Hello fellow Corvette enthusiast. I would like to solicit some opinions from those of you who own C3 Corvette’s.
I currently own two performance cars. My wife gave me a 2004 Corvette Coupe for my 50th B-Day and I promptly turned into a 600HP Pro Touring styled car. (I’ll never get back what I have invested in it.) My daily driver is a stock 2010 Cadillac CTS-V that I bought used in 2011.

Today I’m retired and I’m getting the itch to obtain a project car. I’ve never been interested in owning a numbers matching Concourse car, I prefer RestoMods. I’ve been thinking about many cars such as: a 69 Camaro, 69 or 70 Mustang Fast Back, a 70 Challenger or Cuda and even a 69 or 70 big block Chevelle.

Then there are 63 to 66 Corvettes and late 80’s Corvettes. Now me, I really like the exterior styling of 80 through 82 Corvettes. And for some reason I have an unexplained attraction to the body lines of the 82 models. And then there’s this, the wife likes the 62 Corvette.

I’m thinking very seriously of buying a late 80’s Vette. I know I will end up wanting to install a modern suspension under it (I like what Detroit Speed offers). Plus, I would want to put an LS7 under the hood and replace the automatic trans with a six speed manual. Not to mention paint and interior changes.

If you’ve ever watched FantomWorks you’ve probably heard Dan Short (The owner) say that “if you want a Corvette that can maintain its value you need to buy a Vette in the years ranging between 63 and 66”. Right now late model C3’s are pretty reasonably priced. I don’t know if they will catch fire as a desirable car in Corvette circles, and further, a RestoMod is always a financial gamble if you expect to sell it at some point in the future.

So here is where I want to hear from fellow forum members. Considering my interest’s, do you think a late model C3 (80 thru 82) would be worth pursuing considering that I will want to modify it as I have described.
Also, do you think the late model C3’s will become more desirable in the next 5 to 10 years?

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

 

I share your admiration for the lines of the '82. I think you should have success finding such a car in great shape at a reasonable price. The '82 is in my opinion a bit undervalued price wise relative to other C3s -- likely due to the crossfire injection scaring folks.

 

Cosmetically the 80-82 are identical. If a restomod is what you Want then you should buy an 80-82 that has already been built as a LS swapped restomod. That is of course unless you’ve got unlimited funds and your own shop dedicated to such activities and the related supplies and equipment. Trust me, you cannot build one for less than you can buy one. Perhaps the best alternative option would be to find an unfinished project car that is nearly completed but the shop or owner have run out of funds, patience or interest. However the last 20% of finishing a car is going to take about as long as the first 80%. It’s just the nature of the process.

as far as value predictions go, as more get the restomod treatment, fewer unmolested cars remain. Scarcity and demand/desirability is what will drive values. In five years inflation alone will increase selling prices. The 80-82s are the best looking of the rubber bumper cars in my opinion and should increase in value faster compared to the 74-79 coupes.

 

I've been into cars for a fair few years now. And I am by no means a guru. But I'll share what I have witnessed over the last 50 or so years.
When I was young. used 57 Chevy's could be had for 100-200 bucks. Then when they turned 50 years old......
I bought a 69 Camaro RS-SS second hand in excellent condition for 1,800 bucks. Find that now. In the late 70's I bought a 1970 Boss 302 Mustang in average to slightly below average condition, 700 bucks.
Just a couple years ago no C3 was going up in value. I've owned mine for over 30 years and the value just remained stagnant for years and years. Now the last couple years it's starting to go up. Mine is 45. The Chrome bumper cars are now 50. There values have gone way up in the last couple years.
From what I have seen in my lifetime, seems when a car turns 50 is the magic mark.
And I agree, the 80-82 cars are amongst the best looking Corvettes ever made.
I would think NOW is the time to buy an 82.
And a 82 is perfect for a LS Conversion. Already has a EFI set-up fuel tank. Just need to change the pump.
All 82's are Autos. But the pedal box out of any 69-81 will bolt right in.
Go for it! You only live once!

 

Not sure I buy into that whole turning 50 thing, how did that work out for the Model-T in the long run. My point is this is all generational and as certain groups age out so do the hobbies and owning/collecting muscle cars is a hobby. My rule of thumb is to embrace what I want today and not worry what the future holds for value or collectability. You only live once and at the end of the day no one will care what you have or want what you have.

