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"This car is going to get me in trouble"
COOLTED- That sounds like the title to a country/western song. Hope you stay speeding-ticket-free. RA
If your C3 is following cracks in the road and other features, you need to get a good alignment, as well as gently tightening up the gear lash in the steering box. If you haven't gone through the front suspension yet, that may be on your list to do, too.
Mine, used to track the cracks and be all nervous at speed, even with an alignment, so I had the shop, adjust it, so that it now behaves well, even at three digit speeds (065 mph, as an example ).
"Perhaps I missed your real point of the thread and that being you love your beast too"
You did miss the point. I chose a C3 because in my opinion they are the hard core example of what a Corvette should be- but still joke about its shortcomings. (For a moment I thought this was the BMW forum. Those people have zero sense of humor.) RA
Sorry, my bad, your original post just sounded at the best like damning the cars with very faint praise to me,
I believe you have seen me and know what I am building trust me I have a sense of humor but I admit see no humor when some cats just trash and bash the c3 as a driver and tell newbies to run away from them...While true all old cars like c3's do not have the creature comforts of the modern cars people are spoiled to drive no need to trash them to newbies as I see happen a heck of a lot. I now get the irony of humor you were going for and trashing the c3 wasn't your goal....
Originally Posted by tokim
Wide range of C3 owners/fans for several different reasons.
Some of us owned them years ago, and did use them as daily drivers..some still do.
Not all C3 owners desire/expect it to handle like a track car, or perform like a bracket car, while still others prefer to have a museum piece..that is what makes ownership an individual experience, that has no set boundries/rules.
Most C3 owners have other cars in which to drive, all of which serve a specific function.
To each their own..unless it adversely affects me.
Very well said, I respect the restro modder as much as I respect the die hard purist ( even if most purists hate me )
Originally Posted by Bigeddie
hey before you decide on rack and pinion take a look at the burgeon steering!
I have hated the cantankerous stock c3 power steering for over 30 years, leak and slop prone floaty feeling, I planned rack and pinion but at the moment the hurdle is I have VBP transverse front spring and hooker headers and according to VBP no R&P will fit without mods,
the borgeson is a winner for me, while it's not as nice as a rack would be it's cheaper and far less work to install...I am still in research mode but on my steering something has to happen.
Keep in mind in the late 60s most people were driving big solid-axle wagons or sedans that weigh north of 5000 lbs, driving an all-independent 3600 lb car with 360+ hp was a completely different experience.
Most C3s ride great once sorted out, if not, just keep it in your garage, you'll have the most beautiful art sculpture in the world.
I'll never forget the week I brought my 74 "barn find" home. The PO had let the car sit in his garage for 13 years due to a misdiagnosis from his mechanic. After replacing a plug wire and draining the old fuel she fired up.
Never forget the very first ride down my private gravel road, as I lamented on how she rode and sounded like an old bucket of bolts. The power steering had a turn radius similar to a 50's model Ford 8-AN tractor and I didn't know where to begin to isolate the rattles, as they sounded like they came from everywhere. I remember saying I was ready to check a C3 Corvette off my bucket list. More like erase it from the list.
Fast forward right at two years. After replacing the factory power steering with a Steeroids unit, replacing bushing and ball joints (BorgWarner...don't skimp here), and to top it off, I went with the Sharkbite rear suspension.
It took a spell getting used to, as the steering is unbelievably responsive. Also, paying for a QUALIFIED front end guy to do a CORRECT 4 wheel aligment, involving setting up the trailing arms and front end end alignment will result in handling unlike any stock C3 could get remotely close to in the past. Also, the thunks and clunks are now gone.
You must own a Harley . We have been using that line for years. Some people expect a BMW when they jump on a Harley and it's a whole different experience that only a diehard Harley rider understands.
and I know some of you did - but could you imagine living in the LA basin in 1969 with a million cars of that era pumping out smog like they did...
It's obvious - modern car technology is better in almost every way - but you still cant beat the looks of the C3 vette.
Carl in (less smoggy) LA
Originally Posted by ronarndt
How did people drive these cars years ago??! After spending two months doing a variety of repairs on my 68 BB 4-speed convert with manual steering and manual brakes, I finally got out on the road yesterday for a drive at speed, in traffic, on a normal road. I felt like I was in my very first car, a 1951 Pontiac with straight 8 and manual steering and brakes. Boat anchor motor and manual steering that requires both hands to make a turn, steering that wants to follow every little crack in the pavement and a variety of squeaks, rattles and road noises that drown out the radio. It took me back to 1964 again. That was until the throaty snarl from that BB engine and the wind from the top down made me remember why I bought this thing in the first place. Also, the satisfaction of sound-blasting the tail-gating Hondas when you step on the gas, the envious looks from older drivers who wish they had a C3 and the satisfaction of hours of busted knuckles and dirt under the fingernails. RA
hey before you decide on rack and pinion take a look at the burgeon steering!
