Dear All,
I'm new to this forum, and despite being a Camaro Z28 owner for abt 25yrs, with the midlife setting in, I have set my eyes on the more famous Corvette. Hence why I end up here.
The market in Europe is a bit different than the US, and these cars typically sell at much higher prices. With the prohibitive taxes, I need to look at Vettes pre-1993. The local old-timer rules are very convenient, and as such I have excluded all C5 and later models (the C5 would be too similar to my Z28 anyways). I came across a few very interesting options (within my budget), and this is where your experience would be highly appreciated.
There is a 1975 C3, but the owner cannot tell if it has the L82 engine (I do have the VIN, but haven't found the corresponding data). It looks in mint condition, but has been in storage for prolly 10 to 20 years. Not being a mechanic myself, this is a bit of a challenge. The engine runs apparently, but this long period of inactivity will certainly include hidden deficiencies which might turn out costly. I also noticed here that ppl are generally not very fond on this particular batch of C3's...
Secondly, there is this amazing 1973 C3 BB. It actually has my preference, and surely has the highest resale value, but these 454cu have been discontinued for a long time and getting parts (in Europe) might give me headaches. It runs smoothly and still looks great underneath (despite being 50yrs old), I would opt to disassemble it and inspect (and treat) the chassis, probably even renew the gas tank. Yet, this will be a huge burden on my bank account. The gas mileage of a BB is 10mpg on average, which is another thing to consider, especially in Europe.
In short, there is a big decision to be made, and despite me scrolling to many websites to help me decide, it is actual the owners of such cars that can offer the best advice. I do understand that personal tastes differ, yet both appeal to me. In the end we want a car that is fun to drive, keeps its value (and might turn out a nice profit after retirement), and doesn't require too much professional upkeep.
Thanks in advance for reading, and wishing you all a great day !

 

For 1975, the VIN engine designations are as follows: J – Base Engine / T – L82 / Z – LS4. This is the 5th character from the left.
https://www.corvsport.com/1975-corvette-vin/

I would lean a lot toward the '73 with its rear chrome bumpers. Just has a more classic, vintage look. What other options do the cars have to sway one way or the other?

 

You asked, so here is my opinion.....some may disagree.

Good news is that every year of the C3 generation is about 90% the same car as every other year. The frame, driveline, and shape of all the cars are very similar. Many parts interchange across many years. The differences are minor cosmetic changes both externally and the interior. But in the end .....all C3 Corvettes are almost the same car. Some will compare early models, chrome bumpered cars as having bigger and stronger engines....which is true....but it is also a very easy thing to change....so regardless of the original stock form,...the power end is up to you and the money you have to spend.

Generally speaking,.....the comfort and driveability of the cars improved with every year. Many subtle changes were made each year....accumulating into a better car at the end than it started....from a comfort standpoint.

Now the bad news......the cars are over 40/50 years old, and to think you are going to buy a car that can be reliably driven without work is wishful thinking. When these threads come up....my position is the same. Unless someone else already did it....a complete body off restoration is necessary to end up with a car that can be driven reliably, if you plan on driving it. IF you want a garage queen...doesn't matter. Either way...without a full restoration, you will be fixing problems one after the other....and for many folks, thats too much to handle and the cars end up in garages / barns for years.

The true joy in owning these Corvettes is driving them.

Lastly....the idea of owning one of these as some sort of "investment" is a joke. I guarentee you that if you are going to buy one, fix it up, maintain it, etc.....you will spend more than you can ever get out of it. I don't mean to be negative....but its reality. Frankly.......buying and owning classic cars as an investment is nonsense at its root.....the real reason you should own one is to enjoy it, drive it, wash it, maintain it, and be proud of actually using it for what its designed for....DRIVING. THAT is the true value of owning of these....not some dollar value to recoup years later. Honestly.....I doubt if in 20 years anyone even cares about C3 Corvettes......people have changed.

ANyways...thats my opinion. I love my Corvettes.....they are part of my life, and make it better. Worth every penny.

 

Thanks for clearing this up. It seems to be a base engine, which sways the scale towards the 1973 BB.... Wonderful to get this information so quickly. Really appreciated !

