Another ice cream fan!

 

I'm not worried about the C3's going away even though the younger people in numbers will dwindle the C3's are the last of the restorable corvettes because anything starting with the
C4's are throw away Corvettes because of the electronics that modernization has brought . The parts for those cars are going to be so expensive if they are still even available that they will cost too much to maintain as drivers or restore. The C3's are starting to fall into the same group as the C1's and C2's as cars to be collected and will only go up in value while the newer corvettes continue to fall in value and numbers. I will say that even though you don't see as many C3's on the road every day , the ones that you do see are for the most part very nice cars the same as the C1's and C2's . I can't even say when is the last time that I saw a rough early vette on the road.

 

There are a few C3's on the road up here and even more at the few car shows that happen. Most of them are sitting in garages, and solely just driven to the local shows but there is a handful that are driven regularly.
My daughter is just like me in loving to learn how things work and fixing them. Teaching her about the feel you get from old cars, how much the body lines flow compared to new cars and the simplicity of the mechanics behind them
She been a great help, little hands are great for installing new power steering lines lol

 

Nice parking spot, Paul!

 

She is no sissy , except maybe the flowers on the shirt . You are lucky to have a daughter like that. I can't even get my grandson interested.

 

7t1vette got me thinking,
Perhaps we are in a stangnant limbo, the majority of cats with c3s will hit a cruise here and there drive their c3 once in a while which will keep getting smaller numbers until sadly the cars are sold off due to owners age or death and i believe when the next wave of c3 owner start popping up it will be like mushrooms over night almost, and there will not be many purists...its already the trend to mod..so anyone wanna guess when the c3s will start popping up again...5 years 10 20?

 

I see a decent number at car shows and cruises around here, which are mainly either completely restored/modded or on their way to being so.

I think the market has shaken out the middle, so now there are either redone-cars, or cars in need of complete redoing, with very little in the middle, and certainly not any that people would buy and drive as-is for their performance-value.

The C1's and the C2's went through this, and now I think it's the C3's turn. The well-done restorations and modified examples will begin to command more money, while the really ragged ones will either be parted out or be the starting-point for a project. I've only had mine for 8 years, and there is a noticeable decrease in the number of examples of C3's available through Craigslist, of all types, and the ones that are out there are either excellent examples that don't last a week, or ragged project cars that remain for sale on CL for *years*, because nobody with any sense wants to take them on as a project when they can buy a car that is initially twice the price, but over the long run half the cost...

 

Mine is my daily driver right now and I'm loving it. Anyway the C3 is the longest running body style and half-a-million were produced. They are out there but I think the advent of all the auction shows on TV in the past decade have made people think they have a rare car that will fetch big buck. Maybe in 50 to 100 years but today a plane Jane C3 is just not worth all that much. They are creeping up a little.

 

Lets see if i can word these questions where it makes any sense,
Years ago a cat could find almost any chrome bumper c3 restore it and profit, now i see people post barn finds that need restorations and see replies saying that the owner could buy a restored version cheaper than doing it,
It seems only rare c3 basket cases get the stock restorations now days,
So will this cause more basket case c3s to become parts cars or junked rather than saved and will some of the c3s that were retored years back when stock was the trend actually get modded in the not so distant c3 future?
When i surf cl, ebay etc i seem to see far more modded c3s than ncrs cars....
I cant imagine c3s are gone but rather just hiding.

 

Last year I was going home from a Tuesday night cruise and an Accord past me on the left. A young boy was breaking his neck to see my Orange Flame "75. When I pulled up beside the Honda at the light the young man had half his body hanging out of his car. " Boy that is a cool car" he shouted. My mom said it's an old Corvette what year is it. I smiled and thanked him for his praise and told him it was a 75 and he should go to Appleby's on their next cruise night to see the other really cool cars there. The light turned green the mom disappeared and I continued home with a perpetual grin on my face. I wouldn't bet against this young man as a future C3 owner. Youthful enthusiasm is a real boost and makes the hours of work I do on my Vette all worth while.
Have a good season, Jerry

 

There are still kids out there who love these old cars. Granted, not nearly as many as there used to be. Glad to see my boys active in rebuilding classic cars with me. My youngest has had his hands on just about every nut & bolt of our 71 coupe so far.....

