Okay, I keep hearing people say some of the least desirable Corvette's are the late model ones (usually 78-82)

Why? I get they werent very powerful, but honestly i dont understand why anyone thinks a 78 or 79 is worse than something like a 75. 75 was easily the most sluggish year for the corvette. For California models, the 305 only made 165 hp. Whereas the 1978 350 l48 made 185 hp. And the 79 made 195 hp.

Then I hear "oh, well they had the ugly rubber bumpers!" Well, my friend, so did literally any corvette from 73-77. Yet, I rarely hear anyone say those are worse. Also, they aren't even ugly, they're just different. Most people i hear say this are chrome kissers. I still get plenty of people liking my "ugly" rubber bumper corvette.

Then it's the "well their interiors are just so cheap feeling." That may be so, but it can't be that bad. I've driven a 72 one time, and I gotta say that was one of the most uncomfortable rides ever. My personal 79 rides like a dream. The seats are phenomenally comfortable. No the interior isn't as flashy or muscle car-esc, but it still has style.

And then others say "well it was overproduced"
That doesnt make it a bad car. If anything that goes to show how popular it was back in it's day. They obviously were doing something right when they made the 79 model with its over 50k sales record.

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?"

I see it so much and so many people crap all over the late model c3s and its a little annoying. Actually its really annoying. 79 was a great year for different reasons. If you like HP so much, take that 350 and build it like im doing!! It's not hard!! If you like chrome bumpers more, all power to you! Youre entitled to your opinion but don't take a dump on someone else's car because you prefer a different one.

79 models get a ridiculous amount of disrespect and its infuriating.

Just wanted to say this as i want to know if anyone else feels the same or if maybe im just a psychopath or something i dont know.

 

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

 

Well it is still a Corvette no matter what. That imho says that you are one amongst a lot of fellow vette fans and while every one has their favorites, one size does not fit all. I personally don't listen to the chatter cause it don't matter.

 

It is called CORVETTE ENVY. It is very common, especially among Mustang owners, but is equally represented among all makes. FWIW I have a 78, and the only thing I don't like is that the rear window doesn't open, making loading stuff difficult. They changed that in 82. I do't want an especially rare car, because then I would be afraid to drive it.
Just remember, when you wake up in the morning and head out to the garage, there is a Corvette sitting there. That smile on your face will wipe away any thoughts of A holes you may have. Now you still might be a psychopath, I don't know. I am sure some of them drive Corvettes also.

 

my wife decided she wanted a corvette many years ago so I brought her a 79. It was a great car,she drove it for 8 years and the only reason we sold it was because she used to go to her mothers house and take her shopping.Well when her mother got into her 80's she had a hard time getting in and out of the vette so we sold it and brought a malibu.She still misses that car.I personally like the looks of the 79,not as much as my 69 but still a good looking vette.

 

Hell yeah man.

I respect that 100%! 69s are beautiful and honestly I think the 69 is the best c3 year. But i cant afford one and honestly its a 56 year old car so I feel like it would be harder to find one in good condition than one that's in crap condition that's gonna need full resto work.

 

I’ve said many times that I think that the 1980-1982 Corvettes have the cleanest styling of all of the C3s… I could really see owning a 1980 L-82 car at some point. And I have a real soft spot for 1979s too… That’s the car that my dad taught me how to drive manual transmission. I owned a 1974 454 convertible for several years and it was a great driving car. Hard to believe that anyone would put these cars down… They all have their strong points.

I moved toward the other end of the C3s (1968-1972) for a number of reasons, but I still like all of the 1968-1982 Corvettes.

Regards,

Stan Falenski

 

All c3’s, in stock form, are extremely slow. For someone to hate on the late models performance makes no since. A 70 c3 might be just slightly less slow than a later model, but still very slow.

I personally think the 81 front bumper is the best looking front bumper of any c3.
thats why my 75 has a 81 bumper.

