Tooonz

It's almost comical. Ever since we bought this car. I knew we bought the redheaded step child. Our car shows well, real clean, factory rally rims, always gets attention just like all other C3's. people get excited asking questions about the car, then they ask the year and when I say 79 they almost always go....................oh. lol

Lady last said after a pregnant pause, well it still has the front end look of a 68' Uhm ok, no it's a bit different but I'll go with it. Then goes on about a guy she knew with a 68 blah blah blah. Hey I love all the C3 styles. yes the chrome bumper ones even better. but I'm very happy to have one, and someday We'll have another. In the mean time I'm going to love the hell out this 79, maybe even more because it's the under dog. At least I know there was at least 53k options for parts at one time

Mean while she drove away in her Toyota and no even noticed

billcarson

enjoy your car and don't worry what others think.not all like the chrome bumper cars more,i don't,they look too dated to me.i was originally shopping for an '82 but they were all so beat up i got discouraged and wound up with a '76.people will say dumb things.enjoy!

The13Bats

I have owned corvettes from 66 to 86 I now own a 69 I will not sell,
It was the right convertible at the right time and price,

When I got my 69 it had a modded 73-79 front clip and I started to like that look a lot, I had to pull the clip to do repairs and a fellow asked to buy it and in a short on $$$ moment I took it,

I have an ecklers 69 front clip and mako front clip, when I mock things up in many ways I still like the 73-79 modded front end a lot and wish my buddy would get off his tilt Monza front clip which is basically that same 73-79 look,

I have owned many corvettes in the 68-82 shark years,
I do not put any year above another, my best memories are in one 81 I owned and a 72 I owned and you know how different they are, blah blah blah

not the reaction you desire with your 79, don't sweat it, people are that way, look at the elitists here who think chromies are the end all to be all or ones who say any mod ruins a corvette, I respect how they feel, it just doesn't effect what I like or own....

Ibanez540r

Not really on topic, but I have a hard time answering the question "what year" (And that is only to family and friends cause the car is still apart in the garage in the midst of a resto-mod) My car is such a compilation of various C3's that my standard response now is a question right back, "What part?" That usually gets a chuckle and then a weird look waiting for an explanation. I've wondered how I'm going to go about that type of thing at the car shows. The 'vette guys are gonna know and be like "no it's not", and others are just going to be confused.

(The car started it's life as a 76, somehow/someway prior to my ownership turned into a bubble rear window. My resto-mod alterations include a "chrome bumper" style rear without chrome bumpers, 68-69 side gills, 78 pace front spoiler, 4.5" cowl hood, C6 wheels, etc.)

What year... I don't know, take your pick..

The13Bats

Mine is also a frankenvette like that but my title says 69....

Ibanez540r

Yeah I feel like it is sometimes interpreted like it's a pile of **** "mistake" but to me, and when it is seen and done, it's going to be "my" perfect one off custom.

But anyway, back to the OP..

midigike

I was just at a show and there was really nice 77,78,79s with all low mileage, very original condition, nice interiors and the owners enjoyed showing them and entertaining conversation with one another. A Vette is a Vette in my opinion

trukatedave

I get many of those reactions too. I tell them it's a 79. And usually they start mumbling about build #'s and then try to pick it apart. When they ask if I know what's wrong with it my normal response is "Because it's not yours?"..... Some figure it out some don't.,... To each Their own. I'm sure you get more thumbs up than down! With mere pennies invested compared to some vettes I have no worries. Enjoy! And remember .... Drive slow ... Drink milk!

tokim

In life I have learned that my satisfaction is what matters, I don't alter my life/taste to suit the popular vote.
Enjoy your '79, I'm sure it's a fine car.

