I own a 2024 C8 and I still enjoy my C3. It's the tops of the fenders and the dash that does it for me. It doesn't need to impress me with speed or handing.
I just inherited my dads 1975 Stingray. I grew up terrified of this car. Keeping my friends away from it was impossible, eventually I just stopped having friends come over. I never once drove it, and he barely ever did. It’s in my driveway now with 27k miles and I’ve driven it juuuust enough times to know I freaking love it.
I have a 1976 Corvette. I've owned it for over 30 years. It does not have the original engine, the engine that came it (which was not original) in had some issues, so I found a good original never taken apart 2 bolt 350, and built a 383 from that. But I've never understood this thing about lots of power for a street car. I plan to keep my license. I have 5 cars and 6 motorcycles insured, I can't afford any tickets. My '76 has just over 350 rwhp at 4000 rpm, which is plenty. The most important thing is, the engine was built with high quality parts and is under stressed, so it is reliable. To me the C3 Corvette is a cruiser, not a muscle car. It's all about looks and styling, which all pretty much went away in 1978 with that huge ugly bubbleback window.
Hey thanks for the comment - I think your 76 is almost identical to my 77, minus the steering column / the 383 is a solid choice too / extra torque for those summer cruises
I just picked up a blue 77 vette roller. I got all over the 4 speed conversion parts and an m21. Solid car to start with. I'm building a 383 for it and possibly putting in a t56 6 speed. Awesome car you have man.
I have a '71 that I've owned since 1986. It has a typical 70's hot rod motor and 3:08 gears, and will bury the speedometer without hesitation, but I wouldn't recommend it - it wants to take flight. The handling is solid, but unpredictable when pushed to it's limits. I've found the suspension, when pushed, will kind of throw the car in any random direction. But I love the way it looks and drives! Good luck with your build!
Love the video Joe. I’m doing a 72, 496 with a tko600. I have a 3:73 rear so the transmission is .64 final drive, it won’t be screaming at 80 miles. Looking forward for updates.
C3 has been my favorite body and having owned only L82, 4spd, convertibles, I feel they just can't be refined without throwing 2xs their value at a losing battle. But to drive something as nostalgic; it's a pleasure all of it's own. I'll be watching to decide whether to keep or sell.👍🏾
@@alexanderspenser4960 For some reason I didn't think they made any converts during those years. I checked. All good. I once ran a brand new L-82 with my 69 Chevelle small block in 1979. Whooped him pretty good. Over a bridge on the south side of Chicago. Those were the days!
Fun fact the 2 bolt main is just as strong if not stronger than a 4 bolt main and it can be converted to a 6 bolt main with splayed main caps its all around a better candidate than the 4 bolt
Right you are my friend / I actually have this motor out of the car right now and I'm considering something similar (stroker w/spayed caps) / thanks for the comment!
I have a torch red 1977 corvette, with 116000 miles on it.I had Longtubehooker headers, high performance intake ,Flow master racing exhaust. Many new items, Its very fast, still a head turner.lol
I remember when the the C3 came out. The C3 Mako body was a radical departure from the C2. It looked way rad cool. 60's hip lingo. Like the C2 the bean counters over road Arkus Duntov's performance and handling specs for the corvette. C2s and C3s looked cool but that is where the true performance ended. I'm looking forward to your build. I appreciate your honesty about not bringing your C3 to 21st century handling. Looking forward to watching your build.
We've got the same taste in cars; I've got a Cobra and a '77 Vette. I've had the Vette for 13 years and the stock engine has been "fixed" and I put a Gymkhana suspension under it with the 4 tubes into 4 inch collector sidepipes. Now it's got a hell of a stance, sounds amazing (custom baffles in the pipes) and is all around just a great cruiser. I have no problem driving it to shows and the Cobra to other shows.
haha - that's great! Thanks Kyle / an interesting finding w/my suspension....I purchased 8" leaf bolts and lowered the rear 1-1.25" and the ride has improved dramatically! I think it's mostly because the trailing arm is for the most part level vs in the past it moved up to max radius (level) prior to compression. Crazy how something like this can have such a huge effect. Is your Gymkhana a fiberglass leaf then too? Thanks for the comment!
