help me decide! c3 or c5?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,047
Likes: 69
From: Hanover MA.
The C5 is much more refined & reliable, has more creature comforts and handles better. The C3 does have a nice classic look, goes fast in a straight line, doesn't stop as well as a C5. Also, the C3 rides like a buckboard compared to a C5. You are young enough that the choppy C3 ride might not bother you. However, if you drive both the C3 & C5 before you make a decision, you will probably choose the C5. JMHO, as I have owned both. Good luck with your search. 
Racer
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 366
Likes: 2
From: deptford New Jersey
point on
Ask yourself what you want to do with the car. If your into shows, enjoy restoration, go with the C3. Still wish I had my 70. If you want to do extended trips, overnites, etc.. like a lot of the folks in the C4, C5 and C6 sections on the forum do, go with the C5.
Financially, if you make the right deal on a C3 you can always sell it for at least what you bought it for. The newer cars at this pint are still considered just used cars and lose value each year.
They are both a blast, but in a completely different way. Good luck with your decision.
Financially, if you make the right deal on a C3 you can always sell it for at least what you bought it for. The newer cars at this pint are still considered just used cars and lose value each year.
They are both a blast, but in a completely different way. Good luck with your decision.
I have both a c-3 and c-5 , and use them for exactly what was posted above.Good luck......
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,208
Likes: 0
From: Newport Beach California
ok guys, heres the situation. iv been wanting to buy a corvette for about 2 years (currently drive a 84 camaro) and have been saving as much as possible for the time, and the time is quickly approaching. but now that its here, im completely split between whether i want a c3 (68-72 chrome bumper only), or a c5. heres what im thinking
c3:
pros: i looove older cars the sound, the looks, the roughness. my uncle has a 69 camaro and thats probablly the badest car iv ever driven. muccchh easier to work on, more space and less electronics. i get that cool vintageness. even though im only 18, id love to drive a 40 year old car. i could do more work myself since it has much less electronics and what not. more unique
cons:in my price range, car may be a little rougher shape. not very good on gas. i feel like at the start it wouldnt be as fast as the c5 (although it would probablly be a nice jump over my camaro).
c5:
pros: much newer, better shape. probabally a good deal quicker. iv done more research on them and know more about them, although i dont mind reading up plenty on the c3 if thats what it comes to. great gas mileage!
cons: only so much i can do to it to make it unique. theyre not unique, theres 3 within a few blocks of me. very expensive aftermarket, and almost every performance upgrade needs a retune. i couldnt do as much work due to all the electronics, etc.
sorry for the long post but im split! haha i think im leaning more towards the c3, but want to hear you guys opinions. thanks!!!
c3:
pros: i looove older cars the sound, the looks, the roughness. my uncle has a 69 camaro and thats probablly the badest car iv ever driven. muccchh easier to work on, more space and less electronics. i get that cool vintageness. even though im only 18, id love to drive a 40 year old car. i could do more work myself since it has much less electronics and what not. more unique
cons:in my price range, car may be a little rougher shape. not very good on gas. i feel like at the start it wouldnt be as fast as the c5 (although it would probablly be a nice jump over my camaro).
c5:
pros: much newer, better shape. probabally a good deal quicker. iv done more research on them and know more about them, although i dont mind reading up plenty on the c3 if thats what it comes to. great gas mileage!
cons: only so much i can do to it to make it unique. theyre not unique, theres 3 within a few blocks of me. very expensive aftermarket, and almost every performance upgrade needs a retune. i couldnt do as much work due to all the electronics, etc.
sorry for the long post but im split! haha i think im leaning more towards the c3, but want to hear you guys opinions. thanks!!!
not gonna lie tho, a c3, especially at our age would be BADA$$, especially if you ran around town with no cats and a rly obnoxious cam
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 813
Likes: 0
From: N E area of state Kansas
ok, well I have both. they are diffrent rides. DD, C5. My C3 is a complete custom, and is faster than my 5. I like the lines better. But, even with a redone suspension in the C3 it still can not handle anywhere near the C5. I can have a conversation in the C5, and my wife likes to ride in the C5.
If you go with the C3, don't ignore the later ones. You pay a lot for a chrome bumper, and I don't think you will see a return. You can get a 74-82 for a lot more reasonable price and I think that you have a better chance of seeing values inflate down the road. The chrome bumper market has already inflated and if I had one I would be looking to sell in the next 3 years, not buy.
