flyinace2000

She is currently a freshman in HighSchool (I am a Senior). I think a really cool car would be a C3. What year would you recommend, or does the same rule apply with C3's as C4's newwest you can afford? This would be her first car. Figure keep the family tradition of first car vettes going. (Only fear is that my dad will go nutz if doesn't get one). Thanks for the input guys...i better get back to the C4 section before the miss me

Will

gerry72

Well, I've seen a lot more clapped out C4s than C3s so the "Newest you can afford" wouldn't seem to apply. You should be looking for the best condition you can afford. That may turn out to be a C4 since an '82 C3 sells for more than an '84 C4. In all honesty, you're probably going to be looking at the C4s since the C3s are starting to get rather pricy...at least the ones that are in good enough shape mechanically and cosmetically to be considered a daily driver.

joe73vette

I'd say a 78 SA - it looks good, will probably be better cared for than any other similar vintage, price is affordable, and it will hold its value. Jeeze, a vette for a HS freshman, how nice! Joe

Lasse

Laides looks nice with a chrome bumper Vette (68-72). :cool:
They have also a T-top and pop-out rear window (As close you can get a convertible, without buying one...).





[Modified by Lasse, 8:48 PM 2/7/2002]

AV76

I would really recommend either a chrome bumper C3 Vette, or an '84 C4. I've owned an '84 and it really wasn't that great for performance but they are fairly inexpensive. For a lot more money you can get a '91 and later C4, which I think look better, and are usually in better condition. The soft bumper C3's are really affordable, but some people don't like the looks.

Captain Morgan

If it's a C3, I would probably say 80 or 81. The difference between these two is that the 80 is straight carb with no computer and the 81 has a computer. I think the older vette you get, the higher the prices get. I would also agree with getting the best you can afford rather than the newest. If you go with a C4, then I would go with 87 or newer, but again, it depends on the condition. You don't want your sis stranded on the side of the road because she's driving something that won't stay running or has other bad mechanicals.

fauxrs

I would say 78 or newer, provided it was reasonably low miles and well cared for (so far as inspecting the car can tell you) I Would NOT go to an early C4 say 89 or older, all of them that I have seen (I'm sure there are exceptions that can be found, including your 84) are just falling apart. I owned an '84 and it was plenty quick (certainly quicker than my 78 is now) and plenty reliable too - but they are getting long in the tooth for what really is an electronic car.

In summary 78 to 82 (82's are quite comfortable and very nice riding cars) 90 or newer...... IMO YMMV


[Modified by fauxrs, 6:14 PM 2/8/2002]

Smokehouse69

A C-3 especially an older one is not a good first car for a young girl. Unless they are perfectly restored and maintained, she will face countless small problems that will distract from the most important thing, her driving.
In a really vast generalization, C-3's don't make good daily drivers for inexperienced drivers.
These cars are not like modern cars, you can't just hop in them and start them and drive off, in cold weather they are hard to start, in hot weather, they have a tendency to overheat. They have poor air conditioning, potential brake problems and get horrible gas mileage. Don't get me wrong, I love these cars, but for the most part they are great cars for the enthusiast who doesn't mind getting their fingernails dirty, not for the novice.
For novice driver they can be difficult to handle in inclement weather and hard to control on rutted or gooved roads.
A better choice would be a more modern fuel injected, easy starting car with ABS.
Finally, if your sister is like just about every other teenaged girl driver I have been exposed to, she will have at least one accident, so maybe something with an air-bag might not be a bad idea.

flyinace2000

Thanks fo rthe input guys

Sharkeez

I do not recommend C3 as a first car for first time drivers, especially girls. C3's are a lot harder to up keep and drive than C4's. Hundreds of things can go wrong on a regular basics. A C3 will test an experienced, mechanically inclined driver, let alone a first time driver. Most C3 owners here are very experienced drivers and do a lot of work on their cars. Then, it's not even their daily driver. They drive something else to work and keep the C3 as a fun car.

A little personal story: my ex absolutely hated my 69. Even getting in and out of the car was a problem for her, the door handle broke her nail, the seatbelt choked her, the seat was too low to get out of. And she was only the passenger!!
If she tried to drive it, I'm 100% sure she wouldn't be able to turn the manual steering wheel. It weights a ton. Many big guys had trouble turning it :eek:. The shifter is very hard and sometime tricky.... She'll probably ding it 100 times due to the low seating position and poor rear visibilty. Trust me, you don't want it for your little sister.


[Modified by spham, 10:53 PM 2/8/2002]

Shark Racer

The mechanically inclined part is definitely true. C3s are also much harder to drive than more modern cars, esp when you're not used to driving a rear wheel drive car. Limited slip and independent rear suspension make for a lot of fun in the rain. As careful as I am, even with this weak motor, I still spin the tires from time to time. I am very very glad my C3 was my first car... would I pick a C3 for my kid's first car though? Probably not... I think very few teens are ready for it. I drove it responsibly, yes. Most teens wouldn't. No matter what kind of person you are, though, you need to -work- on these cars. They are not passively maintained!
-Steve