I am looking to buy a C3. I am going to use it as a weekend driver / cruise car, I want it to be something that I can spend time working on, fixing, cleaning up, and driving to work once a week or so. My plan is to give it to my daughter when she reaches a milestone in her life, like graduating from high school or gets married.

With my plans on the table, here are the facts:

I don't have a corvette. The only narrowing down I have done on deciding what I want to buy is a C3 78 - 82. I like the fast back look on this model. I want to spend around $6k to buy the car and invest money slowly into paint, updates / restorations, fixes, etc.

What information do I need to know about buying a car in this time era? Was there one year that was more popular than the others? I have read that most cars of these years have problems with the automatic headlights, is this an easy or cheap fix?

Do the T-tops leak very often? I know it depends on how well the car is taken care of, but are the seals easy to replace / repair?

Auto vs. Man transmission? I have had both and don't favor one more than another. I live in Oklahoma, so hill starts are hard to find round' these parts for manual transmissions. Does one perform or outlast the other?

I don't remember what year Chevy started putting fuel injectors in vette's, (I'm wanting to say around late 60's early 70's). How do they hold up?

Are they easy to work on? My wife used to have a VW bug and I couldn't fit my hands under the hood everything was so tight.



What are some things I should expect to replace or fix once I buy a car? I know that tires need to be addressed, fluids need to be flushed or changed, filters replaced. I don't know much about suspensions, transmissions, or drive train parts. I have some mechanical skill (depending on the vehicle), but I'm not an expert. I can replace water pumps, alternators, radiators, brakes, calipers, tie rod ends, etc. I have almost exclusively worked on chevy pickups, but never a car.

I have been very fortunate to have bought trucks in the past that have been in great shape. I currently have a 2002 silverado LS. I have put nearly 50k miles on it since I bought it and have only had to replace the starter and break pads.


Can someone help me out and give me some feedback? My best friend (first to get me interested in Corvette's) has told me many times that it took him about 6 months on each of his corvette's to find the perfect car for him. I know I can catch a break sometimes with good shopping and knowing what to look for, but unfortunately I haven't ever bought a car and have a limited knowledge of Corvettes.

 

Frame and birdcage rust are the 2 biggest issues with C3 Vettes. Take someone VERY familiar with C3s with you to look at any car that you are interested in. They should know how to check for matching numbers (if claimed by the seller) as well as the general condition of the car. You can probably find a good examiner through a local Vette club. Many will work for beer.



Rick B.

 

I have heard of the birdcage, but I have no idea what that is to be honest.

I can make a pretty mean Kolesh, or Eidelweisen home brew beer if anyone wants to ride along for an inspection. Hell, I would probably make a special porter or IPA if I buy one.

 

The birdcage is the metal structure surrounding the passenger compartment. It is common for the windshield frame to rust out, requiring expensive repairs. Frame rust is somewhat more obvious but some sellers Bondo over rusted areas to mask problems.

If you live near Boston get in touch. I like beer.



Rick B.

 

I just did that recently, and ended up buying one with a quiet rusted frame so now I have to do a frame swap.
Don't forget those are a 30 years old.
What I've learned (and I should have known when buying)
-A cracked windshield often mean rust in the birdcage around it.
-If the area when the arch of the rear wheels meets the door are full of mud/crap, good chance the back of the frame is badly rusted, just poke it from under with a screwdriver.
-Since the body is fiberglass it don't show its age, have the car lifted and properly inspected.
-Check the frame bushing (rubber parts where the frame and the body meet)

I strongly second the idea of having a long time C3 owner with you, some issues on this car are quiet unique.

 

For 6k you should be able to find a pretty decent car. Not perfect, but decent. I would suggest looking at a couple of supplier web sites and check out prices of the parts they sell. When you see what parts cost you'll know what to look for when looking at a car that's for sale. When I bought mine (my first Corrvete also) it needed some massive interior work which can get pretty pricey. For example my doorpanles were shot (not fixable) to buy new ones (for the deluxe panle) is $420 dollars each! My dash pad which consits of three panles was shot. To buy new would be about $1000
Also like everybody else said, the frame behind the fromt and rear tires, #2 and #4 body mounts, and check the A pillars along the windsheild for rust.
As for leaky t-tops and what not, my Corvette buddies that bought these cars new back in the day told me "they leaked from the day they rolled out of the factory"
Mechanicly, these cars arn't that hard to work on. Things are pretty tight and if ya got big paws like I do it can get a little frustrating. You'll find out that to get to this part, you'll have to remove this, that and this tomake room to get to it. Like anything else in life, take your time and it'll be fine!
Good luck with your search and let us know what ya come up with!