First time future C3 buyer, looking for information about model year changes, what to look out for etc.

[Chuffer]

C3`s are good old fashioned engineering and generally reliable , but never lose sight of the fact that C3`s are now anywhere from 54 to 40 years old and like anything mechanical of that age will require fettling , tinkering and attention from time to time . Vacuum operated headlights , especially on a car not used regularly may cause gremlins .

 

[Chuffer]

Oops ! Antijam`s reply came through whilst I was typing mine , so sorry for saying much the same thing . I think it proves the point though ???

 

[trevbeadle]

Absolutely! All I was saying was if you need garage services to change a spark plug or unblock washer jets and other minor day to day niggles you obviously have deeper pockets than me!

 

[GCorvette]

I suspect many C3 buyers have been seduced by the striking aesthetics and shiny bodywork at attractive prices only to find the reality of ownership requires more money, a lot of work if they're a diy mechanic, or a lot of time with a specialist garage.

That is my dilemma in a nutshell.
None of my three Corvettes to date (1999-2007) needed anything other than minor fixes.

Maybe a C3 is a step too far back in time for me?

 

[Chuffer]

Absolutely! All I was saying was if you need garage services to change a spark plug or unblock washer jets and other minor day to day niggles you obviously have deeper pockets than me!

Yes indeedy ! And if you feel inclined to try changing the sparks plugs yourself you will need to have reach of a veterinary surgeon and the dexterity of dental surgeon . !

 

[Vetman]

My advice would be as follows:
1) Do not buy as a daily driver
2) Only buy an expensive C3 if you can garage it
3) Be prepared to look for and fix issues yourself to the greatest extent
4) Regard all problems as an opportunity to learn more, improve the car, or upgrade the car.

 

[Chuffer]

Owning C5`s and C6`s will be an entirely different kettle of fish to a C3 and I agree with all the key points Vetman said . But travelling back in time can have its upsides as well as the down sides ( which can be many and varied ) , after all just look at that styling plus the looks you will get from passers by .

 

[Roscobbc]

Having looked at all the comments so far (and agree with them - to a point) - for any owner/potential owner of a C3 (and C1 + C2) if you are not particularly technical minded and perhaps afraid to take-on maintenance tasks on your Corvette - fear not - in this electronic, digital and complicated world you effectively have an 'analogue' vehicle that is really quite basic in terms of technology (with, perhaps a few minor exceptions). Unlike later Vette marques you do not need ECU readers - C3's (except perhaps the very last ones) are really quite home mechanic friendly for most basic work.
OK so its a V8 and 5.7 litre. Nothing too trick here, even compared with something like a Morris Minor or Ford Pop. It's just that there is more of everything, 8 cylinders rather than 4. Yes, the carb is a little more complex and there are certain parts of the car that are very specific to Corvettes (like vacuum headlamps and rear suspension) and you have the potential complication of an auto transmission (these are virtually bulletproof).There's plenty of written info out there about maintaining Corvettes available both in book form and on-line.

 

[antijam]

We've listed some of the negatives and pitfalls of C3 ( and older ) Corvette acquisition, but this isn't to overlook the positives, simply to help prospective buyers to make a fully informed assessment of their intended purchase. As Rosco points out, they are by today's standards quite simple and in many ways this simplicity makes garage attention more difficult to find than for a modern car. How many of today's garage mechanics fully understand Carburettors, Distributors or complex vacuum operated systems for example?
I would never deter anyone from buying a C3 - you're buying a fantastic looking car with exceptional performance for its day. The point is to make a fully informed buying decision with your head rather than your heart.

 

[trevbeadle]

Agreed, and as you say there is a plethora of information on the web and knowledgeable people who will give advise to help us keep these beautiful classics going.

 

[Vetman]

Agreed that most C3 cars are easy to work on at home for the majority of problems arising, but you have to want to do it. If you have no interest in home mechanics then perhaps you shouldn’t have a classic unless you can afford to pay regular garage bills.

