I can't disagree with you about the handling of the early C4's, but the harsh ride, the digital dash, the difficulty climbing in and out of them, the issues with the 4+3 and just the overall look of them make them hard to like, at least to me. Don't get me wrong, when they came out I was quite enamored with them and came very close to buying one. If we weren't expecting our first child we probably would have traded my wife's 81 in on a new 84, but instead we kept the 81 and bought her a Buick T-Type (I was driving a free Celebrity wagon company car back then).

I too did some autocrossing in the 70's and 80's and became good friends with a couple that were running a B Prepared 69. Eventually he moved up to an SCCA GT-1 Corvette, she started autocrossing a 78 L-82 Pace Car and I became crew for them. In 84 we built a tube frame Camaro for Trans Am racing and his wife got a new 84 Z51 to autocross. I took a few rides in the 84 and got to autocross it once or twice. That thing went through the pylons as well as or better than the purpose built 69 BP car did, but would shake your filling out at any thing more than 30 MPH on a glass smooth road. Her Z51 was a ball to autocross but was just a miserable thing to live with on the street. To me the Z51 was more like a large, full fendered go kart, than a car. Not long after, she decided to get her SCCA competition license and the Corvette was replaced with a 75 Trans Am to race in the SCCA Showroom Stock GT class.

When it comes to C4's, the 92-96 are just so far superior (better seats, better dash, more performance, better ride with similar handling, and cleaner lines) to the earlier versions, just makes it hard for me to like the 84-89's. They have their place and fans, but they're just not for me.

I autocrossed my 62 and 74 Corvettes, but never the 81. In the 80's I autocrossed an 82 Citation X-11 and then an 85 Cavalier Z24.

 

[QUOTE=pilot1225;1608825331

I literally went to a car show in my local area last weekend, and I was talking to this one guy who had a really nice dodge bullet, and I told him I had a 79 that was being restored and given a better engine, and this guy says "79 was not a good year."

I just stood there and in my head im like "really? Youre just gonna insult my car right to my face like that when I was just having a nice conversation with you?"[/QUOTE]

Slightly off topic but this is why I avoid most car shows and meets because my negative experiences far outweigh my positive ones. They seem to be magnets for sociopaths.I once had a gigantic man mountain get all over me over some detail on my '69 and he didn't even have a car there, he rode up on some p.o.s Harley. I pointed out my Harley was a lot nicer. D**k.

Half the time you're dodging an accident, I've found them to be very cliquish and if you're not in a club you get 'orphan' parking. Last big show I went to I met some nice folks, even drove home together with a few other cars. That was a lot of fun.

BUT .... that was after I came back to my car and saw some doorknob actually picking at the paint bubble over the header bar rivets. What in God's name would possess someone to do that I don't know. I know it's there and what would have happened if I came back ten seconds later ?

Drive your car and enjoy it, that's what I do.

 

 

Anyone who believes that ALL C3's were slow from the factory is sadly mistaken or has never ridden in one of the early 427 performance C3's. I made my engine a clone of a 1968 L88 engine and that is more than many folks can handle. Pushing over 560 hp the car has potential to go very fast. It is faster than many of the newer C8's and their fancy engine/transmission packages. The only Corvette my 1968 needs to worry about is the newer E-Vette hybrid because that is faster by a margin.

The later C3's became more "Grand Touring" oriented and not the performance car that my C3 was built for. My C3 started life as a L71 and when I bought it it only had one carburetor and no parts. My C3 has nothing to make it comfortable and was made for going fast and having fun while doing it. My seats are basic with no headrest. The Foam and seat covers have been replaced with new leather and they are marginally comfortable for a hour or so. My 1968 is narrower inside than the later cars so I have to be close with someone to go for a ride for hours. There is no shoulder harness in my C3 so in an accident all you have is the lap belt to save you from being impaled.

My C3 has no air conditioning. I do have power brakes for stopping the monster, power steering to point it where I want it to go and power windows to get some fresh air. There is very little in the 1968 to make the car comfortable, it was designed to change the world and that it did.

I have a 1988 C4 that we use for when we want comfort, it is a nice car to cruise in. The 1988 C4 was designed to be a GT style car with all the comfort and features. It is not fast, It is hard to get in and out of but it handles like a slot car on rails.

