I'm looking at a 78 coupe thats for sale. I talked to a guy who's supposed to know, he said 78's were the lemons of the c3's.
I've never owned a Corvette. What's the scoop???

 

Boy you sure know how to make friends fast......there is a common misperception that the late 70s vettes are the ones on the bottom of the vette food chain.....under powered, emissions/smog controls etc..etc.. the 78 is the first yr of the glass back rear window and is the 25 yr anniversary edition.....people like and dislike many things about all vettes.....make this choice on your own do not be influenced by others...if you like it buy it....the chassis,brakes, suspension is all very similar if not the same on most C3s.....there is a difference in engines and HP between yrs

 

ACTUALLY, they are all lemons now, since they are so old.

Seriously, the '78's are just as good as any year.

 

After owning one, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another one

 

The 68's had issues like cooling problems because they were the first year this body stye was in production. And nowadays they have one-year-only unique parts which can be somewhat more expensive. Perhaps this is what your "friend" was thinking of.

The 78's are just fine. (Actually, the 68's are just fine too -- most of their problems got solved by their owners years ago!)

 

Hello,
And what made this person an expert on which Corvettes were lemons, and which were not?

I think he is generalizing the year. Maybe he had one bad experience with a 78, and therefore "they are all lemons" I had a 78 Anniversary and I loved the car. The only thing that I can remember going bad on it was the driver side passenger window. So I would definitely say that it was not a lemon. In fact I liked it becasue it was the 25th anniversary year, and it had a nice big emblem on the gas cap to prove it.

If you like the style, or the color, or the cost, then you should consider it. But if it has problems that was missed during the inspection, then it will live up to its "lemon" name, regardless if it deserved it or not.

kdf

 

'78 and '79 were the two years with the most Vettes bought, ever. That should give you an idea alone.

 

I get 3 ideas:
1 - they pushed so many through that they were careless building them
2 - there are so many that the probability of getting a lemon is higher
3 - they were so popular and sold well, so they must all be "good"

Either way, the "lemon" in them has long since dried up.
Just watch out for rust in the frame and birdcage.

 

The only thing sour here is "this guy's" attitude toward the best produced model years of the third generation. By 78 with the redesigned fastback and interior...the platform had matured quite a bit especially when considering safety features, insulation, creature comfort features, ride, handling and ability to be used in gymkhana type racing. Also consider the use of the "P" series tires that aided handling features. These late models had the best, I mean the best suspension setups of the entire C3 production run. The only downside is they also featured the lowest horsepower output.

Apparently, as many can attest to on this forum...that is easily overcome. While I've kept my 35k 78 stock and original, last year it was driven 2,500 miles to be a part of the 50th anniversary display in Nashville then displayed at the NCRS (the original) national convention in Hershey...and not a single mechanical problem. Maybe the 100,000 were lemons but mine is sweet!

 

"Lemon" as far as quality? Or Lemon as in "dud". As far as original build quality goes, the '78 was as good as any other C3, with the exception of the '68, which had it's issues because it was the first year of the generation. Then again, the original build quality of any C3 was only as good as any American car of that era, which I think was considered poor in general. Remember, the Japanese eventually ended up dominating for a reason. Still, original build quality is not much of a factor at this point in the life of any C3, because they are all between 22 and 37 years old. In the case of your '78, it all a matter of how well that car has been maintained over the years by it's owners. It's a 26 year old car. It WILL need a budget. You will not just drive it carefree as if it's a '01 Honda. These cars are a hobby, and require money and patience. You have to know that going in.

If your "friend" was referring to the '78 as a lemon because it was a "dud" as far as performance goes, well, you can't compare '78s, to '68s, '88s or '98s. These are all different eras, and there were reasons why the mid seventies to late '80s cars sucked in the performance dept. Thank government regulation and a lack of technology to compensate for it. A '78 Corvette was at the top of the food chain compared to other '78 models just as a '05 Vette is on top compared to other '05s. You just can't compare a '78 Vette to an '05. The nice thing about a '78 is that it has all the potential of the pre '73 Vettes. Same small block V8. You just have to modify and tweak the car to wake it up. To me, the '73 - '82 Vettes are the best values. They are not expensive because, with only a couple of exceptions, the collectors are not really interested in them. They look kick azz becase they are C3s. And you can mechanically mod the crap out of them without killing any serious value. Mod an all original Bloomington Gold L-88, and you're a fool. Mod a '78 plain jane, and who really cares.