That being said study your C3s. Check the cage before you buy and be prepared to do some work as there will be old parts. If you want performance, you have to be ready to mod, and a lot. In order to get mine up to speed it took a 95 vette LT1 and some other goodies. As far as the guy that said an accord had more power that is just not true, so don't sweat it. (there are a few years that came our rated at about 180 horse or so, but the torque was still decent. Your camaro is probably faster unless it is the kind of Camaro missing two cylinders)
If you go with the C3, don't ignore the later ones. You pay a lot for a chrome bumper, and I don't think you will see a return. You can get a 74-82 for a lot more reasonable price and I think that you have a better chance of seeing values inflate down the road. The chrome bumper market has already inflated and if I had one I would be looking to sell in the next 3 years, not buy.
That being said study your C3s. Check the cage before you buy and be prepared to do some work as there will be old parts. If you want performance, you have to be ready to mod, and a lot. In order to get mine up to speed it took a 95 vette LT1 and some other goodies. As far as the guy that said an accord had more power that is just not true, so don't sweat it. (there are a few years that came our rated at about 180 horse or so, but the torque was still decent. Your camaro is probably faster unless it is the kind of Camaro missing two cylinders)
Pro
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
From: Springfield MO
Just like several of the other people here, I have owned both a C3 then a C5.
C3 - This is a great sunny day driver or for the weekends. I would not enjoy having it as a everyday car... The C3 is almost 80% more likely to have problems, they are 30 years old! I think I replaced about everything on my C3 other than the body... Had to rebuild the engine, transmission, rear end diff, Radiator cracked 2 times, T-Tops leaked, etc etc...
C5 - This is the best of both worlds. I could DD, and road trip it. It just flat out handles and feels so much better. Most likely your not going to have major problems as even the oldest are just now getting 13 years old...
Right now is a great time to buy no matter your choice because of the market. However you WILL see better savings on a C5 over the C3, unless you find a crazy deal. People are still trying to hold on to their toy/fun cars. But the car lots and people that couldnt afford C5's are selling them CHEAP. Get the newest 2004 you can find and never look back.
But if you want just another car, man do I miss my C3. But they are both beautiful and fun cars! You cannot go wrong unless you lie to yourself about what you're really wanting.
C3 - This is a great sunny day driver or for the weekends. I would not enjoy having it as a everyday car... The C3 is almost 80% more likely to have problems, they are 30 years old! I think I replaced about everything on my C3 other than the body... Had to rebuild the engine, transmission, rear end diff, Radiator cracked 2 times, T-Tops leaked, etc etc...
C5 - This is the best of both worlds. I could DD, and road trip it. It just flat out handles and feels so much better. Most likely your not going to have major problems as even the oldest are just now getting 13 years old...
Right now is a great time to buy no matter your choice because of the market. However you WILL see better savings on a C5 over the C3, unless you find a crazy deal. People are still trying to hold on to their toy/fun cars. But the car lots and people that couldnt afford C5's are selling them CHEAP. Get the newest 2004 you can find and never look back.
But if you want just another car, man do I miss my C3. But they are both beautiful and fun cars! You cannot go wrong unless you lie to yourself about what you're really wanting.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 184
Likes: 17
From: GUTHRIE OKLAHOMA
As an owner of a 2000 coupe and a '71 coupe, I don't have a lot to add to what's already been posted. I've had my 71 for about 25 years and my '00 2 years. The c5 in far superior in every way except one.
Passion! If you feel it for the older car, you'll know. The passion is what will make you overlook the harsh ride, bad air conditioning, cramped passenger compartment, old school engineering, etc.
IMHO the chrome bumper cars are absolutely gorgeous. Also, the comparative rawness is part of what stirs the passion.
I'm over 50 years old, so the c5 suits the way I use it more than the c3does now, but if I was your age, I'd find the best chrome bumper car I could find and start a long hot love affair with it ASAP.
Passion! If you feel it for the older car, you'll know. The passion is what will make you overlook the harsh ride, bad air conditioning, cramped passenger compartment, old school engineering, etc.
IMHO the chrome bumper cars are absolutely gorgeous. Also, the comparative rawness is part of what stirs the passion.
I'm over 50 years old, so the c5 suits the way I use it more than the c3does now, but if I was your age, I'd find the best chrome bumper car I could find and start a long hot love affair with it ASAP.
