Hello!

I will have the chance to get a new car soon and I am heavily leaning towards getting a '68 corvette. I've never owned a classic car, and while I've got a good idea what to look for when buying, but what are some things to particularly look out for with this year/model?

Note that I want to have it as a daily. I drive 8 miles total to work and back every day, so I'm not demanding very much from it. Reliability and ease of maintenance are what I am really wanting. I could go out and get a plethora of used cars that aren't even 5 years old and would be just fine and not have to worry about a whole lot.

I have a funny urge to "save" a classic and put it back on the road as God intended. Keeping them shut up in the garage until every other weekend or so is a travesty.

Thank you for any responses!

 

This is a good place to start. There's a lot to learn about these cars, before you even buy one, like for example, 68' was a one year only interior.

If reliability and ease of maintenance are what you're looking for, as well as a daily driver, the C3 or 3rd Gen vettes, you may actually want to look at the last of the breed, as they were fuel injected in 1982, with an overdrive transmission.

Many of these cars are in the thirty and forty year old plus category, so plan to spend serious money on getting the best one possible. For 68-72, that can run you some money, depending on engine, options, etc.

If you start at 1974, the prices drop. I've seen low mile, mint '74's for $20k and someone has, or had a white, four speed car here in the for sale section that was spotless.

As far as ease of maintenance, some of it easy, some of it, not so much. They can be very tough cars to work on and the parts are expensive too. You should either have good mechanical skills and a well-equipped tool box, or deep pockets and a good shop to bring it to.

Don't buy the first one you come across. Before buying, share it here. You should do some serious research and be highly knowledgable before you even look. Not doing so can cause serious harm to your wallet.

There are numerous books out there and this forum and the tech forum are good places to start. If all this worries you, the late C4's, 1995-1996 are fantastic cars, comfortable, very reliable and fun to drive, as well as the C5's and up.

 

I have been a first time buyer on a classic vette for more years then I want to admit to. Great advice is given here. Pay close attention and good luck.

 

My first C3 was a '68 T-Top.
I used it as my daily driver, here in Washington state (oh yeah, it rains here..a lot).
There are unique features on a Corvette, like the vacuum actuated wiper door, and headlights.
I was a lot younger then, with fewer skills then I now possess, but I struggled with the wipers function constantly..Rain X became my friend.
The T-tops leaked, it was noisey inside, it wasn't very practical..but I loved it.
I agree, driving them is what they were built for, yet there best role is as a 2nd or 3rd car.
Keep in mind any car 40+ years old, will not ride or perform like a new Cadillac.

 

Buying a 45 year old car for use as a daily driver comes with a very steep and expensive learning curve for the inexperienced. You may have contempt for those that don't drive them often- but those are the cars that are in the condition you're seeking.

If I understand your intentions, you have a 4 mile drive to work. That's not long enough to warm up the car properly.

Sounds like you're more in love with the concept rather than the reality. You will not be saving a classic, you'll be hastening it's demise.

 

Good one, Mike and allow me to add, I don't care what condition it's in, they ALL require money thrown at them regularly, that's just the way it is. Could be only a hundred this month, or it could be $500, 800 or whatever it takes.

 

Thank you all for the replies!

I will admit, it may be more than I can chew taking on a classic. As Mike said, I get a little stuck up that these beautiful cars aren't driven all the time. But I also understand the care people put into them, and the desire to keep them pristine. I just don't want something that's as dull as the newer cars on the road.

Also, while I am more into the body style of the '68, I keep an open mind to the entire line. Like this for example: http://www.streetsideclassics.com/sh...rolet-Corvette

I know every car will need money thrown into it sooner or later, it's just a matter of if you have a warranty or not.

 

Warranty? C3's and that word do not go together. If the thought of warranty is in your vocabulary when thinking of buying a C3, you may be better of walking away.

Knowledge and Money - Lack of one will cost a lot of the other.

However, there are plenty of Corvette guys with more $$ then they know what to do with. If you fall under this category, buy a nice clean well restored car, and when something goes wrong, take it to a shop that knows classic cars and get it fixed. They are a lot of fun and you will enjoy it.

 

A warranty is just pre-paid repairs. There's no free lunch.

If you've got 30K and are thinking of blowing on a C4, I see tears in your future.

 

And while thats a LT4 powered car, nice enough C4 (I have both a C3 and C4, btw), shows clearly, that you've got the car lust thing going and that's a powerful thing in some of us.

You're shotgunning it and if researched even the C4's you'd realize that for that kind of money, you could pick up a low mile, likely fanatically taken care of 1991-1995 ZR-1, or a 2003-2004 Z06 and both those cars are very much High Performance cars, no doubt and with the technology, much more streetable and comfortable for long trips.

Just saying, step back and get the knowledge first, because buying, maintaining and owning any Corvette is far different than most other cars.

 

Watch out for classic car dealerships!
I cannot say ALL of them are bad. But, make certain you look carefully at what you are buying.

BEWARE!

You may find this thread of interest:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...te-trivia.html

 

@TheBlackVette-
This particular place is consignment only. I don't know how that effects sales.

@Ibanez-
What I meant was buying a classic, vs a new car that has a warranty. Not a c3/4 having a warranty.

@Mike-
Of course. However it's better to pay out over a period of time, then something going out and paying heavily out of pocket at once.

Also, is 30k unreasonable? Would one for half that be good enough to use daily?


I understand I seem ignorant on the subject, because I am. Otherwise I would not be here.

 

You should at least look at a couple thousand Craigslist ads for Corvettes, surf the threads on any of the Corvette forums and read them!

Research the specifications, options and their related prices, both Private Party and dealership. It's your due diligence to educate yourself, to the best of your abilities!

 

Lots of good advice here. The question I have is what kind of weather do you live in?

I'd hate to drive in snow or hard rain with C3. For the money that C4 is asking you could get a really nice C5 which is a MUCH better daily driver.

Remember consignment means the dealership is taking a piece of the price as well.
If you could contact the seller without going though the dealership it would be cheaper.

 

While there is some great advice and almost sounds like people are talking you out of buying a C3, if you want one buy one! Now, my advice would be this! Take the 30k, buy a really nice later model just above driver level and buy it for approx 15k take the other 15k and bank it for future repairs then drive it like you stole it and love it like a good woman. Just my .02

 

Haha, my man, FatCat!

@ddawson-
Yes, I agree, I'm very grateful for the advice everyone is offering.

I live in north(central) Texas. It will be outside uncovered etc..

 

I am just wondering why you picked the 68. I love them, but there are a lot of parts that are unique to them. If you really like them more than any year, that is one thing. But if not, I would keep my mind open to other early C3's. You will have many more choices.
Make sure you take your time on this one. You have lived this long without a 'vette a little more time won't matter. If you rush into it, you can wind up with a car that takes so much time and money to get right it will ruin the whole experience.
I would look through the for sale pages here too. It will give you an idea of what is out there.
Good luck. I hope it works out for you.

 

I like quite a few different cars in the 68-69 years. My second favorite car is a '69 Firebird. The c3 is the most beautiful to me. Plus some have sidepipes.. which I reallly like!

 

But not '68s.

 

I live in north(central) Texas. It will be outside uncovered etc..[/QUOTE]

DD, and outside uncovered..an early C3 would be a poor choice.