Hello all, I am looking for some thoughts and advice... experienced advice more than opinion.

My wife and have two corvettes, a C6 Grand Sport and early C3 small block convertible, we have a friend whos gonna sell his low mile 2019 Grand Sport for a C8 purchase and we are considering buying it, if so were gonna sell the C6 GS and early C3 and I am considering a late C3 purchase (80-82) for a second corvette.

I have owned 80-82 corvettes before but that was early 90s... I realize they are not big performers but not what I'm looking for in a second corvette. As I remember the 81 is first year with computer though pre-OBD2 and 82 with the cross fire FI which I've had a few 82s and 84s without issue but again early 90s.

Looking for thoughts and advice on the three years, I feel I would prefer the 82 with the AOD but curious about the cross fire now, are they reliable if kept up? do people work on them any loner? are parts/accessories available for that motor?
I feel 1980 would be choice for motor but absolutely prefer the AOD, used to be a 200R was easy to come by and an easy install but not any longer.

Hoping to get some feedback from current and/or prior owners of some late C3s in particualr the 82.

We are going to the National Corvette show in Pigion Forge later March and probably won't make a final decision till after that show.

 

I currently have a low mileage 82 Collector Edition and like it alot. Crossfire runs great if left unmolested. It's a comfortable cruiser and probably the most refined of the C3 run. Not the fastest but it's no slug.
I've had a few C3's, early cars, big blocks and small blocks. The 82 is a relaxing touring car, if that's what you're looking for. 24 gallon fuel tank means less frequent stops for fuel. Love the lines of the 80 to 82's. Finally getting some respect.

 

Picture of mine.

 

thank you and a beautiful CE, that's what I was hoping to hear and absolutely agree about 80-82s coming into their own, still love the early steely convertibles but always liked to 80-82s

 

I recently bought an '82 CE and have a couple of other muscle cars, a '67 firebird 400 and '79 trans am... Frankly I'm tired of battling the carbs with today's gas. The Vette fires right up after sitting for a few days, both of the carbed cars need to crank over for 20-30 seconds to fire and then need to warm up a bit before driving. The Vette just fires up and goes. It's slower then the '67 but faster than the '79. The od is fine but I'd rather have a manual. Speed wise, anything '73 up will be a 15 second car, except a few dark years in the late 70s. I haven't had the CE long enough to form an opinion on the crossfire injection other than it currently works well and looks cool. I plan to fuel inject the other two cars at some point with spread bore sniper setups, probably next time either of them need the gas tank dropped. If I could get ethanol free gas it might be a different story but no local stations carry it.

 

I previously had a 1979 L82 auto, and currently have a 1980 L82 auto. Between the two cars I much prefer the 1980 for long trips. It has a 3.07 rear where the 1979 had a 3.55. The 1980 cruises at lower rpm’s because of the lower final drive ratio and a lockup torque converter. I also prefer the 1980 over the later C3s as it is the last year available with the L82, plus with no computer is much easier to work on.

 

Thanks guys... I feel a little better now if we move forward with this

 

I have had my 82 for about 30 years now and runs rather well and like it, but I may be biased a little. Usually the only thing that goes wrong with a well maintained 82 is when Bubba gets in there and re-engineers the system, other than that, set it up properly and they are like the Energizer Bunny...they keep going and going. BTW, mine IS 100% CFI still.

 

Are they still making the computer and the electrical sensors for the crossfire injection....what happens if they dont? I would hang onto the chrome bumper car as it is more if a sports car and has a higher value than any of the rubber bumper cars. They are a very simple car to maintain and get parts for with no computer interference....You literally can through a carb on it that doesnt need any signal from a sensor, a stock distributor and a coiil with just a 12 vdc source and you can drive it.....not so on a computer car. I would enjoy the c7 as a touring car and the chrome bumper car for the sport feel and rawness of it. Having the 82 would just be another car

 

would love to... it will come down to finances, if we move to the C7 it's gonna be another $30k over the C6, we do everything cash and we're at the final stages of putting a pool in our back yard, don't need that kind of money in cars (we also have a truck and a Harley) and the C7 will become a bit more of our Sunday car... still deciding

 

I understand financing your dreams and toys for sure. I totally respect the cash only perspective. Took me forever to finally get rid of my credit card addiction and debt. I can afford so much more for my engine builds doing a cash only lifestyle....good luck inbyour decision and future fun!!!