I have a 1971 Convertible Corvette fully restored. Hard & Soft tops. 383 stroker 6 speed Tremec Transmission updated suspension system. MSD Ignition and EFI. She's a beauty. Not for sale but can be bought. N.C./U.S.A.
I have a yellow '76 L48 automatic transmission all stock. I added the '69 side pipes and '70-'73 turbine wheel covers. Not fast but looks friggin Kool as hell 👍🏻
The 70’s era Corvettes were iconic of the brand because of the styling. I came of age in the 70’s and love this style. Having said this, I am not a purist so the car I felt was good enough as long as sensible driving habits were used. Of course on a flat or curvy road all that goes out the window and herein lay performance traps. I’m good with your mods however, I would enhance the handling end too. Just to make sure the rear end doesn’t swap for the front end at the wrong time. Of course if money were no obstacle this would be easy. How about I watch and just enjoy the ride?😎 BTW love the color on this one.
The previous owner had painted the car and I think the color is called "emerald green" / agree with your points on handling too. I went from a 7 to 9 leaf rear spring and it made a lot of difference on drive quality, but in hindsight, kinda wish I spent a few more $$$s and got one of the fiberglass leafs because I think they are even better. Thanks for the comment!
I have a C3, two L98 C4's, and Porsche Carrera 3.2. The C3 was added to the stable less than 6 mo ago so it's still being sorted but has low miles and original. The handling and braking compared to the other cars is striking. The C3 has a comfortable ride, but the brakes are marginal and the steering feel is numb with very poor precision. I'll be digging a bit deeper to get the car up to snuff, but for now my 200 RWHP is all this hot mess can take, lol.
Ok, it doesn't look like a spaceship or a mid-engined supercar but the body lines are sexy as hell; long and lean with great curves. Others may be faster or handle better but the C3 will always be my favorite.
It's an over 50 year old design. No one expects it to drive like a new car (or accelerate as quickly as a beautiful but flimsy death trap kit car that would never pass any sort of new car standards for even 1977). I'd honestly be more interested in just seeing the work and the progress (and hopefully learning something) and less trying too hard while failing to be funny and shitting on the car from someone who may or may not know as much as they could about it. They actually set a production record in '77, building over 49k of them, so they must have been doing something right. And Road & Track actually set a production car record in the slalom in a '77 L82 at almost a full mph faster than the Porsche Turbo Carrera. So if you pour "thousands of dollars" in the suspension and your minivan still outhandles it you should probably start paying someone else to work on your car lol. Your car also sits WAY too high so God knows what's been done to it over the years... Hearing someone call a third-gen Corvette "SnoreVette" and boring is actually a first for me. Again just my opinion but it's kind of a "thanks Captain Obvious" thing for someone to remind everyone how bad a 50 year old car drives given what's available today. At least for me it's a lot more enjoyable to watch when someone keeps the obvious in perspective and appreciates the car they're doing a video about. Jay Leno for instance appreciates and enjoys his '99 Corvette and his '02 Trans Am just as much as anything else he owns, he doesn't shit on them because they don't drive like his Koenigsegg Agera RS... And people were racing (and winning in) third gen Corvettes long before "some people (John Greenwood) decided it was a good idea to turn a C3 into a race car." They actually won their class at Lemans in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Sorry at times your delivery just comes across as super obnoxious... My 2 cents I'd get the brakes and suspension in order before you add another 300 horsepower but that's just me...
