When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I want to buy an 80-82 C3. Talk me into or out of it!
Hi,
Future C3 owner here. I think I want an 80-82. Talk me into it or out of it.
Why 80-82?
I like the styling the most out of the C3s, although I also like the hard bumpers of earlier years
My budget for a nice car works better with 80-82 vs the early C3s
I have a built 350\TH350 that could be a transplant if I decide to do a swap from original
I prefer a stock vehicle vs heavily modified, but I would like something to put this engine and trans into! I would likely keep the originals in case I wanted a matching car later.
I have a truck that I drive daily, but I'd like the C3 to be able to daily drive if I chose to. Definitely looking for a driver, not a show car or something to keep covered in the garage as an "investment".
Go for it. I just bought an '82. I chose that year because of the OD transmission, fuel injection, fuel economy, and the "modern" amenities it has (cruise control, power seat, mirrors, locks, defroster, etc). I wanted a car I could drive everyday too.
I bought an 82 last fall and I am very happy with it . I took my time and did a lot of research on this forum before I bought it . I'm thankful for all the knowledgeable folks on this forum . I finally found her, 46000 original miles and babied all her life . I have been working on it but it really doesn't need a lot . Very dependable car although I have a truck I drive daily. I chose the later c3 for the same reasons you stated . Good luck on your search
you want to buy the best car you can afford.That will save you money later.get the best paint job, the lowest mile ,think about what options are the most important to you like ac or auto or stick.
I owned two 81s both daily drivers one i put over 100k miles on and rebuilt,
Not as beastly as my 69 bb convertible ,
The 80s c3s are the zenith of the refinment of the c3, and best bang for buck with c3s
For what you want you've made a very good choice of years.
While you've obviously done some research here are a few things I would keep in mind about each year:
1980: The car went on a needed 250# diet. The venerable TH350 transmission got a lock-up feature. The L82 engine option was the most powerful 350 in a C3 after '74 (and even a few years of C4s). Anecdotally the transmission lockup was often disabled due to its tendency to lock and unlock very frequently and annoyingly during city driving.
1981: The one-year-only Computer Command Control v1 system with strange electromechanical carburetor was used. It was not successful in large part because even when new it did not "age" well. The only engine option was the pathetic 305 used in California cars. Weight continued to drop but so did engine power. A power driver seat (no independent recline) option appeared but it [seems] useful only for short drivers. Despite floor pan modifications to accommodate the mechanism headroom decreased by about an inch. If you're 6'1" or taller keep that in mind--most especially without the glass T-tops that increase headroom a bit.
1982: You get the 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission--no manual was available. The dual throttle-body fuel injection system and associated controls were a great improvement over the previous.
In all of those years the Gymkhana suspension option certainly enhanced cornering ability but the ride approaches punishing on long drives or any but the smoothest roads. A 7-leaf metal rear spring and rear anti-sway bar are easy-to-spot hallmarks of the Gymkhana suspension.
Broken switches for both the power seat and power rear view mirrors are common and replacements are expensive/difficult to find.
My personal hat goes to an '80 with L82 motor. '81 (especially with that anemic California engine) is my personal dislike.
For looks and comfort/utility as a daily driver I'd go for an '82 Collector's Edition without the Gymkhana suspension. The working hatchback adds greatly to utility. While nothing like the cost of big block steel bumper C3s a good '82 Collector's Edition may be out of your budget.
I won't at all talk you out of buying but I will suggest that you RUN away from sellers who boast about all of the expensive engine/suspension/performance modifications they've made to their "baby" that they now want to sell for a sacrifice.
I am 6 foot 2 and never had a headroom issue in any vette i owned 66-86
At 6'3" I fit in to my '79 with the glass T-tops installed but have to be very careful upon entry and my hair touches the glass. I can't imagine the power seat being of any use to anyone of my height.
Id go non EFI if you got another motor (guessing carbed) make it much easier as said look for the best maintained one you can get miles dont tell all but lower seems better
I purchased this modified 81 from a neighbor, not having done any research. I was lucky... kinda.
The cars bones are great; no accidents, no significant rust and a souped up motor and drive train with enough umpfff to satisfy this neophyte. There was not a lot to do except paint. My body guy could not give a ball park estimate for the paint job - "we have to get into it to see what's involved". It could be anywhere from $6-$20K... Well.... turned out to be more than paint to make the car long term pretty.
The body exhibited repaint tape-type seems on the quarter panels. Turns out the seams lined up with the less than ideal filler used to smooth out the the body panel joints. I could simply do a short term pretty "re-sale job" or a permanent fix - replacing the old factory filler with modern bondo+glass and smoothing out all the SMC body irregularities prior to paint. Since I have no intention of selling the car, and I have the $, I chose to go ***** to the wall, have extensive body work done to give the paint a stable base.