The last time I took my C3 to a car show I had to scrape chocolate ice cream off my hood and fenders. Forget the stupid people and watch out for their children!!

The later C4's are really pretty cars but I would be very leery of any engine with OPTI-Spark ignition system on it. I routinely tell people to stay away from the later C4's for that reason alone. The Opti system is a disaster but can be made to work, I would not trust it on a 60 mile trip....

The L98 from the earlier C4's is a nice little small block and with a new EFI system it could be a powerhouse. A powerful engine in that chassis would be a really fun car to drive. I often wish I could put my 427 into the C4 and make it work, that car would kick some butt with the way she handles. The only thing I would complain about regarding the 1988 C4 that I have is the ABS system is a Joke and very hard to keep working properly. I popped a line in my brakes and it lost all the fluid in both reservoirs of the master cylinder causing the car to have no brakes. Thank goodness for the one year brake system that has a working E-Brake. For 1988 they got rid of the tiny Honda Drum brakes we use for our E-Brakes and used a cable pulling system to hold the brakes.

When I first met a sales woman at Paragon Sales during a Corvettes@Carlisle event she asked me what year Corvette was I working on and I told her I had a 1968 C3. She started laughing and asked why anyone would waste their time on a 1968 Corvette. She humiliated me in front of several other customers. It was my first time I was criticized for working on a 1968 Corvette. It was not the last time either.

I don't care what others think, it is my Corvette and I like it.

 

I think I would have answered the Paragon person with F U B...ch! Who do you think you are talking to like that!? Do you always insult your prospective customers like that? Where's your boss!?

 

Back in the day my DD was a 68 427 L89. The smog engines arrived the same time as the soft bumpers. Needless to say I was heartbroken over the lack of performance and instinctively took a disliking to the soft bumper Corvettes. Fast forward to today and Im fortunate enough own a BB 68 and a BB 71 and still am some what indifferent to the soft bumper C3s. HOWEVER, few years back I purchased a 82 CE that I love, Yes it lacks the raw performance of my chrome BB's but it's much more refined and comfortable.

The bottom line for me is I much rather have a 79 Corvette than a 79 Monza , Malibu or God forbid, a Mustang.

 

This has been a very interesting (in a good way) thread for me to follow and read through... some rabbit trailing but all stay with the "C3 rant" theme.
I typically stay away from "opinion" threads nor do I typically give my opinion and try to stay factual if I respond.
I have owned corvettes since about the mid/late 80s owning over a couple dozen including C2s-C6s but more than half those being C3s early to late as they have always been my favorite all around.

I love them all from 68-82 and for different reasons but I will spend as much time at a show looking at a base 76 as I would a big black 69 and have always enjoyed talking with all corvette owners in particular C3 owners.
As been said in this thread the early years are for the "performance" minded and the later years a bit more for the "cruiser" minded which frankly has been becoming a trend over the past few years in my opinion. I find it funny that 40-50 years later people still need to feel they are educating buyers buy commenting on the low HP of the later C3s... you dont see this in say the Trans Am world as the 77-78 Trans Ams had 180-185hp depending on 6.6ltr vs TA6.6 but bring upwards of $50-$60k now for a nice SE and seldom compared to the early 70 TAs
I feel Corvette owners have changed or I have... I feel I remember the day when corvette owners where all part of a group with a common interest between them all from hanging out at car shows to as simple as a windshield wave when driving by... I just don't experience this much any more.

I stopped going to the shows and cruise nights, for a while the C8 guys would just get out of their cars and set down their chair to sit there like they're on display for everyone... never walking around to look at another corvette, I'm finding most the corvette owners are now doing the same, I get out of my car, wipe it down and start walking the show to look at other corvettes and talk with owners but most just sit there unapproachable and dont really acknowledge other corvettes at the show.

