When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
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?
x2
People buy Camaros cause they want one. Not a vette or they'd have it.
Many times I passed over buying vettes because
1)Cant fit, they make them for midgets, to this day
2)The crowd snobbery...vettes, from the time I was a kid was the "old mans" car, never saw one going over 35.
Ironic thing was bought a few vettes as they were so much cheaper than Camaros, go figure. x2 on the vette tax (parts)being a major turn off
Got rid of both vettes to finish up an old A body. Enjoy it so much more, anything can be fixed on teh fly for cheap. Summit, or any auto pts store has what I need.
Sometimes miss them but not enough to buy another yet. Did I mention there is NO room? wtf
Todays youth, even older crowd want cars that drive them not the other way around.
As soon as my ‘69 gets its rebuilt smog pump reinstalled, it’s going up for sale. I hope I can get some decent money. It’s a Daytona Yellow 427/390, 4 speed with tilt and factory AC. I don’t see their prices continuing to climb. I’m done with spending money on a car I can’t drive and enjoy. I’m going to get a modern car that has better performance, better AC and I can drive it across country if I feel like it.
I for one was grateful our vette was affordable. I didn't buy it for an investment, I bought it for my wife, because SHE always wanted one. After working on it which I enjoyed for 3 years, she loves her jeep and newly purchase 2016 Charger R/T. So I'm "stuck" with the vette. But I still love it. I drive a newer vehicle every day. My wife has the Newer muscle car with the Charger R/T. and they are all amazing vehicles as long as the electronics work. But when I pump the pedal, turn the key and hear the roar of the 350 and the rumble that doesn't require " resonators" it goes straight to my soul. This car only requires 3 things, 1) air 2) fuel 3) spark . The smartest thing in it is the clock and that is the only gauge I didn't want to fix. I never understood why the value was low, maybe because of the vast numbers. Especially with ours being a 79 but hey more parts for me My son has a Camaro, and just like the vettes depends on the year. He has a 97 Rally Sport. worth about as much as a new washer. Real nice car, arrest me red and everything. I tell him to just drive it, enjoy it and have fun.
As soon as my ‘69 gets its rebuilt smog pump reinstalled, it’s going up for sale. I hope I can get some decent money. It’s a Daytona Yellow 427/390, 4 speed with tilt and factory AC. I don’t see their prices continuing to climb. I’m done with spending money on a car I can’t drive and enjoy. I’m going to get a modern car that has better performance, better AC and I can drive it across country if I feel like it.
Bad-mouthing C3s and expressing your wish to get rid of yours...coupled with hoping to get "decent" money for it...are incompatible desires. Can we assume you are no longer a Corvette enthusiast...or did you just figure out that 50 year old cars are not for you?
I was looking on Craigs list at older cars. I had a '70 Mustang and Camaro. I noticed if you compare prices and both cars were in the same shape... the other cars went for way more than the Corvette. I honestly thought the Corvette would be priced more.
My brother owned 1970 LT1 vette I bought a split bumper 1970 Z28 Camaro his was 370hp mine 360hp at that time of my life the vettes were a couple grand more than I had. Both were fun to drive. Condition has alot to do with resale values. But I will say I get alot of thumbs ups from the young kids when they see it going down the road in my Vette
As soon as my ‘69 gets its rebuilt smog pump reinstalled, it’s going up for sale. I hope I can get some decent money. It’s a Daytona Yellow 427/390, 4 speed with tilt and factory AC. I don’t see their prices continuing to climb. I’m done with spending money on a car I can’t drive and enjoy. I’m going to get a modern car that has better performance, better AC and I can drive it across country if I feel like it.
It sounds like you are unhappy because of your inability to build your C3 into the type of car you could enjoy and you built a car that others dictated you to build.
If you weren't so worried about keeping your car "correct and originally restored", and so worried about peer pressure, maybe you could have modified your C3 into something that has better performance, handling, technology, thats dependable and fun to drive across country.
Don't blame the car for your inability to have vision and creativity.
Please, do sell your '69 to someone who will drive and enjoy it.
You should buy a new BMW, or what ever your peers think you should own; let them pick the color and options so you fit in and make them look good.
