lone73

After 6+ years of C3 ownership I've come to the conclusion that, for a daily driven C3, it's rather impractical to keep the car in a stock configuration. Technology changes such as the switch from R12 to R134 must surely mark the beginning of the end for keeping a car completely stock forever. Sure, I could spend hundreds of dollars to get the R12 system functioning again, (and with my own labor at that) it might even last a few years if I'm lucky, but eventually I'm going to be forced to switch to R134 and all the trappings that go with it such as a set of good electric fans to keep the condensor cooled at a red light. I'll bet most C3's today, mine included, have an evaporator that is thoroughly clogged with leaves dirt and moldy funk and are in dire need of cleaning, hence some of the complaints about slow/low air flow from the vents. If I go to the trouble of removing the evaporator from my car I'm certainly going to be looking for a more efficient design that will fit the hole and provide better cooling efficiency. And while I'm at it I might as well go ahead and replace that 35+ year old technology compressor with something more efficient as well. And what about the paint? Modern paint systems last so much longer and hold up so much better than what was available 30 years ago that it almost seems like a waste of money to use the old stuff.
Now that I've completely alienated every NCRS enthusiast on the planet I sure would like to be able to cruise the interstate without sounding like I'm in second gear...I see a 5 speed overdrive in my future. Is anyone here that actually drives their car still using points and happy with it? Need an engine rebuild? Would anyone even consider it without using a modern day roller cam? How many folks here have replaced their exhaust with one that would pass an NCRS judges inspection? Not very many I would bet. It seems the spiral is endless. The conclusion, then, is that you are either a waxer and a worshiper of a car that spends most of its life in the garage, or you're driving a modified machine.

that's my $.02
later
dr

78 Vette

I agree eithor keep it in the garage or use it for what it is ment for :auto: .

OHSIXX

You hit the nail on the head as far as I am concerned. :thumbs:

Alwyn678

Is anyone here that actually drives their car still using points and happy with it?

Yep just bought a new dual point mallory distributor...I love it :cheers:

Jim Martley2

OR, you could buy an 82 with semi-modern fuel injection and a factory installed overdrive trans and just cruise to your heart's content !!! :) :) :)

dath

Sounds like you're having a bad day:D I just suppose it is all relative to how picky you are. I used to have a car that had a dead spot in the starter, so I had to push start it at least once most days. I just got used to it and always had a good laugh when someone at work would offer to help and I just said "naww, I'm used to it, can do it myself"... I loved that car, best $300 I ever spent :D

Used to drive my C3 daily, but it wasn't stock... In fact, it really was worse than stock, as the now infamous Bubba used to own it... Things were always breaking and guess what? I had to Bubba them back together myself. Let me tell you about the crappy rebuilt parts at the auto parts stores... I went through two bad alternators, one starter, a master cylinder that was so bad that the brake booster rod didn't even fit in the hole without jambing (boy was that fun to remove later), and calipers that would repeatedly injest air only to find out after taking them apart that the "rebuilt" calipers had pitting in the cylinders... I put up with that crap for a year or so and finally got tired of it and decided that I'd never be able to fix things right if I had to keep driving it to work everyday. I had to ride my bike to the auto parts store a couple of times when my wife's car wasn't around. Rode my bike to work a few times as well... Lets talk about ribbing... My whole office would join in the ribbing... Of course it was worst on those days I showed up on my bike, or rode the bus... I think it helped build character though :yesnod:

BSeery

:iagree:

To make them a daily driver, a long distance cruiser, or just make them better than stock means modifying them past the point of no return.

Today calls for much better cooling, better A/C, more reliable engine, lower drive ratios, more comfort and all of it has to work each and every time. Most C3's could not do that without some major changes and a lot of help.

sb69coupe

While I agree with some of your points about a daily driven C3, I do not agree that a mostly original car must be relegated to the garage and never driven. There are plenty of original C3's that are driven quite often and enjoyed for what they are. Are they as quiet, comfortable, smooth, or civilized as a modern Corvette? Nope. Nor should they be, in my opinion. I want the car to drive like it did 30+ years ago. I like the smell of exhaust, the heavy clutch, the rough ride, etc. If I wanted it to feel like I was driving a modern car, I'd buy one instead of the '69.

I know I am swimming upstream against the majority opinion of this forum, but that's my $0.02.

Shannon

My69

Dave:

A lot of what you say is true, but I still love the POS. I must be destined to suffer.
Mike

Larry B.

I relly don't see what the problem is..I drive mine almost every day to work (17 miles each way). Everywhere my wife and I go for dinner or fun we take it too. I have R134a in the stock system keeps me plenty cool even here in Florida. 96 and humid.. . I have the stock points, original carb, etc. Wipers ,washers and all work fine. :auto: no big problem except slow drivers and a lot of red lights.


[Modified by bluevetteman, 4:08 PM 9/11/2003]

gq82

:iagree:

Shannon, your not alone...I totally agree with you!! :chevy

1981

I have a daily driver, looks pretty "stock" to the non-corvettor (is that a word?), and even most corvette owners would call it bone stock. But it has a lot of newer items you talked about and others you did not, just to keep it in better shape than it was designed for. But like I said, the car looks bone stock to every non-NCRSer out there, which to me is what matters. The car runs great, is reliable, looks like a well kept muscle car, waxes up great, but most importantly will still turn heads. There are no huge fins, aftermarket "outside trim" peices, or radical new panels. The car by all measures is a stock corvette from the outside, but open the hood and those rules change. I am an engineer and really could never install a new part that is inferior to what I could probably get cheaper, works better, and will last longer.