It’s just his opinion. I daily drive a ‘68 Plymouth Satellite 4 door with a 383. It has modern steel belted radial tires, but isn’t even equipped with a front anti sway bar. It “handles” fine. For what it is. 😀
... dumping on the C3 & dumping tons of $$$ at one is mostly what he portrays here. IF U want the best bang for the buck so to speak there's no sense to even yank the engine IF u start with a decent kept low miler to begin with. And it's 'not' all C3's (only 74 thru 80) - the cars r 'smogged to death' but the lowered compression is fine with todays current chitty pump gas - the engines only need to b opened up to breathe for some decent power gains. Hence leave it in, only replace the junk heads with some non-smoggers, even a good set of used n havem redone saves even more precious bidenbux. Change out the cam for a 'mild' 260D/440L'ish dual-pattern kit w/ new lifters n a double roller chain. Junk the smogged intake for an aftermarket dual-plane with a nice 650-750cfm carb to get more air into the now more breathable system n' have it exit thru a good set of headers - and by all means scrap the cats in the exhaust - just lettin' 'er breathe is the goal here for a good overall power performance gain. And by all means do not waste more bidenbux by scrappin a decent tranny - if auto. install a good shift kit, if manual - the slushbox only needs a better clutch combo setup. Rear ends ok, put yur $ into better brakes or handling elsewhere or just save it - in the end you've just saved 1000's of bidenbux & u obviously gotta much better performing ride thats much quicker, way better sounding, and you've just completed all your maintanence that the car was already in need of. Most importantly u have not only saved the 1000's in bidenbux - but if n when it happens to take place down the road in time - the car will b much easier to sell at a more reasonable price without much worry of the huge loss of $$$ and buyers by just throwin a ton of $ at it by going all-out for some xtra HP n speed he's tryin to do here. BTW ... i imagine this guys givin that white pos in the beginning clip of this video a 10 of 10 for performance only because in appearance its not even a 5 - just another jellybean thats currently produced by all manufacturers in the appearance dept. - the C3 'disco' wheels he refers to r way better lookin than anything about that white pos in the foreground - bash 4 bash buddy ...................... And that my '3 cents' of basic sense ! Good day my friends
Owned a 77 Vette for 33 years. My fourth and final engine was 383 Full Roller. My fourth and final transmission was a 525 HP 700R4 from JEGS. Two rear end rebuilds on 370 ring and pinion. New trail arm assemblies. DEWITT Aluminum radiator. Lots of chrome under hood including fan Blade, hood hardware, springs. Supercompt Titanium hooker headers, new AC, new everything at least 3 to 4 times. Twin turbo hood. 78 pace car rear spoiler, remove that useless luggage rack. Moon roofs, true Corvette Spoke or wire rims. Probable spent $100K on my 77 over 30 plus years. Finally sold it two years ago. Since then I owned 2012 Grand Sport and now 2007 Z06. Could not be happier to be out of a C3 and into a C6 Vette. So much newer and comfortable in technology and performance. :)
You are wrong. C3 are not common anymore. I drive a C3 and it's a pleasure to drive. Also I live in the Sacramento area and have only seen 3 other C3 in the last 2 years. I've been driving a C3 since 1975 and love them. I also had 3 C2s before my first C3. I wouldn't drive a C4 or later, they just aren't real Corvettes to me.
@@TacoJoe Gymkhana has both front and rear sway bars,(no rear bar on standard Vettes) the front sway bar on the FE7 is larger than the standard. More and stiffer rear leaf, I think 5, heavier 550lb front springs and from the factory, upgraded shocks..... I got my car in '88 and it did not have fiberglass leafs. I had it fully restored in 2002 by a Corvette specialty shop and they made no mention of fiberglass leafs in the rebuild.... So short story long.... No.
@@TacoJoeI bought a '75 and it has a VBP 360lb glass rear leaf. I think stock front coils, and a 7/8" sway bar up front. It hooks up, but felt as though the rear end was trying to walk out on me through a turn. However yesterday I finished putting in Bilstein B6 and B8 shock absorbers in the front and rear, respectively, and my god what a night and day difference. The car is nearly flat when cornering and it rides phenomenal. I think if you budget for a fiberglass 360lb leaf in the back and a set of Bilsteins, you'll be very impressed. I think the stock leaf spring rate in these cars was 140lbs, which definitely would make it handle like a pooch.
The C3 a boring car? Next to the '63 Split Window, the C3 Corvette is the most popular body style they offered. Looks a million times better than that Euro Trash-inspired C8. My son bought a '76 and we stuffed a 425 hp / 430 lb-ft 396 big block, and a 700R4 transmission in it. We also redid the AC to use modern coolant. But even with the stock 350, it was never a "boring" car.
haha thanks for the comment / make no mistake, l love my C3 too / just wanted to upgrade-improve it much like your 76. I have some content in the works and I'll get into some of the details-my upgrade reasoning / stay tuned and thanks for the comment!