As soon as my ‘69 gets its rebuilt smog pump reinstalled, it’s going up for sale. I hope I can get some decent money. It’s a Daytona Yellow 427/390, 4 speed with tilt and factory AC. I don’t see their prices continuing to climb. I’m done with spending money on a car I can’t drive and enjoy. I’m going to get a modern car that has better performance, better AC and I can drive it across country if I feel like it.
I'm not going to bash you for being honest. However many of us on the forum may feel (I bought vinyl C3s specifically so I could update/mod them), the market is the market. And the market for the NCRS chrome bumper cars, even uncommon and desirable cars such as yours, sets an upper bound on the price of these cars. Compare what you'd expect to get for your car, vs. the price of a used C7 or a really nice C6. About the same perhaps? A really nice Restomod (modern chassis, LS motor, full-tilt)? The same price as a C7, and if we are being honest about the cost of building one, that is completely fair. Unless you have an L88 with racing history, that's your competition, for the reasons you outlined.
The low prices of the vinyl cars are comparable to other used cars. Even with the much-maligned, smog-choked 75s and later cars, most were loved by their owners, maintained properly, and kept inside garages. Now there are just a lot more decent driver quality C3s than there are Camaros, and people nostalgic for a car of this error are more likely to think Camaro first when looking, as Camaros were more common in the 60s through the 90s.
I hope you find a car that you enjoy driving, whatever it may be, and I hope you find a buyer who can appreciate your C3.
As soon as my ‘69 gets its rebuilt smog pump reinstalled, it’s going up for sale. I hope I can get some decent money. It’s a Daytona Yellow 427/390, 4 speed with tilt and factory AC. I don’t see their prices continuing to climb. I’m done with spending money on a car I can’t drive and enjoy. I’m going to get a modern car that has better performance, better AC and I can drive it across country if I feel like it.
You certainly struck a nerve with this post.
You won't live long enough to see prices climb on a modern car. In fact, most will lose a third of their value in their first four years, especially if you have the nerve to put miles on them. Good luck to ya.
It sounds like you are unhappy because of your inability to build your C3 into the type of car you could enjoy and you built a car that others dictated you to build.
If you weren't so worried about keeping your car "correct and originally restored", and so worried about peer pressure, maybe you could have modified your C3 into something that has better performance, handling, technology, thats dependable and fun to drive across country.
Don't blame the car for your inability to have vision and creativity.
Please, do sell your '69 to someone who will drive and enjoy it.
You should buy a new BMW, or what ever your peers think you should own; let them pick the color and options so you fit in and make them look good.
I was looking on Craigs list at older cars. I had a '70 Mustang and Camaro. I noticed if you compare prices and both cars were in the same shape... the other cars went for way more than the Corvette. I honestly thought the Corvette would be priced more.
It sounds like you are unhappy because of your inability to build your C3 into the type of car you could enjoy and you built a car that others dictated you to build.
If you weren't so worried about keeping your car "correct and originally restored", and so worried about peer pressure, maybe you could have modified your C3 into something that has better performance, handling, technology, thats dependable and fun to drive across country.
Don't blame the car for your inability to have vision and creativity.
Please, do sell your '69 to someone who will drive and enjoy it.
You should buy a new BMW, or what ever your peers think you should own; let them pick the color and options so you fit in and make them look good.
It sounds like you are unhappy because of your inability to build your C3 into the type of car you could enjoy and you built a car that others dictated you to build.
If you weren't so worried about keeping your car "correct and originally restored", and so worried about peer pressure, maybe you could have modified your C3 into something that has better performance, handling, technology, thats dependable and fun to drive across country.
Don't blame the car for your inability to have vision and creativity.
What do vision and creativity have to do with reliability? The OP said he was tired of spending money on it. I have no idea what he did or did not do to it, do you? Did the OP say that other people were putting pressure on him to modify the crap out of a valuable collector car? I have not "built" my car as you self-proclaimed automotive engineers with access to the internet's abundance of mis-matched aftermarket performance improvements. I love these cars EXACTLY the way they were built and have no exaggerated beliefs about my own abilities to "invent" something better. My car is more reliable than most cars on the road and I would take it cross country in a Chevrolet heartbeat...even without A/C.
You won't live long enough to see prices climb on a modern car. In fact, most will lose a third of their value in their first four years, especially if you have the nerve to put miles on them. Good luck to ya.
