Nowhere Man

If you can work on it your self and trust your handy work and the parts you buy to fix the car then yes a mid year can be very reliable. I don't think that part is a problem. The problem is the OP is going to be at the Mersey of other people. And not to many shops know how to work on a car they can't plug in to get a code. How many shops do you know that still has a Sun analyzer machine or cylinder short/dwell meters or for that mater a timing gun.

Plus you have everything else that goes along with driving a collectable every day.

number3

I think the best option for the op would be to find a restomod c2 with late model drivetrain and running gear w a/c , auto and enjoy it .

dcaggiani

Posters are just being realistic about the reality of owning any type of classic car. Compared to the technology of today's cars, folks forget when we had to "McGyver" cars in the past.

My RestoMod in my humble opinion is the best of both worlds.

number3

I agree , mine i guess could be regarded as a restomod due to the fact that i upgraded to power steering and a 5 spd , but after a week of turning the nonpower steering wheel i was done . The wife wanted to go with an automatic so she could drive it too but I sadly had to tell her they arent available for these cars yet heh heh .

After38Years

The stop and go traffic of commuting would be my biggest concern. I drove my '66 4-speed in Washington DC area traffic for years, and did not have overheating problems (non-AC car). However, even in my 20's, my leg was sore after a 40 minute stint of creep-along commute.

LouieM

Now THIS is a rational way to go. Buy a nice Vette that's been thoroughly checked out by an experienced person, get used to driving it, fix what's not right, do upgrades as needed, learn the basics of fixing things, and --viola--you have a daily driver! Small-block Vettes were my daily drivers for many years in So Cal and they never overheated; big-blocks do overheat, so avoid them. Add headrests if the car doesn't have them (they were an option in 1966-67) and lap/shoulder harnesses (aftermarket). Get a Sting Ray with disc brakes (65-up) because they stop in as short a distance as most modern cars. Comfortwise, I've driven my 67 on trips of thousands of miles and it has better seats than my C6. From the perspective of enjoying life fully, the world is at its very finest when viewed over the hood and peaked fenders of an original Sting Ray. As others have said, you MUST get any potential purchase thoroughly checked out by an experienced person. The '67 I have now was gone over with a fine-tooth comb by an NCRS (National Corvette Restorers Society) 1967-only judge, so I knew the cars' strengths and weaknesses before I even saw it.

Lou

Lotsacubes

My daily drive is ~50 minutes each way, straight roads with about 1/3 of that in traffic. It wouldn't take more than a few days and I'd want my AC, luxurious seat, cruise control, power everything, back. But the worst part would be ruining the "specialness" of those Saturday evening drives in the hills or Sunday cruises. We have the vette to make our date nights more romantic, to escape the mundane. For me it wouldn't be about reliability, it's about protecting that joy of it not being my routine.

Lotsacubes

Buy a cheap DD and keep the mistress for the weekend.

DansYellow66

I haven't seen in any post where the OP said he could perform the work of repairing or maintaining a C2 himself - he said he had to look up the term fuel percolation. If you are a fairly accomplished mechanic and understand old cars and how they work and are willing to work on electrical systems, carbs, distributors, suspension systems, brakes, do your own troubleshooting, - yeah, that could makes a big difference.

It's nearly impossible to find anyone you can to trust to work on these old cars anymore. My neighbor is the service manager for a local Honda Dealer and has an old Chevelle he plays with and when I started rebuilding my GTX transmission I flagged him down to ask if he could recommend a transmission parts house that was well stocked. He kind of looked at me with a deer in the headlights glazed look and said gee, he didn't know of any. They don't do any transmission work except pull and replace. I asked if he had any old timers down there that might suggest one - and he said no, he doubted any of his service technicians knew the first thing about the insides of a transmission. He said they would be lost if someone brought an old car to them.

Even if he learns to work on it, he's still going to eventually be run over and killed by some idiot in a 6,000 lb Suburban texting or on medical marijuana unless it's stolen from his workplace or Walmart first.

GTOguy

A lot of truth here. If you were mechanically savvy, I'd say go for it. In your current position with your limited skillset, I don't recommend commuting in a 50 year old car that you and most current auto techs are not familiar with. If I were in your place I would: become technically skilled, and then drive the car of my dreams. Up to you. To buy a 50 year old Corvette, though, and expect to drive it without issue or the need to understand its complexities is not super realistic. I will say this: these cars are deceptively simple and easy to repair compared to new cars...once you understand their systems. Good luck.

Mr Fufu

[I have a little story you might find interesting.

Back in the 1980's when I first caught the Corvette 'fever' I had every intention of replacing my '75 Camaro daily driver with a C2. But things didn't quite work out that way.

After a diligent search over many months I finally found a ’65 coupe that I fell in love with – Rally Red, black leather, 327-365hp L-76 engine, 4-speed, 3.70 posi axle, side pipes, knock-offs, teakwood wheel, with 43k original miles. This car was in excellent condition and was mechanically sound.

