M4A3E2

Hi, first post here, so sorry if it's a little odd.

So I've turned 18 recently, and as many would, want a car to call my own.
I love classic cars, and we found a C3 with 15,000 miles for a fairly good price.

Now the question arises, would a C3 corvette make for a good first car?

Alan 71

Hi M,
Welcome!
First Post!!!
AND, considering a old Corvette as a first car!!!
I'll start with one easy and one more difficult question for you….. what year is the Corvette and do you think the mileage showing is original or has the odometer been 'around' once already?
Regards,
Alan

The year is something to be considered because the cars changed quite a bit between their introduction in 1968 and the car that was offered in 1982.

M4A3E2

Ah yes forgot to add that. It's a 1976 Corvette, and pretty sure these are the actual miles, the place its being sold from is pretty reputable in my area.

Torqued Off

Absolutely.....it will take love and care, but why not?

Bloodzone

My son is 18. He drives a civic. I would never think of a C3 as a daily driver for him.

At 18 the last thing you need is a 40 year old car. Thats my grumpy old man speech

RMVette

Also welcome! Great taste in cars!

I was thinking the same thing Alan mentioned. Remember, these cars are older and even if they did have only 15K on the clock, other things may need attention. IE, weather-stripping, ac (if original then it's probably R12), seals, vacuum lines, etc.

Good luck!

M4A3E2

Thats the way my father thinks! I brought this up to him and he said I'd be better of with a 1984 volvo 240.

Easy Mike

FWIW: check with your insurance agent for an idea of what the premiums are going to be.

Alan 71

Hi M,
Remember most of the 68-82 cars were originally bought to drive every day.
So, even though they're gotten quite old, they're still pretty simple cars that are relatively easy to maintain and repair.

It will be a completely different experience than owning/driving even a very inexpensive contemporary car…. are you aware of that? Have you driven it?

If you buy it will you still have some 'cash flow' which will likely be needed to maintain the car in 'I assume' everyday drivable condition?
Or might this car be somewhat of a 'toy' for you? What are your plans for it.

Do you have some one with some Corvette knowledge, not just 'old car' knowledge, that can check it out with you?

Could you give a little description of it and post a coup[le of photos so we have some idea of what you're looking at?
Regards,
Alan

How much is it?

M4A3E2

My great uncle works with cars like this all the time, he's been the one talking with us throughout this. When I get the chance I'll upload some images.
I certainly can afford maintaining the car, that shouldn't be an issue for me. I've driven this one and it feels very smooth to drive, didn't notice anything that seemed off.

I don't plan to drive it that often (where I live most things are within walking/biking distance) maybe 2-3 times a week.

Bloodzone

The older you get the smarter your father will become.

M4A3E2

Here's a couple pictures of the car.





My great uncle has been guiding me through this, he works on corvettes and other classic cars.
I certainly have the cash flow to work on and maintain the car, and it costs about 16K.

I don't plan to drive it as an everyday car, only maybe 2-3 times a week, and even thats a bit much (where I live most things are within walking/biking distance)

ed427vette

At 18 your are simply put, inexperienced. During the course of your life the most car accidents you will have will be in the next few years. That why insurance rates are highest for young drivers.
Do you really want to wreck a low mileage Corvette? Even without actually crashing it, are you experienced enough to recognize certain sounds and diagnose potential problems by listening to your car? Some things if not fixed quickly can become bigger problems even quicker. Wouldn't it be better for that to happen to the Volvo instead of the Vette?
Put a few years under your belt driving and then buy a C3. There are plenty of C3s out there. They will be there in a few years.

Or buy the Vette and learn the hard way.....

Alan 71

Hi M,
WELL! That looks like a pretty nice car. (Except for those 'rub strips' !)

I'm not all that familiar with 76 cars but the price seems a little high. But that depends to a degree on just HOW nice it is.

While the low mileage is attractive, so are cars with more mileage that have been driven on an semi-regular basis and minted well. Has this car been sitting unused for a long time? That can be hard on cars that are started to be driven regularly.

Fathers often do know best! But I can understand your attraction to this car.