So my advice; go for the mature C3 'vettes. While they're not as sexy as the chrome trimmed sharks, the later ones are cheaper, safer (real bumpers and side impact bracing - for what it's worth), lighter and with more creature comforts. But pay attention to the VIN - be cautious with the transition 'vettes like mine with "fresh paint"- the tail end of St' Louis cars that, apparently, didn't get the QC they deserved.
At 6'3" I fit in to my '79 with the glass T-tops installed but have to be very careful upon entry and my hair touches the glass. I can't imagine the power seat being of any use to anyone of my height.
Stupid question time. Are all '78-82 Corvettes T-Top equipped?
bishline - love your 82! I'm thinking about a red one...
I will definitely be buying the best possible car I can for the money, but I haven't set a budget yet. I've seen some pretty nice ones in the 12-15k range, I'd probably stay on the lower end of that but if the right car comes along, I'd rather pay the money up front than try to fix things later.
I definitely prefer as stock as possible. I may do some slight modifications other than the engine, but that'll be my choice and I won't have to reverse engineer or fix someone else's "craftsmanship".
Was the Collectors Edition the only one with a working hatchback? That's a definite plus, but not required. I'm not a fan of the CE color scheme.
Speaking of colors, I saw a white 82 with red interior for sale a couple weeks ago. That's the car that put me over the top and made it clear I needed an 80-82. I love red in general, but I think dark colors are at the top of my list, especially black. I know how hard black is to take care of, and to make it worse I'm in the PNW and the rain will make it even harder. But the heart wants what the heart wants....
I'm 5'11'' and shrinking, so no problems there....But I really do like manual controls for everything. Less to go wrong, less weight overall. But again, I'm not looking for a racecar, but I've had plenty of older vehicles with power options and they just get tired after so many years. My idea of "working" on this car is routine maintenance, washing, waxing, and replacing rear tires.
The 700R4 was only in 82, correct? I like the OD, and I know that transmission can be built pretty tough if need be.
What is the best resource for learning more about the C3 in particular? Any specific books or websites?
One other thing...think my 65# Doberman could fit in the rear hatch? Not a requirement by any means, just wondering
Id go non EFI if you got another motor (guessing carbed) make it much easier as said look for the best maintained one you can get miles dont tell all but lower seems better
Yeah, the motor I have is carbed. I don't mind either way, but I like later EFI or carbs. I don't know about 82, but in my 91 K5 Blazer I can hook up my laptop to debug and mess with things if I need to.
With a carb, my laptop is no good but there's a ton of knowledge out there when I screw something up.
But pay attention to the VIN - be cautious with the transition 'vettes like mine with "fresh paint"- the tail end of St' Louis cars that, apparently, didn't get the QC they deserved.
Were the late St. Louis cars really that bad? St. Louis is my hometown so I keep thinking about getting an STL car, but I read the same thing elsewhere.
Last edited by pmpski_1; 03-26-2017 at 08:22 PM.
Reason: clarity
Were the late St. Louis cars really that bad? St. Louis is my hometown so I keep thinking about getting an STL car, but I read the same thing elsewhere.
If you found two 1981 Corvettes with equal mileage, overall care and all else being pretty equal, and were also told one was a St Louis car and one was a Bowling Green car, you would have little difficulty telling which was which. All else being equal, a Bowling Green car should command a higher price... for a reason!
I bought a new Corvette in 1977 and drove new Corvettes every year through 1985. Unquestionably every year was a better Corvette in some way or another. The greatest leap forward was of course in 1984, but each year was an improvement on the previous years cars.
As for the automatic overdrive transmission, changing to an overdrive transmission in the '80-'81 Corvette is a very common and worthwhile modification.
Don't buy an '81 unless you are not electronically challenged like most of us on this Forum. It was the first year for a rudimentary 'engine management system' and has one-of-a-kind carb, distributor, ecu and harness..plus an O2 sensor and other connected sensors.
There is nothing 'wrong' with that system...if it works. And when it is working, it does a much better job of managing the engine than any prior year C3. All of those parts are available or rebuildable; but you have to do the work or find someone who knows how...and that's getting less and less as time goes by.
The 80-82 C3 group is a nice group of vehicles. You just needed to know what you are getting into.
1980 - non-electronic system
1981 - UNIQUE electronic system
1982 - Cross-Fire engine w/ twin throttle body injectors and OBD-I ECM system (same system as was in the 1984 C4)
03-26-2017, 01:54 PM
I want to buy an 80-82 C3. Talk me into or out of it!
