I'm a current owner of a 2009 C6. I luv it. I used to own a 1996 C4 and luved that car too. Now I'm wanting to go more retro/ classic with a C3 between the years of '68 to '72. Can any of you with first hand knowledge let me know what year(s) are best and what year (if any) I should avoid? I have moderate experience with engine tinkering and maintenance, and am not afraid of carburetors. Future Vette will be a weekend and occasional short road trip driver only...

 

I'm sure you will get some response on years but be prepared to do some work. I just posted this on another thread. It dooesn't sound like you're looking for a daily driver like the other person but everything still applies.

@OldCarBum is dead on about being prepared to do some maintenance. I bought a '72 about 18 months ago. The PO had it for 20 years and wanted to sell it so he could get a C2. There were some things that needed done but he let go since he was ready to move on. Since I bought it I've done the following:

1. replaced plugs and wires
2. replaced the clutch
3. had the carb rebuilt by @lars
4. replaced timing chain, cover
5. replaced the water pump while we were working on the timing chain
6. had the steering box rebuilt by Bair's Corvette
7. replaced the power steering valve and slave cylinder
8. replaced the rag joint
9. replaced the tires
10. replaced the low beams with Holley Retrobrights
11. replaced the weather stripping

I'm fortunate to have a neighbor who loves to work on cars and has the garage to do it. He saved me a ton of money.
This winter I plan on replacing the carpet and doing some work to cut down the heat in the cockpit.
You need to go into this eyes wide open. These cars are 50 years old and will need parts replaced, especially if you plan to drive the car every day.
I don't regret buying the car. I've wanted one for a long time and the wife and I have done a lot of weekend cruising.
Good luck with your search.

 

Thanks, I'm prepared to do routine maintenance and simple-moderate repairs myself. The future C3 will be a weekend only driver with no long trips above 200 miles.

 

You’ll get plenty of advice but 69 & 70 are safe bets for their initial build quality and highest horsepower/torque ratings. Along with that comes the higher compression ratios that require 93 octane gas or retarded timing that cuts performance. Many have already had their engines rebuilt to lower compression and/or have improved heads, pistons and camshaft to improve combustion chamber quench characteristics and be more detonation resistant with lower octane fuel. 71-2 had lower HP ratings but were the same cars as 70.

Happy hunting

 

I bought a 1968 C3 back in 1991 and bought it from a "Barn Sale" where it was priced to sell. I was not as aware as I should have been regarding the early C3's and their differences. My first trip to Corvettes@Carlisle I soon learned that many Corvette people don't like the 1968 C3 as it had too many one year items along with the larger body panel gaps. Since I had already purchased a 1968 I went ahead and made due.
Many people even here on this forum are not very nice or friendly towards the 1968 C3's. The one good side of this is that the prices are lower on the earlier 1968 models compared to the same car equipped with similar options from 1969 thru 1972. Is the 1968 Corvette any less a Corvette, Of course not. The body gaps are only obvious or noticeable if you are aware of the difference. I had never noticed it for a couple years into my ownership. My body shop owner pointed out that one of my headlight covers was from a 1969 or later because of the gaps. He fixed it with a grinder in a few minutes and they look perfectly matched now.

Would I buy a 1969 up to a 1972 Corvette over the 1968 model. Yes, IF you are not good at or don't want to spend the hours at sourcing the more rare parts that differentiate the 1968 models. Yes, if you are aware of the differences and they are "important" to you. The differences are more than just one or two items, the 1968 still had the ignition on the dashboard and many little items that are different. They are getting harder to find as few people are making things for the 1968 "Only" models. Big block Corvettes with manual transmissions are fun no matter what year they are. Finding the window felt is a tricky item as it was different than the later Corvettes. The gas pedal bracket on the floor is different along with other engine compartment parts. None of these differences has been a "Huge Detail" to find or overcome.

The engines are the same as earlier C2's as are the frames. My C3 started life as an L71 Corvette and had a four bolt main 427 in it with a single carburetor in it. My C3 has a 4 speed and is a convertible with Power Steering, Power Brakes, Transistorized Ignition along with Power Windows. It was not a base model but for a big block it was nicely equipped. The second owner was a body shop owner who painted it Daytona Yellow over the original Sunflower yellow and I appreciate that change as the sunflower does not appeal to me. With a black leather interior, Black convertible and Black hardtop it is a good looking Corvette. Now if you look at a 1969 car equally equipped the prices are higher for the later models. This is primarily because of the "issues" of the first year of the new C3 production line.

Having the "original engine" is and has been a "huge issue" since the early days of C3 ownership. Unfortunately this has been abused to an extreme by people who want to make their Corvette "More" original and therefore worth "More Money". I personally do not trust the engine numbers as I have seen hundreds of fakes and know people who have re-stamped their engines to get more money for the Corvette. Today you need to get someone who "Knows" Corvettes and have them do a very detailed inspection verifying the date codes stamped into many of the items. The date codes are harder to fake and they are now far more reliable than just a matching number. The date codes are in standard places and can verify if the parts are original to the car in question. The engine in my C3 is a replacement CE engine installed by a GM dealership after the original suffered extreme damage. It has engine stamping indicating it was made for a 1967 L71 427-435 hp Tri Power Corvette. The engine was cast and built in August of 1968. I was asked if I wanted to re-stamp it when it was rebuilt and I chose NOT TO as I believe that to be a dishonest act. The engine was built in the right time period for my Corvette and that works just fine for me.

If you don't buy a big block Corvette the best small block in my humble opinion was the 1970 LT-1 with it's 370 hp and solid lifters. A buddy owned one and it was a very nice engine combination of power and performance. They are kind of rare as they had a short run of them but the 1970 LT-1 is one of the very best Corvettes I have had the privileged of driving a good bit. I rebuilt my 427 to be a L88 replica since I found an Original Factory L88 Hood and carburetor setup. The L88 has very high compression which provides a huge boost in power which makes it lots of fun to drive. The car is fun to drive and is very fast even though it has a 3.36 rear over the more popular 4.11 rears that appear in my of the high horsepower C3's.

I wish you the very best in your search for a nice early C3, there are fewer of them out there but there seems to be some very nice Corvettes out there even though they are getting more expensive. I also have a 1988 C4 which I enjoy and drive but is is so much more refined when compared to my 1968 C3. The C3 can be a scary car to drive because of the engine I built for it. The C4 is my cruising Corvette and I enjoy driving it during the warmer months since it has AC and gets close to 30 mpg on highways with it's 700R4 Transmission. If you are a side-pipes fan you might be aware that they were not offered on the 1968 C3 but are from 1969 on. I believe myself to be very fortunate to own a 1968 C3 Convertible Corvette. It is a beautiful car and gets attention wherever it goes. The biggest change I have done on my C3 is to put a Holley EFI system on it versus the factory Carburetor. I love my 1968 C3 and really like the differences, I just wanted to be sure that you were aware of them. Had I known what I know today about the differences would I still have bought my 1968 C3? Absolutely yes!

Best Regards,
Chris

 

Thanks for the detailed info...

 

With all that said, is there anyone in the southern California area looking to sell a running 1969- 72 C3 in decent shape???

 

There are over a dozen on the first page for sale in the classifieds.

 

Please take this inquiry to the C3 Cars WTB section, rather than conduct sales here.