Make sure you pick a good transmission. In my opinion, the way the shift feels is as important as the strength. I drove a foxbody mustang with a Ford T5 in it, but when I drove an almost identical mustang with a Tremec, the shifts felt rough like I was going to break something. Not that there is anything wrong with Tremec transmissions, but the driving experience was much nicer with the other transmission, and the car was overall way more fun to drive.
Thank Jack - very much appreciate your comment - I have a T5 in my cobra and love how it shifts too - I’ve never driven a TKO but have read they are notchy / I’ll definitely consider a GM T5 too but no slicks on that setup - haha
It will be interesting to watch your progress. For the average guy with a small wallet, it should get more fun. Most everyone I know, wanted a Corvette, but could never afford it. Because the C 3's are abundant and cheap, you fix will be great. Thanks
Or do what my co-worker did and by a turn key 350 (about 400hp) from Chevy performance with a 5 speed manual. That thing is a blast to drive and is surprisingly manageable.
Late 70's C3's are a dream for modding a classic w/out ruining value. Let's face it - late 70's motors are junk. If you can find a rust free car, far better to do a complete motor-trans-drive train replacement, beef up brakes, upgrade suspension / slightly lower overall stance, new wheels and a duck tail spoiler. Now you have something that looks cool and performs.
Strange how a "shark look" is boring but kids on the side of the road jump for joy when they see a Hotwheel in real life...haha P.S. with a Gymkhana suspension it handles way better than my C4.
Looks like a good overall video but I’m all out over the flip-flops in the shop. I would simply just fire anyone working in flip-flops. Work boots only for safety
I'd like to know how much you spent to do this. I have a 78 "anniversary special" that's been sitting and needs paint, interior and after watching this, a new motor and such. How much would that cost to create a dream "cruiser". Great video...thank you.
THAT LUGGAGE RACK IS HIDEOUS AND ADDS TO BORING LOOKS..TONS OF POTENTIAL FOR SURE THO. THAT CRATE ENGINE YOU GOT, USED TO BE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER BY AFTERMARKET BUYERA BC OF VALUE PER HP. LOVE THE LS BUT THE SMALL BLOCK WAS A GEM TOO.
There's a certain kind of person who drives a vehicle like this, is that you? I should know, I'd love to own this piece of work, swap the engine for sure, and maybe a suspension upgrade; then, it'll be a road warrior. I can definitely see it's potential, not too fast, but quick!
The nice thing about rebuilding a car is aside from it being fun (for me anyone), if anything goes wrong I can usually diagnose it in 5mins or less because in all likelihood I put that part together, configured it, already fixed it once before, etc. Thanks for the comment!
Their OK as they are, you are just trying to compete with the C8. Love it for what it is. I have a 82 Collector l love it, l think it's the most perfect car ever built. It could have been better sure, but for me if l could f$#k it I'd marry it, but a knee trembler on the bonnet is great too. I get off while looking at my C3.
Hello how are you, my question is I have the 1978 L82 with of course 220 horses, 4 blot main . 4speed muncie 370 rears and would like to squeeze out as much as can without braking the bank, have any solutions or ideas CS THANKS
Okay serious question. I noticed your Factory 5 Cobra. My dream car is the C3 Corvette Stingray but I'm also in love with the Factory 5's F9 that I hope comes out soon. I have no auto mechanic experience. Spend $10,000 on a dream car that runs with little or minimal repairs needed, or spend $20-40,000 on a ground up project?
Gonna be good. Looking FWD to the show. My suggestions: Some sort of front chin spoiler, the OEM one is OK. And please... forget carburators.. F.I. will be the trick. Its 2020 after all!
Stay with an old school carburetor. if it's tune well make more power than FI DYNO proven. As for spoiler it's needed not just for looks, these car suck air from the bottom of the nose the air dam even stock one help cool the car and direct air up into cooling system car will run 20 degrees cooler on the open road, even with stock one in place. My 76 C3 project is under way as well I went with a 383 stroker motor from The Hot Rod Co. in Washington State, backed up with TKO 500 kit. As for handling I am replacing steering box with Borgeson Universal 999032 - Borgeson Corvette Power Steering Kits if your is a leaker and they all are, this kit takes out the ram and control valve for good and supporting hoses no more leaks! My Friend put one in and you won't believe the difference in handling. Good luck great production on Video going to be watching!
can someone give me some advice. I have a 1980 c3. I want to know if I should pull the engine and make it a 383 stroker. Or should I find an LS LQ4 or LQ9 install a hot cam change the top to Ls6? Thanks.. Also can anyone tell me what suspension kit they would use? I've seen a few but some are crazy expensive. steering kit?