Regards,
Alan

M4A3E2

Very realistic, and I thank you for that. Perhaps waiting on this car, between what it is, it being a classic, and as you stated, just my general inexperience would make this not that good.

I mean the Volvo is a bloody tank compared to the Corvette.

SwampeastMike

My uncle bought a '69 with the L71 engine brand new when he 18. He sold by age 20 saying, "I had to get rid of it before it killed me." It was a few years before he bought another 'vette.

Granted a '74 won't have anywhere near the power of that '79 beast (unless it's been highly modified) but the general handling characteristics are the same. Even by modern standards C3s handle quite well and almost dare you to push them to the limit--especially when you're a young guy The best work I know to describe the handling near/at limits is "spooky". Should you buy I do suggest that you find some SAFE place to at least learn what happens when you loose rear traction--it is unlike any vehicle (rear- or front-drive) that I've ever driven.

As others have said, very low mileage on a car of that age is not always a good thing. Such can mean that it sat unused for a long period of time--which is definitely a bad thing unless it was properly prepared. Unless it has service records that you can reasonable believe to be true you should plan on draining/flushing/replacing ALL fluids and having the suspension thoroughly inspected by someone familiar with these cars.

While you don't need a huge number of tools for most repairs on a C3 you MUST have patience. Absent service records you can nearly assume that ALL hoses and belts need to be replaced; ALL chassis grounding points need to be disassembled and THOROUGHLY cleaned and that ALL electrical connections need to be cleaned as well. Inadequate lighting/poor blower air volume/sluggish power accessories/etc. are common complaints whose root cause is nothing more than corroded ground connections and dirty terminals. A complete re-lamp is a good idea as well. Be forewarned that reassembling the dash of a '74 (after replacing lamps/cleaning/etc.) is one of the things that requires extraordinary patience.

Don't forget that ALL fasteners in a '74 are SAE so any metric sized tools you have are essentially useless. Most parts are reasonably easy to find and reasonably priced but, sadly, many of them are Chinese POS. If used as your daily driver you must be prepared for days of down time when seemingly minor repairs result in waiting for other parts that must be replaced or repaired.

One last thing: You never mentioned your mechanical experience/skills/aptitude. While C3s are quite simple compared to modern cars their general design often adds degrees of difficulty to jobs considered easy on others of the general era. If you're not prepared to DIY as much as possible then I suggest some other vehicle unless you have plenty of spare money AND can find a shop experienced with these cars. There are numerous stories here of new owners with reasonably deep pockets who hire so-called "professionals" for repairs/upgrades only to find they had know freaking idea what they were doing and will cost the owner much more just to make the car usable as a toy!

Tim Ware

Please don't buy this car as your primary transportation. It's 40 years old & will require maintenance. Listen to Dad. You can always get the Corvette later. There will always be plenty of them for sale.

cv67

Get a cheap 1500 beater import as a backup and get the corvette..if its priced fair with low mi hard to go wrong

Youll have to wrench on it here and there but youll have to with any used car

Cost of fixing is cheaper than en EFI car, very simple to work on and learn about cars..these are so underpowered if you ask me safe compared to a 400hp SUV

Why keep the guy from enjoying his hobby sounds like a safe bet to me. Not a lot of 15k mi C3s running around doesnt mean it has to be your only car

These things were made to drive we all know the C3s arent some rocketship so go get it.


Had that same speech when I was a kid;sure there is logic to it but lifes too short; wound up buying a 67 rs drove it everywhere everyday only had 1 thing break in many yrs of being that idiot...still
alive!
Good point, many have or have been turned back so op look at overall condition. If its mechanically sound dont see why not

oldgto

I`ve had SIX boys...my youngest is now 19 years old. I look back over my life, and tell them one thing they need to realize is this.... "Where you are in life, and what you have right now... is not where you`ll always be, or all that you`ll ever have. Things will change, and things will come & go."
It`s difficult at a young age to hear "wait a while".... because the future looks so far away right now. Trust me, it`s NOT!

Paul L

Think Toyota Corolla. The Corvette can come later.