In order to raise the money needed for the Corvette, I sold my Camaro and bought a ’72 Chevy Nova as a temporary beater to drive while I found the C2 of my dreams. My plan was to give the Nova to my girlfriend once I found a Vette to replace it as my daily driver.

So far so good. I was beaming from the joy of seeing my new acquisition each time I went to drive it. I quickly realized that this wasn’t as soporific a ride as my old Camaro – the Vette had manual transmission, steering and brakes. This car was meant to be DRIVEN. However, its lack of power steering made it a bit of a chore to maneuver into tight parking spots. No big deal. But, commuting daily in stop & go traffic soon got to be chore with clutching to change gears constantly. My left leg got stronger in a hurry thanks to the stiff clutch in that car.

Also, I found its solid-lifter engine with 11:1 compression to be somewhat temperamental. Finding gas with enough octane wasn’t easy, as only one gas station brand in my area carried 94 octane fuel. Even with this gas the engine would detonate under load unless I selected a low enough gear to keep the revs up. I mostly solved this by retarding the ignition slightly and using octane booster, but keeping a supply of booster in the car to add at each fill-up became a nuisance.

As mentioned, the high performance engine also carried another liability in stop & go traffic. The torque curve of the L76 engine at low engine speeds was poor. I would have to downshift constantly to ensure the engine would not ‘ping’, and to get enough pull for a quick get-away. Oh, above 3,500 rpm this car was white-knuckle fun! But rarely could I use this hi-performance potential, as most of the time I was stuck in commuter traffic.

The last annoyance were those side pipes. They look devastatingly good – and have a rumbling sound at idle that means business. But, day after day of driving with that droning sound right behind the doors got a bit old. And, during longer highway runs, the noise was loud enough to give me ringing in the ears. Turning up the stock AM/FM radio wasn’t much help – I could hardly hear it over the roar of the exhaust!

The final straw came a few months into my C2 daily driving experiment. One night I drove downtown to join some friends for a meal. You can imagine my chagrin when I came out to find the passenger side of the car was keyed! I took this as a sign that my red Corvette was simply too nice a car to rely on for daily driving. If I wanted to keep it in the good condition it was then I'd have to relieve it of daily driving duties. Winter was coming and I didn’t relish battling rain and possibly snow (I live in Vancouver BC which is rather wetter than sunny California). So, I decided that I’d keep the C2 as my ‘other car’ and enjoy it during weekends and for special pleasure drives. It was the right decision.

Echoing what others here have said, here’s what I’d advise if you’re considering a C2 as a daily driver:

1. Get one with a base motor, hydraulic-cam small block engine (250 or 300hp). These engines have plenty of torque low down to move the car briskly away from stoplights and are more responsive at low speeds when you may have to make a quick maneuver. Forget about big-block cars – these are more expensive, will pass anything (but a gas station!) and are prone to over-heating issues.
   
2. Base engine cars usually have a 3.36 rear end ratio – a good compromise between off-the-line performance and economical highway cruising. Also, base engines have lower compression (10:1 vs 11:1) that the higher performance (i.e. 350 or 365 hp) versions, so you should be able to tune it to run on pump gas without the need for octane boosting additives.
   
3. Your best bet is to find a C2 with automatic transmission. C2’s only came stock with a 2-speed Powerglide, a generally simple and reliable transmission. You may find an automatic C2 that has been converted to a 3 or 4-speed automatic. That’s even better for performance and economy, especially if it has an overdrive trans. You’ll quickly tire of clutching constantly in low speed traffic, so the auto is the way to go for a daily driving car.
   
4. Finally, you’ll find that a C2 with power brakes and power steering will be easier to live with. Ideally, you’ll also find one with air conditioning, but note that factory A/C cars are relatively rare. Reliable aftermarket systems can be added to a C2 and are much welcomed in hot weather, especially if you’re driving a coupe.

All this is not to discourage you from using a C2 as your daily driver, especially in the mild climate of So-Cal. If you choose your C2 wisely then it could be a feasible and rewarding move.

P.S. I hated that ’72 Nova. Although it had a 307 engine, it was a total dog - it couldn’t pull a hobo off your sister! So I gave it to the girlfriend, as promised, and sought another vehicle for daily use. I wanted something interesting, distinctive, reliable, and better suited to daily use. I came across a ’65 Buick Riviera which I bought on a lark because of its looks and a review of it I’d read in a collector car magazine. The Riv fitted the bill nicely – power everything, including transmission. It had ample performance with its 425 cu. in. engine, and was reliable too. I drove that car daily for ten years until I got married and moved to the suburbs! I retired that car and still have it today.

frednino

Thanks so much for your wisdom; everything you say makes a lot of sense. Instead of diving into the deep end, I can start out in the shallows and work my way down. I can consider everyone on the forum to be a swim instructor! -Fred

frednino

Thanks so much - great information, enlightening anecdote, thorough, specific suggestions, and humorous (I haven't seen the word "hobo" in quite a while). And I'm sure you know that No-Va means no-go in Spanish. Thanks again. -Fred