Ever look at the prices of those "original radios", oh my God I could not pay those prices for a TAPE PLAYER!!! Just bought an indash Black Kenwood MP3 player for $200 off of e$ay, and I am not looking back. Plays 200-300 songs on que, try to get that $400 tape player to do that. And where would you store all of those tapes?

Well, just an example, there are many like it but this one is my own.

1981
All Foriegn Aid checks should be delivered by the Marine Corps.

jrzvette

Why stop with the AC and trans? I doubt very many of us are riding around on bias ply tires. They were replaced long ago with more modern radials (and probably 16", 17" or 18" wheels in many cases). But let's go all the way. Surely the suspension needs improvement so why not rip out all of the old stuff and replace it with new, modern components. And while we're at it we can drop in a Steeroid R&P to make sure the car goes where we want it to.

Remenber these cars are at least 20 years old (and some as old as 35 years) and technology has improved vastly over this time. Any or all of these improvements can be incorporated into a C3 if the owner is willing to pay for them. Some people want all of the comfort and dependability of a modern car with the look of a classic C3 and are willing to make changes and improvements and others want a C3 (or C2 or a C1) and are willing to put up with its shortfalls and problems because it reminds them of a time long ago when life was simpler.

In the final anaylsis its your car and you can do with it what you want (except maybe that pimpmobile that was recently spotted on e-bay :U ) and use it for whatever purpose you want.

dath

I'm with you. Long as everything is in good working order, there's no reason that the original design shouldn't or couldn't be a daily driver. Who needs all that modern comfort anyhow? I always end up with a pickup with no options as a daily driver and they always seem to get me there... Save the fuel injection, where's the modern convenience? I don't even need the fuel injection and electronic ignition... People think I'm strange for my "save a start" theory when I roll backward and pop the clutch as well... Maybe I'm just a statistical outlier...

Robert N

Count me in this group too!

Mikes80L48

Hopefully I can start using my Vette as a daily driver soon.

WPEDirect

:yesnod: :iagree:

The only things on my car that are not stock are the FG rear spring and stainless parking brakes. While I wish sometimes that my baby behaved like a 'normal' (read: newer) car (especially today - torrential rains and I had a flat. I might as well have driven without the T-Tops for all the good they did keeping out the rain) HOWEVER, I LOVE the feel of a 30 yr old car. The raw power, the way you feel the road, the small windshield, the ability to 'loosen up the rear' when I want to... nothing beats good old Detroit muscle history in action. Don't get me wrong, I'd put my C3 body on a C5 chassis and interior if I could... but if everyone got what they wanted, there'd be nothing to want...

Count me in the 'rough&tough, drive it like it is' crowd any day! :thumbs:


[Modified by WPEDirect, 6:20 PM 9/11/2003]

Larry B.

I believe there are two types of vehicles... New and used/abused.. new vehicles have a warranty so let's talk used. Our cars fit into the used category. A five year old car is in the same category but.....It has tons of electronic stuff that takes most home repairs out of the realm of most of us. EVERYTHING you do to a modern used car costs big $$. Between the diagnostics costing $$ and most shops being incompetent or inept with repairs . Big complaint. of lots of people. Most of the stuff we do to our cars is cheap compared to a late model anything. 2k for a trans o'haul. If you can't do you own work then relagate yourself to a lifetime of car payments or expensive repairs and depreciation . Now... if you drive your C-3 and maintain it, it will retain it's value and probably go up invalue. Upgrades are great . However.. If you put on cheap discount parts then you will never have the same reliability. The same holds true for late model cars too except that they go down in value and parts are far more expensive.. Put junk on and they are never the same. Either way you pay the price... convenience, comfort vs. $$

no_radio

Yep...bought my '96 Collector Edition Corvette last year and most of the stuff that has come up was electrical and required "dealer intervention". I did rebuild the rear suspension, but even that needed an alignment so I was $$$ out for labor. My '74 Corvette and '76 Suburban rarely see any shop floor other than my garage, and I like it that way. I know from experience with the Suburban that if you do your own repairs sooner or later you need a backup vehicle or a ride to work for a few days, but it seems to be alot cheaper in the long run than making the payments on a newer car for the rest of your life.
Jeff

GATOR454

I bought a 1974 454 about 3 weeks ago. The car was nearly completely stock, but after years of just sitting in storage it needed some work (new suspension rubber and shocks, steering work etc.). I had two options:

1. Restore it to showroom stock.
2. Replace worn components with modern technology.

I told my nephew who owns a 1980 L82 that I was in a quandary as to what to do with it. He said, “don’t do the stock thing, you won’t be happy with it”. He knows me and I believe he was right. I plan on driving the H_ll out of the car that I waited 30+ years for and not trailering it to NCRS competitions to get a trophy.

So after driving the car a total of 5 times I put it up on jack stands, removed the old suspension and ordered a new performance suspension from VBP. I also plan on upgrading the steering to Rack and Pinion and upgrading the A/C to blow ice cubes, and right before it goes back on the road I’m going to replace the original radio (that only seems to get oldie Rock stations) with a killer sound system maybe even an in dash DVD.

So, I guess it comes down to what makes you happy. If satisfying a NCRS judge and getting a trophy makes you happy then agonizing about the right finish of the frame or trailing arms would be worthwhile. However that’s not for me. When I’m ready to replace the ignition wires that are to short to fit through the shielding grommets and the stock looms I’m not going to be searching for date correct GM wires with the correct lettering on the wires, I’m going to get the best wires I can in the color that makes me happy.

In the end the car won’t be an NCRS car that reflects the engineering of the time, it will be my car that reflects me.

If after I’m dead the person who gets the car (most likely my son who already believes it’s his car) wants to restore it to stock they can unpack all the boxes labeled “original corvette parts” and build a stock car.

I’m having a great time on my back under the car, and I know now that I made the right decision for me.

David