New member checking in from PA
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 29
Likes: 12
New member checking in from PA
Long time gear head, 'retired' auto/diesel/fleet/heavy equipment mechanic, looking to become 1st time C3 owner.
Past cars:
First car was a 307/th350 '69 Nova I bought for $600 at 15 years old with proceeds from selling my CR-125 and doing oil changes at a local mom & pop garage. My HS autoshop teacher found me a forged crank 327 short block that I rebuilt with TRW flat tops, solid lifter cam and L98 113 'vette heads. I had a local trans shop build the th350 with a manual reverse transbrake valve body and swapped in a '73(?) 4.10 8.5 ten bolt. Two weeks before getting my license it ran a traction plagued 13.30 at Island Dragway with my uncle behind the wheel. Some soft springs and Lakewood 90/10's up front, ladder bars and 50/50's in the rear, it eventually went 12.6x's on Hoosier Quicktimes. Unfortunately at a family BBQ my uncle let slip just how fast the car was. Between pressure from my father and my then GF hating the car I stupidly sold it.
Second car was a '70 396(technically 402) SS Camaro 4spd. Besides headers, slapper bars and some carb/distributor tuning it remained basically stock and ticked off 13.8x's on fat street tires. Between the big block, no overdrive and 3.73's in the 12 bolt she was a thirsty girl. After graduating HS I got a job at a dealership with an hour commute each day so I(again stupidly) sold the car.
Third car was an '85 SVO Mustang that the dealer I worked for took as a trade in. EFI and turbo tuning still being a bit of a dark art at the time, I left the motor stock. I did lower the car about 1", rolled the fenders, ditched the quad shocks for tubular trailing arms and scored a set of brand new takeoff 17" '97 Cobra rims through a buddy working at a rim & tire shop. It was decently quick and if you kept in in an rpm range that made boost it a blast to drive on back roads but I did miss the low end grunt of a V8. Want to guess what I(stupidly) did with that car? If you said sold it you'd be correct.
Fourth car was an '86 5.0/5spd notch back Mustang. I threw nearly an entire Granatelli catalog at the suspension, did a 5 lug conversion, spun a bearing, built a 331 w/MAF that blew up a handful of T-5's before finally swapping in a Top Loader because I had a new job closer to home and didn't need OD with the 3.08 gears. I actually didn't sell that car. It was stolen.
Since then I've mostly been rolling around in Jeeps, usually 97-04 Grand Cherokees including a '98 5.9 Limited, but also literally rolling my 5.0 swapped YJ. My current ride is a 1996 E250 cargo van with the mighty 4.9L straight 6.
Why'd I join CF?
I've always been a sucker for early C3's, particularly 69-72's, and there are enough of them on FB market place or CL at reasonable prices in desperate need of complete re-do's(north east winters aren't kind to frames or suspension components). I recently looked at a '73 with a cancerous frame, rod knocking Goodwrench crate motor and ratted out interior. From what I could get at the bird cage was solid, it had a good body(other than a cracked urethane front bumper) along with a clean title, making it a prime candidate for a restomod. I'm at a point where I again have the time and money to put into a project car so I figured here would be as good a place as any to research C3's. Sadly that car sold before I made the owner an offer.
Past cars:
First car was a 307/th350 '69 Nova I bought for $600 at 15 years old with proceeds from selling my CR-125 and doing oil changes at a local mom & pop garage. My HS autoshop teacher found me a forged crank 327 short block that I rebuilt with TRW flat tops, solid lifter cam and L98 113 'vette heads. I had a local trans shop build the th350 with a manual reverse transbrake valve body and swapped in a '73(?) 4.10 8.5 ten bolt. Two weeks before getting my license it ran a traction plagued 13.30 at Island Dragway with my uncle behind the wheel. Some soft springs and Lakewood 90/10's up front, ladder bars and 50/50's in the rear, it eventually went 12.6x's on Hoosier Quicktimes. Unfortunately at a family BBQ my uncle let slip just how fast the car was. Between pressure from my father and my then GF hating the car I stupidly sold it.
Second car was a '70 396(technically 402) SS Camaro 4spd. Besides headers, slapper bars and some carb/distributor tuning it remained basically stock and ticked off 13.8x's on fat street tires. Between the big block, no overdrive and 3.73's in the 12 bolt she was a thirsty girl. After graduating HS I got a job at a dealership with an hour commute each day so I(again stupidly) sold the car.
Third car was an '85 SVO Mustang that the dealer I worked for took as a trade in. EFI and turbo tuning still being a bit of a dark art at the time, I left the motor stock. I did lower the car about 1", rolled the fenders, ditched the quad shocks for tubular trailing arms and scored a set of brand new takeoff 17" '97 Cobra rims through a buddy working at a rim & tire shop. It was decently quick and if you kept in in an rpm range that made boost it a blast to drive on back roads but I did miss the low end grunt of a V8. Want to guess what I(stupidly) did with that car? If you said sold it you'd be correct.
Fourth car was an '86 5.0/5spd notch back Mustang. I threw nearly an entire Granatelli catalog at the suspension, did a 5 lug conversion, spun a bearing, built a 331 w/MAF that blew up a handful of T-5's before finally swapping in a Top Loader because I had a new job closer to home and didn't need OD with the 3.08 gears. I actually didn't sell that car. It was stolen.
Since then I've mostly been rolling around in Jeeps, usually 97-04 Grand Cherokees including a '98 5.9 Limited, but also literally rolling my 5.0 swapped YJ. My current ride is a 1996 E250 cargo van with the mighty 4.9L straight 6.
Why'd I join CF?
I've always been a sucker for early C3's, particularly 69-72's, and there are enough of them on FB market place or CL at reasonable prices in desperate need of complete re-do's(north east winters aren't kind to frames or suspension components). I recently looked at a '73 with a cancerous frame, rod knocking Goodwrench crate motor and ratted out interior. From what I could get at the bird cage was solid, it had a good body(other than a cracked urethane front bumper) along with a clean title, making it a prime candidate for a restomod. I'm at a point where I again have the time and money to put into a project car so I figured here would be as good a place as any to research C3's. Sadly that car sold before I made the owner an offer.
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From: Hickory NC
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Welcome to the Forum and best wishes with finding the C3 right fr you! 
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From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
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Sounds like you have had some pretty cool cars in the past. Best of luck in your C3 search and welcome to the forum.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 29
Likes: 12
While I'm hoping to find an original 'bumper' car, anything pre-cat will work thanks to aftermarket fiberglass. Cost of changing the nose on a '73 isn't too bad but goes up quite a bit if the rear needs to be done too.
Thanks for the welcomes.
Last edited by JimmyHill; Jun 6, 2023 at 03:18 PM.