Enjoy your car for what it is, hopefully you’ll start encountering some better people. They are out there. I trailered my non chrome bumper c3 to the drag strip the other week and I musta got 6-7 compliments from strangers. 1975 c3, rear spoiler, 81 front bumper, lowered, hood scoop, many mods. I made the car what I like, I don’t care what anyone else thinks of it.

 

When I take my 79 on a trip to South Carolina to my sisters or just out for a Sunday drive people ask what year and want to talk about the car and take pictures. My engine has been modified with different cam and lifters. She sounds really sweet. Her paint has held up well and the interior is still in great shape. While traveling to and from my sister's people have passed me taking pictures others have given me thumbs up. There are a lot of people i have met that really enjoy the styling of the C3s. I personally believe C3 is one of the best-looking Corvettes ever made. Just my 2 cents.

 

It could be worse. At least you don't have a Vega steering wheel...

Here's a later C3 feel good story. Last summer I drove the Vette to my favorite steak shop to pick up a couple New York's.
Even though I parked a mile away a pick-up was next to me when I came out & a guy was inside.
He said he just wanted to tell me that he wished new Corvettes looked more like mine....

 

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

No matter what Corvette generation, there are those folks who feel entitled to share their opinion about what year was the best or the worst. I'd bet it's common among all car makes - which is the best/worst Mustang, Camaro, Jeep, Ferrari, Cobra, etc. Folks who feel the need to disparage others are insecure and boorish –– either ignore them or smile, thank them for sharing, and tell them "Based on your opinion, I guess I'll have to sell it then".

 

Every time I take my 75 out, I get smiles, thumbs up and waves. And always attracts attention at cruise ins and car shows….or just when I stop. Be proud of your 79 and to hell with the haters.

 

At least you’ve got the gearing and slight horsepower advantage over the mid 70’s cars!

I think the public perception of American cars is that after ‘72 or ‘73 they all went downhill style and performance wise. The power is undeniable in the numbers, but that is easily brought back to early 70s levels with an exhaust, ignition tuneup, and better heads. I don’t think Corvettes suffered style wise nearly as bad as other cars though with the federal crash protection mandates. If anything I think the ‘73/‘74 front bumper looks better than a chrome one!

 

Just remind them that the 79 is the most popular Corvette ever made.

With a few mods, any C3 of any year can be better than any C3 that GM ever made. Stock, I find the 79-82 interior much more pleasant to be in (78 Pace Car too, of course).

And, as someone who hates chrome, I was happy that my window chrome came blacked-out from the factory on both my 79 and 80.

 

“Chrome kissers”
ha ha, good one!

 

Having owned and driven a few different year Corvettes, I feel that the 80-82's may actually be the best in some areas.

As was said above they do have some of the nicest lines of all 3rd generation Corvettes. They also ride better than earlier years, while also handling better, especially when equipped with Gymkhana Suspension and/or optional 255/60R15 tires. For people who liked to take trips in their Corvettes, the 80-82's got better mileage, and while using any cheapo garbage gas you cared to put in them. The 80-82's were also the most comfortable with the best seats offered in the 3rd generation, air conditioning that was strong enough to be comfortable on the hottest day of the year, plus 8 track or cassette stereo radios, power windows, power locks, power drivers seat, power mirrors, cruise control, etc, etc. With the big back window they also carry more and feel much roomier and brighter inside. When equipped with glass tops and the power seat they have more headroom than any other C3. I traded a very nice low miles (45,000) 74 L-82 coupe in on a new 81 in November 81. It was like going from a Ford Falcon to a Cadillac Seville. The 80-82's didn't have the raw power that 68-71's had, or even that of the early smog era 71-74's, but what they lacked in outright, plant you in your butt in the seat acceleration, they made up for by being a much better all around GT touring type sports car.

