Hey Everyone. Been using this sight as a resource for many years. Just finally joined. My corvette story started about 6 years ago. My wife surprised me with a 78 corvette for our 20 year anniversary. It was found under a tree with no engine. She paid $3500. A friend of ours, a car guy kept it in his pole barn for 10 months replacing parts and getting things working. It was barely running, he found a 72 sbc 406 that was rebuilt for $1000. Turns out the cam had a worn lobe and ended I up rebuilding the engine. Fast forward 6 years.... I now have a total of $38,000. into this car and its still not done. Paint, new interior rebuilt engine, added aluminum heads after engine was rebuilt (because I am a cheap *** and don't always do it right the first time) trans, brakes, exhaust etc... After 6 years still not done, had gas gauge working then after interior was done it stopped working. He thought he was doing me a favor and connected some wires that should not have been and blew the new fuel sensor I installed. Brakes calipers have been done for the second time, (turns out Autozone had a problem with there corvette calipers) It is a beautiful car, painter did a good job. No body work was needed other than stripping it down to bare fiberglass.

So to make a long story short.... I will be 50 soon, and I am getting tired of working on it and it being in and out of shops. (most shops don't do the best job) The speedometer works, aftermarket tach and volt meter work that's it. I fix one thing then something else starts. It's pretty and dependable, I am just always trying to get it where everything is good. Just seems like it never ends.

Few questions for all of you if you don't mind me getting right to it. I could really use some advice.

1) Will it ever end with the older car?

2) If I sell it and upgrade to say a C6 with low miles, can I count on that being problem free for many years?

3) Do you think a 78 without original paint or engine would ever be worth much?

(BTW I had the hard truth of what my 38k into a C3 amounted to on a trade 6k) So I know it would be a big loss, but I fell like it will always be something. Comparable sales say about 11k.

Thank you all in advance for your knowledge and input.

 

Moved to C3 General for some comments to your questions.

And welcome to the forum.

 

New to C3s myself but having owned many “classics” over the years with several 30 - 45 years old now in the garage currently I would say that they are never done. As in done done. There is always something I’m either waiting/wanting to do or something pops up and stops working requiring attention. For me, that’s part of it….I enjoy the projects and the satisfaction of doing it my self and driving a nice classic because I made it that way. Not perfect by others standards but perfect enough for me.

that said, I’m over 50 and I do lack motivation at times to crawl under something since it continues to be harder to get out from under it but there is still a lot to be said (for me) in the satisfaction plus, I too am a cheap *** and refuse to pay someone else for something I can do myself as good or better.

By the way, my wife surprised me with my C3 for our anniversary in NOV.

im sure the pros here will chime in but it sounds like you could be enjoying it now. The only people who will know it isn’t 100% perfection are you and maybe your passenger??

 

IMO:

1). No
2). No
3). No

1). Old Cars always need something. Thats just the truth.
2). You can never count on anything, particularly a Corvette as it ages, to be “problem free.” It’s likely that the C6 would give you fewer problems than an older car.
3). Outside of a high end restomod with big money sunk into the chassis, drivetrain, etc, no I don’t see a fully modified ‘78 being worth much. And you are seriously in waaaaay deep right now.

The thought process is simple: if you are in love with the ‘78 body style and it brings you joy, OR it has a sentimental connection being a gift, then you can justify pouring money into it that you likely won’t get back. On the other hand, if you want something that says “Corvette” on it and you aren’t stuck on a model, then a later model would certainly stem the flow of dollars going out and probably would require less constant attention.

 

Welcome

 

Great comments and advice. I agree through the stress and worry of this wrong and that is wrong there is satisfaction and pride. Not sure I would get that just buying one ready to go. I guess a lot of it is the attitude I take toward it. Just not sure I am in for the time it requires.

 

eventually you are gonna run out of stuff to fix. like giving up and walking away from a slot machine and next person hits the jackpot as you are walking away. as long as it is yours, the money spent is somewhat justifiedand it is your car you built.. as soon as you sell it, it is that effin car you paid that guy 25 to 30k to take off your hands.

 

Welcome!

 

Good point. Well that sounds really good, but hard to believe. For example the rtv used on the oil pan gasket when engine was rebuilt is starting to leak. So soon will have to pull engine to fix it right. I am starting to think if I keep it I don’t loose any money and I can still enjoy the car. If I buy a newer one I would have to give up the car and 30k. I feel like if I got I newer one I wouldn’t want to just take it out a burner. It wouldn’t feel right for some reason. Thanks for all the advice.

 

I have a C3 and a C5. The C5 has almost 140K miles and I've fixed some small stuff but noting like you have in your C3. I'd say go find a clean lower miles C6 and you should have many years of trouble free fun. I occasionally think about selling my C5 for a lower miles one but then all the guys with 250K to 300K+ miles chime in and say no.