Can't go wrong with an LS/LQ4 or LQ9- only catch in a C3 is clearing the cross member / OEM steering hydraulic - but - it can be done. Good luck and thanks for the comment!
You don't need to go crazy. For the front: 550lb coil springs (optional- I think mine are stock), Bilstein B6 shocks, "Spreader bar". For the rear: 360lb rear leaf spring (VanSteel), Bilstein B8 shocks. I run this setup and it feels like a new car over bumps, and in corners it feels like how a corvette should feel - glued to the road. This is with Mickey Thompson street radials on the back wheels though. So all in you're looking at about $1k. $360ish for the shocks off Rockauto $500 for the fiberglass leaf spring, $175 for a spreader bar.
Hey Fred - Interior is DEFINITELY on radar and is something i'll likely tackle this winter / any recommendations? Right now it screams 70s and is in dire need of upgrade. I'm considering some dash changes too / only thing really locked in is the steering column/location and footbox - other than that its an open slate :) Thanks for the comment!
@@TacoJoe Hard to say. Either more modern or more retro. The 70s interiors were rough across the board but the 60s had style. Split the difference and go retro future😂
Put that rack and pinion kit in it and it will steer like 30 years newer. I do not like how it steers at high speed it steers too fast to me. My stock c3 takes a hell of a corner, at 75 mph on a hard sweeping corner it will begin to slide all four tires then I have to back off or it will spin out. The c3 has steering components from 1963 c2 and this was taken from a 57 bel air design. The brakes are good the four wheel disc brakes are I believe the first into production cars to have them in '67 The c3 is the first car to be a dream show car that actually turned into reality. Thanks to mako shark 2. Your c3' color is very nice and your car looks good. I got an 80 in dark claret with just over 60k, recently changed that power steering cylinder ram, the power steering pump and all the hoses. If you ever are driving the c3 and run out of power steering fluid from a leak the steering is even more nutty/ scary 😁
Awesome video! What did you use to measure the 0-60? I love the MPH/time overlay on the video! Im going to have to subscribe and catch up on a bunch more of your episodes!
Thanks! I love filming them too! I used a Dragy. Its awesome, but my phone is a little older and struggles with the time overlay...perfect reason to buy a new phone!
A c3 setup up properly is the sexiest car in the world. Your jacked up rear suspension, luggage rack and lame stock size tires ruins the look of your car.
Put a well built 383 or 408 stroker with good set aluminum heads aluminum intake water pump and radiator get the weight down., use a good roller cam set up get a better 5 or 6 speed transmission put 410 gears in the back. It will get and go
C3 after 72 are a different animal. Uglier and too much environmental protection crap making it slower. The chrome bumper c3s are waaaaay cooler than that viper.
I wish my c3 was chrome bumper / 68-72 were the best years (IMHO) - 73 had a chrome one and a urethane one and 74-on were the plastic C3s / thank for the comment
@@TacoJoe I have my favorite vettes but I love them all. The later c3s are still awesome though! Uglier was probably the wrong word. Less attractive fits better. I just sold my 2014 vette and picked up a 69. It didn't have the soul this one has. If that makes sense.
Here is another one that equates driving excitement with 0 to 60 straight line acceleration….too bad..why don’t you have some excitement on some challenging curves with challenging cambers and some surprising crests.I know it requires also driving skills.
had a stock 79 with the base engine. The biggest thing i hated about the the vette was the lack of horsepower and torque. Looked cool as hell though. wasted potential.
A lot of opinionated narrative here, all of which is only partially true. I could debunk most of this here, but not going to. Needs to learn a bit more about gen 1 small blocks.