 

[kentvette]

Going back to the original post, I see that Gibbo205 wants a car that is "pretty much spot on" and he is only interested in small routine type maintenance.

That's fine, and I'm with hime in a way (it just didn't quite work out like that!). But, I 'd say the he needs to be aware that he'll need to pay a little more and do a lot of "digging" into the car he may by, to ensure that it is "spot on" and that it isn't hiding anything. That's mainly why I recommended tom's book as well as the Black Book - the latter gives only build info, Toms book gives an isight into things to look for. Not to mention the Buyer's Guide available to members!

And I'd say if you are buying any classic, especially if you are panning on getting s "non-project" example, a garage is an absolute pre-requisite.

Finally, I'd say get out and look at some examples, there are plenty of members car's to look at - too many people seem to read and watch YouTube an think they have all the info - you need to get up close and personal, feel them, sit in them, smell them, even ride in them. Then you'll know what you like, want, need and can afford!

 

[Gibbo205]

Hi there

I consider myself OK with spanners, rebuilt the bottom end on my E46 M3 track car some years back, fitted a supercharger to a S197 Mustang myself, done brakes, undersealed my S2000, fitted all new suspension all round. The only work I tend to leave for garages is bushing replacement as I don't have a press but anything that can be done with spanners, sockets and a grinder I am OK with.

Spoken with Gavin from EMC and hopefully he has a black 1980 lined up for me, once lockdown is over plan on visiting him and he says any car I buy from him will have fresh interior and stuff like brakes, wheel bearings and springs will all be changed to new prior to selling which is something that makes sense to me is to put all fresh suspension on and fresh brakes all round.

 

[CaptainK]

As novice person when it comes to car mechanics, I thought I'd add my input. I most bought my Vette because its V8, shiny, and looks awesome. My mechanical skills are very novice compared to the wonderful work I see others doing on this forum. I see owning a classic car as an excuse to tinker with a car, and have a go at fixing things myself. The Vette, as expensive and shiny as it looks, is actually fairly simple without any complex electrics in it.
So far I've had a go at playing with mine and done little bits here and there. I know a lot more experience people will think of stuff as easy, but its a great feeling of accomplishment when you have a tinker, diagnose and fix a problem. I had an issue with mine when it was a hot day, diagnosed for ages and ultimately worked out it was fuel percolation (something I didn't know about before) going on in the carb. So it was all learning for me, and a "scary for me" fix of removing the carb and placing a small (0.5 inch) heat isolation gasket between the intake and the carb. I learnt a lot doing that and it was great.

Now I have my Vette (and my FTO) in a nice big double garage, I'm intending on doing more tinkering with them so I can learn and maintain them more myself.

That all said, most jobs I do prefer to take the Vette to a garage to do. From my perspective it is a hugely costly purchase I made, and a big investment, and I don't want to risk buggering it up. My FTO however, had it for ages, its pretty much worthless nowadays so if I bugger it up - Meh.

 

[kentvette]

Hi there

I consider myself OK with spanners, rebuilt the bottom end on my E46 M3 track car some years back, fitted a supercharger to a S197 Mustang myself, done brakes, undersealed my S2000, fitted all new suspension all round. The only work I tend to leave for garages is bushing replacement as I don't have a press but anything that can be done with spanners, sockets and a grinder I am OK with.

Spoken with Gavin from EMC and hopefully he has a black 1980 lined up for me, once lockdown is over plan on visiting him and he says any car I buy from him will have fresh interior and stuff like brakes, wheel bearings and springs will all be changed to new prior to selling which is something that makes sense to me is to put all fresh suspension on and fresh brakes all round.

Ha! It sounds like you're more than capable of looking after a Corvette then, especially one that comes with the refurbishment that Gavin does! Stay away from that grinder though!

