This is my first post so please be gentle! I currently own a 81 Porsche SC. I love my car, I have worked very hard to restore the 911 and now that the project is done I am looking for a new project. I have always loved the Corvette, my father owned a new 68, so I am thinking about building a Corvette. I have some requirements for my next project first it must be fun! Second I need to be able to finish the project and have a very nice car for less than 20K. Third the car need not be original but it must be reliable and have a quality fit and finish to the car. So what do you think could a 68-73 meet my requirements?

Welcome to C3VR!

For more years than I'd care to count I'd always wondered what it would be like to drive a 911. Last summer one of my cousins showed up at a family gathering with his new toy, a late model 911 drop-top. He had owned a mid-60s Corvette many years ago so we swapped keys and headed down the road. While the new technology of the 911 was impressive, it just lacked the sheer joy of driving that I enjoy from my Vette. The 911 was too smooth, too quiet, too vague, I don't know. It just wasn't the driving experience I'd imagined.

You will encounter many opinions on what to buy in a C3. But whatever you end up doing, whether it be taking a near basket case through a total frame-off restoration or tweaking an average daily driver, you will have a ton of fun with the project and still have some of your 20k budget left to buy gas with.

Good luck, enjoy, and keep us posted on your project.

Thanks for the reply! Can you or someone give me some info on the best buy for a 68 – 73? Honestly I hated it when the Corvette lost the front bumper, but I have seen some pretty good deals on 73 & 74 cars. I am wondering how heavy C3s are. What changes were made year to year etc. I live within about 5 miles of Summit Point race track and plan on taking any toy to track days so what is available as far as brake upgrades? What tire sizes will fit on a car in this year range? What is the CR rating? Is lift at speed an issue? Is there a good upgrade path for the seats? The stock C3 seats that I have seen look like they might not hold you in the car very well in a turn. Sorry for all the questions, but if I am going to do this I want to start right.

What year is your cousin’s 911? The new cars are much faster, handle and brake better than my car but I would not trade. The 911 got power steering and brakes in 1990, and in 1995 the rear suspension was upgraded again. These new cars are probably better in every way than my old SC, but I think they lost some sports car appeal when they got civilized.

Thanks again

The 911 & the vette are so night & day, you really are talking apples & oranges. Concerning yourself with lateral seat support is just not important since the car is meant for "straight & fast" pavement eating. My '71 is a blast to accelerate in & a whole lot of fun at the 1/4 mile track. (No problem with lift & I've been near 120mph before.) I would not, however, call it a great slalom car. If I were being chased on a winding road, I'd much prefer the 911 or my 330xi. If I was at a stoplight & I wanted to blow the doors off of a little Acura with a "noise-maker" tailpipe, I'd take the vette any day!

Like you said, the chrome bumpers were a sign of the times and they really add to the look. '70 & '71 are my favorite years. The big blocks will continue to increase in value at a disporoprtionately higher rate than the 350's. You can find a "condition 3" early C3 that just needs paint & a few grand in repairs & be right around the $20K you spoke of.

Good luck! This site is a GREAT place to get info of ANY kind about C3's!

~ Joe

Bud,

In my opinion you simply can't go wrong with any one of the "chrome bumper" years in terms of looks as Joe mentioned. The late 60's were the hey-day of horsepower before "The Fed" stepped in and choked the life out of engines in the early '70s. 1970 was the last year of the high compression/high performance engines and also one of the lowest production years of the C3s. Those are the two main reasons I bought a '70.

By 1973 the base 350 was rated at 190 hp I think (in '70 it was 300 hp), quite a drop in performance in just 3 model years. But the '73, along with being the 20th anniversary year, has the distinction of being another of the "transition" years, like the '61 & '62 models, when the styling was morphing to another phase.

If you don't plan on keeping the car original, performance modifications can be made across the board to what ever specifics you want. Engine, brakes, suspension, you name it - if you want to part with the dollars you can tune a car any way you want to (check out the link to Steve Kamis' Project Insane Asylum).

I know I'm being rather general and maybe too vague, but the sky is the limit in terms of what you can do with a Vette. Check some books out of the library and do some research on the changes from year to year to help you decide which year you like the best. I know you'll be happy with any of the early C3s (or any C3 for that matter).

My cousin's 911 is a 2000 or 2001 I think. Don't get me wrong, it sure gathered speed at an incredible rate (although "The Toy" did leave it at the line!). But it just didn't have the raw performace feel that one gets from a V8. I'm sure it would do very well on a road course or lonely stretch of curvy highway. But it just didn't come close to matching the fun of driving "The Toy".

Again, good luck in your quest and keep us posted on your progress!


Jim O.
Save the Wave...!!!