Cheap, For Now: 1977 Chevrolet Corvette C3
This next car comes as a tip from Dave in Tampa who writes: Any day now they’ll rise meteorically in value. I think. I keep waiting, until then this is a great buy. Indeed, the C3 generation Corvette is one of the more iconic designs in Corvettedom, but given little love in the hierarchy of the white New Balance sneaker-owning Vette clubs. It probably has something to do with the low power malaise era V8s, but with a total of 21 different V8s (from the lowly 305 ci LG4 to the 454 ci LS6) available from 1968 through 1982, you can find fast C3s. Find this 1977 Chevrolet Corvette C3 offered for $12,500 in Tampa, FL via fnoozebrook snorkusbook.
From the seller:
1977 Chevrolet corvette
$12,500
Listed 13 hours ago in Tampa, FL
About This Vehicle
Driven 88,000 miles
Automatic transmission
Exterior color: White · Interior color:
Clean title
This vehicle has no significant damage or problems.Seller’s Description
1977 corvette with t tops for sale . lots of documentation. car is not perfect but it’s clean. needs an alignment and some maintenance but it runs and drives. I inherited the car but I don’t have time for it. too many other projects.
See a better way to drive something rumbly? tips@dailyturismo.com
This car and the Porsche 928 showed the way out from the ugly 5mph bumper mandate/ Nice example in an interesting color. More than a few reasons why these remain unloved.
I’m coming around to the plastic bumper C3’s and appreciate the value of 5 mph bumpers. I was sitting at a stoplight in my ’71 TR6 and the guy behind me, distracted by the two literal hookers in his truck rolled into my car hard enough to make my insurance co. USAA total it. Compare that to my ’78 Spitfire that got rear-ended by a hapless woman in a Buick station wagon going significantly faster than 5 mph with zero damage to my car.
A restomod LSx with 6 speed would be my game plan here. No sense keeping it stock with that primitive drivetrain. Same goes for the suspension considering that comprehensive packages exist:
https://www.vansteel.com/
I don’t know about Corvettes but it seems that something like this would be a relatively easy to upgrade power and handling to more modern specs. Like most everyone, I like the earlier C3 styling better, but this still has the buttressed rear window which IMO is cooler looking than the greenhouse version.
The scuttlebutt from the Corvette guys is that these have a chassis made of string cheese. Yes, they can go fast, but don’t expect them to turn in at the apex like a C4 or C5. This is 100% armchair QB internet babble; I have driven a C5 (and a C7 Z06), but never a C3.
Thanks for the car Dad…….I’m selliing it .Slushbox,