hubes

I am interested in buying a c3 but I have a few questions. How much time do you spend repairing, I dont mind lots of garage time as long as its upgrading not fixing. I want to be able to drive it not be fixing it all the time. alos how is the drive? are there lotsof squeeks and rattles? if so are they easy to fix? I realize its not new cadillac, butis it something i could drive everyday? thanks

ACECO

Well, I think that's a loaded question. Would really depend upon how good of shape and how well attended to and maintained the car has had in it's past.

That said I believe anytime you take any 25-30-35 year old car and try and press it into daily service, you are going to have ongoing issues until you basically attend to everything that can be attended to. And with these cars, that can really be everything on the car.

Lastly I would also think alot would depend upon how good, good enough, is for you. If you need everything perfect and to do that you feel you need to do a "frame off" to get everything better than new, then expect not to be driving as much as fixing. However if your looking for some fun, don't need everything to be perfect and can overlook small faults, then as long as you don't start off with a neglected rust bucket, you will probably be OK.

And of course, remember YMMV.

Good Luck!

Twin_Turbo

all the time, mine is so broken, don't think it could get any worse

NHvette

Well, I would start by looking FAR to the south of Canada for a solid vette.
Up north, we have rust - not obvious from the outer skin, but it is a real problem.

Find a solid C3 and all you'll need to restore is the rubber, paint, etc.


... to answer your question .... I don't work on it enough. I'd like to drive her some year.

mandm1200

I have never had to put much time into repairing. It should not be any more than other cars in it's era. I now have started to do some work to it; mainly upgrading not repairing. Besides batteries, tires, oil changes, etc , the only thing I had to do was change calipers and rear spring; and that was about 18 years ago. The car has been very reliable.

Mike

stingraymaniac

well last winter(live in the northern of sweden) i rebuilt my interior and painted the engine bay and added som new stuff.
you could say im rebuilding alittle here and there approx 4-6months a year
but i dont need to the car runs great,but i love to work on it!
now in the summer i try to just drive and have fun with it
the summer here isnt so long....

Twin_Turbo

dave you are getting there.... keep the spirits up, you'll be done in no time...certainly before me

hubes

mike, do you use yours as a daily driver?, I would drive mine everyday the weather was cooperating, also, noone commented on the ride and squeeks and rattles

EDDIEJ82

Well I didn't spend near as much time working on my vette till I joined this forum. Seems like everytime someone posts something that is wrong with their vette, it mysterously happens or needs to be done to mine too. And don't even get me started on the mods.

Larry B.

A lot bepends on the previous owner(s) They are old cars so things will wear out. Now... If the repairs are made with quality parts and the work is done with attention to detail you can get a lot of quality driving time with a C-3. It is best to start with an original un modified car. You can do what you want, not what others wanted. Also not all mods are good. There are many many variables in these old cars. I drove a 71 for 14 years as a daily driver and had very little trouble. I drive my 69 daily and I have had a few minor issues but.... It is 35 years old. My car drives very nice and is a lot of fun. I don't beat it but when I need to get on it I do.. I firmly believe a lot of problems people have is the mods and so called "upgrades". If you put headers on for more performance you can expect to have some trade offs, like heat, burnt plug wires, exhaust leaks, header noise. You get the idea...All in all I love driving my 69 and it is a conversation piece.

59intheworks

Repairing or tinkering? I spend a BUNCH of time tinkering, but very little repairing (knock on wood). My 68 runs great.

PRNDL

Mine only shakes and rattles when I go over bumps...... really really small bumps too! I get some squeaks all the time. A few groans now and then. The car makes some noises too.. When I go over any kind of a slightly larger bump I get such a loud smash that I check the rearview mirror to make sure nothing has fallen off the car! It's an adventure!! Driving down an otherwise straight road I look like I am driving a slalom course because I am dodging all the manhole covers and potholes!! I go around a corner and end up entirely on the left side of the double yellow line.... which my wife (in the psgr seat) notes, "Dear, you are on the wrong side of the road!! " So I have to explain to her that the right side of the road is all torn up!

