Sugar scoop.
Need I say more.

 

Thanks a lot for the replies guys. I keep reading each post over and over. I just can't seem to make a decision. Want the best of both worlds. I do Want something that gives one am adrenaline rush like a high powered c5, but these damn C3's are in my opinion the most gorgeous/intimidating machines out there. And over that, buys C3 will gain value while a C5 will lose $$. The C5 won't lose to anything else on the streets while the C3 won't look better than anything else on the streets .

 

It a tough choice for sure! A C3 can be made to accelerate, brake, and handle much better than stock, but the cost will likely excede $25K. In my opinion, high speed stablity is where the C3 loses. I have a very highly modified and body-off restored 72 vette; just about nothing on or in my car is stock. You really don't want to know how much money I have in my car!! My car is quite stable up to about 150mph, above that, the front end gets light. I have been over 175mph in a supercharged C5 Z06, and the car was totally planted and stable at that speed. Big difference in the way the cars feel at high speed.

Bottom line, if all you want is all out performance, then the C5 is the better choice for the money.

A C3 wins the looks contest, hands down! I run with a pack of modified C5s and C6s, my car gets most of the attention!

As for your concerns for high speed stability, how often do you really expect to be going 150+mph anyways?

A C3, especially a chrome bumper car, will hold and rise in value, compared to a late model.

I see you are also in Toronto, you should come out and meet some of us. There is a Canadian section on this forum that is pretty active for cruises and events. In fact, several of us will be at the Queensway cruise night tonight. It is at the Canadian Tire at Queensway/427.

 

Trust me... For what you are wanting to do with the car, stick with a C5.

Anything short of a full restomod build of a C3 and a late model, fuel injected engine swap with a blower, a C3 is NOT going to do what you want it to do...


You can get the C3 to out accelerate a C5 no problem, but in my opinion it will never out handle or out brake a C5....and it damn sure wont have the top speed (aeros) of a C5.

Sure you can modernize a C3 for better all around performance and spend a fortune doing so, and it still won't likely be as good of an all around performance car as even a stock C5.

They are just different animals...I have both, love both, and they both do certain things well.... But all in all, I have to say I love the C3 more. I enjoy the "character" that comes with driving a 40 year old car with 40 year old techology. Not to mention it turns more heads then even the baddest a$$ c5/C6 could hope to.

 

I have a '69 coupe with a 350HP small block, stock. Before buying I took a serious look at a friends 2001 C5 and there was no contest. Mine is crude by comparison (but that's the appeal to me) and based on what others have said here it will take a lot of time and money to improve performance to close the gap to a C5.

Bottom line. The C5 gets you what you want much quicker and cheaper. The C3 has the advantage of being rare and you own a piece of history, but is a lot of work.

 

I was considering a C6 and selling my 70 vert. The C6 Convertible was nice but almost too nice. I liked the less refined masculine feel of the C3 so I kept the 70. C6 was just too feminine in my opinion.

Short of a Z06 the flat torque curve of the C6 was frankly uninspiring. Yes it is waaay faster than my L46, Yes it handles far better, but it just is not a chrome bumper car.

I would trade my C-3 for a newer ZO6 just not a regular C5/6 even with after market upgrades.

Just my two cents.

Bill

 

I sold my '69 for a C5 Z06 when it became clear that the dollars for value just didn't work.

My '69 was a numbers-matching L46/M-21/3.70 convertible...and it was absolutely outstanding. But the suspension was tired and as I tore into it and made a budget I was in the 20's before even thinking about the driveline. I'd driven a buddy's serious restomod and I knew what I wanted and what the C3 could deliver done right...but the numbers just didn't work, especially given the prices I was being offered for the car.

I figured the C5 would be a much less...rowdy car; I loved the exhaust note, the push you back in your seat acceleration and the skill it took to drive the C3 quickly.

But I have to say...the C5 Z is the best 'Vette I've ever owned. It is more refined in every way than the C3, but it's still got plenty of rowdy in it when driven hard. Autocrossing it is an absolute riot. I think the car still has classic, beautiful lines and is still very much a Corvette with many C3-type styling cues.

I'd agree with others that the only way you can have it both ways is to spend a massive amount of fundage on a C3 to even get in the performance ballpark and still keep the character of the C3. C5's OTOH are reasonably cheap and readily available. SCs are awesome...but I would spend some time with a Z before heading down that path; the C5 Z isn't short of power, and unless you're adding some serious rubber there is simply not enough tire for a whole lot more power IMHO.

Either way - you'll have a great 'Vette...so there is no wrong answer here

 

One thing you have to decide is how important high speeds are to you its no problem to make a C3 accelerate hard and anything with enough power can uptain speeds. Greenwood pushed his C3 way past 200 mph in the 220s, not very realistic on the public highways for any car.

Besides the better aero of the C5 making pushing it through the air easier with less power. Its the down force on the body that gives it the very well hard planted secure feeling at speed.

C4 frame torsional stiffness increased only 30 percent better then a C3 frame.

The C5 has 500 percent higher frame torsional stiffness over a C3 frame something even with a high dollar aftermarket frame is not going to happen for a C3.

You either want the C3 looks bad enough with its built in flaws or you don't.

The C3 coke bottle shape is still apealing. The tighter confines width of the coke bottle shape makes it feel a little more like you put it on when inside it, more sportscar like to me. looking out at the higher slanted fenders a much more pleasing view.

You walk up to a C5 its huge in both width and length. Almost out of the realm of a sportscar now reminds me more of the size of the early camaro' in size without the back seat. In fact its now not far off in wheelbase to the old camaro. Windshield is so huge in the C5 when viewed from the front coming at you it looks like someone is mostly driving a windshield down the road not a car. From the back wiew the width of the car looks good. But its all in what someone likes.

Definition of a sportscar only says for sport with two seats.

 

I love performance too, but I'd never take an ugly car over a gorgeous one to get it. With a gorgeous car everyone who looks at it is going to be impressed, with the ugly C5 the only people who are going to be impressed is the occaisional person you beat in a race.