Bigeddie- not familiar with the Burgeon steering gear. 13bats has a photo- looks similar to the stock unit, on which I tightened the lash as much as possible. Over-tightening makes it squirrely also. What is different with the Burgeon unit? If it works, it would be ideal- not a lot of extra room for the steering rack with my BB and headers. (Note for other commenters- ball joints, TR ends, idler arm, shocks, front wheel bearings are replaced. Alignment probably is off. Feels like there is toe out- will have it checked) RA
If your C3 is following cracks in the road and other features, you need to get a good alignment, as well as gently tightening up the gear lash in the steering box. If you haven't gone through the front suspension yet, that may be on your list to do, too.
Mine, used to track the cracks and be all nervous at speed, even with an alignment, so I had the shop, adjust it, so that it now behaves well, even at three digit speeds (065 mph, as an example ).
"three digit speeds (065 mph, as an example"
I like that! Wonder how the cops write tickets for really high speeds? Four digits? 0100. RA
I know exactly what you mean. These cars are tight to sit in, ride like crap. My daughter has ridden in my c4 and c5 when I had them and I took her out in my 80, she said it rides like a roller coaster.
I know exactly what you mean. These cars are tight to sit in, ride like crap. My daughter has ridden in my c4 and c5 when I had them and I took her out in my 80, she said it rides like a roller coaster.
But i wouldn't change it for anything.
"But i wouldn't change it for anything."
That's how I used to feel about British cars (TR-4, TR-6, MG Midget), but I got tired of side-of-the-road repairs. Chevy products at least usually get you home safely. RA
Yeah, I put lower control arm bushings on it and aligned... it only really follows the roads that are pretty bad. highway and normal city driving, ok, but there are a few roads arouind that have the grooves worn in them pretty bad that I have trouble on.
You guys and girls are probably too young to remember the steering on cars in the 60's.
You could turn the steering wheel two inches either way before the car changed direction. The old cars were all about a smooth ride and not about precise handling. The old C-3 Corvettes ride really hard, I had mine compared to riding a log wagon, but man the way they handle totally flat when you take a corner. Not trying to roll over and play dead like the other cars of that era. Lou.
After driving my auntie s. 1964 olds land barge , my first corvette , I was a teen was a 74 coupe base car. Compared to what most of average America drove , the 200 hp car felt like a rocket and handled like a F1 racer. VW and Honda had like ....60 horse power ......and looked like tiny golf carts .
C3 are good cars . A lot depends on your age and perspective . ....and enough common sense and maturity to realize modern cars are apples and oranges to old corvette .
If a C3 is actually maintained with common sense and treated correctly they can be very reliable A 79 carried me though three years of college in the early eighties. I don't ever remember it breaking down. It served as my DD for several years after I married.
You guys and girls are probably too young to remember the steering on cars in the 60's.
You could turn the steering wheel two inches either way before the car changed direction. The old cars were all about a smooth ride and not about precise handling. The old C-3 Corvettes ride really hard, I had mine compared to riding a log wagon, but man the way they handle totally flat when you take a corner. Not trying to roll over and play dead like the other cars of that era. Lou.
Lou- nice to see there are some older members on this forum. When I go to the forum to get info on my RX-7, I'm three times the age of the 18-25 year olds that usually are RX-7 owners. You're right about the play in the steering. Also bad brakes. If you did one fast stop from 60 mph, that was it until the brakes cooled down. RA
my 3rd corvette was a 73 with a 1969 z28 motor canted angle heads side pipes greenwood suspension. Oh by the way I was asst. service manager for a place called Briggs Chevrolet. We had our own dyno and I had 2 of my techs that were high performance experts. The car was even in the New York auto show one year. Ill see if I can dig up a picture and post it and see if anyone remembers it
Okay Ron, I'll bite, how old are you? I am 68, have had my 68 coupe for 43 years and I worked in maintenance in the original MTD... Modern Tool & Die company, Cleveland automotive plant, for 34 years, until they closed our plant in 2007 and I had to retire early. MTD is the largest maker of outdoor power equipment...lawn mowers.
We made Corvette parts and 60% of MTD's replacement lawn mower blades.
Please read my thread in CF general " A long time chrome bumper owner speaks". Lou.
).
RA
......and looked like tiny golf carts .