 

[Gibbo205]

Hi there

The 1980 car that is coming to the UK which could potentially be mine, has an L48 engine, is this a bad thing, should I really be looking for an L82 car? On paper the L48 is 190HP and the L82 230HP, so apart from 40HP difference what is the positives and negatives of the L48 vs L82 in the 1980 Corvette please, maybe someone has driven both?

Also what is the legality with putting an exhaust on a 1980 Corvette with no cats, is that legal, what happens come MOT time, though I know an MOT is not required but if I took it for MOT for safety checks, would it fail because of no catalyst?

 

[Daytona Vette]

of that age will require fettling , tinkering and attention from time to time ..

The majority of C3 owners are 60 years of age plus, in fact older than the C3 that they drive, so they know as with their own bodies, they are of that age that they too will require fettling, tinkering and attention from time to time

 

[Chuffer]

Hi there

The 1980 car that is coming to the UK which could potentially be mine, has an L48 engine, is this a bad thing, should I really be looking for an L82 car? On paper the L48 is 190HP and the L82 230HP, so apart from 40HP difference what is the positives and negatives of the L48 vs L82 in the 1980 Corvette please, maybe someone has driven both?

Also what is the legality with putting an exhaust on a 1980 Corvette with no cats, is that legal, what happens come MOT time, though I know an MOT is not required but if I took it for MOT for safety checks, would it fail because of no catalyst?

Do not be put off by the L48 engine , the later C3 `s were more of a cruiser than an out an out sports car but are are still great fun to drive . I cannot speak from experience of driving an L82 car . My 1980 started life with the 350 cu in. L48 engine which was replaced with a 305 cu in. higher compression engine from a 1985 Camaro IROC -Z and fitted with Holley 750 cfm carb on an Edelbrock Torker 2 inlet manifold . Thus the BHP is now probably closer to an L82 .
Removing the cat is not a problem as I have removed mine to release a few more BHP and give a meatier exhaust note too A 1980 or older car is no longer liable to MOT testing but must be maintained in a safe condition . I still MOT mine for peace of mind and to keep up a continuous record file . It will does fail due to no cat and modern emissions test data will not cover a 40 year old Corvette anyway .

 

[GCorvette]

It will does fail due to no cat and modern emissions test data will not cover a 40 year old Corvette anyway .

That lost me...
If I read it correctly, you say it will fail an MOT without the cat, but why if there is no 40 year old data as you also say?
I'm not (as I have stated) technically minded, so apologies if the above is clear to everyone but me....

 

[Gibbo205]

Do not be put off by the L48 engine , the later C3 `s were more of a cruiser than an out an out sports car but are are still great fun to drive . I cannot speak from experience of driving an L82 car . My 1980 started life with the 350 cu in. L48 engine which was replaced with a 305 cu in. higher compression engine from a 1985 Camaro IROC -Z and fitted with Holley 750 cfm carb on an Edelbrock Torker 2 inlet manifold . Thus the BHP is now probably closer to an L82 .
Removing the cat is not a problem as I have removed mine to release a few more BHP and give a meatier exhaust note too A 1980 or older car is no longer liable to MOT testing but must be maintained in a safe condition . I still MOT mine for peace of mind and to keep up a continuous record file . It will does fail due to no cat and modern emissions test data will not cover a 40 year old Corvette anyway .

That is good to hear.

So if I get this 1980 Corvette with the L48, fit a full exhaust system on it to get the right noise and have no catalyst, plus give it a major service, new plugs, oil, new better ignition system and fit a performance air intake, would this car be back towards L82 power levels 220-230HP?
I've done some reading and research and it seems to point towards that the L48 is a better cruiser, more low down torque, this is fine by me as I am not buying a C3 Corvette to drag race but at the same time if I floor it from a stand still be good if it could maybe have enough power/torque to smoke it wheels a little and most importantly sound good like a proper V8 should. I assume L48/L82 do sound more or less same and that is all strictly down to exhaust fitted.