I have been an enthusiast of the muscle car era for quite some time now. I of course love the vettes but the GTOs, Chevelles and Camaros also have their own special characteristics.

While shopping for a vette I also looked at a number of classifieds for the other 3 cars and to my surprise, C3s seemed the most expensive of the bunch (of course not including the z28, big block Chevelles and such). Corvettes definitely have the best body lines but ... how would you rank the 68-72 years against the other comparable cars?

Vettes have the least amount of room inside - fact
Best looking bodies - fact

Anything else anybody can share?

How come I am able to find better deals on Chevelles and GTOs than a base motor chrome bumper in similar conditions?

 

Vettes can be the hardest to work on. Fiberglass is is a different animal.

Vettes were put together at the factory and never meant to be worked on.

Everything you plan to do will cost twice as much and take twice as long as planned.

That said - I wouldn't have anything else!

 

the room inside is always a problem for me.
If the T-Tops are stored behind the seats, there is only space for a small bag left.
You cant even take a cooling-bag with you to a meeting or on a tour.

And when I see other guys with their "normal" cars - they have back seats and cary tons of needles stuff with them. And if this is not enough, they pull chairs and tables out of their trunk and have a lunch while you have to stay on the green near your vette.

 

I found the opposite problem. When I was looking, good-condition base-motor chrome-bumper cars were in the $15k-$20k range; you couldn't touch an SS-350 Camaro or SS-396 Chevelle for less than $10k more in comparable condition.

 

Vettes were more expensive? Umm I have yet to see even a semi decent Chevelle for under 18k....and that's only semi decent....I decent GTO for that price....yeah right....Maybe a Camaro but even the early second Gens are had to find in good condition for a good price....well you can find one for 15k that Bubbas cousin restored in the shed....the others are a little more....and the ones below 15k..well you will probably have to put in 20k to make it a 15k car...The Corvette IMO are the cheapest next to the camaros....unless you are talking 1969...

 

What would be the point of doing that? If you want a C3, nothing else compares. No need to rank anything.

If you want a Chevelle, shop for a Chevelle.

 

I wanted (still do) a 'Cuda.....


Got the Vette because it was 1/4 the price...

 

The chrome bumper cars are at the top of heap for price. This is due to the bumpers and the motors availalble.

Check the prices on a 74-82 car and you will find something cheaper.

I would still love to get a Roadrunner someday but those cars increase in prices every year.

 

Wait...actually I would like some leads on where you are finding GTO, Chevelle, and Camaros in good condition for cheaper than the Corvette....because I am looking for a new car and even though I love a Vette....If a great deal came along for a Chevelle or Camaro I would have to go with that insteYou namedad. And what price range are we talking about here?

But How would I rank them?
I wouldn't ....the Vette is a Sports car...and you are comparing it to 2 muscle cars and a Pony car....

 

I noticed that the "typical muscle" cars were going for stupid money. I looked at a few different cars that were in the $15k range and at best they were rough drivers. For the same money, I got a nice 72 driver. Of course it is not perfect and I have had to wrench on it a bit, but let's just say my 72 is light years in better shape than any muscle car at that price point that I found.

Plus the vette can actually take a corner so it is just asking to be driven hard

 

I've got ample storage room in my 78. If you want storage get a fastback...

I experienced the difference while shopping for a 'new' 69 Firebird. I always liked the look of the C3. Growing up, my best friend's mom had a 78 Official Pace Car that I thought was hot as hell. As was she!

But I never considered buying a Corvette. It wasn't even on my radar.

When I went to look at the 69 Firebird my wife said we could see in a year or two. It wasn't really what I wanted anyway. It was heavily modified, which I would have been OK with except that they weren't by and large modifications I'd have made...

We were walking past Vettes. I glanced at the prices. Most were chrome bumper models. 10 to 12 K for ones that needed some work. I'm not stuck on matching numbers so I'd think about the kind of Trans Am I could get for that.

There were some really nice C1s and 2s. 40K, 50K, and up. More than I wanted to spend. Some C4s I could afford, but who wants a C4? I wanted a CLASSIC car - not an 80s something with the curves of a station wagon!

My wife saw the 78 Vette before I did. What a beautiful car! She asked what I thought it would cost. I'd never priced Vettes closely but based on the other Vettes and their prices (and not knowing how much less a 78 is worth than a C2 or early C3 in the same condition) I told her it was more than we wanted to pay. There was no price on it (turns out it had only been there a few days).

My wife found a sales person after I'd told her not to bother and he gave us the list price. It was six grand less than the 69 Firebird I'd come in to look at, and well within my range. Before I could even speak my wife said, "You can have this one today."

All I could think was, "I can have a Vette?". Suddenly I didn't want anything else.

To me, that's the difference.

 

Yeah, I have always wanted a first gen camaro, esp a 69. But for whatever reason, these cars seem to be worth their weight in gold. I do not understand it. You can buy C3's all day long for 15K or under, but if you want a decent driver, Camaro, or even Chevelle, your north of 25k... Am I missing something... Thought the Vette was premier American desired sports car. But as usual, I seem to keep missing the boat on these types of deals. Seems what I want everybody else does also. Not to mention, that when I went to the NHRA fall nationals last year, I must have counted 50 + camaro 67-69 drag cars. Go figure... I will shut up now...

 

What was the reasoning for going with fiberglass?

 

For the exact same reason a new corvette is more expensive than a new camero, mustang, or challenger.

They are technologically more advanced and their performance level is leaps and bounds ahead of the cheaper cars of the same year. Yeah, all cars with equal power drive the same in a straight line but if you have to turn the vette wins all day.

 

Just some examples...I did find a few more. Of course I haven't seen these cars in person and I am FAR from an expert on these.

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2540660090.html

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2499297267.html

http://albany.craigslist.org/cto/2541286055.html

From what Ive seen during the last several months, I can't find a chrome bumper vette in similar shape for those prices. AGAIN...I'm sure there are variables Im missing here so dont reply with anger

 

Which is why comparing the price of a 69 Camaro to that of a 79 Corvette is silly. You really have to compare the same years to get a sense of relative value. Comparing the most expensive Camaro you can find to the least expensive Corvette tells you nothing of the two cars' relative value.

 

I also was looking for a car (Camaro or Chevelle) and realized Corvette's were cheaper. I kid you not, the exact same thought as above went through my head and out my mouth.

 

Because Vettes are cool and Every part in an after market catalog is made for a Camaro then everything else.

 

Same here, I even expanded my search to include Mopars and Mustangs. C3s were cheaper. Considering what you get with a C3, IRS, 4 wheel disk brakes, flip up head lights, T-Tops, etc, they seem like a bargain.

 

I really don't see 4 wheel disc as a good thing.