why are C3's so cheap
07-15-2018, 05:22 AM
#61
Advanced
Ssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Please guys, keep this as quiet as you can! I love paying under $30,000 for very nice examples of the only true American sports car! Let all those fools pay double for straight-line only, metal bodied, non-framed family wagons. Let's keep our hobby affordable and exclusive to only us smart guys and gals. :-)
07-15-2018, 07:26 AM
#62
Safety Car
At least with the non chrome bumper years. Add the comparative difficulty of working on them (how much crap can you fit in the shifter console?) or finding a mechanic who knows how to work on them. Body work and paint costs way more on a Vette, and is beyond the average skill level. My wife calls my car $500, because it seems like everything costs about $500. New carpet? About $500, Redo the seats? About $500, New interior panels? Yep, About $500.
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07-15-2018, 08:00 AM
#63
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '05
all good points & imo part of what is driving prices down on most old cars period is you really have to want one...back in the 80s/90s new cars werent fast so sure they bought older.
Now its the opposite....30-40k buys a rocket with a warranty that gets 30mpg...Just dont see many younger people wanting to buy these older cars. Slow, dont handle all that great, no electronic gadgets, etc.
so whos gonna buy them in 10 yrs (if they even allow gas powered cars to run around).
Some guy in the C5 sec had a decent blue one he wanted to paint yellow just cause. Man the crap he took cause "it may affect future value"...LOL value of what?
Too much work worrying about all that.
Now its the opposite....30-40k buys a rocket with a warranty that gets 30mpg...Just dont see many younger people wanting to buy these older cars. Slow, dont handle all that great, no electronic gadgets, etc.
so whos gonna buy them in 10 yrs (if they even allow gas powered cars to run around).
Some guy in the C5 sec had a decent blue one he wanted to paint yellow just cause. Man the crap he took cause "it may affect future value"...LOL value of what?
Too much work worrying about all that.
07-15-2018, 08:12 AM
#64
Melting Slicks
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13,'19-'20
all good points & imo part of what is driving prices down on most old cars period is you really have to want one...back in the 80s/90s new cars werent fast so sure they bought older.
Now its the opposite....30-40k buys a rocket with a warranty that gets 30mpg...Just dont see many younger people wanting to buy these older cars. Slow, dont handle all that great, no electronic gadgets, etc.
so whos gonna buy them in 10 yrs (if they even allow gas powered cars to run around).
Some guy in the C5 sec had a decent blue one he wanted to paint yellow just cause. Man the crap he took cause "it may affect future value"...LOL value of what?
Too much work worrying about all that.
Now its the opposite....30-40k buys a rocket with a warranty that gets 30mpg...Just dont see many younger people wanting to buy these older cars. Slow, dont handle all that great, no electronic gadgets, etc.
so whos gonna buy them in 10 yrs (if they even allow gas powered cars to run around).
Some guy in the C5 sec had a decent blue one he wanted to paint yellow just cause. Man the crap he took cause "it may affect future value"...LOL value of what?
Too much work worrying about all that.
Sadly, it seems once all the Baby Boomers die off there will very little interest in our toys. One big reason is the generations that follow generally do not have the skills, knowledge or patience to work and maintain them. I play in vintage guitar amp restoration and reproduction and the same goes there, the younger players are fine with the cheap asian crap as long as the overdrive sounds like a Marshall. If it breaks, they throw it out and buy something new.
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EnfieldJoe (07-29-2018)
07-15-2018, 02:25 PM
#65
Burning Brakes
Sadly, it seems once all the Baby Boomers die off there will very little interest in our toys. One big reason is the generations that follow generally do not have the skills, knowledge or patience to work and maintain them. I play in vintage guitar amp restoration and reproduction and the same goes there, the younger players are fine with the cheap asian crap as long as the overdrive sounds like a Marshall. If it breaks, they throw it out and buy something new.
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07-15-2018, 02:41 PM
#66
Nam Labrat
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07-16-2018, 03:35 AM
#67
Drifting
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C3 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
Sadly, it seems once all the Baby Boomers die off there will very little interest in our toys. One big reason is the generations that follow generally do not have the skills, knowledge or patience to work and maintain them. I play in vintage guitar amp restoration and reproduction and the same goes there, the younger players are fine with the cheap asian crap as long as the overdrive sounds like a Marshall. If it breaks, they throw it out and buy something new.
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07-16-2018, 06:18 PM
#69
Le Mans Master
A lot of truth in that post dd. 
I too remember in the mid 70's, being offered a neighbor's one owner, 1966 fastback Mustang, 289 4 speed. Price was $600, I offered $500, he refused, I walked. That's all the car was worth at that point in time. However, around the same time my friend bought a real nice '71 Corvette 454, 4 speed coupe for $3,500.
We thought that was CRAZY money back then.
Most nice muscle cars could be had for $1,800-$2,500 then.
I too remember in the mid 70's, being offered a neighbor's one owner, 1966 fastback Mustang, 289 4 speed. Price was $600, I offered $500, he refused, I walked. That's all the car was worth at that point in time. However, around the same time my friend bought a real nice '71 Corvette 454, 4 speed coupe for $3,500.
We thought that was CRAZY money back then.
Most nice muscle cars could be had for $1,800-$2,500 then.
