corvetteBlack

Hi all,

I know a mechanic who works on Corvettes only (probably works on dozens or hundreds a year I think. I asked him which C3 is the best to buy and if memory serves me well he recommended the 1977 one, I've forgotten the reasons but they where mechanical I think.

Has anyone else heard this before?

Revi

Nope, 68-82 are pretty much all the same. Nothing to make a 77 any better than the rest of them.

The13Bats

No...never heard that and 77 has some unique parts...
Just because he works on lots of vettes he is still a human perhaps 77 was his personal favorite,
I can't wait to see where this goes facts vs opinion vs personal preference etc

vettebuyer6369

There's no reason to pick out the '77 as significantly different.

The '81 was the first year with a computer and the '82 had the Cross Fire.

Other than that, you should be focused on the condition of a particular car rather than choosing by a "better" year.

Torqued Off

I agree....77 is the best year! Guess what year I have!

Crimson Thunder

The mechanic must have been born in 1977.

crawfish333

And I happen to have one for sale... says the mechanic.

seriously, Uh... no

sparky77

I agree 77 is the best!!!!

tomvr

With 1 glaring exception...81 and 82 cars have computers and the 82's have cross fire injection both of which can be troublesome.

1980's weigh about 230 pounds less than an equivalent 79 model. Some of that weight reduction came in the form of a different rear end some claim is not as tough as the pre 80 rears.

corvetteBlack

It was something to do with emissions restrictions my the government and one or two other things but it made sense at the time, I'll ask again when I see him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette_(C3)
I see on wikipedia that the 68-71's made a lot more horsepower, formidable by today's standards, 350hp + is still something respectable. Then the 72-83's made much less horsepower.

The 75' only made 165hp... I'm not a horsepower person but when you own a Vette you want at least 250hp right?

Shark Racer

CA 80 cars have a feedback Q-Jet and an ECM controlling it. Distributor fully mechanical. 81 cars have a similar feedback Q-Jet but also computer controlled spark timing.

Emissions wise, 75-81 were fairly similarly equipped. The 75 Q-Jet had some systems that got removed (aneroid booster I believe it was). 77-80 were all fairly similar. 77-78 Q-Jets had combo idle mixture screws that you could turn with a flat head screw driver or 1/4" hex. 79 went to the DD screw heads which were a bit more of a pain in the ***, but bits can be found.

Other than that, drivetrain 77-79 are pretty much the same. Interior wise, the 77 is a mix of 68-76 and 78-82... with some one-year only parts. A screwball car from that perspective. 78-82 are much more similar on the inside.

Wiring in the 78-82 cars is a little easier to deal with thanks to the circuit boards. 68-77 had a ton of individual wiring for every bulb, whereas the 78-82 cars used boards for each gauge cluster, resulting in a lot less spaghetti.

Long story short, I disagree.

ON 8TH

I missed that year.

540 vette

Cheap to buy.

Ole Red 77

I agree. 77 is the best deal! Gotta be red though! lol.

Torqued Off

Seriously.....and not that it makes it better, but here are some things about a 77 that are different and unique than other years:

- No vent louvers or cold air ducts in hood - 77 and later.
- No louvers for Astro Ventilation in rear deck - 77 and later.
- No fiberoptics to tell you when a light is out!
- No troublesome windshield wiper door and vacuum system
- No Stingray emblems - 77 and on.
- First year with better hood latch system - 77 and on.
- Last year of sugar scoop rear window - 68-77
- First year of sport mirrors, and one on each side - styling matches car for first time.
- First year of late model plastic console and gage cluster - 77 and on.
- Interior is a good mix of old and new as they transitioned to 78 Interior - 77 is best of both worlds - opinion. Recessed speedo / tach, old style seats, door panels classic C3, but console and gage package updated.
- Rear tail lights recesses is awesome styling connection to the speedo / tach recesses.
- Best C3 steerlng wheel made - 3 spoke that came with tilt wheel. 77 and on.
- Steering column shortened two inches - so with tilt / tele you have much better adjustability. 77 and on.
- 4 Speed Shifter shaft lengthened - 77 and on.
- Worse turn signal, dimmer, windshield washer lever made - all on same, easily broken and problematic - one year only in 77
- Steel reinforcements in doors and fuel tank shield for better crash protection
- Close to record low factory HP and torque! Not a plus, but easily fixed.

In general, I perceive the 77 to be the simplest, less complicated and clean year in form and function. It has fewer complex systems that offer no real meaningful purpose,...in my opinion. It is best of classic C3, without the hassles of some of the other years troubles.

But don't get me wrong......a black 69 with 427 and red interior raises the hair on the back of my neck!

The13Bats

Very well said but I do not see my 69 better or worse than 74 up but a just very different car...I like weird one year stuff like 68 dash ignition and the 77 stuff on the turn lever
ASTRO doesn't impress me any just a buzz name gm gave it to smooth no wind wings that people in the day were used to,
I like 77 is last year cove back I am not really a bubble butt fan..I like it's a non comp car
I do love weird stuff like fiber optics and flip up headlights and wiper doors all concept car coolness..if up to par they all function fine but in the vein of adding hp to low hp c3s I can do things like toss out antiquated vacuum stuff for modern electrics...don't like skinny steering wheels but I don't like many stock wheels..it goes on....i have lots of great memories in a buddies black 77 and hopefully my 69 will get my hair standing get soon

Jeff_Keryk

Here's my 68 beater. Kinda like a 77, only older...

crawfish333

So will you sell it to the OP for 7500, the corvette budget he has stated in other thread?

wendellp601

I'm partial to the 1977 model, too.
Especially in red.

lowbuck72

If you live in California it has to be older than a '76.