 

As a young c3 owner I can say that they won't all be gone. I chose to get a c3 because i liked the shape over that of a c5.

 

Antz
What do your buddies think of your vette?

 

They think it's an awesome car.

One of them was asked by his fiancee who had the better car. (he has a mitsubishi evo III). He said he thinks his is probably faster and handles better, but he would still prefer my vette.

 

I think you are wrong. Unlike cars prior to the sixties I think the C3 has a universal appeal and appeals to a lot of young people as well. I think there will always be new drivers who see a C3, like it, and want to own one.

 

My wife's 23 year old son prefers the C3 to the C7 styling. Good taste, but would he want to own one? Time will tell, but I hope you're right.

 

Time will change us..but we cannot change time..Our '78 SA is not a daily driver but we do enjoy it..Everything works well..and we do get looks of appreciation from others..not in corvettes..as well as waves.
Not as Comfy for long trips as my 2005 KIA Sorento LX, seats aren't heated or electric.but it's a great car on the roads less travelled or hiway.Quick, responsive, faster than US street larw allow...First vehicle my wife and I have ever owned that isn't 'practical'..(five children)
There's more old cars out there than a trip to local Wal Mart would indicate..jim

 

in part. I think it will ebb and flow. Cant comment what its like "up over", but down under, obviously there are not many C3's around compared with other American cars, i.e. Mustangs (dime a dozen here). Ours is a weekend cruiser and sometime we travel long distance in a cruise day, we might see on average 1 Corvette every 3rd/4th outing, of those half would be C2/C3's. Not many at Car shows either. Drive a C3 anywhere here and you're an instant celebrity, even the police will pull you over just to have a look.

Over the last 5 years, muscle cars here have come back in fashion big time, Obviously Australian marks, but there's also a decent smattering of GM, Fords and MOPAR getting around, Baby Boomer revival I guess, what they as kids used to see their parents drive around in. If dads got a muscle car, the kids get involved, plus there's a huge motorsport following here and that sets a trend.

Having said that I'm seeing an interest in cars of the time I started driving, 80-90's, mainly ***, german and Italian stuff. Most of the kids I see love technology and that was the era where electronic's/computers started coming in.

The reason i love the C3, is most importantly, its lines, and that old world feel to everything about it, the interior, the engine, the sound, smell, the way it drives and feels on the road. Most of the modern generation wouldn't understand that, all they see are electronics and gizmos, but I'm sure if you put them in one I reckon they'd convert real quick. You have to experience these cars to understand and then the bug (illness) settles in.

 

So I don’t know if I am still considering in the younger crowd category, but I am 34 and was in the market for my first old muscle car. The C3 was on my top 5 list and after months of research I ended up choosing a 72 C3 over other cars on my list because ofthe current market price and availabilityof the car. The parts are readily available and the cost is still reasonable in my opinion.

I am used to working on many newer cars and believe it or not, all this old tech is a little intimidating for me. I think there is going to be less of a younger population that want to invest the time and money into keeping an old car running, today people want something more turnkey. So as I see itthe future C3 market will be for driver ready cars that have already been restored. This will intern bring prices up for all of us. Our cars still turn many heads, I had my C3 parked out front of my house for 25 minutes during delivery and was asked several times if it was for sale. If anything I feel the C3 market in the next few years is only going to grow.

 

Just curious, what do you find intimidating about working on old technology of the C3's, like your '72? I do all my own repairs and the Mercedes are far more intimidating for me.

Nice to see someone half my age buying a chrome bumper C3! Maybe there's hope after all.
How about a picture of your '72.