Asleep@thewheel

In two years I reach mandatory retirement age and will be sent home. I intend to buy a C3 as my retirement gift for myself. I will start actively shopping in about a year.

I intend to buy a 69-72 big block coupe. I will be looking for a REALLY NICE, numbers matching, no rust, original car. I want and will keep it as an original car. But, it will NOT be a trailer/garage queen. It will be a weekend cruiser. I can handle the stuff that needs routine maintenance, but I do not want to deal with major restoration issues.

I have been surfing through all the Corvette sales sites for weeks, and it appears that, today, the car I am looking for has a $50-60k asking price.

I have LOTS of questions, but have found the answers to many of them searching this forum...so many knowledgeable folks!!

May I ask you knowledgeable folks a couple basic questions:

If I buy such a car and then drive it 3-4,000 miles a year will I go straight to Corvette hell for adding miles to the car?

Is it considered blasphemously to put miles on really nice original cars and significantly lowers their value?

Thanks for your thoughts.

C3 4ME

absolutely not, I think they were meant to be driven. Now if you were after a very rare and very expensive model, I would answer differently.

Dynra Rockets

I like you already!

There will always be a few purists around that think they should all be in a bubble and only displayed in museums with "do not touch" signs everywhere, and a few that gauge their car cred on how much their car appreciates each year because of their low mileage, but 99% of us will say drive it and enjoy it.

The13Bats

The sacrilege is not driving them,

No easy kind way to say it, the mind set of not driving a c3 no matter what options list it has is dying off quickly as the generation that cared about such stuff is to be blunt selling off their cars due to age or dying and family are selling off such cars,

Most c3 buyers now desire a driver car over a trailer queen even though some do drive them yet keep them in pristine show condition, like i suspect you will.

And bone stock isnt king of the hill any longer, about 80% ( from my poll ) of c3 owners modify their cars from stock in some way,

So find your dream car and drive it like you stole it....

Asleep@thewheel

I like the way you think. :-)

LS4 PILOT

if you ve never owned a C3 corvette , in particular a BB , maybe you should ride in one on a hot day with the owner and see what it is all about . They don't handle or ride at all like new cars . It not like a Camaro , Or other muscle car ....in my mind completely unique. I was into this as a 18 year old and my old man thought i was nuts to put up with all the troubles and the cars were not even that old ...LOL .....

many of my friends over the years ,thought they were corvette people till they owned one , i warned them. LOL . Before you plunk down that kind of money . , know what you are getting into . Hot, ruff , teeth rattling , gas and oil smells , rattles , stuff falling off , ect....if you love the car regardless of all this and much more .....then you found your car .....a C3 is for you.

i owned a nice calm 65 327 coupe , quiet and well manored....a good starters corvette . A C3 BB can be ruffer car than most people are willing to tolerate that aren't used to them . BB is hard to work on too. everything is difficult to get to on a C3 .

youd be well advised to ride with people in the car you think you want first , before your first drive is the day the car hauler parks in the street in front of your house .

i owned old vettes 40 years . just my 2 cents if you are a total newbee to C3 .....i find most people i know were really C 4-C 6 owners at heart ..

Faster Rat

Well, since buying an original 69 big block coupe 13 years ago...I have no regrets. I have spent way more on it than what I paid for it...but it is now in extremely good mechanical condition. I drive it when I can, but never in the rain. I also cannot resist mashing the pedal down and smoking the tires whenever safe to do so. It will keep it's original paint as long as I am still kicking.

The 69 with the 427 will command more money than the 70-72 with the 454, but it will likely appreciate more. For the same money, you will likely end up with a better condition 70-72 car. With your budget...you can forget the tripower models if originality is your main requirement. I have more invested in mine than you are willing to spend...and I have done most of the in-and-out wrenching myself.

Dynra Rockets

So true. The power nothing car I bought and enjoyed so much because of the raw, visceral driving experience got old quick and has turned into me adding power steering and a 5 speed to make it more well mannered.

If want an early BB keep in mind it will add a lot to interior heat. Look for working AC, PS and possibly a 3.08 rear for better highway cruising.

Spoticus

I agree with Bats above. Drive it like you stole it.

However it shouldnt matter what I think or anyone else.
Its your life. If your buying the car for its value or as an investment then you probably wont drive the car that much. But if your buying the car for the dream and the experience then who cars what anyone else thinks. Drive it like you stole it.

I got my 78 almost 3 years ago and I am nearly up to 20000 miles I have added to the odometer. Its now my daily driver and I am enjoying every minute of it.

I also agree with LS4 Pilot in that the reality may not match your expectations so I do recommend a try before you buy.

I hope your expectations match your reality though like mine did.
Now to try and find where that rattle in the pasenger door is coming from.

Enjoy.
Dave

ed427vette

Lots of good advice above.

I would like to add to what LS4 says about the driving experience. I have owned C3s for over 25 years and the first thing that I remember about driving one the first time was the high front fenders, no usable rear visibility in the coupe and you can't see about 3 feet of nose in front of you. All of my cars were big blocks. If they drive hot in the interior it was something I never really noticed. But then again I don't mind the hot weather and that's when I drove them most anyway. So it was hot outside and inside.....

If you like the factory cars (and so do I) you can get a nice restored car and drive the heck out of it. The only Corvette I would not want to drive much is an original unrestored low mileage car of some rarity. Big block chrome bumper cars are not very rare.

If you are going for the "number matching" BB cars you should also familiarize yourself with real documentation as I have no doubt you will be looking at cars that have fake reprinted paperwork or maybe restamped engine blocks. Do your homework. And ask questions here before you buy. I have been compiling lists of 69s for years by VIN with restamped blocks and bogus paperwork. If you find a car you like I would be happy to let you know if I've run across it before.