Corvette ED

I did a bunch of work on my car over the winter, and have been driving it with no new problems.

82collectorshark

I think one thing that has not been mentioned that most of us all agree on ( I hope) that down time repairing in the garage is a labor of love and not lost time.I extremely enjoy putting on my music,opening a beer,maybe lighting a cigar (not with fuel problems!!!) and turning my wrenches to my hearts content.To me this is relaxation time and not aggrevation time! The right frame of mind is essential. If you have the pressure of the car being neccesary transportation, and down time is critical,you will not enjoy it in the same way.Just my 2 cents.
Jules

Jasonty

I don't know about the rest of you, but for me, these cars are as fun to drive as they are to work on. I enjoy taking a 190hp Corvette and squeezing 390hp out of it. Lots of times I have no earthly idea what I'm doing, but there's always people here to help me out. You'll also find that there's some neat things you can do to these cars to make them feel almost as good as a new car. Plus, hot chicks stare at these cars like nobody's business.

74 vert

Less now that I need to re-learn how to use the New enhanced Forum.

NHvette

Well, remember that these are antique cars, now.
If it hasn't been body-off rstored, then it will likely have noises and minor issues.

So, if the steel is intact, then some of the components will be needing
replacement - to act as new. All rubber pieces will need attention - including but not limited to:
body mounts, engine mounts, tranny mount, suspension bushings, sway bar
links/bushings, spring bushings, pinion bushing.
Also, wheel bearings, brakes, belts could cause noises and minor issues.

Daily driver without a body off resto - sure. I drove my rusty 75 for years before retiring her.
It was full of creaking, squeeking, mushy handling - but it never left me stranded.
I would (and did) have a backup car for 'down times'.

BSeery

I replaced a lot less stuff before I found the forum.

Damn you guys get me in all sorts of trouble

Corvette_fetish

You're looking at an American hand assembled GM car from an era not necessarily know for it's great quality. Unless you disassemble the car, and replace all the old mechanical components as you rebuild it, yes you are going to keep on repairing the old parts as they fail from age and wear. Bought mine a year ago tomorrow, and I've already spent a few thousand on repairs on a car that was correctly considered in good shape by the shop that did the pre purchase inspection.

Maintenance and things I repaired: Tune up, several carb adjustments, changed fuel filter, four tires, battery, belts and hoses, water pump failed, stock starter fried by headers, brake calipers leaked, rear brake lights failed, headlamp burned out, fluids, dash lights inop, ignition coil failed, fuel pump went south, oil pressure gauge failed, fan started chewing edge of shroud...

Recent problems pending repair: speedometer cable snapped, previous poor fiberglass repaired piece broke off driver door, power steering pump is now leaking, one of my ball joints is now going bad so I need the front suspension rebuilt then an alignment.

I'm sure there's more that's slipped my mind. Plus that does not include what I've spent on synthetic oil changes, tons of premium fuel, and performance upgrades like my custom X pipe side exit exhaust.

I don't regret buying this car, and pretty much expected to deal with stuff like this. It's an old Corvette behaving like an old Corvette. By the way, it's not a piece of junk either. It won a trophy in a sanctioned Corvette show, so it's not like I'm driving a pile of sheet around. Even the nicer ones demand a lot of maintenance. It's the nature of this car.

As far as squeaks and rattles go, I think it depends on the individual car and how well it was initially constructed, how it's been treated over the years, or how well it was reassembled after anything was taken apart. My '79 Vette's dash does not rattle (knock on wood). But, it was disassembled by the previous owner who told me it was meticulously, carefully and patiently reassembled to ensure no noise. He succeeded. Other C3 Vette dashes could rattle to high heaven. I do have one squeak/rattle from the cargo area. That's it. If I rebuild my suspension with more durable urethane bushing I'll probably get squeaks. Don't forget, the crude characteristics are part of this car's charm. You want quiet, but a C5. Remember, it's not just a car... It's an adventure.

hubes

so everyone has squeeks and rattles, but how easy are they to fix? also, how much worse would a 69 be than an 81?