The performance of the average 78-82 wasn't really that much different than that of most 63-72's equipped with the base engine. The difference wasn't so much the power of the base engine, but more related to the extra weight the cars carried because of the added Federally mandated safety equipment (door crash beams, 5 MPH bumpers, etc), the required emission equipment, and the numerically taller rear gears needed to meet Federal emission and economy standards. The big performance difference between 68-72's and 73-82's (but especially the 78-82's), was the lack of available optional high performance engines. The quarter mile performance of an 81 Corvette if it had a 3.36 or 3.55 rear, probably wouldn't have been that much different than a base motor 69 or 70 with similar gearing.

The 78-79's weren't bad cars, but they did lack some of the features that made the 80-82's so nice. In particular, other than the Pace Cars, the 78's had the earlier seats instead of the clam shells. Compared to the 78-79 I personally prefer the cleaner, more put together look of the 80-82 body with the front and rear spoilers integrated into the design of the car, though I have to admit the Pace Cars and 79's with the spoiler package do have a rather pleasing "tough" look to them. Overall it's my personal opinion that the 80-82's have a slight edge because of the styling, some additional available comfort features and the better ride. This is especially true of the 81-82's with the fiberglass rear spring. Though it's not as big a deal today after many of these cars have been restored and rebuilt, but in 1981 the fit and finish of 81's and 82's built at Bowling Green (like my 81) was light years ahead of the quality of the St Louis 78-81's. In 1981 the difference between the paint quality and overall finish of my Bowling Green 81 compared to similar St Louis 78-81's was like night and day, but as I said after 40+ years of abuse, use, repairs and restoration, the original build quality really isn't much of a factor anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I love pretty much every year Corvette, and can easily find good (and sometimes bad) in just about any year Corvette. There are things to like and dislike about every year and generation. Some years get more attention then they deserve and some don't get as much attention as they should, but they're all Corvettes and I love all of them (well maybe not so much the 84-89's ).

 

I used to autocross my '67 and '72. One day a friend offered to let me take his '84 around the course. It was fantastic and just seemed to go wherever my eyes were looking - the performance in the chicane was outstanding with just a quick steering wheel flick from left to right to left to right; it was like the car was a part of me. I was so impressed my smile was all my friend needed to know about how much I appreciated him sharing his car.

While the C4s are a little bit ho-hum, the handling was head and shoulders better than C1-C3s. As I recall the '84 Z51 was the first to reach 1.0G in lateral acceleration.

 

I agree with most of your (OP's) points. Cars in many ways are a product of their time. It helps to view them through that lens. Weather it's a 65 Mustang with vinyl seats and drum brakes, a '57 Chevy... a 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500, or any yr C3. C3's were changed enough to keep them fresh until the rest of the car line-up could be changed...and the C4 come out.

In the 70's-80's GM had much bigger fish to fry than the 30k-40,000 unit/yr Corvette. Due to changing buyer trends, the gas crisis (shock) of 73, and pressure from preceived-quality imports, GM needed to turn the ship around and downsize (and improve economy) on bread & butter cars. Starting with the full-size cars released in 77, then the intermediates in 78. And the smaller cars. Then refresh square-body trucks in 81. All the while working on the next generation ...C4. It was a major LIFT to get all those cars 'modernized' in such a short amount of time.

I read where the investment GM made during that period was the greatest outlay of money and resources in the history of any company ever.

And besides ....after (and even before) the gas crunch period, people were shunning high HP (thirsty) engine'd cars, and buying Mazda, Honda & Toyota 4-bangers. That's just how it was back then. Most owners were ok with blvd cruising Corvettes that 'looked' sexy and fantastic. Sales went UP almost every year during those low hp years. They hadn't cracked the code how to get good economy out of high HP cars back then. Nowadays drivers can kind of have both.

 

Human nature: The one I own is always better than someone else's car.

 

Competition is the American way of life. Why would you think cars are any different? If your feelings get hurt...don't compete. I don't belong to any clubs and certainly don't put my car in shows for judging and a trophy. Take pride in your own accomplishments and be glad for what you have.
Life is too short to worry about what other people think.