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I read through the entire thread and found it to be just what I expected. You know what they say about opinions.
There is a reason that MOST people stick to the forum section for the car they own. I have owned C1s, midyears, C3s, and C4s but I only surf the C1/C2 and C3 forums. They can all have their respective good and bad features if that is what you look at. The bottom line is you are the one that has to live with it, it’s your money, and the only opinion tat matters is YOURS. The best advise I can give you is to buy the best example you can afford for the car YOU like.
This blonde drives a ‘69 L46. Too cold in Idaho to wear a bikini, though…
The C3 is the car of my youth, and as it turned out, this early-build ‘69 is my exact age.
I love all C3s.
As everyone has said, “best” is subjective. I bought mine for one reason…to drive it. I’m not a collector, and don’t want a show car or an investment piece that sits unused in my garage. For me, a small block 4-speed ‘69, with the Mako Shark-inspired louvers, fiberoptics, etc., in my favorite color inside and out, is “the best.”
More than a couple of people have told me that, aesthetic wise, the ‘69 is the “best” C3. Obviously this is subjective.
The great thing about the lengthy production run of the C3 is that the cars reflect the aesthetics of three different decades, and the feel of the ride changed over time with technological improvements.
I do very much enjoy the “rubber bumper” ‘78 silver anniversary edition as well, and love the aesthetics of the very last of the C3s.
These are emotional purchases, so the “best” is the one that puts a smile on your face, and you look forward to driving. When I open my garage to get my car for a drive, I think, man what a gorgeous car that is! There are of course more expensive muscle cars (and my car cost far less than the big block chrome bumper C3s, let alone any C1-C2), but there is nothing else on earth that looks like a Corvette.
“Best” isn’t just looks and horsepower, but also functionality. If OP wants the “best” C3 for long road trips, my car isn’t the one. Likewise, there are many motorists who just wouldn’t enjoy driving a manual transmission Corvette. For them, an automatic is best.
Of course, if “best” refers to investment, I acknowledge that any big block ‘69 or ‘70 would, undoubtedly, be a “better” investment than my 350.
Last edited by Coronette; Jan 8, 2023 at 10:53 PM.
if you want to spend 20k more for 2 chrome bumpers go right head.. people say I want a big block but yet don’t drive over 40 miles an hour 🤷♂️ 73 to 82 best value are they fast no but there again who cares !! They are very dependable motors and great drivers . I have owned BB cars and after 20 minutes 3 things will happen .. your teeth will fall out , your ears will be ringing or you will loss 10 pounds from the extreme heat , but hey you have a chrome bumper BB car
if you want to spend 20k more for 2 chrome bumpers go right head.. people say I want a big block but yet don’t drive over 40 miles an hour 🤷♂️ 73 to 82 best value are they fast no but there again who cares !! They are very dependable motors and great drivers . I have owned BB cars and after 20 minutes 3 things will happen .. your teeth will fall out , your ears will be ringing or you will loss 10 pounds from the extreme heat , but hey you have a chrome bumper BB car
Unless it's a '74 454 BB. That car is smooth as glass on the freeway. What a pussycat of a motor. Detuned to the point of Cadillac-like comfort (of the era) and noise level. I'm a '69 owner myself, but I still enjoy the 80-82 model years (especially the L82) - I've never owned one, but I love the aggressive front and rear bumpers. I drove a L82 once, and it rattled just as much as the chrome bumper cars. It felt largely like the same car, a la' more refined creature comforts.
I will say, getting into my C4 after driving my '69 is a big jump in comfort (and even more comfortable than my experience in the '74), but there's a lot of C4 hate around here, so I'll mention it only in passing as an example that it's all relative.
The preferred years are what YOU prefer....
Last edited by Corvette-ZL1; Jan 9, 2023 at 10:50 AM.
My preference is a 1970 first with the top LT1 engine ever built by the factory then the 1971 with the 454/425 engine.
