So owning a stingray has been one of my life long dreams and now that my existing car died I am very seriously looking at buying a C3. I'm wondering how reliable the ones I see in the $8-12k range would be, and if any are likely to pass normal inspection to avoid the once-a-week driving limit on antique plates. I'd love to be able to drive it most of the time, though I have a backup vehicle.

Also, am I better off sticking with an all original or a custom? I don't care about matching #s/collector value so I'd personally prefer go-fast parts and modern tech where appropriate. They seem to go for about the same price.

I realize that this may become a money pit but I know a trusted mechanic who does classics, and I can do minor stuff myself. I did all the work on my motorcycles, not much with cars.

 

A lot of people will come and say..."OH NO DON'T DO IT".

But lets face it, a car is a car. They are suppose to be driven. The main problem is that these cars are 30-40 yrs old, and if they still have 30-40 yr old parts...well, stuff will start to break if your going to drive it everyday.
You should either look for a very very well taken care of original, or one that has been redone some what. Look for cars that may have crate engines installed. If they have rebuilt engines check to see what parts have been used and if they can provide documentation. Look for cars that have had the suspension and brakes redone and really just mechanically sound and safe. Don't focus on the paint and interior first, unless it is just horrible...but what I am saying is don't just go buy a car with new interior and new paint and not mechanically sound.

Check for rust, frame, birdcage, kickpanels...yada yada

Really you want to find the car that has had the most redone to it mechanically(and right)...in the price range that you can afford.

Since you have a back up vehicle I say do it!

 

My advice would be to look for a C4 or C5 for a daily driver.

 

Hello my wife and I just purchased a 1981 with 53800 original miles and three owners, the car speaks for itself in performance and appearance.

 

Driving a C3 as your primary source of transportation can have its downsides: it draws attention and, thus, has more risk of vandalism and theft; driving it in bad weather (snow/ice) is risky, also, and if weather stripping & seals aren't in good condition, leaks, cold, and interior window fogging are likely; collector car insurers won't write coverage for daily drivers, so you will be relegated to standard car policies which are much more expensive and where a "total loss" will net you $2000-3000 (black book value) for your car.

Not trying to disuade you from buying a C3 as your driver car....just wanting you to consider the negative side of doing so.

 

I live three miles from my office (here in Florida) and was building my car just as a daily driver in fact I drove it to work today .Its really turning out better than I planned so I am keeping my other car to commute on rainy days and drive longer trips. If I had any kind real commute I really would not consider it.

 

i bought my 80 , January 30,2007

it is my DD

i don't use it much from May - October because i own 2 bikes

i have only had the mirror glass tops off 3 times

i paid $9000

the 1st year i spent a few grand making it mechanically sound

i would not hesitate to jump in & drive to Florida

now after a good snow storm , i don't look out the window & think , hey the plows have not been by yet , lets take the Corvette for a ride - ya gota use yer head

if you are comfortable with a rear-wheel drive & you have good tires/brakes & ya drive mellow - i can go anywhere i want in the rain or snow

try to get yer mechanic bud to go over the car & put aside a few grand for near future repairs

once you have her sound , it is a pleasure to own/drive

Pete.

 

I am a FNG here myself. Just picked up my C3 to begin bringing it back from the dead. But my opinion is this:

it's a car, not a holy relic

If you want to drive it everyday then drive it everyday. Yes take care of it by all means. But unless your going to buy a rare collector car as an investment enjoy it by driving it. Life is too short.

michael

 

 

I would not hesitate to drive mine anywhere , anytime... The tops are only on in a real heavy rain so the seals leak....

 

A vette is not just a car and anyone who thinks that way is just a sheeple in the crowd.
A car is a car so that means you would pay the same price for a AMC Matador 4 door as you would a 1970 LT1?
I wouldn't but I don't think a vette should be held to the same low level as every other car either, thats why I know the difference in car models and years.

 

They were made to be driven. An $8000 one isn't going to be a show car or rare one that you have to really worry about. They are as basic mechanically as you can get so they are easy to work on in most cases. They won't get upset with you for using them and they won't melt if they get wet.