 

I do buy into the turning 50 thing. But that's obvious.
How did it turn out for the model T Ford?
Care to elaborate?
Is a Model T in good condition still worth 400 bucks?
And let's face it. the model T put America on wheels, but it was a VERY basic automobile. Not a 57 Chev. A 65 Mustang or any Corvette.

 

This is solid advice.

Buy or build the car YOU want. If you can find a completed restomod that speaks to you, you will NOT be able to build it yourself for less than the (fair) selling price. If you want to build your own (and there is a lot of "value" there, just not the kind you can cash out at sale), I'd look for the very best birdcage, frame, and paint you can find. Everything else is easy to replace, and you'll want to do it anyway.

If I were to buy a third C3 specifically to restomod, I'd start with an 80 or 81 automatic, or an 82, since I wouldn't have to feel any guilt about removing a 4-speed.

As for the future resale value, if that matters a lot to you, you may be in the wrong hobby. How much can you sell a vacation for after you've taken it?

 

Late 70's up into the 90's the Model T used market was doing pretty good due to the Greatest/Silent Generation that grew up around that time period buying and restoring them. As they aged out so did the demand for those cars and the parts and today there is little demand. Sure you will have the deep pocket hard core types go after good examples but in general the current Boomer Generation doesn't want one.

We used to joke 30 years ago that we should be buying and storing Ricer's to flip to the Gen X & Y people.

 

And or this….
op, buy what makes you happy to look at or makes you happy.
i think half the battle is finding that deal that pops up on a great car regardless of year.
what you put into it is far more valuable than what? A 10 grand price difference for a better year? 10 grand was probably half of what some have in them.. its just a number..
i say this knowing full well the value of the dollar, but we are talking a hobby here.
and if part of happiness is to know you have the higher valued year, then pay up front.

15,000,000!!

The Model T was so popular Henry Ford once said: “There’s no use trying to pass a Ford, because there’s always another one just ahead.” By the early 1920s more than half of the registered automobiles in the world were Fords. More than 15,000,000 Model T’s were built and sold. In May 1927 a ceremony was held to honor the end of production of the Model T. It was the end of an era.

 

Wow, these are all great responses and I appreciate all of the input you guys have offered. I am hearing a very clear message from all of you. "Don't worry about resale value, just have fun and enjoy your hobby." You have reminded me of the most important aspect of being a car guy. Thanks, I needed that, even my wife agrees, how lucky can a guy get?

Reading between the lines it appears that many of you are about my age and we seem to have had similar experiences.
I too grew up during the Muscle car era of the late 60’s. I was 16 years old in 1969. My brother, two years younger than I, turned our house into Hot Rod central within our community. I found a 69 Z28 RS for my brother when he was 15 and my first car was a 70 split bumper Camaro SS, I built a 427 big block for it but I never had enough money to get it right. By the mid 70’s my brother and I were wrenching on a 69 Vette for a friend who raced it in SCCA B-Production competition. We also drag raced our Camaro’s. With this kind of interest in cars and making a living in my early years as a mechanic, I have a large collection of tools and plenty of experience.

It's cheaper to buy it than it is to build it, how true. Who hasn't seen a car sell at an auction for what you knew was far less than what it took to build it. This is one, and just one, of the reasons I will never sell my C5.

I have friends who have also observed the cycle of generational interest in cars. We may soon be at a crossroads regarding that phenomenon because of EV's. Will EV's take the romance out of cars???

 

Nobody has challenged the words of Dan Short. I will. 67’s aren’t going to maintain their value? Chrome bumper convertibles aren’t? Nice 80-82’s aren’t? I beg to differ.

 

The 50 year rule also applies to the owners. Folks who owned the cars when they were new are the biggest market. After that, only car enthusiasts who enjoy DRIVING them will have any use for them.

Certain well maintained car from the 60s or later can routinely keep up with today's traffic, with today's gas. This means radial tires, all new rubber parts, a properly tuned engine, and working cooling system. Any modern car can run at 70+ for hours, then sit in stop-and-go traffic for hours more. My 80 can do this. My 79, not so much, so now I know what I need to fix.