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amandico82 (02-13-2021)
07-16-2018, 08:31 PM
#70
Heel & Toe
I was living in Indy in '69 and got a Camaro Pace Car toy for my 3rd birthday (which sits on the bookshelf above my desk as I type). I always said I wanted one of those cars when I grew up. Somewhere in my early teens I realized that the '68 was the best of the 1st gen body style
, so while driving a '72 Chevelle 350 for 2 years, "I saved my pennies and I saved my dimes" (to steal a quote) and my senior year in high school, I bought my dream '68 Camaro that I owned for the next 18 years. Flash forward through life, marriage and a kid, and I needed some cash but outside of my house my Camaro was the most valuable thing I owned, so it drew the short straw and got sold. I regretted it from the moment it rolled out the drive but it had to be done. Now I've reach comfortable middle age, with the accompanying comfortable amount of disposable income, so I start looking for a Camaro to replace the one that got away. What I soon realized, is that a bunch of other people wanted the Camaro of thier youth and as a result, (as the kids say) OMG!, even a piece of crap 1st Gen beater is now going for ~$15k, while cars that don't need paint, interior and a new motor are going for $35-$40K. So, I set my eyes on a more reasonably priced early 2nd Gen. I find an excellent condition restored '71 SS for $27K but lo and behold on the way to look at it, I run across a numbers matching '69 L46 C3 convertible with 103k original miles (being sold by the second owner after 35 years) for $19.5K. Had I realized how affordable an early C3 was, I would have started my search there a couple years ago instead of wasting time trying to find a decent price vs condition 1st Gen Camaro or even thinking about a fall back option of an early 2nd Gen. All of that being said, besides wanting the car of their youth (which wasn't a Corvette), I think C3s (as well as other cars of that era) suffer from the not totally undeserved perception that "70's cars are anemic and have terrible build quality"
Last edited by KevinL46; 07-16-2018 at 08:34 PM.
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Yankeededandy (07-17-2018)
07-17-2018, 02:57 PM
#72
Burning Brakes
I think as some others have pointed out the abundance of C3's for sale is what holds prices down with exceptions for the really rare ones. The C2 Midyears were only built for 5 years and demand is pretty high. The C3 lasted so long and to the average observer are hard to distinguish with exception of the chrome bumpers. When you look at the C3 for sale section on this forum it is mostly people trying to sell. If you look at the C1/C/2 section there are many want to buy threads. It boils down to supply and demand.
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71 Green 454 (07-17-2018)
07-18-2018, 11:05 AM
#73
Team Owner
Lots of C3 corvettes have survived over the years and 10's of thousands were made each year. Muscle cars were all steel, far cheaper to buy (maybe no incentive to keep them up back in the day like a vette owner would) and rusted out or just fell apart. If there is a shortage these days of muscle cars, supply and demand based prices come into effect..
Prior to buying a Corvette in 2001, I owned a 1977 Pontiac T/A. Due to that dumb-assed movie, "Smokey And The Bandit", everybody and his brother wanted one of those cars, so they could feed their Burt Reynolds fantasy. ME? I just wanted one because it had the big engine and the HD suspension. Nonetheless, these cars were quite prevalent back then, but living in the northeast, a LOT of people drove them year round. I didn't. Within 4-5 years, I was one of the few who still had one, at least one that still looked quite good...
07-18-2018, 11:34 AM
#74
Le Mans Master
I'll never do a steel-bodied classic car again. That said, it would be nice to have a Camaro, Firebird, or Corvair for days like today that combine perfect driving weather with the need to move kids around for summer camp. The market is the market, supply and demand set the prices, even if it doesn't match our personal preferences.
07-18-2018, 04:37 PM
#75
Burning Brakes
I'll never do a steel-bodied classic car again. That said, it would be nice to have a Camaro, Firebird, or Corvair for days like today that combine perfect driving weather with the need to move kids around for summer camp. The market is the market, supply and demand set the prices, even if it doesn't match our personal preferences.
07-24-2018, 03:22 AM
#76
-
When Chics start preferring 50 year bald fat guys I won't be complaining about that either.
1980 L-48 4-speed. My fun daily driver
I have no complaints
Simple , way to many c3 cars available , you can scroll CL looking at plenty of vettes for sale try putting in GTO, Camaro,Mustang or a Chrysler you won't find much sometimes none on Boston CL but vettes galore all the time even really nice vettes that linger on there for months even years before they sell.
07-24-2018, 01:31 PM
#77
Drifting
If being "plentiful" and "long production run" is the reason for C3's being so cheap, then why are Porsche 911's skyrocketing in value? Their production run is similar, very small changes in styling. A mint 70's era Turbo 911, which boasts less than 300 HP, is around 6 figures. A similar condition big block chrome bumper C3 is about half that. Just sayin.....and I ain't complaining!
07-25-2018, 01:19 PM
#79
Melting Slicks
First off, I love Camaro’s. I own a gen 5, and have owned 2 gen 2’s. Im a blue collar worker and feel comfortable owning what I think of as a working mans car. I always think of a corvette right or wrong, as a retirement car, or a car for the up and comers, or a more affluent persons whim.
I own a C3 because that is the car I lusted for back in the 70’s. I have way too much money in it to ever get back out. I Built it the way I envisioned it should be. I sporadically look for a 67-69 Camaro. I like them. Someday I may get serious about buying a real Z/28. I know of a few, $40k will buy them. How much for that LT-1?
I own a C3 because that is the car I lusted for back in the 70’s. I have way too much money in it to ever get back out. I Built it the way I envisioned it should be. I sporadically look for a 67-69 Camaro. I like them. Someday I may get serious about buying a real Z/28. I know of a few, $40k will buy them. How much for that LT-1?
07-25-2018, 07:20 PM
#80
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2018 C2 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14-'15, '19
Sadly, it seems once all the Baby Boomers die off there will very little interest in our toys. One big reason is the generations that follow generally do not have the skills, knowledge or patience to work and maintain them. I play in vintage guitar amp restoration and reproduction and the same goes there, the younger players are fine with the cheap asian crap as long as the overdrive sounds like a Marshall. If it breaks, they throw it out and buy something new.
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Metalhead140 (07-26-2018)