Last edited by OUFAN76; Apr 13, 2009 at 01:56 PM. Reason: typo
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,208
Likes: 0
From: Newport Beach California
As an owner of a 2000 coupe and a '71 coupe, I don't have a lot to add to what's already been posted. I've had my 71 for about 25 years and my '00 2 years. The c5 in far superior in every way except one.
Passion! If you feel it for the older car, you'll know. The passion is what will make you overlook the harsh ride, bad air conditioning, cramped passenger compartment, old school engineering, etc.
IMHO the chrome bumper cars are absolutely gorgeous. Also, the comparative rawness is part of what stirs the passion.
I'm over 50 years old, so the c5 suits the way I use it more than the c3does now, but if I was your age, I'd find the best chrome bumper car I could find and start a long hot love affair with it ASAP.
Passion! If you feel it for the older car, you'll know. The passion is what will make you overlook the harsh ride, bad air conditioning, cramped passenger compartment, old school engineering, etc.
IMHO the chrome bumper cars are absolutely gorgeous. Also, the comparative rawness is part of what stirs the passion.
I'm over 50 years old, so the c5 suits the way I use it more than the c3does now, but if I was your age, I'd find the best chrome bumper car I could find and start a long hot love affair with it ASAP.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 25
The even bigger hassle with the old cars is stress fractures in the fiberglass. No matter what you do, you grind out a crack repair it, repaint and a year later you have a crack somewhere else. Stick w/ the C5.
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
I got more looks and thumbs up with my (then new) 1980... than I have had with any of the C5's we've owned.
my "second" wedding day; Nov 1981
and for 1982, you get the C4 engine and an automatic overdrive transmission.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,208
Likes: 0
From: Newport Beach California
hopefully my first will never come
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 0
From: Qualicum Beach British Columbia
im leaning more towards the c3 but i still love the c5. im just trying to find out the negatives and positives of each. for example, on the c3 forum theyre telling me c3 isnt a good daily driver, i was interested in why not? i was pretty much settled on the c5, till i drove my uncles 69 camaro. now im split! itll probablly end up being whichever i find first for the money i have. keep the opinions coming though!
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,501
Likes: 1
From: TAMPA BAY FL.
get a c3 and stuff an LS-1 or LS-6 in it. They make all sorts of stuff for c3's.
Major Components
The many choices in regard to major components such as suspension,chassis, and engine/drivetrain, will heavily influence your costs. These days many are opting for the current generation of Corvette engines suchas the LS1, LS2, or LS6. While these engines involve more work to install, e.g., ECU, wiring harness, instrumentation, fuel and cooling systems, there are also after-market suppliers for these components. The source list in this issue has many of them.
http://www.corvettefever.com/howto/c...ing/index.html
Major Components
The many choices in regard to major components such as suspension,chassis, and engine/drivetrain, will heavily influence your costs. These days many are opting for the current generation of Corvette engines suchas the LS1, LS2, or LS6. While these engines involve more work to install, e.g., ECU, wiring harness, instrumentation, fuel and cooling systems, there are also after-market suppliers for these components. The source list in this issue has many of them.
http://www.corvettefever.com/howto/c...ing/index.html
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Not always. If you buy a very good condition car and drive it all the time parking it outside rain or snow or shine and then sell it at the point it needs a complete restoration you likely won't get what you paid.
It will be very hard to DD a C3 and not put "wear" on it.
Some people mentioned dropping a LS1 into a C3. The LT1 is modified small block and would drop in much easier. In my opinion, the LT1 has about the best streetable heads/intake/cam setup GM ever made for a small block. Pair it with an overdrive transmission and you've got a much more highway drivable car. Tuning software is pretty cheap for a OBD1 computer LT1. It might be cheap for a OBD2 computer now but it wasn't in the past.
Peter
It will be very hard to DD a C3 and not put "wear" on it.
Some people mentioned dropping a LS1 into a C3. The LT1 is modified small block and would drop in much easier. In my opinion, the LT1 has about the best streetable heads/intake/cam setup GM ever made for a small block. Pair it with an overdrive transmission and you've got a much more highway drivable car. Tuning software is pretty cheap for a OBD1 computer LT1. It might be cheap for a OBD2 computer now but it wasn't in the past.
Peter