Good luck in your search.

thoyer

I had similar requirements when I was C3 shopping. Don't underestimate how long it will take to find what you are looking for. Took me over a year to find mine and I looked at a bunch of cars. I finally gave up looking and a couple weeks later stumbled on the ad for the one I eventually bought.

I would strongly suggest that if you find a car you can't personally go check out that you find someone to go inspect the car for you. I have done that in the past (did it with my 71) and it was money well spent.

One poster suggested that a high percentage of C3's have been modified and I believe that statement to be true. If you are looking for a car that is more stock or original (like I was) you will have to wade through a bunch of cars. This will take some time, but be prepared to jump when you find one that meets your needs. They don't always last long.......

Educate yourself about what to look for, both the good and the bad (rust....). You'll find many cars that look good on the surface but have underlying issues that can become very expensive to fix.

I think the 50-60k prices you've seen are a bit on the high side unless you have been looking at Top Flighted big blocks - even at that 60k is still pretty steep unless it has some rare options. I think the number you are looking at is more in the high 30's to mid 40's. Again, all goes back to educating yourself.

My .02

Good luck and enjoy the search, it can be a lot of fun...........

Tom

PS: As for the heat - yup big blocks get hot inside - especially without A/C. Mine does not have A/C and that would be the only thing I'd change.

As for the ride, I think mine has a great ride. I rebuilt the suspension with all stock parts and it rides great. My buddy had a 70 small block that rode horrible - stiff, noisy. The C3's use the same suspension as the C2's, maybe some different spring rates here and there but the overall design is the same. They are a sports car and will have a somewhat stiffer ride then your typical Buick, but it should'd be bone jarring or teeth rattling.......

Faster Rat

These cars were only 100% original the day they left the factory...which was 45 to 48 years ago. Their condition has been deteriorating every day of every year since then. Unfortunately everybody seems to have a different opinion of what terms such as original, excellent condition, rebuilt, numbers matching (yuk) and restored actually mean. Do yourself a big favor and spend the next year trying to sort that all out...to YOUR satisfaction.

As Ed stated, basic big blocks are not rare. GM made over 10,000 of them in 69. Those with their original drivetrains, paint, chrome, glass, carpet, seat covers, etc are quite rare. I seriously doubt any of them have not had major components rebuilt or mechanically restored, even with very low mileage. If you think you can buy a car like that for 50 to 60k and drive it 3 to 4 k annually without breakdowns, you are mistaken. Those that think less than that will get you what I think you want are blowing smoke. My 2 cents.

Easy Mike

Good stuff.

bj1k

After all of that said you still continue to own a C3 . Now you have really confused him !

bj1k

I disagree , If these cars are rebuilt like new they perform like they did when they were new. And I don't mean just replacing a few parts . I have restored so many classics I lost count and every one that I restore gets everything new or restored to new condition, ( everything ) . People have problems because they buy a 40+ year old car with everything weak on the car from age and expect it to perform like a new car . Not going to happen . If you want dependability , get your wallet out.

AllC34Me

Congratulations on your future purchase.

I think you have your priorities set up correctly and as far as I can see you know exactly what it is you want from the car, that makes it so much easier to sort through the cars that you don't want, so good for you.

Lots of good advice here, I particularly agree with the big block test ride so you know what you are getting. Now many have dealt with that big block heat and looking through the forum you can find that information or post a request for information on what folks have done to help with that issue.

Also lots of cars have swapped those 427's and 454's with newer engines including but not limited to 496's; 502's; etc. Not an exact guarantee but some of those cars may well have already addressed the issues associated with the original cars and heat. Just saying. Some have also added five speed overdrive transmissions or overdrive automatic transmissions; both designed to make the most of those rpm's when driving down the highway. And don't forget the A/C, especially if that is important for comfort when driving. Again, original A/C has been replaced by some newer more modern systems and those are worth giving consideration.

I am opting for a 496; fuel injection; rack and pinion steering; hydro boost braking; a/c upgrade; and a five speed transmission; all designed to take my 72 to a new level of driving comfort while retaining much of the sports car fun. It is your gift to yourself, so be generous to yourself, you deserve it.

And most of all, have fun.

Best regards,

David Howard
AllVettes4Me

Faster Rat

I do not disagree with you. I have spent at least 40k after purchase on rebuilding mechanical and electrical components. My car had only 56k on it when I bought it, but it sat in storage from 1982 to 2004. To think that I would sell my original paint and interior car for 30 to 40k is ludicrous. Therefore it will likely not be sold until I croak, and maybe not even then because both my son and 15 year old granddaughter want it. I have seen hundreds of restored and over-restored big block cars, yet very few unrestored, original paint cars in top mechanical condition. Rarity plus desirability translates to higher value.

Asleep@thewheel

Wow...lots of great advise...thanks!

I totally get the idea that a 45 year-old car will have things that break. My airplane was built in 1952 and I'm always fixing something on it.




1952 Cessna 195

Asleep@thewheel

Alan 71,

I saw your post last night and was going to respond but the spouse made me get my nose out of the computer. I admit I have spent way too much time reading as much as I can on this forum and online Vette advertisments.

I have read many of your posts and hope I can rely on your expert advice in the future. Thanks!

Alan 71

Hi A@tw,
My post seemed to be at odds with the sentiment expressed in this thread that you should "drive it like you stole it".
I couldn't disagree with that more, so I deleted my post.
My observation is that many cars that have been stolen are trashed!
Regards,
Alan