C2 Or C3?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 984
Likes: 1
From: SAN FRANCISCO CA
C2 Or C3?
this will be my first classic car, and my first vette. the only years that i am even considering other than any c3 is maybe a late c2 (65,66,67) but it seems, pricewise, that these are more expensive relatively. am i wrong?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,135
Likes: 3,939
From: Connecticut, USA
C2's are a LOT more then C3's. Pull the body off and you have the same setup though. There are pro's and con's to each year. Since you are new to them I suggest you go to some shows and join the vette club to learn a bit more about the cars.
You can not base the value or condition of these cars on the asking price. Too many people have been taken buying these cars and then finding out just how much maintenance they require.
I've seen a lot of them over the years but if you do a search here you'll find out a lot on what to look for before parting ways with your cash.
Good luck, buy it to drive, don't think of it as an investment.
You can not base the value or condition of these cars on the asking price. Too many people have been taken buying these cars and then finding out just how much maintenance they require.
I've seen a lot of them over the years but if you do a search here you'll find out a lot on what to look for before parting ways with your cash.
Good luck, buy it to drive, don't think of it as an investment.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Both of the above are totally correct, join the local vette club, get to know the club guru.....there is allways ONE guy who knows more about them than the rest....get him/PAY him for his advice on a purchase....
without SO much 'inside' information you can VERY easily get screwed, and be pissed to the point of dropping the hobby....
without SO much 'inside' information you can VERY easily get screwed, and be pissed to the point of dropping the hobby....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,465
Likes: 0
From: Orange Park Fl
You can get a lot of great advice here. The first thing to figure out is what you want it for. Do you want to drive it? Do you want to own a pristine museum piece? Do you want to restore a basket case? (If this is your answer, ask ALOT of advice before you put out any cash). Start by defining your objective, then you can get some good answers. God bless, Sensei
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
seriously though, yes, a C2 will be more expensive than a C3 and the early chrome bumber C3's more than the later rubber bumper C3's.
The advice given on deciding what you want the car for - driver, show car, project car, etc is excellent advice and is really the first thing you should thing about.
also, SIT in both styles as you may easily find one is much more comfortable for you. I love the chrome bumper C3's as much as the C2's but the interior room for ME is less so it's too tight for me to be comfortable but my '78 has more room in it than the earlier years so it fits me better.
LISTEN WELL to the advice of joining a club and getting to know people that knowthese cars well as it's easy to get burned by buying one if you don't know all the areas to carefully check out before purchasing - for example the birdcage is difficult as best to be able to evaluate it's condition but if you end up with a car with a rusted/rotted out birdcage you are in a bad place...... you really need to know what to look for in these older cars
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
If you want a C2 the most expensive are 63 coupes, 67 big blocks, fuellies and numbers matching cars. The 63 and 64 have drum brakes. convertibles are more expensive than coupes (except split windows) A nice 64, 65 or 66 coupe with NOM small block in good condition is your most economical C2 purchase. Just like the C3's check the birdcage and frame real well for rust issues and buy the best condition car you can afford. Paint is expensive. Everything else is easy to fix and parts are readily available. Good luck in whatever you choose!