So, no. The '78 Corvette was truly not considered a lemon in any way. Either it's your "friend's" personal biased opinion based off lord knows what, or he's just doesn't know Sheet about Corvettes. If you like the car, and it gets the thumbs up after a thorough inspection by a local Corvette specialty shop or experienced Vette mechanic (look for rust!!), and the price is right, buy it if you want it. Just tell your friend he doesn't have to ride in it. The Corvette Forum is here to help you, and these folks will.

Good luck.

 

The scoop is filled with a pile of s**t. I drove this car for 17 years and it was a joy! The Wife and I have many fond memories of cruises in this vehicle. It soldiers on as my younger Brother's Corvette. Still looks fine and he enjoyed it very much last summer. Very dependable ride when maintained properly.

 

I REALLY don't want to **** anyone off, but in fact the only Corvettes are convertibles, and when it comes to that plainly FUGLY 'fastback' style that Mopars championed at the time, I find the Vettes doing that style are plain ugly....it's a grafting on a Vette of some other body style best pulled on in a larger car,.....operating or fixed, those large rear windows look stupid...period....now having said that, the extra fuel tank capacity would be welcome, and I"m working on that....

GENE

 

This guy was definitely referring to stock performance...as far as buying that 78 goes, if you like the looks of the car and it's been decently maintained then buy it. Remember, that 350 under the hood is one of the most commonly and cheaply modified motors on the planet. You could have one of the best looking cars ever made with as much performance as you want it to have for not a whole lot of $$$...and you might even have some fun getting it there. Just my .02

 

Sounds like the guy you talked to doesn't know crap about vettes. There was a reason why so many mid and late 70's vettes were sold. It wasn't because of the high performance, it was the way they looked.

 

Mopar inspired? No, try prototype inspired.

The prototype was a fastback, not a notchback or a vert.

And don't forget the C2s were fastbacks too. Ever conder the '78 - '82, and the Mako Shark II took it's stylings based on it's heratage? Grafting on a Vette of some other body style? WTF are you talking about?

 

I am still running the original setup including motor on my 78. No problems other than minor oil leaks. Yes I fix things on it as required but lets not forget we are talking about a 26 yo car. Very dependable and lots of fun.

P.S. If you are worried about performance of the 78 then read the thread I posted yesterday about How to wake up that lazy L48 without major work

 

Yeh, ok, I forgot about the Mid Years, yeh those coupes were ugly too, split window and all,....so they and Mopar repeated the sin....

still FUGLY IMO.....the cars in any case are too small to offer any reason to bother with that style....

but in fact I owned a '61 Catalina Poncho with fast back styling and custom interior, and so forth....too boot that car could scoot....
it had a super large rear window coming well above the rear pass seat back, and still an operating trunk of decent capacity....it was about the only passable car I have ever seen of that 'fastback' style that made any sense whatso ever....

I still feel the late shark fastback style is a grafted on to make it sell, and to that extent it certainly was successful....but sometimes there is NO accounting for TASTE....

NO flames intended, not trying to start an arguement, but it's the way I see it.....

GENE

 

not pissing anyone off after a comment like that would be impossible..

 

Well, consider it done. You've managed to **** at least one off. What is "fugly" is a matter of opinion. As mentioned above, it was more a prototype inspiration and let's not forget that the 63-67 C2's had a fast back design. I've never heard anyone refer to them as "fugly". Like many mopar's I think you have some rust under your hood.

Peace out.

P.S. I just went to see your custom vette on your page mrvette, and I really think you need to keep your opinion to yourself on what is "fugly". "No flame intended"

 

"in fact the only Corvettes are convertibles"...
EXCUSE ME?!?!?!
"FACT"??? WHAT FACT??? WHERE DID YOU DREAM THIS ONE UP???

Gene...i follow your threads and replies with interest and respect but i have to make exception to the REDICULUS reply you offered here...
i am shocked that a man of your knowledge would make such a statment as you have here...
i, for one have owned both a vert and a 79 and FOR MYSELF i would never own another vert...
my 79 is quieter and more solid feeling than my vert ever was on its best day and it was a 30,000 mile, 3 yr old car!
not to mention that the 79 is MILES more comfortable than the earlier models...

having said that tho...i am a "to each his own" kind of guy and respect the verts and the people that like them...
not to mention that there are definatly very cool looking...