Last month on a beautiful Sunday my wife and I went out for lunch at a local restaurant with outdoor patio seating... we pulled in and seen a red 66 big block Corvette parked towards the rear of the building, we parked just across from the patio seating and walked over to the 66 and spent a minute or two walking around it then went and sat at the patio for lunch not knowing who owned the 66 but certainly assumed they were inside and didn't see us pull up.
Now I know my car is only an 82 (also red) but is in exceptional condition and cosmetically impeccable... paint looks like a $20k paint job, polished wheels etc. during lunch someone went out and videod my car.
after about an hour the couple next to us got up and walked out... walking through the lot the wife started walking over to my car and the husband grabbed her hand pulling her back in the direction they were heading... it was the 66 owner, he sat right beside us, seen us pull in, watched us walk over to his car and never said one word their entire lunch.
I live in Arizona and everyone is from somewhere else so I know not the most "community" minded but I often wonder if the corvette community has changed or have I

I go through allot of Corvettes over the years (we have a C6 GS we've had for years) and when I'm bored and looking for another I look for cars between 68-82 and open to any of them as I'm tossed between the earlier performance or the later refined drive... for me it probably comes down to the car I can get for my budget... $18-$30k buys one hell of a later C3 and a bit more of a project in an early chrome bumper performance C3
but I love them all.

 

Tastes changed back then. The 60s muscle car era was pretty much over with 1970-71 ticked over. Most Corvette owners by that time weren't going for high hp, fast corvette engines, even when they were avail. Insurance rates went up. Buyers tastes changed. People weren't buying convertibles either. Mustang sales were in the tubes and the little 4-banger mustang-II in 73 was a hot seller when it came out. People laugh about it now, but that's how things were trending even before the oil shock of 73. Mustang II is a different car from the corvette, but it's emblematic of how the market was back then. The Corvette most likely would have been refreshed in the mid 70's were it not for the need to invest in right-sizing their product line to meet new buyer tastes. And high hp was a fairly small market. And actually, not all those 60's engines were as powerful as they sound when adjusted for modern HP 'net' figures. The 82 corvette had good low-end (usable) torque and snappy EFI acceleration ...and overdrive.

I remember when gas just about brushed up to $5/gal here in like '06-'07 ..or whenever it was. Man! Owners' tastes sure changed quick. I was on the road all the time going to see customers. There wasn't a 4dr pickup on the ROAD!! LOL. Where did they all go?! Obviously that was short lived, but it sure was stark how things changed in that year or so when gas was super expensive. Shows how tastes could change a lot in a short time.

 

Most guys at car shows who comment on cars are full of you-know-what! Two dufus' walk by and if you listen, you hear some of the dumbest stories between the two of them. "Facts" that are usually wrong. Just some real daffy stuff. Some of the comments to each other are kind of funny, what people come up with.

Then you have the guys who only want to tell you THEIR two-bit ****-n-bull story. A car they once owned (I bet!) ..or their uncle, or guy they knew. They don't give a darn about hearing yours. They just want to blow warm air. Makes me shake my head. My brother has a very short tolerance for guys like that and lets them know ...Ha ha.

Every once in a while you'll get a guy who will appreciate or like what ya have and tell ya in a sincere way. And that's refreshing.

 

About 10 years ago I did a LS1/4L60E swap into a 71 C3. Took it to many car shows. A number of negative comments on how I ruined a 71 C3 with a LS swap. I'm guessing none of them have rode in C3 with a LS1 with a 2800 stall converter and 3.73 gears.
I don't go to car shows for trophies. I go to talk cars.
Most folks that talk trash about your car have never built or owned any kind of hot rod.

 

I have a 79' also. In past years, I've had a 71' and (2) 78's and the clamshell seats in the 79 are more comfortable than my others. Also had a 90' which was a nice car but hard for my 80 year old body to get in/out of.

 

People in general are just awful.

OP, good for you calling out that jerk who insulted you. So many people saw awful things and people are afraid to say anything to them. I hope he was embarrassed and others heard it.

Same to that woman from Paragon. Morons.

I like some year Corvettes (or other cars for that matter) better than others, but why any adult would find it necessary to insult someone’s car is beyond me. They are just proving what jackasses they are.

 

I've been driving a rubber bumper car for many years.
I purchased it on purpose! No one held a gun to my head.
And after all these years. I still really like my car. And particularly the looks of it.
So if someone else feels the need for chrome bumpers because they think they look better, that's fine. But that doesn't mean I must prefer chrome bumpers too.
That's nonsense.
Truthfully however, I get far and away more positive comments about my car than negative.
As per the pure and simple fact that the rubber bumper cars are slower? No F, ing doubt about it. My 77 couldn't get out of it's own way back when it was factory stock.
It didn't really take much at all to change that.
Now, after all these years, just how many of these rubber bumper cars still sport a stock drivetrain?
And if you did buy one all factory. If you wanted more power, it certainly isn't difficult to change.

