Hey, this is my first post and I apologize if it is a bit broad in topic but I know nothing about Corvettes other than they look good and go fast. But, I figure let's start with the general and work towards the specific.
So here it is: I am looking to buy an 80-82 Corvette as sort of a project car to keep me busy. I am looking to make it a learning experience as well as being productive enough to enjoy the car in the near future. Soooo, I was looking for some guidance regarding what you thought would be the best options from the bonnet to the boot. I don’t want to go crazy but I would like something that looks smooth and is fun and noisy to drive. Tires, engine, transmission, suspension, whatever. I am hoping the wealth of knowledge found among these pages will guide me in the right direction.

Thank you in advance for the help, it is truly appreciated.

 

Hi dr,
New Forum member AND you like Corvettes!. This will work!
I'll ask a question to begin... you list some items; are you looking for suggestions about those areas in a stock 80-82, or are you asking for modification suggestions?
Regards,
Alan

 

I'm betting that your not from around here.

If your asking about original equipment options, 80-82's don't differ much. Power steering, brakes, windows, AC, tilt column, intermittent wipers, and stereo were all standard. Options pretty much came down to power locks, seat, & mirrors; as well as aluminum wheels, glass tops and various radio upgrades.

If your looking for aftermarket performance upgrades, the skys pretty much the limit.

Welcome to the Forum!

 

Thanks for the reply guys!
I am from NY, I was just having a bit of fun with the bonnet and boot thing.

I guess engine upgrades and the like would be a place to start. I have looked up the guys over at enginefactory.com and have not found anything better. So, would that be a safe bet when it comes to a reliable powerful engine?

Then transmissions. Are the stock ones of quality or should I look into replacing that as well?

What is worth while keeping stock, to keep the price down and what would be considered a worthwhile modification?

The interior is straight forward I would assume. If it needs doing then fine; seats, carpet the like.

If it needs a paint job, fine. Straight forward.

Basiclly, I am trying to get an idea about what I am potentially getting myself into. Pitfalls, cronic problems, common upgrade and the direction people go when tinkering with this type of car.
I am really a blank slate when it comes to these cars, so I apoligize if these things are very basic in nature. I just truly have no point of refrence.
I like information. I can process it understand it and work from it. I dont mind getting absorbed by it all. So feel free to open up. I will follow to the best of my abilities.
Lastly, I want to have something that I can pass along to a son or daughter when that time comes, while still having the opportunity to enjoy it now on road trips and such.
Maybe its better put to ask, "If you had/have this type of corvette, what would/did you do to it?"
Truly, thank you for any information or guideance you can give.

 

Hello Donkey

You are looking for something to keep you busy. This will do it
You are looking for a learning experience. More than you can imagine
You are looking for some guidance. Its right here
We can’t guarantee that you won’t go crazy lots of us have.
WELCOME

 

welcome donkey, your in the right place. i'm no genius, but alot of these fine corvette brothers are. don't be afraid to ask. we''ll get you on the right path to corvette fun. where in new york are you .lebanon valley raceway is having a big car show on sunday 5/29. along with a full schedule of drag racing.

 

The best advice is to find a vette in the best shape that you can. Guys try to sell you junk for 8-10 K because it's a vette. Don't fall for it. If it needs a lot of work, it's going to need a lot of cash. Find one in good shape, and use your money for upgrades, not repairs. You'll have a lot more fun that way. Good Luck!!

 

I think the more accessory options these stock late model C3's had the lower there performance. For example, if you look at several cars, I bet you will see some with the A/C belts removed. The a/c stops working and they yank the belt for an extra HP or so.

If you are giving this to your daughter, she is going to want A/C. I would make that a priority. You may have to retrofit it for the new freon.

Next, I would think about standard or automatic transmission. A standard car will feel more powerful and fun to drive. I think it takes more power to make an automatic car fun than a standard.

These cars are very fun and easy to work on even with a basic mechanics tool set. If you are going to give it to your daughter you want it to be reliable. Therefore, I would try to get it as close to stock and unmolested as possible. You can figure the wires behind the dash will be a mess from a few after market stereo installations over the years.

When looking at the car I would drive it and see if the A/C works. Pop the hood, If it has headers walk away. If you see an Accel distributor, leave. If the word Edelbrock is anywhere on the car, its been dogged.

All I am saying, is it would be easier to start from stock and modify it yourself for more power IF you want. I would try to get a stock L82 with a 4 speed standard and A/C.

--------------------
When I am not trying to get my car running, I am helping seniors find caregivers in Austin

 

Thank you all for the warm welcome and the info. I am now on the look out for a car. I will be back once I find one. With plenty of question I would imagine.

