Choosing between a '79 and a '90
 

I've had a black 1990 six speed Corvette coupe for four years. I paid $9,200 for it and now I'm looking at a bright red '79 Corvette coupe with an automatic transmission. The price tag on the '79 is $9,000.

I looked at the '79 several months ago, and I thought it had been sold. But now this car has come back into my life. I spent a lot of time talking to the owner yesterday, sitting in it and starting up the engine. It has a beautiful paint job, which was done by the owner of a big body shop in Richmond, Virginia. The interior is pretty good. The car runs well.

But the driver's side headlight won't flip up on its own. The owner said it has a leaky vacuum hose. The other problem, he said, is the power doorlocks don't work. But the car can be locked manually with a key from the outside.

I'm thinking seriously about buying the '79 and selling my '90. But everything works on my '90. After I bought it, I had to replace the headlight bushings, replace two computers for $500, get the horn clock spring replaced for $300, replace a warped wire chrome wheel for $400, replace the battery, re-pad the brakes, and replace the shocks. I spent a lot of time and money getting everything to work.

The '79 has a little over 72,000 miles, while my '90 has 110,000. I can't have both cars. But I really like the '79 and always have liked C3s. One concern that I have is the current owner says he's driven the car only 6,000 miles over the past 15 years that he's owned it. I'm just a little worried that a car nearly 30 years old might start to develop engine problems. I've got a daughter who'll be going to college in 2009 and I don't want to own two Corvettes, unless I win the lottery. My wife says buying the '79 would be taking a step back, especially when my '90 is running and operating well and is in such good condition. What would you do?

is that the bright red one on ebay? its in virginia.

I'm hooked on the "slimmer" feel of the C3's and the fender sphere's sticking up to aim with!

Seriously though, You've had time to "dial-in" your '90, have confidence in it and know what you've got. The '79 needs work..how much is not know until you've got a few miles behind the wheel.
The other consideration is how long it takes for your '90 to sell and at what price?
I'd hang with the status quo. :thumbs:
JU

I went with the bright red 79. Will never regret it!

I have had 5 different C3's 1 C2 and a C4 (91). Don't get me wrong, I did like my C4 and the C2. I just enjoy the C3's the best. Don't know anything about the '79 your looking at; I can tell you the the door locks and vac head light accuatures are a common problem and not exspensive to fix.

2 of my C3's were very nice and I enjoyed them when I lived in San Diego as daily drivers. One was a red 4 speed and the other was an black Auto.

Search this forum for a few tips on what to look for in rust on C3's. This should be easy to find as we have been talking about making a good purchase for a couple of days.

I wound't want the C3 as a DD; the C4 is much better for that.

If the engine is original, you never know when it is going to have something fail (same with any car). If you need the car as your primary transportation, I'd suggest that "reliability" is your biggest concern; if so, the '90 is your best alternative. Reliability was a much stronger issue with GM after having their quality get trounced by the Japanese car market in the '80s. If the car is just something like a hobby for you...and you really prefer it, then go with the '79.

SO DID I.....BUT (MIXED FEELINGS)

Looks like my story. Four years a black 90 as a DD.
Now i own a bright red 80 for 3 years, but not as a DD.
I miss my 90's seats, space inside, handling and performance.
Love the look of the 80 more then the 90, but driving it is....... different.

Mike

Depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to cruise around and look cool then a C3 is better. If you want to go distances or a DD then I would stay with the C4. I have a C4 driveline in mine, but I still would not want to drive it daily. Long distances would be fine, but I just wouldn't want it as a DD.

I love the attention my '80 gets when out and about, especially how even the little kids stop and say "nice car mister!" It's definitely a better head turner than my '86. (And it's basically a "10 footer")
The C4 is more "civilized" and I feel more confident with its performance.
I trust it to drive anywhere.
:iagree:
I too would say the C4 as a DD and the C3 for casual use.

If Gas mileage is an issue, well.. there's no contest!

Either way.. your driving a 'vette!!:thumbs: :cool:

:iagree: :thumbs:

the 79 would be an emotional decision and the 90 is the practical decision, what kind of guy are you? I would go for the 79 but it definitely would not be a daily driver, so if you must drive daily , stick with the 90. With your wife already talking that the 79 is a step back, anything that goes wrong with the 79, even normal stuff, could end up in an "I told you so " situation, therefore potential problems with the wife. decisions, decisions, let us know what you decide.

Im just curious, is this car in Mechanicsville VA? I stopped and looked at a red 79 L-82 auto for sale yesterday, 72000 miles, red interior etc.

I own a 79 myself and I do love the car. But as others have stated about the 79, mine is not a DD either. It is a hobby car I use for cruises, date nights, fun weekend stuff. 2 other posts hit on key considerations - you have the 90 dialed in and you know the car (devil you know vs. the devil you don't) and the wife factor (I told you so).

I own a 79, but in your case, especially with the college factor coming up, I would stick with what you have and what you know.

My 77 sees some DD use (when it's running). I don't think I'd want it to be my primary or only driver, but I have no problem driving it every day for a few weeks at a time if my other vehicle is down.

My vote would be the 79, but I'm biased because I own one. As a personal preference, I love the curves and contours of the C3's compared to the C4's.

As others have stated, I get a lot of reactions since they look so different from any other cars you see on the road. Of course it's usually the "nice Stingray" comment. That, in and of itself wouldn't be a determining factor for me purchasing one though. In the end, drive what YOU like!

Mine used to be my Mom's. She purchased it in 1980 and it was her daily driver from 1980 to about 1992.

It sat in their driveway for a while after that and I've been fixing it up since about 2000. I really like the fact that it's so easy to work on when I want to do maintenance myself. No fancy computers or over-complicated engine components to worry about.

Now that I've brought it back up to speed, I wouldn't hesitate much using it as a daily driver except that it increases my chances of someone running into me...

It's still got the stock radiator and I've even driven it on 100+ degree days here in Dallas which is the only time I get a little worried. Even then it drives fine and doesn't overheat, but I have to sacrifice the AC to keep the engine temp down on those types of days.

Good luck. Hope you make the right decision for you be it the 79 or the 90!

:iagree: 100%

While I am completely a form follows function kinda guy, I just flat out love the look of the C3, particularly the 78-82.. Especially the 79...

I'm going out on a limb here, but I think even the newest of Vettes are ugly.. They like style and tradition..

That's just me... Sorry...

:iagree: Great color for a C3 Vette.

Thanks guys for all the advice and insights. This is almost like choosing between two women. I like the fact that the C3 doesn't have a computer. I have a friend who has a C5 and when I told him about the C3, he said, "A carburetor? Do you want your life to be miserable?"

I told him my first four cars had carburetors and they all worked fine for me.

I really like the C3 body style, and much more than the C4. Even my 16-year-old daughter says, "The C3 has nice curves. The C4 is too straight." My current Corvette is not a daily driver. We have a Honda and a Dodge. But when I drive the Corvette it's seldom for less than 36 miles and quite often it's for 50 miles. Wednesday night, I drove it 105 miles to two meetings.

So, if I got the '79, I might have to take it on a 50 mile or even a 100 miles trip. I live out in the middle of nowhere and everything is 20 to 30 miles away. I've also driven the C4 on trips that were almost 400 miles one way.

In a way, I hope someone buys the '79 so I can stop wanting it. It's in Mechanicsville, Virginia. I don't think it's on Ebay. It has such a great paint job because before 1992, it was owned by a man who owns a well-known paint shop in Richmond. The frame has been painted black, and I think that was done before 1992. I didn't see any rust.