The classic cars that can keep up with modern cars are the ones you'll see on the road today. If I can't daily drive my classic car, it has ZERO value to me. This means that any car made before 1960 or so, unless heavily restomodded, is trash. Or a museum piece that is too nice to drive and enjoy.

When the original owners are gone, and the enthusiasts don't care, the prices will plummet. Look at what happened to Model Ts. Or more recently to Thunderbirds.

If you love your car and want to keep it from getting crushed in the next 50 years, make sure it can keep up with traffic, and has a manual transmission. Everything else will be replaced by an EV in the next 10 to 20 years or so. Perhaps sooner, if someone with a pen and a phone has anything to say about it.

 

I would urge everyone to skip the Ford Model-T in any example of how the classic car market might shift as time passes.
Ford produced over fourteen million of them. This production number makes them a rare anomaly in the collector world.
They don't fit the description of a rare or collectable car, they just made to darn many of them.

 

Not too many original 1932 Ford owners around these days, but Deuces sure bring a lot of interest and coin in the marketplace.

 

just my opinion .. invest in the carmaro, firebird chevelle, etc … I have owned and restored many of them . They are great cars and a pleasure to work on .. I currently have a 10k original vette now and is basically trouble free very rare find .. however comparing the vette with other muscle cars there is no comparison not even close . these corvette’s were built to last 5 years by GM back in the day and get rid of them .. my advice buy the other muscle cars you mentioned

 

If I could afford anything I would go with a 69 Mustang Mach 1 with a 428 in it or a 69 or 70 big block Chevelle. But both are extremely expensive. I'm really hesitant to go as deep into the $$$$ as those two cars would demand.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It's an interesting point of view. My C5 that I bought new is not comfortable on rough road surfaces. I have always expected that from a car designed to handle well. But then, I have a CTS-V that weighs around 4,200 Lbs. I don't know how they did it but it handles extremely well.

Technology has obviously changed but, that doesn't help a 50 + year old car unless you upgrade it with new technology. Of course, that can be done, but you have to be careful. If you don't make the right decisions, you could wind up with an expensive car that no one wants except you.

 

Sure! As pricey platforms for restomod or rat-rod hot-rods. A well-maintained but otherwise stock C3 can be daily driven today. No one is driving a stock 32 Ford on the beltway. There is plenty of nostalgia left for the Hot-Rods of the 50s and 60s, even from people who didn't experience it, and I see those cars still on the road and still being created. Which creates a high demand for a scarce resource.

 

Consider going out and test driving a couple C3's. See if you like how they drive. The C3 is rather cramped inside and gets real hot. They 'creak' due to the T-top. The hood is real looong and high, you sit far back and pretty reclined. The seating position may not be what you want/like (or maybe you'll love it!). The other cars on your list will be more conventional. The later model C3 looks great but might not be as good of a foundation for a restomod ...or it'll cost a lot more than the others to get there. These are all important considerations.

Personally out of the cars you listed I'd go with the Mustang, Camaro or Cuda. I'm surprised you didn't have a 2nd gen Camaro on that list! The Cuda's are less common so a nice one is a real treat to see and strikes up a conversation. I almost bought one a couple yrs ago when it popped up (cheap) ..now I wish I would have!! LOL. There's a lot of infrastructure and suppliers for all of those cars in terms of resto-modding them. More for the Mustang/Camaro I believe. Steel bodied cars are easier for local shops to work with (not that fiberglass is ThAT difficult). A lot of C3' the front clip may need to be removed and that's a special situation. birdcage rust would be hard to find a shop to straighten out. The frames and rear end (driveline) are lighter duty on the shovel-nose vettes compared to the earlier ones. The rear suspension design, and aluminum diff (lighter duty u-joints and rear end than earlier C3's) might be an issue if you are looking to resto-mod with high HP. You're kind of 'baked-in' to what they came with unless you want to spend a bunch more time/money/energy, in which case, you might want to start with a chrome-bumper car. Those are all challanges with a late model C3 you wouldn't face with the other cars.

