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Buying a Vette Common C3 Problems 1975-80

69K views 31 replies 13 participants last post by  73 L82 VETTE 
#1 ·
I'm thinking of buying a 1975-80 C3 and knowing nothing about these cars, what should I be on the look out for? Common rust areas, wiring issues etc.

Thanks a bunch
Jerry P :)
 
#2 ·
Let's see what I can think of from the top of my head. The newer and less mileage the better. You may run into some eletrical problems in your dash. Radio not working, dimmer switch not working. You may run into vacuum issues, the pop up lights won't go up. The carb may or may not give you issues. Your brake calipers may start to leak. Rust may be all around the chassis, some will be minor rust, some not so minor :(. Though some Stingrays are in way better condition than others. Wait and see what another member will say. Hope I could be of help :thumbsup: and Welcome to SmokinVette!!!
 
#3 ·
Vetteaholic pretty much covered it.You either want a vette or you don't.Even the best looking vets have problems so treat it likeany car and decide if you really want it, then ask your self is it worth the price for what is right or wrong with it,If you answer yes then enjoy the good and the bad and make it your vette. GOOD LUCK either way.
 
#4 ·
I think the best advice is don't think of it as an investment. If you are buying the car because you love it and want to enjoy and drive it, any thing can be fixed. Any Corvette is a car that almost any part can be bought or restored.

Here is proof that with a little hard work and more money than sense you can basically build one from the bottom up. Because of my stage of my life I may never actually finish my C3 but I always knew that the objeect was the car but the journey.

http://www.smokinvette.com/corvetteforum/showthread.php?t=13379

Welcome to SV and enjoy the hunt and when you get your dream car remember to save the wave......




 
#5 ·
Glad you brought it up, I went over and checked it out, awesome topic :thumbsup3: It really sucks that parts were gone due to the attack. But what I read was really nice :).
 
#6 ·
What To Look For

If the C3 has been garaged most of the time it won't have any serious rust issues. Only those that have remained outside will have rust issues, or those that come from states that salt their roads. Other than that, you may encounter bad electrical connections here and there. And caliper leakage is very normal. High mileage C3's will probably need new u-joints and will need to have the rear spindle bearings re-packed. It's nothing unusual to see fiberglass blistering on the very early C3's. My '82 is still in remarkable shape with 270,000 miles on it.
 
#7 ·
Thanks all for the replys.
I was looking at an add for a C3 that stated "the frame under the seats was whole and not rusted in half that was common with these cars."
I had a '80 Camaro that the frame was rusted above the rear axle, which later I found was common for them. This is what I was referring to.
Electrical and vacuum problems I can handle as well as most repairs and maintenance, grew up poor and had to work on my own cars as many others have also. I can do most of the work except for transmission rebuild and engine cylinder wall boring.

JerryP
 
#10 ·
OK, I'll add my 2 cents of experience from my 260,000 mile '75. Brakes are common, most guys have replaced with stainless sleeves. Electrical, engine compartment cowling harness can abrade and short out, that will have you scratching your head for awhile. Rear wheel bearings and u-joints are common replacement. Headlight actuators can be a problem, there are now some good seals made that cure the problem without replacing the complete unit. Front cross-member weld cracking, I've had mine fully welded and gusseted.
Good luck and enjoy.
 
#11 ·
Problems with the C3's

Actually the C3's are pretty good cars overall. Certainly no worse than the other Chevrolets. Same engine and transmission, different rear end. They had 6 u-joints instead of two, 3 drive shafts instead of 1, and spindles instead of axle shafts. And being somewhat smaller, they're harder to work on. Because they're smaller the engine compartment is more crowded and they have a radiator that is tilted back. And the hideaway headlights work good as long as the vacuum hoses are in good shape. And having a fiberglass body, they are quite easy to repair if you can work with fiberglass and Bondo.
 
#12 ·
I would check to ensure that the body mounts are not rusted away. As for rust check the frame area, even if it has been stored. Dirt in the frame channel and moisture will cause it to rust. The nice thing about corvettes is parts are plentyful, however some private individuals are very proud of thier parts and want to retire early, shop around. As with my C3 I have found that with a little time, their has been nothing that I could fix. Most important enjoy..............................
 
#13 ·
Thanks guys, I have a 1983 Olds 98 Regency 2 door that's my daily driver. I've swapped out the 307/200r for a '75 4 bolt 350/TH350, learned electrical trouble shooting in the Army.
Anyway it sounds like a project I could handle I believe.
I hope to have the same problem as 2_Late _I_Won lol!
What about using a small blower such as a 142 or 144? Any heat issues or such when using one?
You guys are a great source of info and thanks for making me feel welcome.

JerryP
 
#14 ·
You totally lost me on the "blower". Are you talking about a supercharger? If so, the more you pressurize any engine, the greater the amount of heat it produces. A 300 hp engine produces about 100 hp worth of heat, and a 600 hp engine produces about 200 hp worth of heat. But that's only for as long as the engine is producing that horsepower.

This forum has a lot of very knowledgeable members and they can help you solve most any problem. "Fishslayer143" is one of them and he's real sharp.
 
#19 ·
Don't make it all that complicated. I ran on California's 91 octane but with 8:1 compression, I would recommend more like 8.5. For cooling, forget the expense of the aluminum radiator, run a good high density core in the stock radiator with a Stewart water pump and 160 degree thermostat. Also a good fast burn head is a lot better than any of those '70's stockers. Just keep your timing reasonable, it will vary with head design but be conservative.
 
#25 ·
ck the coupler between the steering box and shaft...it was manuel steering and got replaced, of all things ? ....a friend pulled on the hood release, ...thinking it was the E brake ...he broke that cable. good thing I was skinny back then, to get the hood release from under the car. lol
 
#31 ·
these are 30 or more year old cars, they will require maintenence and parts wear out.. if you don t want to deal with that, get a much newer model. I have an 81 that requires upkeep, and I also have a C5 for trouble free daily driver..but I get far more compliments on the 81 everywhere I go...I personally love the classics
 
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