What I've read is that most new cars will lose 50% of their value in the first 4 years and some new cars will lose a third of their value after one year.
Since graduating high school in 1972, I have owned three C2s and five C3s, plus alot of other muscle cars and Hot Rods. Always enjoyed the C3s more than the C2s. So I recently sold my 65 convertible and bought this 1972 Coupe. Looked hard for another C2, but did not see the value, or "curb appeal" when compared to a C3. IMO you can't beat the "curves" on a C3. Very good value for the money when compared to other generations. I think the C3 chrome bumper cars will continue to have value. Just my two cents....
What do vision and creativity have to do with reliability? The OP said he was tired of spending money on it. I have no idea what he did or did not do to it, do you? Did the OP say that other people were putting pressure on him to modify the crap out of a valuable collector car? I have not "built" my car as you self-proclaimed automotive engineers with access to the internet's abundance of mis-matched aftermarket performance improvements. I love these cars EXACTLY the way they were built and have no exaggerated beliefs about my own abilities to "invent" something better. My car is more reliable than most cars on the road and I would take it cross country in a Chevrolet heartbeat...even without A/C.
Exactly my point.
You built, restored, and created your Corvette to be exactly what you want it to be.
You love and stand behind what you built, and use it for the purpose you built it for?
Since graduating high school in 1972, I have owned three C2s and five C3s, plus alot of other muscle cars and Hot Rods. Always enjoyed the C3s more than the C2s. So I recently sold my 65 convertible and bought this 1972 Coupe. Looked hard for another C2, but did not see the value, or "curb appeal" when compared to a C3. IMO you can't beat the "curves" on a C3. Very good value for the money when compared to other generations. I think the C3 chrome bumper cars will continue to have value. Just my two cents....
Since graduating high school in 1972, I have owned three C2s and five C3s, plus alot of other muscle cars and Hot Rods. Always enjoyed the C3s more than the C2s. So I recently sold my 65 convertible and bought this 1972 Coupe. Looked hard for another C2, but did not see the value, or "curb appeal" when compared to a C3. IMO you can't beat the "curves" on a C3. Very good value for the money when compared to other generations. I think the C3 chrome bumper cars will continue to have value. Just my two cents....
Agree!!! The C3 is the best design of all of them!
Exactly my point.
You built, restored, and created your Corvette to be exactly what you want it to be.
You love and stand behind what you built, and use it for the purpose you built it for?
I deleted the post because I felt it was not helpful to the OP. Since you replied to it, let me provide clarification. I have spent a lot of time and money making my car into a reliable driver, which I consider to be more desirable than a trailer queen. We had a 63 SWC come into the shop that did not contain a single Corvette part. Not one, not the frame, fiberglass, or anything. Dude paid well into 6 figures. It had a supercharged LS9 with over 700 hp, yet did not have shoulder harnesses or windshield wipers. The builder claimed over 20,000 hours. I am sure the owner paid well into six figures for this engineering masterpiece.
As far as my car goes, I did not build anything. I removed many parts and sent them out for proper rebuilding, because I have neither the knowledge nor tools to do myself. Not all the replacement parts are 100% correct but certainly 100% reliable. My only feeling of accomplishment comes from the fact the car has never been in the shop. The 49 year old paint has nothing to do with reliability. If I or my son ever decide to put a new coat of lipstick on, it will not be going on a pig.
.
Last edited by Faster Rat; 07-30-2018 at 10:09 PM.
As soon as my ‘69 gets its rebuilt smog pump reinstalled, it’s going up for sale. I hope I can get some decent money. It’s a Daytona Yellow 427/390, 4 speed with tilt and factory AC. I don’t see their prices continuing to climb. I’m done with spending money on a car I can’t drive and enjoy. I’m going to get a modern car that has better performance, better AC and I can drive it across country if I feel like it.
Interesting thread. Corvettes are not for everybody. Its kind of sad to see a long time forum member so unhappy with his C3. If someone is just looking to go fast, you can always buy a riced out Honda! I'd take a C3 any day. Rolex or Timex? They both keep time.
07-26-2018, 03:50 AM
I never understood why the value was low, maybe because of the vast numbers. Especially with ours being a 79 but hey more parts for me 
