap, they look fantastic in comparison to all the rubber bumper cars auto manufacturers have made in the last 25-30 years. I'll take a rubber bumper C3 over any new car on a dealers lot today.
It is also interesting how preferences and Spirit of the Age sometimes change over the decades...
My 82 just has been converted to chrome.
Compare the 2014 picture of the build, with the pictures from 1982, where another shop also installs a bumper kit - but there is a slight difference !
They may not look as good as a chrome bumper C3 but they don't look cheap, they look fantastic in comparison to all the rubber bumper cars auto manufacturers have made in the last 25-30 years. I'll take a rubber bumper C3 over any new car on a dealers lot today.
Took mine out today for a run. Went to the PBA Hall to donate some toys, then to the Doc's. Three of the nurse techs. went out and were taking pics of themselves beside the car. (had the T-Tops off) Won't find that with a regular plain jane car. Don't even think the new ones warrant this kind of situation. LOL.
While I would love to have a 1969 convertible, I have never made any apologies to anyone for my Tupperware 1974.
Yes, but you have one of the nicest 74's around and it's a convertible and didn't I hear you say you might be selling it, I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be very proud of this car...
12-17-2014, 05:58 PM
but when they put the first rubber rear on these cars they wrecked them, to me they just looked cheap and dime a dozen.
I'd take that baby to my grave and if I dont shut up may come sooner that I thought
yes 
