It looks to me that the sun is coming from the right in that picture casting a shadow on the top right tread of the tire. Appears to be an illusion. If you look at the space from the tire to the lowest portion of the body on both sides in the wheel well, it looks evenly spaced.

However, the picture of the back end of both cars in the garage makes the 'vette look like a midget!

 

Beautiful car for a beautiful lady. Hope you and your husband enjoy the new addition.

 

The Mustang looks huge next to the C3.

Glad you finally have it home.

 

I think I like the Mustang looking giant compared to the vette looking midget. It sure seems big to me when I'm in it. I have to have a pillow behind my lumbar so I can push the clutch all the way in and I wish I could get the seat back to go forward just and inch or two. Oh well.

 

Beautiful vette, love the color. Your husbands mustang color reminds me of a maverick " Grabber " ,that was the same color.

 

Nice!

 

Glad to see it made it to Alpine and that you are enjoying it so much.

Do not be dismayed by small problems on the car. It has been my experience that if you have a good body and frame to start out with, everything else is negotiable. That is a very nice Vette, but like many others it just needs some proper TLC.

The main challenge now is two fold; find a superior mechanic to work on it and learn as much as you can about it yourself. Remember there are two kinds of mechanics in this world; those who work on vehicles for the sheer joy of what they do and those who basically are a dud at doing most anything, including being a mechanic.

As far as gaining confidence in your car, the age does not matter. What does matter is how it is cared for and maintained. My wife prefers her '86 convertible as a daily driver compared to anything else we have, and we have some fairly nice rides. My preferred set of wheels is my '71 Charger R/T, I have had it since my sons were very small and it just keeps getting better as it gets older.

I get down to the state or national park every couple of months on backpacking trips, and my wife and I enjoy an occasional weekend at Indian Lodge or in the Chisos Basin. So if you see a searing yellow 'Vette roadster with a retrofitted hardtop on it, wave. It's probably us.

Final note. If you get in a jam or have a nagging problem, you have my phone number in my prior post. Don't hesitate to use it; a lot of other people do and I am always good for a visit about an old car.

Enjoy your L82!

May God bless America,

Ben


P.S.: Your Terlingua Racing Team sticker brought back some old memories for me. I can remember the posters and the decals tacked up on the wall at the old Terlingua Store. That would have been back in the late '60s, and that store was basically the only inhabitable building there.

 

Thanks, Ben. We also get to the Chisos every couple of months except summer. Go to Terlingua for Starlight Theatre dinner, best food in Brewster County and I 'd live there if I didn't have to work. Thanks for the info offer, I'll probably take you up on it. Let us know next time you're coming out!

 

The wheels look fine. It's just the angle of the pic. Enjoy your Vette!

Les

 

Your vette looks great!

 

Very nice looking '79 - congrats and hope you really enjoy the car.

 

What a nice-looking car. I love the color and the spoilers are the perfect addition. If I had a '79, that's what I'd want it to look like.

Congrats!

 

I noticed that too, really emphasizes what a small car the C3 really is. I had more interior space in my 81 280ZX. I think the C3 was designed for the average sized woman. I know lots of large men say they fit in it, but I just don't see how.

 

Congratulations! Great looking car!

 

I bet you'll get more head turns than your hubby's GT!

You both look lovely as ever!

Happy motoring.

 

Car looks awesome! Love the color. I can't get over how small that Vette looks next to the Mustang I sold a '05 Mustang to buy our '77 so I never had them next to each other like that.

Happy for you! Enjoy your time in a Corvette!

Adam

 

Thanks Guys! Love it too! Got it back from the shop last night. New alternator, the first one came in defective, so a new one got there yesterday, was installed, now battery warning light is off. I thinks it's been on for years. He said the alternator was really old and may have been the orignial. New Optima battery. Mechanic says the brakes are next but not urgent and should do the suspension at the same time. He said the front control arm bushings are very soft, most likely needs all suspension bushings. Also the steering rack and lines leak. The a/c compressor is leaking, too, but since it's getting late in the year I will save that job for spring. Supposedly was checked out and taken care of when I bought it. I'll just take one thing at a time. Drove great home, taking it for a drive today to lunch. My mechanic is taking his Porsche 911 out for a drive so we may meet up later. We sat and had a couple of beers last night when we picked up the vette and he was talking about how the newer cars will just be junked since no one will be able to fix them, unlike our cars, which is another thread here. Taking the T-tops off for our drive, for the first time today so I'll see how heavy they are and if I'll be able to do it alone or need help every time I want them off. Thanks again for the compliments, guys!

 

That Mustang looks like a box next to the sweet lines on yer C3

 

Think you will be pleasantly surprised at how light the t-tops are. Harder to get them into the bags/put them behind the seat than it is to take them off. Have fun today!

 

For me, the easiest way to put the t-tops in the bags are to bring them into the house, spread the bag out on the carpet and slide the tops right in. Takes seconds.