I cant believe it lmao, i own a c3 from the same year, same engine, same interior and same color, amazing car, Could someone please tell me the gm color code for this color and trim? Ive been searching for ages
As common as a civic?? Not. From 68-82 there were only 542,861 c3 built. That is a total run of 15 years. From 73-82 Honda produced 1,061,021 civics in only 10 years. Your math is a bit off.
Could go with out your snooze cracks , I don’t care what anyone says these cars handle good for their time,they can’t compete with lighter weight cars with rack and pinion.They gad smog restrictions, but had IPR suspensions and 4 piston 4 wheel disk brakes,I will take on your Honda with my 71 454 4 sp one a road course ,anytime corvette hater.
I own a 2024 C8 and I still enjoy my C3. It's the tops of the fenders and the dash that does it for me. It doesn't need to impress me with speed or handing.
The c3 is cooler than a viper imo
way cooler, how is the viper a 10???
I love the look of both but I'm a bowtie fan. C3 is my favorite old school model corvette
Gtfo corvette is cool but the viper is a gem
I agree
C3 after 72 is less desirable.
I just inherited my dads 1975 Stingray. I grew up terrified of this car. Keeping my friends away from it was impossible, eventually I just stopped having friends come over.
I never once drove it, and he barely ever did. It’s in my driveway now with 27k miles and I’ve driven it juuuust enough times to know I freaking love it.
Can be scary. Will spin..😅
@@jeff3638
Man, your reply is timed right as I’m getting ready to sell the vette :/
The 1974-1977s are my favorite years for a Corvette. They are not fast, but they are drop dead gorgeous.
@@mediabearkeep the vette bro the little bit of money ain’t worth the memory buying back my dads 76 c3 for the nostalgia
I have a 1976 Corvette. I've owned it for over 30 years. It does not have the original engine, the engine that came it (which was not original) in had some issues, so I found a good original never taken apart 2 bolt 350, and built a 383 from that. But I've never understood this thing about lots of power for a street car. I plan to keep my license. I have 5 cars and 6 motorcycles insured, I can't afford any tickets. My '76 has just over 350 rwhp at 4000 rpm, which is plenty. The most important thing is, the engine was built with high quality parts and is under stressed, so it is reliable. To me the C3 Corvette is a cruiser, not a muscle car. It's all about looks and styling, which all pretty much went away in 1978 with that huge ugly bubbleback window.
Hey thanks for the comment - I think your 76 is almost identical to my 77, minus the steering column / the 383 is a solid choice too / extra torque for those summer cruises
I just picked up a blue 77 vette roller. I got all over the 4 speed conversion parts and an m21. Solid car to start with. I'm building a 383 for it and possibly putting in a t56 6 speed. Awesome car you have man.
and it sound like you have an awesome car in the works too!
You're having a cool life and your Wife supports your car endeavors (it seems anyway). Congratulations.
I have a '71 that I've owned since 1986. It has a typical 70's hot rod motor and 3:08 gears, and will bury the speedometer without hesitation, but I wouldn't recommend it - it wants to take flight. The handling is solid, but unpredictable when pushed to it's limits. I've found the suspension, when pushed, will kind of throw the car in any random direction. But I love the way it looks and drives! Good luck with your build!
I can relate Mike - lol - definitely seems to "float" the faster you go / still love my C3 though / thanks for the comment!
My 81 handles pretty well considering it was built 40 years ago.
Love the video Joe. I’m doing a 72, 496 with a tko600. I have a 3:73 rear so the transmission is .64 final drive, it won’t be screaming at 80 miles. Looking forward for updates.
Hope to follow your progress! Looking at a 73 convertible with a 502 and a Richmond 5 speed🤔
Another nice video. 👌 I love restomod principles and shall be building them into all of my cars. 😊
Paul 😎
I am glad that people are finally paying attention to the C3 platform, especially the fact that it has a 5.7 350 to begin with.
C3 has been my favorite body and having owned only L82, 4spd, convertibles, I feel they just can't be refined without throwing 2xs their value at a losing battle. But to drive something as nostalgic; it's a pleasure all of it's own. I'll be watching to decide whether to keep or sell.👍🏾
L82 Convertible?
@@jimferrill1790 L82 designation was used for a performance 350 cubic-inch V8 produced from 1973 to 1980.
@@alexanderspenser4960 For some reason I didn't think they made any converts during those years. I checked. All good.