 

Appreciate your opinion, which is the reason why I post these questions.
Obviously the comfort of a 50-year old car cannot be compared with the luxury in nowadays models. I was rather surprised that it even lacked a mirror on the passenger side. I don't have that much space in my garage, so I will need to find some solution to avoid bumping into something.. :-P
The complete body restoration is pretty much planned, but not only are there only a few local shops around that do these kind of jobs (and they are all already booked for a few years), I have no clue yet how much that will cost. Anyways, with such a restoration I hope to be able to keep it in drivable condition for the coming 20 yrs, but that might be stretching it. Since the 1973 BB is currently in good shape, I hope not to find too many surprises. Any idea what kinda budget I should be looking at ?
I heard many complaints about rusting fuel tanks, are there already substitutes on the market to replace the steel tank ? Don't want to run into the same issue in the future.
Very much taken your point on driving it... what good is a car sitting unused in a garage ? I also read that the BB can be quite something to handle, but at least the current owner confirms it has power steering and power brakes (those were optional at that time)....
Any advice is much appreciated.

 

I own a 73 with a big block.
I can tell you there is nothing like the roll on torque and power of a big block.
Send us pictures before you buy either.

 

Love to read your enthousiasme. I am only familiar with the LT1 V8, which already gives me so much pleasure. My first impression from video's of the owner is that the BB seems to be more subdued. But then again, there is a generation difference between both engines. I must say that the loads of torque are certainly appealing.
Pls see below some pics of the two 'candidates':


The 1975 standard engine


The 1973 BB

On picture they really look amazing, but not being much of a car mechanic myself (rather a sportscar enthousiast), I need to ascertain I can keep it drivable without ruining myself (financially) :-). Honestly speaking, I'm also considering a 1989 Greenwood C4, which is visually more my ballpark and might be less challenging for me. Just need to make the decision I will not regret, cause there is no budget for two Vettes..
Thanks for sharing your views.

 

I would definitely vote for the 73......it has the best front end matched to the best back end of all C3 Corvettes, and as a result, the car looks better than any. And Big Block is a no brainer....

 

yup, the 73.... Looks as good going away as it does coming atcha..! I'd have one if my long legs and big feet would fit..

60

 

Some great advice I saw from Lawdog on YouTube was buy the C3 that you really want. Don’t settle and then try to convert the vette you bought into what it’s not meant to be. You’ll probably end up spending more money in the long run but have a bastardized version.
There are several knowledgeable people on YouTube with advice to watch before you buy your first corvette. Lawdog Corvette is a good one as well as The Corvette Ben.
Good luck and enjoy the process.
I have spent more money than I anticipated redoing our 78 and I know I’ll never recoup it but its something that I truly enjoy.

 

Before you get too interested in any one car, familiarize yourself with how to inspect for birdcage rust and frame rust. Some minor disassembly is needed to fully inspect for ‘cage rust so if the seller is unwilling to allow the kickpanels, #3 mount access plates and windshield interior trim to be removed, best to move on. You don’t want to find out about rust later.

Frame rust is easier to detect but as these are fully boxed rails, you need a flex scope to look at the interior sections.

 

Not having mechanical experience, you may be better off with the C3 over the above C4. C3s are easy to learn how to troubleshoot because they are based on mechanical components controlling things rather than electrical, like the C4 and later. That said, finding a shop that understands how engines operate on a foundational level and what manual adjustments bring out the best in them is getting more difficult as the years pass. Newly trained mechanics rely on their scanners and digital readouts to only identify which computer or sensor is malfunctioning. Parts are not rebuilt, but largely exchanged.

If you have any desire to get your hands greasy, build new neural pathways, and enjoy challenges, then the C1-C3 Corvettes will do that. If you've no interest in that sort of thing, the C4 and later may be more in keeping with your desires.

 

I grew up in Europe (well sort of, I grew up in England) I live stateside now but I would go with the 75, better mpg, even some rover or Vauxhall parts will work, small block stuff is easily available and much more affordable than the harder to find big block parts.

 

