Well, I've been searching the forum for many months to educate myself on the great C3 Corvette. I love the '69 and '70 chrome years. I'm not ashamed to admit I have never worked on cars before, so owning one of these great classics would be a thrill and a learning experience (I own the Corvette Black Book and Chilton Corvette manual for further education).

My question is for those that own the late '60's / early '70's Vette's......do you regret the purchase / does the novelty wear off, or is it more fun than you thought it would be to own one of these classics?

 

Bought a '69 in 1973. Loved the C3s then and now.

 

Only regret I have is over the ones that I've sold.

 

I have only owned my '72 for around 1 1/2 year and believe it or not, working on it is quite enjoyable. I'm not sure how much I would really like to have a trailer queen, I might get bored with it....?

Brian

 

Yep. I let one get away and have missed the car ever since.

 

Read this

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-corvette.html

Buy a driver not a project. You dont want to loose interest, so buy something you can drive and not have to fix to drive. The thrill of driving one of these on a curving country road will bring you back for more.

Any car will need work, not just old ones. New ones sensors fail for no reason, old ones rubber seal and bushings wear out due to dry rot. Not a big deal and easy to fix.

Old cars are easy to work on, no computers involved or needed. These things where built in the day when close enough was okay. It shows in the body work and fitting, but the good news is anyone with common sense and mechanical ability can work on one. If you can find an old mechanics shop manual on your year, it will be better than a new chiltons or haynes. Buy the AIM for you year and the shop manual.

when/If you need a mechanic, find an old man like me (50-70) that still runs a garage. Alignments may not be in the new shops computer and kids these days dont know how to look things up. And rebuilding a carburetor is like building a model.

So go grab that mattress full of cash and buy your new love!!!!

Some parts have to be bought from a corvette parts vendor, others from a simple auto parts supply chain. If you have a rarer option like an LT1, then you have to be specific as the kids behind the counter have less of a clue than you do, even the manger.

 

Hi j,
Will the novelty wear off?
For some people, yes, the novelty wears off!!!! And they move on to something else.
But for others no, the look, feel, smell, pleasure and frustration, combine to make having a 68-72 car an incredible, enduring experience.
45+ years and I still turn to get a look at it as I close the door to the garage!
Be very careful about buying the right car for YOU so that you have the best possible experience from the beginning. The last thing you want is to buy a problematic car that taints your pleasure from the start.
There are good cars and there are cheap cars. I don't think there are any good cheap cars.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

 

Bought my 74, 3 years ago.
I may have 100 miles on it so far....working on it for most of each summer.
Bored is not a word I think I would ever use for it.
Whenever I open the garage and she is there, I smile....I still can't believe I own one of the best looking cars EVER created.

The best feeling is getting all the thumbs up as you drive by someone...doesn't matter what age they are.

I bought this car without spending any time learning about them. I can wrench, but not a mechanic. I figured it would be a 10 year plan and not a body off either. 3 years in and I have spent just under 5k on interior, tires and rims, stereo, steering, ignition and various dress-up parts for the engine. I LOVE THIS CAR and I don't care that it doesn't have chrome.

My daughter has told me to put it in the will to her, so this car will stay in the family long after I'm gone.

Ken

 

We are all individuals, with our own expectations, funds, mechanical abilities, patience, space to store/work on car, and to stay focused.

Chrome bumper cars '68 to '72 and '73 (rear bumper only) do command a higher price of entry into the hobby vs other C3"s.

Considering all variables, the rubber bumper cars can, if nothing else put you into the drivers seat without as much cash out lay while you personally figure out how passionate you are about C3 Corvettes.

If you still have the desire, with your gained knowledge, you can search out the perfect to you chrome bumper car, and sell the rubber bumper car (a stepping stone).

Good luck, and they really are a fun car to own for most of us.

 

As stated above, buy a driver, not a project. The view out over the hood/fenders as you cruise will keep you motivated even if you have a 20/20 paint job - looks good from 20 feet at 20 mph!

Some thoughts:

Buy the best car you can afford and don't be afraid to learn on it.

Work on the whoa before the go....brakes before performance. Stopping is important.

Enjoy the hunt, some of my best stories are while hunting for a car. Good times. A fine line between been in storage and used for storage, LOL!

Lastly, I've had our 1982 two-tone for over 20 years. I too like the chrome bumpe C3 cars but after driving a few decided that was from the outside...not so much from the inside. Dash, seats etc didn't sit well with me and ended up in a later model C3s.

 

I bought my 1971 about a month or so ago. I looked at a lot of C3s. It was very important for me to buy a driver rather than a project. My car, except for paint, is very original. I really have to fight a temptation to update things. My wife reminds me I have a C7 and to leave the C3 as original as possible. I am enjoying the car and learning as much as I can.

 

Thanks, if its the one in your avatar, great looking car. Have you previously worked on cars, or is this a learn as you go situation?

 

Awesome, thanks for your reply and information - appreciate the details on the AIM and shop manual. Have the Chilton for the year's I'm interested in but will look into these as well. I'm looking forward to the journey! There's something about cars from a past era that are cool and remind us of simpler times.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your perspective - looking forward to the journey!

 

Awesome post and thanks for sharing your story! Glad its been a great experience for you and also good to hear you, like me, came into it with limited mechanic skills but it hasn't been an issue to maintain it.

 

thanks for the reply and great advice - like the whoa before go priority! I too am looking forward to the thrill of the hunt. Every time I get close I start questioning pulling the trigger, but hearing the stories from these replies reinforces to just jump in.

 

Yep that’s it in my avatar…My website has many more photos including much of the work I have done on the car. In case you’re interested in what kind of projects you might expect. If you go far enough back you can see photos of some of the cars that I either passed on or got away before I got the chance to go look at them.

My72vette

By trade I’m a cad draftsman but I was always the kind of kid that took all his toys apart to see what made them work. I was lucky enough to have a grandfather that ran a garage/wrecker service during my teenage years. I worked for him some during that time. I would say I’m pretty handy with a wrench however working on the ’72 has been a challenge.

Brian

 

Bought my 1969 in 1976...40 years later, the fun hasn't worn off. I time trial the and street drive it. My son loves it too.

 

I think it depends to a great extent on where you live. In an urban environment with heavy traffic, a greater chance for an accident (due to another driver's inattention-read that as cell phone usage) and poor road conditions, driving any car is a chore. It would definitely take the fun out of a C3 for me. On the other hand, a more suburban or rural area that has a potential for a nice cruise is very enjoyable past-time.

 

Hello JCNST1,
A ton of great info above.

For me, the novelty hasn't' wore off either.
I've owned classics since I was 18 years old (now 57).
Owning a classic car is special, and many of us here own more than one (including me).
The Monte shakes the house, and the 'Vette is a nice cruiser.

Sure, working on them can sometimes be extremely frustrating and costly, but well worth it, because you learn new things, AND you HAVE a classic car to boot!
For the most part, every time you work on it, you are one step closer to project completion.

Also... Preferably not your only car, because now you're forced to work on it, as opposed to it being a second car and working on it when you WANT TO!

IMHO, having a garage or another form of secure storage and a reasonable work area is very important too. Having to move a ton of "stuff" out of the way just to get TO the car to work on it, can be a BIG pain in the butt.

Best Of Luck,
Ben N