I like these cars because of the built in “mud flap” fenders that help keep the car cleaner for daily driving. I also LOVE the fiber optics. The first time I sat in one at night I felt like I was in a jet fighter cockpit. I don’t care for rubber bumper cars at all.
Seems to me this is begging for a new thread: "Why the 1973 is the best C-3"
1. One year only body style, just like the '63
2. Engine can run on today's gas...low lead design from the get go, so no need to add lead and octane boosters
3. L-82 engine still rated for 250 net HP. Yes it pales next to the numbers posted by the earlier models, but those are gross numbers. Real world a fun engine for the times.
4. Can still get a big block if you are so inclined.
5. Long nose, short tail 1973 is closest to the original Mako Shark Show Car. (Don't believe me, Corvette Stylist Larry Shinoda said so)
6. Still a model year away from catalytic converters, so it has a true dual exhaust.
7. Convertible still available if you prefer open air motoring.
8. No hidden windshield wipers, so a cold air induction hood. Plus the wipers can actually be counted on to work.
9. New chassis mounts to reduce vibration.
10. Radial tires were first made available, so I would think the suspension was designed to work with them from the get go.
11. Steel beams added to the doors to make the car safer when a Prius driver playing with their phone blows a light and runs into you.
12. I have one.
Hey, this is a subjective list, so at least I listed some reasons!!!!
I bought a 78 when I was 20 years old. I didn't know much about these cars then. Or any car really. I bought it because I liked the way it looked, it was available, in good condition, and I could afford it.
SInce then I have learned a lot about these cars. I'm no expert but I do believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and they are all beautiful in their own way.
My car is nothing special as far as Vette's go, but it's the one I have and I love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. 22 years later I still own the car and am building it the way I want to build it. And I don't feel bad about not keeping it original since many thousands we produced and sold that year.
Bottom line, I think the best year will always be the one you own. Don't buy it for an investment, buy it because you love it!
Seems to me this is begging for a new thread: "Why the 1973 is the best C-3"
1. One year only body style, just like the '63
2. Engine can run on today's gas...low lead design from the get go, so no need to add lead and octane boosters
3. L-82 engine still rated for 250 net HP. Yes it pales next to the numbers posted by the earlier models, but those are gross numbers. Real world a fun engine for the times.
4. Can still get a big block if you are so inclined.
5. Long nose, short tail 1973 is closest to the original Mako Shark Show Car. (Don't believe me, Corvette Stylist Larry Shinoda said so)
6. Still a model year away from catalytic converters, so it has a true dual exhaust.
7. Convertible still available if you prefer open air motoring.
8. No hidden windshield wipers, so a cold air induction hood. Plus the wipers can actually be counted on to work.
9. New chassis mounts to reduce vibration.
10. Radial tires were first made available, so I would think the suspension was designed to work with them from the get go.
11. Steel beams added to the doors to make the car safer when a Prius driver playing with their phone blows a light and runs into you.
12. I have one.
Hey, this is a subjective list, so at least I listed some reasons!!!!
This is a solid list. I really like the look of the 73s, probably the coolest of all C3s. Larry Shinoda put the Coke bottle shape in the 65 Corvair, then refined it a bit for the C3.
But the map pocket interior? I'll stick to 79+, thanks (or 78, with clamshell seats).
This is a solid list. I really like the look of the 73s, probably the coolest of all C3s. Larry Shinoda put the Coke bottle shape in the 65 Corvair, then refined it a bit for the C3.
But the map pocket interior? I'll stick to 79+, thanks (or 78, with clamshell seats).
LOL? Coke bottle shaped Corvair? Did I miss something? They are about the most slab sided cars ever built.
LOL? Coke bottle shaped Corvair? Did I miss something? They are about the most slab sided cars ever built.
I guess you missed the late model Corvair redesign, 65-69? Not so much viewed from above, but the Coke bottle shape is there if you look from the side.
It is obviously much more evident in a C3, but the Corvair had it first, and the same designer.
Last edited by Bikespace; Jan 11, 2023 at 09:56 AM.
I don’t care for rubber bumper cars at all.
