What are they like? What a stupid question, right? I know. But see, I traded my C5 in December for financial reasons...and I really miss my Corvette. I was thinking, once I pay off my credit card, maybe buying a C3....maybe not a perfect one, but an affordable one to have fun, to drive, and not miss being a part of the "Corvette Brotherhood" so much. I was never a huge Corvette fan until I drove my first one (the C5 the night I test drove it), and now I love just about all of them...well....not the C4s....but any other, so long as it has a manual transmission.

Just curious how reliable they are as a general whole (I understand most are going to have a good bit of miles and those miles depend on who had it and took care of it etc)? Do they leak all the time? etc etc...

 

I would think you could get another C5 for about what a good C3 costs.
You will get noticed more in a C3, but you give up about 200 HP.

 

Is it a fun car to drive though?

 

I think mine is a blast to drive. All things being equal though, my 1990 Corvette was twice the performer of my '82. Good thing I sold it to my Dad so I still get to drive it every once in a while.

 

****ing C5 Z06s are still 30 grand on eBay. I couldn't drive another C5 if it wasn't a Z06, I would miss my Z06 too much.

Can the C3s be easily modified to be faster?

 

Unless the pollution police are after you in your state, you can modify the c3 to suit your need for speed. Stroker motors and 5 speed manual transmissions are popular. You can even put late model engines in them, making them as well mannered as a c5

 

They can be, but a whole lot of the C3s GM built are very weak performers. My '74 came stock with a 195 horsepower engine, for example. If you aren't looking for a project, I'd think that a C5 or C6 would be better to have.

Now, if you drop in a hot engine, tune up the suspension a bit, and get the right gears, its another matter. A C3 is going to get noticed before anything else, including modern sports cars.

 

Seems like the C6s are more reasonable than the C5s in some cases....maybe I should hunt for C5 Z06s or C6s in our FS sections instead of eBay.

 

$522/mo with a classic car financing company...hmmm (I know it isn't a C3, but I need to stay the hell off eBay)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-...3A1|240%3A1318

 

Fun, Hell yea, Whould I ever consider using it as a dailiy driver or anything more than a toy to play on the weekends... Hell no.


Here is a youtube video of a virtual ride along in my 69 4-speed : )


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kEOY...e=channel_page

 

Mine's a blast to drive. It's as smooth, fast and reliable as any new car. However, I put some work into it to bring it up to par with new cars. If you want attention, get a convertible C3. If you want a ride like all the middle aged folks drive, get a C5.

 

How much work did you have to put into it?

 

A C-3 is a much different car than a C-5. Why not ask someone to give you a ride in one to see of its your cup of tea or not. Mine has the common rattles and sqeaks. Also driving over rough roads can shake the teeth out of your mouth.

 

i have both and let me say that a c3 is no c5..... with that said it is a blast to drive and you don't see alot of them so you get a lot of looks and . the ride is not nearly as good and the power is well crappy on a stock motor. also the inside is alot smaller. and as with any old car there is just about always something to tinker with. my c3 is a when i want to drive it car not a daily. if i had to go on a 100 mile trip i would take the c5 no question.. i love them both!!!!!

 

Everyday to work? For me no. Nice summer & fall weekends for the past 32+ years? For me YES!!......

You're just going to have & go out and find one to drive. It'll be like night & day compared to a C5 though......

 

I like the C3 like I like other old cars.. It's a dinosaur compared to the C5 but it looks very cool and it feels like a monster on the road..The C4 was the first advanced technology vette and the C5 was an improvement on that. Don't look for C5 comfort and ride in a C3..You'll be dissappointed.. If you want to own a classic Stingray..Go for it..

 

Mine's so much fun to drive I can't wait to get in it. They can be modified and you can get Z rated tires for them so they handle pretty good.

600+hp 427ci small block with no cheaters added and 5 speed tranny that cruises at 80mph @ 2000 RPM

You couldn't get me trade mine for a C5-6 not a chance, they have to pull over on the highway when they see me coming in their rear mirror

 

There are only * 2 * finer examples of the muscle car era,,, the previous gen of Corvette, the C2 "Stingray", and #1 on my list,, pleas don't hate,, the 70-73 'Cuda, in black with a Hemi, or a 340 would do nicely too. this is a muscle car, with the best handling they could design in * 1962 * (The frame, steering and chassis suspension are a carry over from the C2, 100%) I love my '73, but it took 2 1/2 years and 8k in parts and specialized labor to make it fun to drive. When i bought it, it was scary to drive. If you just want to drive one, and not list rebuilding one on your resume, I would * only * buy one from a member here, who has a good rep and who's work has been documented. Because of the handling and because of chassis reinforcements the C3 may very well be, at least mechanically, the finest muscle car ever made.

 

Don't get a C3 unless you have mucho bucks to have it fixed or are good at fixing things yourself.

 

I love my C3. It looks great, handles great, gets more looks and then anything else on the road and it mkes a great conversation starter as people WILL just walk up to you in parking lots and at gas stations and strike up conversations about the car.



However its got nothing on my C5 for performance and comfort. Compared to my '04 Vert the C3 feels more violent. While the C5 accelerates smoothly from 0 to 1xx and feels rifined and controlled all the way through the power band the C3 accelerates like its stuck in a mud bog and it throws you around like a ragdoll. In the C5 it feels like I am sitting in a sports car. I sit down, the sport seats wrap themselves around me, all the controls are in easy reach and I feel like I am part of the car. In the C3 I feel like I'm sitting in a 4x4 compared to the lowered C5. The seats are narrow and the controls are adequetly laid out but its not as ergonomic as the C5. No matter how you twist it they really are completely different beasts

The C3 is routinely broken for months at a time while I save up to fix whatever the gremlins have decided to eat this week. I am the 5th owner of my C3 but when I bought itin 1999 the spark plug wires that were in it were date coded 1981. I've completely rebuilt the rear end, replaced the transmission twice, put in all new interior and I have all the wiring harnesses so I can replace ALL ofthe cars wiring, which is shot, as soon as I feel up to ripping the whole car apart. The Speedo bounces wildly below 20MPH and occasionally just stops working all together until I shut the car off and restart it (odd since its a mechanical connection not electrical) and the dash lights don't work if the head lights are on. Oh, and the wipers stopped working about two years ago and the battery light stays on although the car has no problems charging or holding a charge.

Owning a C3 is a labor of love. They are a blast to drive and you can have a LOT of fun in a C3 but if you don't absolutely love everything about these cars you probably should not own one.