 

Thank you, we live without debt (except our home)

In no rush on this decision, the 69 would be very hard to replace but also has low miles and reluctant to drive it much, the C7 GS might just fill a few needs for us, actually considered not even having a second vette but that spot in the garage will bother me ;-)

 

HAHA now theres a problem....have yo thought about a car fromthe late 50s or 60s for a real cruiser...theres some beautiful cars out there that are gorgeous in stock trim like old impalas , biscanes, furies, cadillacs, ......

 

definitely gonna be a corvette, had old muscle cars my whole life with corvettes on and off, the last seven or so years have been Vipers, Cobras and Corvettes (my wife has always had a Corvette since we've been together) and we're sticking with Corvettes, just our group and lifestyle now.

 

I really understand that it has to be a Corvette thing.
It truly does become a lifestyle.
Especially if your in a Corvette club or 2.
Back to a affordable C3. If it were me, I'd be on the lookout for a 80 L82 4 speed.
But that's me.
If I wanted the 80-82 body style.

 

thank you... I like the idea of the 80 with no computer and also the 82 for the overdrive.
if I do this it will be an automatic, we always have two cars, corvettes as of recent, I have my Harley when I want to go out by myself.
my wife always has an automatic but I've had sticks for the past 7-8 years and my wife never gets to drive them, just too short to work the peddles comfortably... an automatic will allow her to drive either.
I thought I had the decision made until I took the 69 out today, gonna go drive the C7 this evening and then take a local 82 out for a drive in the next few days... dont want to make a mistake.

 

I had a 84 and I think the 'Cross-fire' gets a bad rap often, The 82-84 350 Cross-Fire is a good motor, and so long as you use the car as it was built. It will give you great service, but it's not a race car and never was intended as such. Handles with the best of them for 1/8 the price. I did a lot of research and spoke with a number of local corvette only shops and the one limitation of ALL Cross-Fire corvettes is their limited in many ways with the cast iron block and heads, and before you hit me with "Oh there's the renegade intake manifold and this and that " the best service you will get in these cars is STOCK. the heads are a real holdback, but even if you put on Headers, lo-flo exhaust and even the aforementioned intake, in the end you still have a ECM which as far as it's concerned, it's still 1984, and the engine is still in the Disco era, and there is no reasonable way to change that. But if you want a really nice cruiser that will give you nice performance and cost you virtually pennies to operate and damn near near perfect dependability then a Cross-Fire is a really good decision. Not too good in the snow prone areas, but that's only 2 months a year. Then it's just you and the open road !

 

thank you... I've owned a few 82s and 84s with the cross fire back in the early 90s, never had an issue with them at all, I am not looking for performance and don't plan on any add ons, my biggest question was about current time... 40 years later, do mechanics still know them and work on them as they are pre-OBD2 and very old comuter technology, are the sensors and such still available.

Thanks again, still haven't fully decided and not in a huge rush, my wife and I are still deciding our direction with our current corvettes.

 

The drivetrain is the easiest thing to fix on these cars. Rust and paint the hardest.

Find the absolute best 80-82 C3 you can, in the color you want, inside and out, then mod it to suit your tastes. The 80-spec adds only one wire of complexity (electric choke), so revert back to that, if you don't upgrade to LS.

@4-vettes is 100% correct, though. The 1980 L82 4-speed is the most desireable C3.

 

Oh hang on there partner, (he says with his best John Wayne impersonation). I never said the 80 L82 4 speed was the most desirable C3.
I only said of that body style, 80-82 it's the one I would choose.