r/C3Corvette

1971 warbonnet
468/4spd

2011 grandsport
Ls3 full kooks exhaust but still stock otherwise…for now

I have the opportunity through a family friend to get this 1972 Corvette Stingray. Original paint. 350 with 4 speed transmission. AC car. Interior is rough but I'd like your opinions. Price will be under 7k

Just picked her up a few days ago. What do you guys think? Any advice for a first time C3 owner?

I just looked at this 1975 for sale and took a few pictures. I'd like some experienced opinions on the rust issues.

I've seen pictures of pristine #2 body mount locations on the birdcage which look like there is sort of a "U" shaped reinforcement insert at the bottom. If you're following my description so far, imagine that only the sides of the "U" are left and that the bottom of the reinforcement "U" is gone, but that the non-reinforcement bottom is still there to a descent degree.

On the passenger side picture, I've highlighted in blue that part of the vertical channel is rusted out. This has also happened on the driver side, although harder to see in the picture.

At the corners of the windshield above the top door hinges, there is evidence of prior rust mitigation. I checked with a magnet and there is bondo there. I did not have time to take off the T-top trim.

The underbody picture shows an area that has rusted away. Apart from that though, the rest of the underbody and frame rails appear to be structurally sound.

Other details: Has 383 stroker engine with aftermarket carb, MSD ignition, etc. Fiberglass/paint in nice shape - a few hairline cracks, but no major underlying damage apparent. Manual transmission. Nice interior. Aftermarket leaf springs. Drives fine. Radiator mount is fine. Trailing arms look good.

There are a few things that need to be fixed. The headlight vacuum needs some work. Turns signals don't work. You have to give it gas for a minute after starting it or it will stall. And the engine continues to run for 10 or so seconds after taking the key out (pre-ignition/detonation?). The heater has been removed (so wouldn't be able to defog/defrost windshield). Some play in rear wheel hub. But the main thing is the rust, because fixing that is beyond the time and effort that I'm willing to put in. I'm looking to buy it for enjoyment, not a show car, but want to be able to sell it again in the future.

Seller is asking $10,500

Please leave your opinion, including any thoughts on these questions:

How hard would it be to sell in the future?

Thoughts on purchasing, including offer price, or rather walk away.

If the #1 mounts are in good shape, how big of a deal is the #2 mount condition?

Car needs quite a bit of repair, but I’m thinking about upgrading the engine first. How much horsepower can the stock chassis, suspension, and automatic transmission safely handle?

Has anyone done a similar build recently? I’d love to hear about your experience, including what you upgraded, how the car has held up, and how much the entire project ended up costing.

Kooks headers, Holley 4150, msd pro billet distributor, msd digital programmable box. Stock 4 speed with a 3.73 rear gear I believe. And some other supporting shit. Next up is heads and nitrous. (Also ignore the speaker I just installed a kenwood radio, speakers, and amp.

A few pics of my 77' first c3 I bought it this June. L48 auto

What do y'all think of my 72 sportwagon.

It was taken almost straight from the factory and fitted with a full body kit made by eclairs in collaboration with greenwood.

It's got a 383 stroked engine pushing over 600hp and the whole undercarriage and transmission (4 speed manual) were top of the line as of the mid to late 2000's.

It's currently got just shy of 8k miles on the original odometer.

Dam I love this car

Hello,

I want to buy a 1987 Corvette. It’s been driven around 300,000 km (I was told the mileage doesn’t really affect these cars). I think the paint is in great condition, and it’s being sold for around $6,000. This would be my first car, so I’m not sure if I’m making the right decision, especially considering insurance and maintenance costs.

I’m used to driving Teslas and Mercedes, so I know it won’t be comparable to an older Corvette, but I’ve always wanted one as my first car. However, I’ve heard that they require frequent maintenance/insurance.

For reference I’m a university student and plan to use it to commute to work and school, so I’m also wondering about fuel costs, I’m not too knowledgeable about cars, but I am willing to learn about them.

Nothing major has been modified on the car. I’m thinking of negotiating the price down to around $5,000. The transmission fluid has been changed, and the owner said they haven’t even washed it this year because they barely used it.

Here are some photos of the car. Everyone keeps telling me it’s not worth buying and that a C4 Corvette is more of a project car, while another friend says they’re not the most practical but are actually reliable. Who should I believe?

Tldr: car worth it! I kno it’s been probably asked too many times, but I’m in a rush and have to make a decision asap! THANKS! I checked it out yesterday and it looked nice no issues w it.

I know there’s more to this car other than appearance hence I’m asking! This will be my first manual car.

Hello, I was just wondering if there’s anyway to get this piece without buying the whole radio off eBay?

Hey guys! This is my 81, finally decided to post here! Built in the first week of July, 81, I have a copy of the original dealer invoice which I’ll post when I find it. It is a factory red/red leather car, with 1 repaint, original interior. This was originally an automatic, 3 speed, now it has a new Tremec TKO 5 speed and the motor has been completely de smogged, and nicer heads, intake and a Holley carb installed. Along with the manual swap, the differential was completely rebuilt and a 3.70 gear was installed. This was my first car in high school, and had around 65,000 miles on it. I have had the car around 7 years now and put around 40,000 miles on it since. My dream car is a 1969 corvette with a big block, but this will tide me over until then! The 80-82s are the best looking late C3s IMO.

This is my 78. Blueprint 383, Bowtie OD 700r4, and running Holley Sniper. Next big step is this car needs a lot of wiring fixes, has anyone custom built or bought a full body wiring harness for a C3? I would like to convert over to a blade fuse panel. Im running multiple aftermarket accessories so preferably one with extra slots. Every time i turn around, i have another wiring issue to fix. Past owners have created a rats nest. Any help is appreciated!

Had a rad leak since I got the car last fall and finally got some time to swap it out and fix a couple other things.

Swapped out the rad, the water pump, fan clutch, some hoses, air filter, hood insulation, and spark plug wires. Topped it off with an oil change and it runs like a dream!

I’ve never worked on cars before so it was a great learning experience! This “should” hold me over till I swap the motor in a few years, hopefully!

So I’m the new proud owner of a nice 1976 Corvette. It doesn’t need a little bit of work, but it’s not any work that I’m afraid to put into it. The only thing is I’m new to working on classic cars and carbureted engines. And before anyone makes fun of me, I’m only 18 years old, so that’s my excuse for not having that kind of experience. Anyway, for some reason when I start the car and let it idle and get warm as soon as I press the brakes to shift into gear, the engine stops, and I’ve tried to look up what that might be whether that’s a vacuum issue or anything of that nature and I cannot figure it out to save my life. If anyone could give me some guidance, that’d be pretty awesome. Thank you

I inherited my grandfather’s 1976 Corvette. He bought it in the early 90s and tooled around with restoring it, but wasn’t able to keep up with her in his later years. I’m trying to troubleshoot issues with the windows and the radio. I’m an electrician, so my mind immediately went to wiring/fuse issues, but I’m a bit out of my element here. I found some wires that seem to be broken/chewed through/disconnected so I’m trying to sort out what’s intentional and what needs to be corrected (hopefully) without tearing the entire interior apart.

Are there any wiring diagrams or schematics that I should look into getting?

Current replacement engine 350/300 (not numbers matching) developed a lower end knock. Several shops wanted $6800 to rebuild without upgrades and possible replacement components. Jegs 350/300 5.7 (tins included) updated exhaust manifolds, fuel pump, starter, and others $4100. Very long story. Will be worth it.

I’m looking to buy a 76 corvette for $4k with these body mounts pictures. Is this too far gone to be worth it. The pictures are from behind passenger front wheel and the rear passenger access panel.