Once more, thanks for the advice. As I expected, owners always seem to prefer the BB models. It shows.
Riding position is also an argument, as I'm 6' tall. Haven't actually sat in a C3 before, and although it won't be used to drive long distances anyways, it is obviouslly on my list to check before I sign the deal.
As mentioned in my first post, I am concerned about the birdcage rust (or any other hidden deficiency). A full car restoration will be an expensive undertaking, which might very well exceed the initial price of the car. On the other hand, I'd like to enjoy the C3 for at least another 15 to 20 yrs, so it seems inevitable after all. I will ask the owner to remove the suggested parts, but likely will get a negative response. Again, this forum helps me to assess the risks involved.
Fully agreeing on the skill of modern-day mechanics. There are only a few local places where I could go to do any mechanical maintenance, and I don't have the infrastructure at home to do much aside from the top access to the engine. I intend to make not more than 2000 miles/year, and have an annual check-up and maintenance schedule. Do you think this is utopian ? I 'd rather have a full engine overhaul soon, to ascertain reliability, than to have to worry whether it starts or will get me home safely. Yes, it is a 50-yr old car, I get that, but engine trouble would quickly spoil my mood. Although I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, I definitely will need to learn a new set of skills. Luckily there is a whole forum of enthousiasts here, which is reassuring.
With reference to the C4, it is a more comfy ride, and based on the part exchanging indeed surely not a cheaper one. The full body restoration might also be required considering its age (abt 35yrs), so on initial costs there seems to be not much difference. But electronic parts tend to age more quickly, which lead me to question its reliably even more than the C3. It is a tough decision to make...

 

If it was me, I would put my money into the 73’ big block.
Years from now any big block equipped car will raise in value and more than a small block car.
Additionally the 73 is still considered a chrome bumper car.
There are oem and aftermarket parts available for big blocks because after all, they are just Chevrolet engines.
There are several ways to restore a vehicle.
You can do one or two things at a time over each winter and enjoy driving it during the good weather months, and not miss any enjoyment of driving it.
You can tear it completely apart and take a year or more to restore it all at once.
You can also purchase everything, a little at a time over several years, then disassemble the car and do it all in a short period of time.
You might even buy the car and decide to do nothing but necessary maintenance and enjoy driving it trouble free for years.
On my 73, I purchased parts over the past seven years and stored them in my garage, while I enjoyed driving my car.
I finally took mine off the road and started a full body off restomod project and hope to be back on the road this time next year.
Good luck and inspect as much as you can in person before you purchase.
You can get a really good idea if there is rust issues without asking any seller to remove panels or parts for your inspection.
If I was selling mine and a potential buyer wanted me to remove panels or parts I would tell them no and to go look at other cars.

 

Having this exact model, your experience is invaluable for me. It's more than reasonable to assume that these parts will not be available on the shelf in Belgium. I would need to import them, which will take time and import dues. As a buyer of a car, it is extremely hard for me to assess what a full restoration will require. Maintenance is often related to mileage, but in this case it is rather on age. F.e. rubber gaskets will deteriorate, especially when the car is only used intermittently. You have been in that position, and I hope we can get in touch personally when the time is right. It seems there is already a waiting time of abt 2 yrs at the few local shops to even commence this restoration. I plan on using that time to collect the most likely parts required. I hope that is somehow possible without starting to dismantle everything. But that is food for another post.

 

Both of the candidates look pretty clean. Are you sure that neither has had a restoration?, because if they had that would drastically affect the advice here and your decision . With your lack of experience in this arena, it seems to me it would be worth finding a third party to help you inspect both vehicles. Perhaps someone from a local Corvette club or a mechanic that knows what they are looking for (one that works on older Corvettes). Blindly planning a frame off restoration on a car that may not need it would be a costly error.. If you plan on a motor rebuild, chassis rebuild, and paint, you can easily spend more on that work alone than the initial cost of the car.

 

There’s so much subjectivity in which C3 year is “best.” Assuming no rust, rot, mechanics are good, paint is good (repainting is very expensive), when you drive them, which one feels better to sit in and drive? As others have pointed out, these are old cars, and they’ve all been worked on and touched. At this point, a half century after they’ve left the factory, they all drive differently. You definitely need to see these in person and drive them; these all look great in photos.

Your goal is to get out and drive them, so which one feels better for you? How are you going to be driving it? Weekend driver? What is your goal? Keep it essentially as is and do needed improvements, restore them to a largely original state, or do a restomod and introduce modern components?

If future collectibility and value are a factor, then the past trends suggest the ‘73 is the one to get.

The point about previous restorations is a good one. If, after driving them, it’s still a toss up as to which one to get, I’d get the one that’s in the best mechanical condition, with newer rubber bushings, weatherstripping etc.

They both look fantastic to me!

I, personally, prefer the looks of the ‘73, with the rear chrome bumper, and no luggage rack.

 

Can't go wrong on either! But the 73 would be my pick.

 

1975 model Corvettes are the lowest horsepower V-8 cars of all Corvettes ever built. Mine is a 1975. For me the deal breaker of your 2 choices is the rear luggage rack on the 75. I don't like em and would not buy a Corvette with one installed...easy choice for me..1973