Why aren't these cars worth more? I'm new to this thread so i figure I may as well start somewhere. I have a 73 convertible with the basic L48. It came with factory air, 370 rear gears and a Muncie 4 speed. It also had the full wheel cover option, telescopic steering, power steering and disc brakes along with the deluxe interior. I have the original motor and pollution stuff, old carburetor and distributor. Currently I'm running a 383 Stroker,435 hp. I did a frame off about 13 years ago and i drive it, no trailer queens.

 

Worth more to who? And what are you comparing it to.? I would love to own a 73 convertible.

 

I have had this conversation with myself since I bought my 73 a little more than a year ago. Im a Ford guy, had several Mustangs over the years but I sold my last one, a 67 fastback in 2006 and havent had a weekend car since I bought my 73 Vette in 2023.
A few years ago I got the idea to get another car and while I could buy a decent Mustang in the 60K range I really didnt want to spend that much. The longer I looked the more expensive they got. A decent Mach1 or a Boss 302 were just getting a bit too expensive and forget about Shelby's. Even a good replica Shelby is close to 6 figures.
Entirely by accident I was searching the web one night and I forgot to set my search filter to Fords and I ended up searching everything made between 67 and 73. A few C3 Vettes showed up in the query and I couldnt help but notice they were half the price of the Mustangs I was searching for, some even less than that. Anyway, after I got over myself and accepted the fact that owning a Chevy wasnt really the betrayal I thought it would be when I was younger I started looking at C3's. I ended up with survivor 73 Vette coupe with 28K miles. I bought it from the wife of the deceased original owner who had several Vettes and a few GTO's. As far as I can tell the only options the car does not have is the 454 and the rear window defrost? I paid 40K for my C3. A similar 73 Mustang, say a Mach1, with similar options, miles and one owner? That would cost significantly more than I paid for my C3. Any similar Camaro, Nova, Challenger or any other muscle car of the era are going to be quite expensive as well. Why are these C3 Vettes comparatively cheep compared to all of them? I have no idea. I was searching BAT for about 36 months and made a lot of notes and I agree. The C3 is a relative bargain. Even though I paid a premium for mine, I still got it for less than I would have if I had bought a similar Mustang. Considering a new loaded Prius is 43K, I am not bothered in the least what I paid for my Vette. I got a great car in great condition, it runs like a top and its fun to drive. And that prius is never going to appreciate, ever.

 

Shhhh! Don't ruin it for folks who kinda like 73s but haven't bought one yet!

The 73 is, by far, the coolest C3 with chrome bumpers. Too bad they didn't get the YJ8 wheels sorted out until a few years later.

 

My 73 had them when I bought it. I contacted the oldest son of the original owner of my car, found his email in the online obituary page for his dad. I told him I was the new owner and asked if he had any other info on the car. He was very polite and replied that he would forward me anything if something turns up. He did say that he was about 5 when the car was new and he remembers the car always had the same wheels. Not really proof my car originally shipped with YJ8's but its hard to ignore. I pray he finds the original window sticker some day. Sometime in the spring I will attempt to get the tank sticker. Last fall at the NCRS Texas I was talking with one of the judges and he said that several people within NCRS suspect about 20 or so cars were delivered with YJ8's around the country, all of them were Nov/Dec 72 build dates. Mine was built 12-14-72. Anyway, he was busy so we didnt get into it much but next year I will submit mine for judging. Im curious to hear what they have to say.

 

To answer your first question, I believe it is because they are a transition year, the front is what was to come until 1980 and the rear is the "old" 68-72. Two halves to make one. I didn't like them at first, but they have grown on me, mainly because the problem with the wiper doors was eliminated, nice raised center section hood and they still have the chrome bumper rear section.

 

Hey ZIOGEO, looks just like mine!

Re the OPs question, embarrassingly low HP & torque ratings make them less desirable than the earlier cars and the rubber nose makes it a true unicorn despite it being a 20th anniversary year car. I don’t understand it either but I always hope that somebody out there in the cool car kids collective will catch on to these and make em famous. Regardless, I like mine so that’s all that really matters, which aligns with my lifelong classic car ownership credo; buy what you like so that when the value goes to zero and you’re stuck, you’ll still own a car you like.

Congrats on your 73. How about posting some pics?