 

I mean when I went to the car show i didn't have my 79 with me. Its currently being worked on a lot. I was just telling him what I had since he asked me if I had a car in the show. And it wasn't really a show you competed in, more of a cruise in.

Its just annoying to me how these cars genuinly get disrespected so much as if they're the worst cars on the planet. Its sucks.

 

I have an 81 and a C5. That 81 gets so much more attention when its out. I have thought about getting a chrome bumper but really don't want to pay what a nice one would cost and just don't think I have it in me to redo one that needs work. Myself I like the front/rear spoiler look on the 80-82's but it does seen the chrome bumpers are the desirable ones. And ya their all slow compared to the new ones so lets enjoy what we have, my 81 with some work done to it is actually more fun to drive then my C5 and plenty quick for my tastes. More of a visceral experience.

 

The first Vette I specifically remember falling for was in 10th grade (1980). Rich kid had a white w/dark blue plush interior 79 no spoiler. My mother bought a brand new 82 collector Edition and it went to the top of my list as far as looks (she was very prudent not to let me drive it). But my 1st car love was our 70 SS 396 Chevelle which I fell head over heels in love with from the 1st time I snuck it out at 13 yrs old. So while the C3 was my favorite looking Vette, the hot rodder in me dreamed of a 65 396 4speed Stingray.

All that said, when it came time to finally seriously get a Vette for life (Aug of 2022) I specifically wanted a 76 or 77 which I ended up finding a really solid 77 4 speed AC car. I had a raging POS 75 Stingray yrs ago that mercifully was destroyed in hurricane Katrina and I knew I didn't want one w/figerglass floorboards which baked me outta the 75 even on a freezing winter day. I know that can be improved but the metal floor pans really solved that prob. Make no mistake, if I win the lotto I will get an early big block C3 as well as a mid 60's BB and an 82 CE but my favorite looking Vette is the flat rear window rubber bumpers no spoiler. The good news is I have a big block motor to land in my 77 as soon as I finish paying her off in 2 months so I'll have the pavement pounding torque we all love.

Despite the lack of power the 77 is a blast to drive and I love looking down the cowl thru those sexy fenders. I can't go anywhere and not get thumbs up and people wanting to talk cars. I wave at every Vette I see regardless of model and most wave back. All Vette's are cool including C4's but I firmly feel the C3 is the coolest looking hands down.

 

YouTube recommended this video to me. It came out today. While the OP's rant was not mentioned, it seems timely.

 

Styling wise, C4s and C5s are boring compared to a C3.

 

67:72 ........ I agree, As a chrome-bumper owner, I really like the late-C3s and would have one ('82CE) if I had the garage space.

Pilot1225......... Okay, I keep hearing people say some of the least desirable Corvette's are the late model ones (usually 78-82)
Many 68 owners feel exactly the same way, it's basically identical to a 69 but the 68 just doesn't get the same love !

Fly skids up...... The world is full of A holes. Just ignore that jerk. All that matters is how you feel about your car.

Rowdy Rat ..... I’ve said many times that I think that the 1980-1982 Corvettes have the cleanest styling of all of the C3s

Kanvasman......It is called CORVETTE ENVY. It is very common, especially among Mustang owners ( adding in Camaro's )


All of the above are true & very well stated & I feel the same way !!!

I dont' get this at all, it actually sounds like ..............."ONE OF THOSE GUYS" at the shows

 

Are you one of “those guys” that were “hopping coke cans” with a “3/4 race cam”
OP asked if the late models got hate because of a “performance gap” I don’t think so because they are all slow, relatively. I’ve never encountered anyone that purposefully bought a c3 for its performance. Or said I gotta have a 1972 because it made 200hp vice a 1978 185hp.
Usually it’s always chrome bumper or not chrome bumper. Maybe it’s big block torque over small block, but what from I’ve seen it’s looks, not the hp numbers that drive a difference.