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How well does a c3 corvette handle? I'm coming from a Mazda MX-5 miata which is known as one of the best handling cars you can get. How does a corvette compare? I also heard corvettes are bad in snow is this true? This 76 corvette will be my daily driver and only car for fun I have my 2011 Suzuki Hayabusa. I know the corvette will be faster than my old miata but how does it compare? Also does the beam that runs down the center of the t top offer much protection in a roll over or is it just as bad as a vert?
Just with some city driving, my vette handles alright (1980). It corners pretty well and is somewhat glued to the ground at higher speeds, might be quite different from your 76 though. The steering is a bit floaty but it is worn out. For crash protection, I wouldn't have any high hopes. No crumple zones and the steering column will pop out in the event of a crash.
To be honest, a stock '76 Corvette will probably be disappointing for sporty driving coming from an mx5. With some work they can be made to handle and go very well, but you'll never have the light "chuckability" of an na/nb mx5/miata. A stock '76 probably won't be any/much quicker in a straight line either... But that problem is very easily fixed!
Last edited by Metalhead140; Jun 8, 2018 at 01:26 AM.
FWIW: none of us have driven your Miata. You're the only one who will be able to compare your C3 to your Miata. As for being "bad" in snow, positraction takes a little getting used to, but how often do you see snow in your part of Louisiana?
Last edited by Easy Mike; Jun 8, 2018 at 12:55 PM.
The 76 is a very different beast compared to the Miata. I 'm not sure you will be happy with it as a daily driver.
I have a 69 L46 and a 2000 Toyota MRS Spyder tucked in the corner each is a blast to drive but for different reasons. The corvette gets up and goes and handles well but is always thursty, the MRS is like a go-cart on rails and goes like hell, especially on twisty roads and sips gas. Neither is my daily driver though. Other interests dictate my choice of having a 4X4 pickup. Plus neither car will take a snow plow.
Meh, the older cars might feel sloppy to some, but they more than make up for it in character. There are good reasons we still fall in love with this 50 year old design and tech. I already had a first gen Cadillac CTS-V in the garage when I picked up my 78 Vette for another fun car. My Grocery gitter outhandles, outruns, and will run circles around my Vette. Heck, my Fiero (3800SC swap) is quicker in a straight line, though you have to get used to the bump steer at freeway speed. When it comes down to it, I drive the Vette nine days out of ten when it's nice out.
My advice would be to test drive a few. It'll either be love at first drive, or not.
Last edited by DB Cooper; Jun 8, 2018 at 05:10 PM.
Floaty above 100. If you have the power, in autoX it is more point-and-shoot than energy management. I love the noise, I love the torque! That said, driving one might tell you a little about it, but honestly they're all very different depending on how they are set up. Find one with a knowledgable owner that is well set up with good tires and tight suspension before you get your first impressions. And ... I didn't know it snowed in Louisiana!
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
um...not really a fair comparison.....a newer lighter computer designed, ABS, fuel injected rack and pinion steering car. compared to a detuned beast with limited space.....
so stock and old it will be disappointing.....now add some magical touches and you have something special....add some real coin and there will no regrets
I'm moving to a area with snow. I have never driven a corvette still a while till I get my 76. I have sit in a vette and it's easier to get in and out of than my old miata. I know about driving a classic my first car was a 68 VW Beetle. I'm just thinking now American classic not Japanese plastic. But wondering how the two will compare and it snowed here last winter about a foot.
Compared to your Miata, your Corvette will seem like driving a school bus, albeit a powerful one. I had a '90 Miata, and it was the best handling car I have ever driven, what it lacked in power, it made up for with scalpel like precision. Even my son's Z06 felt like a boat. Many may disagree, but C3's make poor daily drivers, especially in cold winters. I'd rather be bundled up on your Suzuki. Find another old Miata with a hardtop, and save the Corvette for warm weekend cruises.
I doubt anyone ever said you look cool in your Miata...
My 78 handled just fine, not as good as my 79 TA but that thing was a handling monster built for speed.
You can make a C3 handle very well but it will never be a momentum car like the Miata. I started with small bore sports cars and it's a completely different deal. But going slow into the corners and blasting out is a lot of fun too! Here's mine that handles very well....on the race track As for snow, get a Subaru.
As by now you have already read that the 2 cars are very different in personality. What they have in common is they can both be fun to drive but both are an acquired taste. The Corvette will respond very well to suspension upgrades and modern high performance tires.
How good was the MX5 in the snow? The Corvette will be no better for sure. As far as safety the T-bar is not a roll bar. You have to keep the shiny side up. On the other hand it will offer a bit more protection than the Suzuki.
How well does a c3 corvette handle? I'm coming from a Mazda MX-5 miata which is known as one of the best handling cars you can get. How does a corvette compare? I also heard corvettes are bad in snow is this true? This 76 corvette will be my daily driver and only car for fun I have my 2011 Suzuki Hayabusa. I know the corvette will be faster than my old miata but how does it compare? Also does the beam that runs down the center of the t top offer much protection in a roll over or is it just as bad as a vert?
A mazda, your talking speed and handling with a corvette. These babies hug the roads and keep there value plus increase thru the years. There's no comparison. Corvette's have beefy motors that you feel on the seat of your pants. I love mine.
Handling