My C3 is a '79 with 80 nose and rear and some other weird stuff. It is also a salvage title car that I paid $4500 for but everything works except the A/C. I've had it over a year now and all I've done is replace the glass tops with fiberglass ones (glass is too hot here in NV). It runs great and I'm happy the way it is but will be doing some performance upgrades sometime in the future.

I'm 65 and still work on my own stuff. I have a nice 40'x40' shop so that helps. I have a few hot rods too (see avatar) and have been messing with cars since I was a kid. Yes, they are never "done" but one thing I learned a long time ago is, don't worry about making it perfect, just get it done (drivable and reliable). Once you are driving the car and enjoying it, you can do other stuff to make it pretty or perform better.

In my opinion, your are "married" to your car now because you have so much money in it you will take a huge hit selling it now. Just understand it is an old car that will have "quirks". Embrace the quirks as part of the charm of an old car and just fix them when you are able. Those are the things that give the car character. I'm sure your wife isn't the same woman she was when you first met her but you still love her, right? You accept the things that come with age. She'd probably say the same about you too!

Or, just do what I did and keep your C3 but buy a C5/6 to go along with it!

 

It will end for me one day.... when I die. It`s a HOBBY! It`s supposed to be FUN!
Will it ever end? I hope not!

 

Man what a cool bunch of guys. The guy that helped my wife find the car does not like corvettes or corvette guys. He couldn’t be more wrong. I have only been on two other forums, but this is the best by far and this is only my first post.

 

Yes, there is SO MUCH help here, with pictures, info, tech diagrams, statistics, the list goes on & on. This is the best bunch of people you`ll find.
So many different backgrounds, with such diversified experience makes it a virtual TREASURE CHEST of help. IF you want pure factory stock, or a wild custom.... somebody here has done it!

 

People always get in to these cars, and then start questioning whether they spent too much, and then they lose motivation, and then they ask others what to do.....on, and on, and on. Its really very simple. You either like the car enough to generate the willingness and motivation to continue, or you don't. It seems alot of people have very little patience.....but its really just that they simply don't enjoy the process, they don't really love the car, and anything above some menial level or interest or activity.....they just give up. Just sell it. If you are asking the question, you aren't interested enough. I am not sure its any better with a C5, C6 or whatever.....?? Whatever is a good way to finish this post.

 

wow

You say it is a dependable driver?
I would drive it often because the money spent
demands it.

 

It is frustrating if you can't drive the car, and more frustrating if you have to pay someone to work on it.

If you are passionate about it, you'd know. If you aren't, that's fine too.

Please post some photos! It sounds like you've greatly improved that car. Show it off to the rest of us!

 

Derek said, eventually you will run out of things to fix.
Bull!
I've had my 77 for about 35 years now. Many things have been rebuilt and or fixed 2 or 3 times now.
I have a on going wish list of things I want to do. But the car keeps interrupting that list with things that NEED to be done!
It's a Hobby. I enjoy keeping the old girl alive.
Remember that back in the 70's the manufacturers expected a new car to last 10 - 15 years.
Our cars are WAY past the use by date!
And that's why so many people admire them and take their picture.
Seems everytime I pull mine out it gets it's photo taken.
You don't get that with a late model.
And I would like to add, Never save receipts.
I have no idea how much I've spent on my car. And I really don't want to know.
You seem to know.
Big mistake!
NEVER SAVE RECEIPTS!

 

Lol! This is solid advice. I'm glad I didn't have to learn it when I started with C3s.

I haven't saved any receipts. I remember the cost of some things, and others are in my email if I need a part number (usually to help someone on the Forum), but I would NEVER make a spreadsheet of how much I've spent on my hobby. I enjoy wrenching almost as much as driving, and it's still a cheaper hobby than a lot of other stupid things I could be doing.

Ever tried to sell a vacation after you've taken it? At least a C3 has some lasting value beyond the photos and memories.

 

I do get lots of compliments.

Last weekend kid liked it so much he didn’t charge me for parking $15!

Fiberglass bumpers

One time I was turning around in a driveway, with my wife, 3 guys were on the porch working on a huge bottle of Jack Daniels. One guy jumped up fell down there stairs, rolled through the bushes and came up saying, wow That is like seeing a Rolls Royce around here! That is one of the best looking c3’s I have seen! It was classic.

I loved it but it’s a pain in my ***.
i

 

Ask your most die-hard golf buddy to show you his spread sheet on how much he`s spent on clothes, shoes, clubs, ***** & tees, greens fees, etc. etc.
Ask your other friend about how much he spent on his bass boat & fishing gear. Does he have every receipt for the dozens of fishing lures, or rods & reels?
As mentioned above.... old cars are a hobby to enjoy. If one worries about every dime spent on it.... it`s not a hobby.