I used mine as a daily driver before I started rebuilding it but I did have another vehicle for a back up. The only reason I can give for not being able to drive it daily is that it will get old and you might get tired of it. For the fun of ownership aspect, it is best for a weekender vehicle/toy.

 

Would not focus on an "original" as it will be more in your price range and newer parts. Not sure where you live but if it is in a cold climate like others said, stay away from the snow (and the rain if you could).

 

Wow, thank you for all the replies. I've been reading classifieds all day (and reasearching all the restoration parts listed). I found a few dozen C3s in the immediate area. They seem to fall into these categories:

1) Perfect show cars. ~$16k and up. More than I'd like to spend for 70s tech.
2) Very good shape, classic/antique/collectible PA plates (requires safety insp but not emissions). Look like they were owned by gearheads, laundry list of rebuilt or lightly modified parts. I *think* this is what I'm looking for but the thing that kills me is I can't find any with manual transmissions. ~$8-11k
3) Short, vague descriptions of 350s by people who sound like they have no idea what's going on under the hood. I may be in this boat now but I'd like to think after owning one I'd know what the heck was inside, even if I didn't do the work myself. I don't know what to think of these. ~$8-14k
4) Shady/disassembled/major damage ~$3-8k. Staying far away from this unless I have somebody really confident and willing to rebuild it. I imagine this is outrageously expensive when many rebuilt C3s are already on the market but who knows.

I'm leaning towards #2 and basically just keeping it healthy, but I wonder if it is realistic to stay on the low end and pay to have a brand new, higher performance engine and any other drivetrain changes to make this work. I have a buddy who says things like "go get a <whatever> and slap a 500hp crate engine in there" but I think he's dreaming.

To answer some questions...
- I don't really like the C4s, and I think the C5s are a little out of my price range. I'd prefer not to finance.
- I can have another vehicle as my primary one for insurance reasons, though I'd obviously prefer to drive the 'vette whenever the weather is decent if I figure the inspection/titling stuff out
- I'm a pretty safe car driver. If I can't get stated-value type insurance I might just have to take that risk and be extra careful. Also, I'm not sure what the survival rate is for C3 crashes is.
- I don't mind having to put money into it as long as it isn't like buying a new one every year. After having a new car where every repair costs a thousand dollars it might come out cheaper! I plan learning whatever I can do myself and outsourcing the rest.
- I'm in the southeastern PA area. We get snow for sure, but I wouldn't be driving a C3 in it.

So far I've gotten very little "Don't do it" and a lot of "I hate you" from friends

 

Spocc, that's beautiful. Did you put $1,000 worth of parts and do it all yourself or is that parts & labor at a shop? Is it only street legal because it has catalytic converter or is that achievable on older ones also? I see you're in Canada, dunno if that is possible here.

 

I was not referring to value, sentimental, monetary or otherwise.

I was stating that I believe that cars are meant to be driven. A corvette is meant to be driven...and enjoyed the hell out of. Unless you have one that is rare, or very low miles, or some uber collectors item drive it.

I would think you of all people would be with me on this.

 

I can vouch for the rain

 

BrianPa, check to see if you will even need to pass inspections in your area. Here in Ga we don't have to have any smog stuff or anything for "old" cars.

 

There are three different special plates in PA for old cars: antique, classic, and collectible. Antique is no inspection whatsoever, classic is safety only (no emissions), and collectible seems to be safety only also. From what I've read all of these have the same once-a-week restriction and cannot be considered primary vehicles. Most classifieds either mention antique plates or don't mention anything, I'm following up. I'm wondering if it is even realistic to find one that passes standard safety and emissions, and if it can - but already has an antique plate - can you go back to standard. I'm gonna ask mechanics and auto tags places.

 

Actually it looks like anything 1974 or older is completely emissions exempt in PA without special tags, and anything driven less than 5k miles per year is also exempt. I dunno why I see all these special tags around...maybe they're just cheaper to maintain and insure.