Stinger-vette

Hi all,
I've been looking at Corvette's since high school (almost 25 now). My uncle had a red C5 coupe that I loved riding in, and I had a baseball coach that had two 69's and and early 70's Corvette. I've been looking at C5Z this year thinking that it would be the Corvette for me, but I've noticed that C3 prices aren't as high as I remember them 5+ years ago. Has the market really softened for the C3 that much and would a C3 actually be more enjoyable for me considering that I've tinkered and own a '55 pickup and a '74 Super Beetle? I've never actually driven a C3 to know how it feels.
Cheers

Easy Mike

I can't say whether the C3 market has softened from what you recall from five years ago, but it's good news for you as a buyer if you feel prices are down.

As to whether a C3 is the car for you, you're the only person who can answer that question.

RMVette

I have both a C5 and a C3 and they are totally different cars. I wouldn't suggest a C3 as a daily driver only because they're old cars and will take work. I too feel the C3 market is down a little, or maybe it's just that the market hasn't skyrocketed like I thought it would after the recession.

The C5's now are the biggest bang for the buck because people who babied them with low miles are selling and buying newer ones. So in my opinion, buy a C5 first then go after a C3...

Stinger-vette

I like the C5Z just because of how stupid quick it is and it was the Corvette I grew up knowing. The C3 is just classic though, really love the lines on that car, and performance would be easy enough to upgrade over time. The Super Beetle was my DD for 1.5 years before the stupid engine crapped its guts out, so if I were to make the C3 my DD (unlikely in MN) I could handle it. My biggest issue would be my wife letting me have 4-5 cars all at once.
I guess the best thing for me to do is just sit on the idea for now and see how the market plays out. I'm sure once the C8 hits the market, that will affect prices across the whole Corvette line-up.

cv67

C8 prices wont affect the C3
prices in old cars in general are starting to come down to earth not as big an audience anymore. Seen some real good deals on C3s that are not projects at all;used C5z money. Go drive one

If you find one thats been gone through they arent all that much to keep going. Carb, dist mech fan and fuel pump whats to go wrong, and no freaking cause you got some stupid computer glitch with 5 different code$

raydog9379

What kind of budget do you have, and what kind of budget / time post purchase do you have?

Stinger-vette

Budget wise, I'm probably in the ballpark to spend $20k, plus or minus a few grand depending on how much I like the car. Not sure what you mean by post purchase though. Do you mean like after I buy the car, what kind of time and money will I have?
Timeline is not a factor for me. I'm not looking at adding a Corvette to the stable for at least a year. I've already waited this long, another year or two won't hurt.

maj75

I have a ‘69 427 and a ‘99 FRC with 450 rwhp. The C5 is a great choice for a driver. It just does everything better than the C3. The C3 is cool, but it’s strictly a limited use cruiser. I’d hop in and drive my C5 cross country (except our highways are in appalling condition).

crawfish333

IMHO, the fall and winter are the best times to buy a used Vette. In the late spring and early summer, a lot of people get Vette fever so the market is more robust. This is especially true of the latter generations of cars, I.E. C5. The C8 will not have much effect on the C5 or the C3 market. C5s prices have pretty much bottomed out and I think the C3 market is pretty stabil.

Stinger-vette

I've noticed as well that the best time to buy is fall/winter. Amazing how a season can change the price of a car.
Another thing for me to consider, my C3 taste is pretty specific. I really want a '68-'69 Coupe with manual. I can live with a '70-'72 Coupe, but the side vents and reduced power aren't real desirable in my book.

PeterC3

I'm a recent '01 C5 Z06 driver and am one year into my '81 C3. Based on my experience the question I would ask myself is "how much of a project do I want". For few hassles the C5 is the way to go. The C3 continues to be a lot of work (I'm not doing it) to bring up to the standard I want.
The C5 still has it's issues. Because I track the car, and drive it up mountain roads (high engine RPMs) I decided to replace the valve springs as they are prone to failure with the risk of loosing your engine. I also had all the fluids replaced, installed a clutch bleeder line and installed a electronic gadget to eliminate the annoying 1st to 4th gear fuel econo "feature". From an ergonomic point of view I'm not a fan of the high shifter, kinda awkward, but everything else about the car is great. What 'vette other than a C5 FRC has an honest to goodness trunk! The C5 is the last 'vette that has the lines that appeal to me, if the headlights don't pop up I 'aint interested.
And when I'm driving in formation with my C7 loving wife, she says she sees heads turn when my red C5 Z06 goes by, including LEO's. Of course the same thing happens when we're driving in formation with the C3...

vettebuyer6369

I think the perception that prices are better in the fall is because there’s always that subset of owners/sellers that are trying to avoid winter storage. Beyond that, I don’t believe prices on decent vintage cars change much at all in the non driving seasons. I wouldn’t sell for less because there’s snow on the ground; most sellers I know wouldn’t either. Choose the car you want at the value you want. Don’t worry about the calendar. There’s plenty of very motivated sellers 12 months a year.

I agree on the 68-9 model but thats pure personal preference.

C5 vs C3? Completely different animals. Not a reasonable comparison. C5s are great values, they are plentiful and sellers have to compete by price to move them. Basically the new C4. Great for driving but zero old cool car factor. I liked the C5 we bought new but after awhile it was just a used car. Did not miss it one bit.

C3 can be a dependable driver once sorted out, but still not ideal for daily use. I drive my ‘69 a lot... very regularly. You need to drive both models and see which one talks to you.

Stinger-vette

Maybe once I get a little more settled I can go look at (and hopefully drive) a few C3's around. Had a few people let me drive a C5Z around. Impressive for now, but I wonder how long that feeling will last? I've looked at C3's for far longer and I've never lost my interest in them.

PeterC3

If I had to choose between the C3 and a C5 for basic driving, in a classic style, the C5 would go.

Stinger-vette

Just poked around on a few different Craigslist sites and was kinda surprised at what I found. MN doesn't have many cars posted right now, but Austin had nice '68-'69 coupes for the same price (or even less) than a low mile, un-modded C5Z. The more I think about it, the more I like the C3 option than the C5Z option. Less value to loose in the C3 in my opinion, plus easier for me to work on as that's the era of car I've already been working on. I would worry about buying from out of state though, as I would have to get it inspected prior to purchase from a mechanic that I don't know or fully trust. I've been bit before on not having a car inspected pre-purchase, and it's not something I'll ever do again.

doorgunner

It's probably already been suggested, but have a Forum Member or a Corvette Restoration/Repair shop do the inspection.

Also......if you "enjoy wrenching" on the car occasionally.....with your classic car experience you should have no problem keeping a C3 in top shape.

I never owned a Corvette until I found my '68 basket case. With my year-specific repair manual I have rebuilt every component on the suspension and would trust the car across America. (I still have a long way to go on the body)

If you are dedicated, you should easily be able to take care of a C3.

a striper

C3s and Beetles get along quite well.

Stinger-vette

a striper, that is a view that I could get used to. That is the first time I've seen a Beetle side by side with a C3. Very nice cars.

a striper

My wife and I were talking about them last week when they were side by side. I noticed that the Vette has some the highest fenders on a car of that era, much higher than the hood. And the Bug's are far below the hood. Both good ways to go.

I don't find a lot of people who love C3s and Beetles but there are a few of us. My first car was '70 Beetle followed by a '69 Vette.

a striper

Yep.

I've always told myself that other than the rear suspension a C3 is pretty much another Chevy which means easier than most to keep on the road.

Watch for frame and birdcage rust. Even a lot of frame repairs aren't too bad if you're OK with pulling the body.