crawfish333

Don't feel too bad. Besides the C3 I am picking up on Monday, I have a C7. When people see my car about half of them say something like "It looks nice, but if I had a Vette it would have to be one of the early 60s style." This NOT at car shows and most of them I did not even ask their opinions. We use our C7 for road trips, so I normally just say something like "I love the vintage Corvettes, but we travel across country in this one and the creature comforts make it more suited for that purpose." This usually followed by a story about their Uncle Fred who had a 64 and "that sucker was way faster than... " For some reason everyone thinks they are an expert on Corvettes. After a while (I have been driving Corvettes for many years) you kind of get a kick out of these comments and get to where you just laugh them off.

tonak

I love my '79

I get lots of comments on it and enjoy driving it, (souped up engine/ dual exhaust). It could be a pedal car and I'd still love it

Any kind of negative feedback has been from other corvette owners, but that's their problem, and it's rare.

bruceg2016

I have my 79 since Dec 2015, been hitting the show circuit and my experience has been the opposite. People really love talking to me about my 79, I get a lot of "I had one like this or My uncle had one like this" Maybe its because they made so many , seems a lot of folks know someone who had a 79. Either way I agree as long as you are enjoying your vette does not matter what anyone else thinks

Priya

I'd sure like to see some pictures of that!

Stephen Irons

A thread close to my heart. We've owned our '78 for 26 years now. When we bought it our budget didn't run to a "chrome bumper" car, even though my wife does still like them. But I had no preference and the longer we have owned it, the more I have come to appreciate just what a good job Chevy did with dealing with the federal regulations imposed on US cars. I'm English, so saw the horrors that BMC produced to get the MG range into the US, Or the disastrous bumper "extras" that Jaguar, Porsche et al stuck on their cars as an afterthought.

I still get angry with Corvette publications that refer to "awkward" bumpers on the post 73 cars. Given what had to be achieved back then, I don't think there are many cars that did it better.

In a similar vein, I and some friends have for a long time believed that the '78 rear window treatment was probably what Chevy always wanted to do, but have never admitted that they didn't have technology to produce the glass! Look at Corvette profiles through the years from 1963 and the post '78 rear window is the common theme.

But, back on topic I staunchly defend the "soft bumper" cars, I still love all the C3s but I'm more than happy with the wonderfully executed "federal bumpers on my '78

kdf1986

I have always liked the 78 and 79 design style. And the additional spoiler options on the front and back like the pace car had makes it even better in my opinion. Enjoy the compliments at the car show, and ignore the rest of the opinionated experts.

kdf

KapsSA

I've had the black79 for 32 years, white one for 11.
Sold both my 78s the last two years for no other reason than to down size.
Shows my feelings for the 78/79s!!

Torqued Off

When you spend the countless hours of study that I have over the last five years on the differences between each C3 model year, you begin to appreciate how each year has its good things, and bad things. For me, the 77 pulls the largest number of good things into one model year....in my opinion, than all other years. If you are obsessed with details like I am, then you will have your own version of the best year. For me, this has become a positive and interesting thing.

BUT, as the OP points out, people who are novices about Corvettes, or like to pretend they know Corvettes, quite often spew some typical story line that they probably heard from someone else, all for the purposes of impressing someone. I can't say I have learned to ignore them to the point that I get a kick out of it, but I am working on it.

Jonz79

...

Cooter Tech

I usually try to avoid conflicts with people picking apart all the defects on my 1980. When it gets annoying, I will ask them what car are they driving? I don't like to do that as I feel blessed to be able to own a Corvette and I don't want anyone to feel bad about what the are driving, but it usually shuts them up. It happens very rarely though as most people visiting car shows understand what it is like owning older cars.

cv67

Sounds like she was relating her like for the car not picking it apart
Maybe she was hitting on you and you didnt even realize it.

x2 on only people that would criticize mine were the Vette crowd, ie wanna be ncrs judges. Dont tell me whats "correct", maybe some of us put our pants on 2 legs at a time.
A broken hip can heal still got a 2nd one lol.

What gets me is all the year and gen bashing this is the only car forum Ive seen that does that, name a gen section youll see it. They are the SAME CAR SAME BRAND so if the car is so bad thenbuncha weirdos lol