 

This is VERY good advice. Drive a few so you know what a "good" one feels like. Leave your money at home so you don't go crazy after you light the first one up and find your self with an incurable case of "Corvette Fever." You will have fun looking, so take your time and enjoy the search.

And, this is very important. Don't buy a car unless you have someone who knows Corvettes look at it for and with you. If you are serious about a car ask to take it to a Corvette shop, or at the minimum a GM dealer and put it on the rack. If the seller refuses, than say no thanks unless he they have a very good reason such as a "top flight" or similar award. You will find a lot of interesting people selling Corvettes. This site can be a great place to find a car.

 

Where in New York do you live? I am from New Paltz and have an 81, you are welcome to come take a look. I just put in a new crate motor and done lots of other work.

 

If you have driven any late model camaro's,firebirds,vettes,hell even some newer ricer cars,you will be very disappointed when you drive a STOCK 80-82 corvette.
Fact is they look cool but are slow as hell compared to modern sporty cars.

 

Hi, Just be on the look-out for frame & bird cage rust, just about any other thing is solvable, but can be pricey. If you can do a major portion of the labor it turns out to be very enjoyable,,,, and cheaper ta' boot. Good luck & welcome to the madness. Peace,,, moosie

 

Buy a couple of the Corvette coffee table history books. All of them will tell you about the 80-82 models. Before looking for a car, knowing what you're going to be looking at is helpful.

There are a couple of C3 Buyer's Guides; they can be helpful.



Not bad:


There are other titles.

Good luck with the hunt.

 

Go to some shows and do some looking and talking. It may be too much for you to just dive off into a project like this without knowing what to expect, all the aggravation and how costly it can be. You can say the same things about getting married though but that never stops anybody from doing it anyway. At least you can sell the car when it gets to be too much trouble. Take my wife, please.

 

FYI, 1980 was the last year without a computerized engine. (The '80s for sale in California was computerized though), and the '80 was 300 lbs or so lighter than a '79. These are a few of the reasons I bought an '80.

I've really enjoyed evolving my '80 to a nice, snappy driver over the past 10 years. Once I get my 5-speed intalled, the only original main part's I'll have are the gas tank, frame, and body (except for bumpers...they're aftermarket).





Speaking of the frame, that is the main thing you need be concerned about when shopping for any year Corvette. Everything else is pretty easy to fix or replace.

When you go to inspect one, bring a Phillips screwdriver and remove the panels from the side of the footwell inside the car. Take pictures of this area and post them here on the CF Forum for expert opinions.

 

Lots of good advice here. I've had my '80 for seven years after buying it stock from my cousin. A crate motor, 5 speed Tremec, and new interior makes it a good looker and a blast to drive. Mine came from CA, but if you're looking at NY cars, be very careful to inspect the bird cage as suggested. When I replaced my interior I stripped all the parts covering the frame and cleaned and painted it. Just surface rust to deal with in my case. I'm also in NY state (upstate) and have seen some C3's that look OK but are real rust buckets. A quick look at the door mounting posts will give you a clue. You'll probably need to replace the rubber body mounts, and other components that have aged. IMHO the late C3's were among the best styled and I'm happy with mine. Good luck.

 

Reliable and powerful end up being somewhat contradictory as you go up the scale, but you can do pretty well. Any crate engine based on a small block chevy will bolt right in if you are replacing the whole thing. GM Performance sells versions from the slightly better than stock replacement 290 hp version to a 383 cubic inch with 425 hp. I think they all have warranties of one kind or another.

As for transmissions, they were old tech by the time the C3's were winding down. The '82's had 4 speed automatics, but in terms of a hobby car, well, they have some unique issues (as do the '81's). You can build the TH350 3 speed auto to be as tough as you will ever need, but it will keep your revs high at highway speeds, if that bothers you. There are several companies that would be happy to sell you either an automatic or manual overdrive to swap in, if you want to do that down the road. Factory manuals were pretty rare in 80-81, I don't think they were offered in '82.

Pure stock restoration versus modification is a tough question to answer, but everyone has an opinion. 100% factory correct cars seem to be the most valuable generally speaking, but if we're talking 80-82's, you're still not looking at anything too radical in terms of value. I was looking for a Mustang or Camaro when I got my '81, but the prices were close to double for similar condition cars. I couldn't even find a 2 door V8 Nova for what I paid for my car.

This era was something of a nadir in the US auto industry, and the Corvette performed down to that standard when it rolled off the assembly line. That is not something I want to replicate, so I'm modifying as I go with my '81 project. My car will be worth less than a factory correct restoration down the road, perhaps significantly so, but that's a risk I'm willing to take to have a bit more fun in the process, though others have a lot of fun trying to get to that factory correct status. To each his own there. If you have all of the stock parts and have the space, it certainly doesn't hurt to save them.

Good luck.

 

hehehehehe "donkeyrope"