Non t-top cars (the others on your list) are more rigid (for hp applications), and leak less. Lot of easy suspension upgrades compared to C3's. You can start with a decent shell, resto-mod either one, and when completed, you'll have less into it and it'll have a lot more value and easier to sell than a resto-modded later model C3, I am almost 100% sure. A LOT more value. And as you get older, the upright seating might be more comfortable for you and the Mrs to drive to shows, etc. I look at my mom and she has a real difficult time getting in and out of cars now. If you decide to sell the Camaro/Mustang/Cuda, you might make out pretty well and put the money towards your next project or super-vacation.

Not trying to dissuade you from going the C3 route, but just pointing out things that come to my mind, having owned and worked on later model C3's and Camaros and Mustangs. And besides, who says you can't work on a resto-mod Mustang/Camaro and also buy a nice C3 to drive around for fun while you're building your 'dream' restomod project? My neighbor just finished a 69 Camaro ...looks real nice. Did a good job. He's having a blast with it. And since he started the project, he's also developed some mobility issues. Fortunately he can get out of his Camaro pretty well for now. The C3 might be more of a 'lift' for him.

I rented a new Camaro SS a year ago. Real nice car. I was surprised how similar to a 2nd gen F-body it was to drive. The seating position ...looking over the fenders, etc. GM did their homework. I wish they would have brought the window line down a little lower though. Got a lot of looks. That's another possibility for ya... Modern day classic.

But overall, love your idea. Go find a decent C3 and take it for a LONG test drive (even if you have no interest in buying it) so you can see if you like the seating position. Then take a chrome-bumper car out for a drive too. A straight-axle C1, you'd probably want to replace the whole frame if you resto-modded one of those. Then you start with a modern foundation. Only knock against those car is the near complete lack of safety features (kind of a death-trap) ...lol. But they're sharp and fun. My brother has a couple we've re-done.

 

Then there's the whole 'going electric' factor you haven't factored in. I've got gas in my veins, but you can just about see the next big thing will be modding classic cars as go-fast electrics. They're doing it at SEMA already. All of those steel-body cars I believe have better battery placement options and better able to handle the weight, compared to a C3. When they come out with go-fast electric kits it's going to be for Camaro's and Mustangs first. I mean, you scoff at it the idea now, but the Tesla Plaid can do 0-60 in 2 seconds! Pretty soon, electric resto-mod cars with aftermarket electric kits will be doing real low 0-60 times and suddenly they'll look pretty attractive to a resto-modder. The tide will change (or already is).

 

I’ll carry the banner for being the noob that didn’t bother to do his homework before buying a 1980 C3, with the same plans as the OP. Although my original plan “morphed” as this build has progressed, a 100% modernized street driver, with all of the cars’ shortcomings addressed ( interior heat, engine cooling, ride quality, interior comfort, cruising speed vs engine speed, body creaks/groans …etc) was the goal. Not to mention fully intending to upgrading/replacing every single piece of worn out suspension, drivetrain, interior, and a bazillion other little doo-dads.

I’ll say this about choosing to go down the resto-mod path on one of these cars…..You better have a nice, fat, wallet.

I now am at the 50% mark in this build. Even though I haven’t started on the body, almost every single purchase has been made, and is sitting in boxes waiting to go where I intend it to go.

Talk about “ 50” being the benchmark for value increases on these cars? How about after investing 50 grand to get it to where I just outlined?

I do everything myself when I build a car, so shop labor isn’t factored in, but I can’t see how any one of these cars could be done as a frame off for less, when the goal is to replace everything that can be replaced/upgraded.
And despite saying that, I didn’t spend the money to put an LS7 in the car, I rebuilt a JY LS4. Nor did I pop for a new 5-6 speed manual trans like so many here have done. Instead, there’s a rebuilt 4l60 there instead. All this to say that as much as I’ve spent, I could’ve spent even more.

I have constantly made “ If I knew then what I know now” gripes about these cars on this forum more than a few times, wishing that I had opted for one of the 60’-70’s steel cars instead.

But, I too like the 80-82 body. As much as I’ve bitched about it, there’s no other car that looks like a 1980 corvette. That’s what keeps this project moving forward, every time I look at the body sitting on the body dolly, it renews my faith in the project, and I get back at it.

I don’t like buying some other guys project so it is what it is for me, but given how much I’ll have in this car by the time I’m finished, and what I’ll end up selling it for when I get tired of it, it’s very easy to also advise anyone to buy a “ built” car as opposed to building it.

Unless you’re just a glutton for punishment.