C2 Hot Cam Guy

but losing those few extras is so worth it .They drive like nothing else.To the people that look & wonder about how primitive the car is sidepipes & all its like old Harleys if i have to explain you;ll never understand

Steve Stone

Seaside, NJ car show 2012

I am the original owner of my’63 triple black convertible, 549,000 miles. As others have mentioned personnel knowledge of my Vette, the ability to do some of the repairs and a trusted mechanic are ideal for maintaining reliability and being able to enjoy the ride. I do have these. I also have a PM list that I use each winter which is down time here in the snow belt. After 54 years’ of ownership and use, I can pretty much understand (feel, taste, smell, see) when an issue is beginning. I do carry spare parts on board at all times. These parts are as small as a regulator and as large as a half shaft. I did have to replace a voltage regulator twice when on the road, once in Newfoundland and once in St Paul, MN. Now I change the regulator every 2 years. Another helpful way to keep issues to a minimum is that I do not have power brakes or power steering. When an unexpected issue has occurred we have been able to get back on the road after losing a day or less.

For photos & stories please google: Steve Stone 1963 Corvette

Thanks for the interest and safe driving to all.

Steve

ajrothm

Interesting thread.... I am surprised by the responses, mainly in the fact that people are recommending to daily drive it.(this isnt the typical responses in this section of the forum).

I agree with both sides of the camp. I do think these cars can be quite reliable, however you will HAVE to learn how to maintain/repair these cars. I would not trust anyone to work on them.

My biggest concern with driving one daily would be the potential theft, keying and soccer moms rear ending it in traffic while updating their facebook status.

All this being said, I think it would be a total blast to drive one daily, and I also agree that the base model engines would be the best for reliability and gas mpg.

My dad has 3 mid year cars that I work on/maintain, one of which is an original 60k mile 67' Coupe, 327/350hp, 4spd/3.36 car and it would be a GREAT daily driver.....(other then the fact it has a $20k paint job)....Its very reliable, plenty of room inside, has AC/disc brakes and is even pretty good on gas mpg...Its quiet and comfortable inside and the original 60k springs (aka. worn out) ride nice and soft.

Obviously I would go through every system on the car and make sure they are updated and maintained.

I think buying one for a weekend driver and keeping your daily beater for a while is a great idea until you get your feet good and wet in classic vette repair and diagnostics.

So Cal is probably the ONLY location/climate I would consider using a C2/C3 for a daily driver in though. Do your research, spend the money upfront and by the best car that you can, learn all about it, drive and enjoy.

cv67

plenty of us in la that can help you work on one or know of soemone who does
Get yourself an HEI igntiion, DeWitts radiator for starters
percolation will be your enemy.

Holley makes in interesting EFI it looks simple to install and dont need to be a computer genious to make it work

Talk to adam boca at NCM hes a member here he can helpp with ins been happy for 3 yrs now and its not a bunch of $

Youre in LA so dont worrry about perfect paint just get a 'driver"
Some creative hood venting can help with underhood heat
Or sped and get some good gas post pics!

SI67

Ditto for shoulder belts, IMO. This would limit you to '66 and '67. These were factory options, and with the exception of shoulder belts for '67, fairly rare. Extremely rare in the case of '66 with shoulder belts-only 37 cars! See a website called CorvSport and check the Specifications sections for more info. Someone more educated than I would have to tell you whether or not the seat belt anchors were present in all '66 cars.

Factory-style headrest kits (different for the two model years) are sold by Al Knoch interiors, and they will do the installation, which I believe involves some welding to the seat frame, if you ship them them the seats.

I can't say how hard it is to find shoulder belts, and it seems that any installation not using the factory-installed anchors would have to done by someone who REALLY knows what they are doing, or else the belts may not really add any safety.

johno504

what NOT to do : put 2x4bbl on a 427. 6 mpg on my daily driver....when gas was .25 a gallon

Mr Fufu

I absolutely know what "No-va" means in Spanish ("Won't-go"), as I grew up in Mexico City!

In all my years going back to visit family, I only saw ONE Corvette - a bronze C5 in the San Angel district in 2014. Corvettes are very rare birds down there. Years ago I met a man who owned a black 1957 Cadillac Brougham. The car had quite a history and the owner had bought it from the family of a wealthy Mexican businessman who used his connections to import the car back in the day.

When I was in my teens I lived two blocks from a GM service center on Rio Panuco street. I remember seeing GM cars being serviced there that were very rare in Mexico (i.e. Pontiacs, Buicks, few Cadillacs). These cars were prohibited from being sold new in Mexico back then (a policy designed to protect the domestic car industry - Trump might relate to that!). You could buy regular Fords, and Chevy's but none of the higher-line Ford or GM marques.

Spotting rare cars in Mexico as a youth fed my interest in American cars. So when we moved to Los Angeles when I was 14, I thought I had arrived in "car heaven"!!!