Jim,

I saw your posts in another thread and you seem to be the resident expert on steering columns. I didn't want to hijack the other thread so I started this one.

Regarding a 77. What is so unique about this year? It appears (according to catalogs) that the 77 column was a one off and no other column from a C3 can be used in this model year. Is that true? Can the differences from another year column be over come? We are looking to put a T/T in a 77 and want to know what our options are.

Thanks for your help!

 

I'll chime in, but leave the final say to Jim Shea. The biggest difference for the 77 is the one year only wiper switch mounted on the turn signal handle. I believe the column is the same as 78-82, and if you can find the 77 turn signal handle with the wiper switch, it can be added in. The other 1 year only item is the cruise control switch on the tilt lever, but again, can be added to a later column.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Cruise control is N/A on this car. As far as the turn signal lever, I'm sure we can make that mod easily, but you kinda made it sound like they are hard to find. Hope thats not the case. Thanks again!

 

The basic difference for a 1977 Corvette is that it is the only C3 with the windshield wash/wipe switch that is part of the steering column. All other C3 Corvettes had the switch as part of the central instrument cluster. So you need a steering column with a wash/wipe switch or else you will have to cobble a switch into your vehicle in order to be road legal.

The 1977 thru 1982 Vettes also had the headlamp dimmer switch that was mounted on the steering column. In 1977 dimmer pivot incorporated the wash/wipe switch as well.

I understand that the 1977 C3 T&T wash/wipe dimmer pivot is the same as the Chevette tilt column wash/wipe dimmer pivot. If this helps any. I don't know if you can cobble a Chevette w/w dimmer pivot into a 1978-82 C3 T&T steering column.

One other difference is that the 1977 instrument cluster is basically the same as the 1969 through 1976 clusters. The 1978-82 clusters required a lengthened plastic shroud on the steering column in order to reach the cluster. You can modify the shroud on a 1978-82 column per the following drawing in order to fit a later column into a 1977 C3.


So in a nutshell, a 1978-82 C3 steering column can be easily modified to fit a 1977. However, you still will need a wash/wipe switch. I just am not positive that you can cobble a 1977 w/w switch (if you can find one) or a Chevette w/w switch into a 1978-82 C3 T&T column.
Jim

 

Thanks for the details Jim. Thats helps a great deal.