I once ran a brand new L-82 with my 69 Chevelle small block in 1979. Whooped him pretty good. Over a bridge on the south side of Chicago. Those were the days!
@@jimferrill1790 GM began dropping convertibles in 73 across all models due to fed. 75 C3 was last convertible until '86 C4.
C3 is my favorite too. I am daily driving a C5 I picked up for CHEAP! Headers, x- pipe, Corsa. Now cam too.
My 82 Vette has a 550hp 427 small block, hydroboost, Steeroids Rack and Pinion, FAST EFI.
Fun fact the 2 bolt main is just as strong if not stronger than a 4 bolt main and it can be converted to a 6 bolt main with splayed main caps its all around a better candidate than the 4 bolt
Right you are my friend / I actually have this motor out of the car right now and I'm considering something similar (stroker w/spayed caps) / thanks for the comment!
IMO, a 4 bolt is more likely to crack than a 2 bolt.
2 bolt with ARP studs is very strong.
I have a torch red 1977 corvette, with 116000 miles on it.I had Longtubehooker headers, high performance intake ,Flow master racing exhaust. Many new items, Its very fast, still a head turner.lol
I wouldn't change a thing. It's a beautiful car just like it is.
I remember when the the C3 came out. The C3 Mako body was a radical departure from the C2. It looked way rad cool. 60's hip lingo. Like the C2 the bean counters over road Arkus Duntov's performance and handling specs for the corvette. C2s and C3s looked cool but that is where the true performance ended.
I'm looking forward to your build. I appreciate your honesty about not bringing your C3 to 21st century handling. Looking forward to watching your build.
TacoJoe, You give me inspiration as I am also doing an engine replacment on my 77 C3 keep up the great videos
We've got the same taste in cars; I've got a Cobra and a '77 Vette. I've had the Vette for 13 years and the stock engine has been "fixed" and I put a Gymkhana suspension under it with the 4 tubes into 4 inch collector sidepipes. Now it's got a hell of a stance, sounds amazing (custom baffles in the pipes) and is all around just a great cruiser. I have no problem driving it to shows and the Cobra to other shows.
haha - that's great! Thanks Kyle / an interesting finding w/my suspension....I purchased 8" leaf bolts and lowered the rear 1-1.25" and the ride has improved dramatically! I think it's mostly because the trailing arm is for the most part level vs in the past it moved up to max radius (level) prior to compression. Crazy how something like this can have such a huge effect. Is your Gymkhana a fiberglass leaf then too? Thanks for the comment!
My dad has a 1980 vette and I have a 1981 vette (both C3s) and they both have amazing handling.
All c3 Corvettes are c3 Corvettes😆
I have a 1971 Convertible Corvette fully restored. Hard & Soft tops. 383 stroker 6 speed Tremec Transmission updated suspension system. MSD Ignition and EFI. She's a beauty. Not for sale but can be bought. N.C./U.S.A.
I have an 80 and want to go 383 or 406? 406 has 500 hp to the crank. I have the 5 speed tremec tkx. What do you recommend
I can’t wait to see the final product!
Love the exterior and interior colors.
I have a yellow '76 L48 automatic transmission all stock. I added the '69 side pipes and '70-'73 turbine wheel covers. Not fast but looks friggin Kool as hell 👍🏻
I love my 71 and I think it handles pretty good, but I'd like more power from my small block... 400 HP would be nice.
Another great video!! Can't wait to see where the project ends up. LOVE the C3!!
Thanks mdavis / today is drop the trany day - wish me luck 🙂
The 70’s era Corvettes were iconic of the brand because of the styling. I came of age in the 70’s and love this style. Having said this, I am not a purist so the car I felt was good enough as long as sensible driving habits were used. Of course on a flat or curvy road all that goes out the window and herein lay performance traps. I’m good with your mods however, I would enhance the handling end too. Just to make sure the rear end doesn’t swap for the front end at the wrong time. Of course if money were no obstacle this would be easy. How about I watch and just enjoy the ride?😎 BTW love the color on this one.
