hey guyss been awhile since i posted on here but i started an adventure about 7 or 8 months ago as far as buying my first vette. my wife told me if i lost 100 lbs she would buy me a vette...well i have not lost all my weight yet but she is finally gona give in and buy me 1 as long as i promise to keep losing.....LOL Well I have stated that I wanted a 79 or a 80 model as I felt I liked that body style......well there r several 77 models for sale around here and to be honest with u at a great price or at least i think so......from 7500 to 7800 and they r not dogs so to speak. I would like to know if the 77 or 78 models r considered the least liked or wanted vettes. Thanks in advance Bubba827

 

I'd take a '77 over a '79 any day, I prefer the flat rear window over the bubble back. But you will get a lot of different opions here.

Tom...

 

Really comes down to which back window style you like the best. Buy the best condition car you can afford as it cost more to repair later. mike...

 

Yeah, what they said. Decide whether you like the small or big back window. Buy whichever is in the best condition if you have no preference. They are similar enough that you'd be ok with either year.

Out of 77-78, the 78 would probably be the least desirable one because so many were made and the value is a little lower. It was the first year with the new rear window body style.

 

if you plan on driving it a lot and taking coolers/etc.. get the 79... i have a 77 and like the flat back window, plus got the car for a good price

 

I loved the flat back windows and looked at buying one. However the best car I found was the 81 I bought it is and was in the best condition I have ever seen on a car this old and i liked the interior better on the 80s on up and i have grown to like the bubble rear window.

So like stated above find the best condition car. Check pout the 89 to 82 as well

 

I have a 80, and I will say this the back window eliminates a huge blind spot the 77 and older have. But with that being said the small back window is a little better looking than the fast back type window.

If it were me, I would love to get a pre 77 vette and put the 80-82 nose and rear bumper on it. then you would have a sharp looking vette.

Mike.

 

Or just have the rear deck and window of a pre 78 swooped out. Seen a few threads here with that done. I would if mine wasn't. 100% original with no nods at all.

 

I love the bigger back window for lots of reasons, first it looks better, then there is sooo much more space in the back, easier access to the stuff, I grocery shop in mine every week and it all fits in the back cant do that in a 77 or earlier, easier to wash, make sure it has the curtain to keep your stuff out of the sun and privacy. I have even slept in mine once on a long trip, lean the passenger seat all the way forward and there is enough room for an adult to sleep with legs on seat back amd body in rear. Less cabin turbulance with roof off or windows down. Better rear vision. Ummm, that'll do for now.

 

You will probably like the Pace Car style seats in the 1979 better. They offer more support.

 

No.

 

well look at the dash also.....i like the round 77 gauges over the flat 78 panels....as for storage space the 78s on, are actually usable

 

Skip the 79 and go 81, you get upgrades that set it apart.
Composite rear leaf spring, Lighters seats , power seats, power mirrors are all standard in 1981.

the spoiler is also built in and does not look grafted on.

 

I prefer the bubble rear glass for appearance and space over the flat glass.

The 78-82 seats are also more comfortable.

 

and access to rear is better since they fold in half

however you cant add a take out rear window to the 78+

 

 

Take another look. Only the AT cars without FE7 got the composite springs; all other cars got steel. Power driver's seat and power mirrors were optional equipment, not standard.

 

I own a 79 and love it for the extra room in the back. That being said, when I was looking, I would have had no hestiations about a 77 or earlier, I love the flat back window style, and like the round 76 and earlier guages better. We carry a pop up canopy to Carlisle every year, and it fits nicely in the cargo area and over the folded down back of my 79, in fact, it won't fit in most of the other Vettes in our caravan.

 

I have a 77 and I travel a lot in my car... I even have a 10in sub box from durango boy in there and i can get a ton of stuff in my car..i just came back from the weekend in tahoe and had no trouble with room... I have even gotten a big as$ cooler sleeping bag and air mattress in the back area plus a bunch of smaller items like cameras and crap..
I paid 7500 for my 77 4 years ago, was a nice driver then with 47k miles all org..

 

Some what...
only 7803 out of 40606 1981 Vettes, got the FE7 (Gymkhana Suspension), the rest got a light weight composite spring.

1981 first year of power seats... I believe.


Power windows are standard, but the list is MUCH bigger...

Probably the most significant change this year was hidden trom view.
Corvettes with Turbo Hydra*Matic had a new fiberglass-reinforced monoleaf rear spring that weighed just eight pounds (33 pounds less than the multi-leaf steel spring it replaced).
The new spring eliminated interleaf friction.
Manual-shift models kept the old spring, as did those with option*al Gymkhana suspension.
Side door glass was made even thinner again, in a further attempt to cut overall car weight.
A new L81 version of the 350-cid V-8 arrived this year.
It was rated for 190 hp, with light*weight magnesium rocker arm covers.
New stainless-steel free-flowing exhaust manifolds weighed 14 pounds less than the previous cast iron manifolds.
A new thermostatically-controlled auxiliary electric fan boosted cooling and allowed use of a smaller main fan.
The engine air cleaner had a new chromed cover.
A new Computer Command Control system controlled fuel metering, as well as the torque con*verter lock-up clutch that operated in second and third gears.
Manual transmission was available in all 50 states.
It was the first time in several years that buyers of Corvettes sold in California could order a stick shift.
A quartz crystal clock was now standard.
The Corvette's standard anti-theft alarm added a starter-interrupt device.
Joining the option list was a six-way power seat.
Electronic-tuning radios could have built-in cassette or 8-track tape players or a CB transceiver.
The Corvette's ample standard equip*ment list included
either four-speed manual or auto*matic transmission (same price)
four-wheel power disc brakes
limited-slip differential
power steering
tinted glass
twin remote-control sport mirrors
concealed two-speed wipers
halogen high-beam retractable headlamps
air condi*tioning
power windows
a tilt-telescope leather-wrapped steering wheel
a tachometer
an AM/FM radio
a trip odometer
courtesy lights
a luggage compartment security shade
Corvette buyers had a choice of cloth-and-vinyl or leather-and-vinyl uphol*stery.
Corvettes rode on P225/70R-15 steel-belted radial blackwall tires on 15 x 8 inch wheels.
The optional Gymkhana suspension (price $54) was also included with the trailer towing package.

MOre here...
http://www.vettefacts.com/C3/1981.aspx