 

Ive had 2 ‘73s, I always liked the unique looks, but then again, Ive had ‘63 SWCs and a ‘58, so I like the interesting models.

But as to the OPs question, the value really does sort of line up with the series of the cars. The 68-72s are the peak of the C3 value curve and even those cars dont really value out as strong as other comparable performance cars. Thats always been pretty disappointing. The ‘74 is the beginning of a downward curve in value, so the in between value of the ‘73, I think, is entirely expected.

And when you ask about value, ZIO’s car shows that there’s people willing to pay a ton of money for a ‘73.

 

I had a 73 convertible for about six years. After spending more money than I want to think about, on repairs/parts, I gifted the old gal to my son in law. He is a terrific guy, plus his house has a three car garage. Chevrolet made less than 5,000 convertibles in 73, so the production number is low. Buying and selling vintage cars is not an exact science, my car was numbers matching and even had the hard top, a real beauty.

 

Quote “And when you ask about value, ZIO’s car shows that there’s people willing to pay a ton of money for a ‘73.”

…about sums it up right there.

 

I guess i was looking at production#'s and options comparatively with other muscle cars from the era and it just seems the C3 gets low balled, mainly the 73.


My 73

 

By the way, mine came with a set of the YJ8 wheels, i have them in storage.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder..such as value is not always about worth but what someone is willing to pay. The auctions show that to be more true than not. I say enjoy the C3 hobby as it is more affordable than a lot of cars out there and not only that but the C3 is a fantastic car to drive and there are a lot of performance options available that enhance the experience. For now they have not been ruined and out of reach for the average Joe.

 

Does your spare have a YJ8?

 

No, i do not believe they are original since they only produced a handful of 73's with these rims due to alloy issues. I think the guy i purchased it from liked the aluminum rims and bought them later on. I think they are from newer model corvette that was maybe a couple years newer.

 

I have owned a C6, C7, and currently own a C8 HTC, but always had a soft spot for C3s, ESPECIALLY the 1973. I love the chrome rear bumper along with the poly front bumper. I think the overall dimensions are just perfect IMHO (along with Larry Shinoda, who said the 73 was his favorite year visually, as it was closest to the original "Mako Shark" concept). I finally broke down and purchased an Orlando Orange 73 coupe with L82 and factory AC about four months ago. I paid 21K for the car and have since put about another 2K into minor repairs. I don't regret this purchase one bit. I love this car, and I think the C8 enjoys having "grandpa" around. BTW, does anyone know what sort of gas mileage I should be getting with a 73 L82? Just wondering...

 

Never heard of Orlando Orange before. 🤓

 

The best VALUE third generation is the 1973. Because it is bargain priced for now, but will catch up to the others later. Here is a list why, and I am sure there are more reasons!
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. The revered LT- only had 255 net HP in 1972. I for one would trade 5 HP to never have to adjust valves again. So the L-82 is a much easier engine to own in the real world.
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!!!! Just like the 1958 used to be thousands less because the purists considered it gaudy, as the 57 and 59 Vettes went up in price so did the 1958. Used to be when I started collecting, the 64 was worth thousands less than the 63 or the 65. Everyone wanted the first year of the new body style or a 65 for the first year of disc



brakes. After all the nice 63's and 65's dried up, the 64 values caught up. It will happen to the 1973's as well. Get on the bandwagon now and save thousands over a 68-72 car if you are actually getting one to drive.

 

My friend recently bought a 73 454 T top car that has those wheels on it. I told him I thought the car was supposed to have rallye wheels on it,I had no idea that those wheels came on 73 Corvettes. Are there date codes or anything to prove they are 73 wheels?

 

The other thing about the "coke bottle" Corvettes is that I am nearing 60. When I was in High School in the 80's it was a tough time to be a "car guy" in terms of new cars to dream about. The Corvette was the top of the heap. I wanted one back then, as did virtually everyone else. And I will tell you something else from a lifetime of collecting cars. The 1973 Corvette is the car that most people related to or asked me for a ride in. As the American Sport Car, even non-car people know and love it. And while I never preach cars as investments, they are so cheap I can't imagine that you will ever lose money on one if you buy a nice example. Still tough to restore one at current market prices, but there are lots of finished cars out there.