The previous owner had painted the car and I think the color is called "emerald green" / agree with your points on handling too. I went from a 7 to 9 leaf rear spring and it made a lot of difference on drive quality, but in hindsight, kinda wish I spent a few more $$$s and got one of the fiberglass leafs because I think they are even better. Thanks for the comment!
I have a C3, two L98 C4's, and Porsche Carrera 3.2. The C3 was added to the stable less than 6 mo ago so it's still being sorted but has low miles and original. The handling and braking compared to the other cars is striking. The C3 has a comfortable ride, but the brakes are marginal and the steering feel is numb with very poor precision. I'll be digging a bit deeper to get the car up to snuff, but for now my 200 RWHP is all this hot mess can take, lol.
better steering is a must a 5 or 6 speed really helps em too
I knew in the first paragraph that this wasn’t for me.
Ok, it doesn't look like a spaceship or a mid-engined supercar but the body lines are sexy as hell; long and lean with great curves. Others may be faster or handle better but the C3 will always be my favorite.
It's an over 50 year old design. No one expects it to drive like a new car (or accelerate as quickly as a beautiful but flimsy death trap kit car that would never pass any sort of new car standards for even 1977). I'd honestly be more interested in just seeing the work and the progress (and hopefully learning something) and less trying too hard while failing to be funny and shitting on the car from someone who may or may not know as much as they could about it. They actually set a production record in '77, building over 49k of them, so they must have been doing something right. And Road & Track actually set a production car record in the slalom in a '77 L82 at almost a full mph faster than the Porsche Turbo Carrera. So if you pour "thousands of dollars" in the suspension and your minivan still outhandles it you should probably start paying someone else to work on your car lol. Your car also sits WAY too high so God knows what's been done to it over the years... Hearing someone call a third-gen Corvette "SnoreVette" and boring is actually a first for me. Again just my opinion but it's kind of a "thanks Captain Obvious" thing for someone to remind everyone how bad a 50 year old car drives given what's available today. At least for me it's a lot more enjoyable to watch when someone keeps the obvious in perspective and appreciates the car they're doing a video about. Jay Leno for instance appreciates and enjoys his '99 Corvette and his '02 Trans Am just as much as anything else he owns, he doesn't shit on them because they don't drive like his Koenigsegg Agera RS... And people were racing (and winning in) third gen Corvettes long before "some people (John Greenwood) decided it was a good idea to turn a C3 into a race car." They actually won their class at Lemans in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Sorry at times your delivery just comes across as super obnoxious... My 2 cents I'd get the brakes and suspension in order before you add another 300 horsepower but that's just me...
Fantastic feedback 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
It’s just his opinion. I daily drive a ‘68 Plymouth Satellite 4 door with a 383. It has modern steel belted radial tires, but isn’t even equipped with a front anti sway bar. It “handles” fine. For what it is. 😀
Ditto
... dumping on the C3 & dumping tons of $$$ at one is mostly what he portrays here. IF U want the best bang for the buck so to speak there's no sense to even yank the engine IF u start with a decent kept low miler to begin with. And it's 'not' all C3's (only 74 thru 80) - the cars r 'smogged to death' but the lowered compression is fine with todays current chitty pump gas - the engines only need to b opened up to breathe for some decent power gains. Hence leave it in, only replace the junk heads with some non-smoggers, even a good set of used n havem redone saves even more precious bidenbux. Change out the cam for a 'mild' 260D/440L'ish dual-pattern kit w/ new lifters n a double roller chain. Junk the smogged intake for an aftermarket dual-plane with a nice 650-750cfm carb to get more air into the now more breathable system n' have it exit thru a good set of headers - and by all means scrap the cats in the exhaust - just lettin' 'er breathe is the goal here for a good overall power performance gain. And by all means do not waste more bidenbux by scrappin a decent tranny - if auto. install a good shift kit, if manual - the slushbox only needs a better clutch combo setup. Rear ends ok, put yur $ into better brakes or handling elsewhere or just save it - in the end you've just saved 1000's of bidenbux & u obviously gotta much better performing ride thats much quicker, way better sounding, and you've just completed all your maintanence that the car was already in need of. Most importantly u have not only saved the 1000's in bidenbux - but if n when it happens to take place down the road in time - the car will b much easier to sell at a more reasonable price without much worry of the huge loss of $$$ and buyers by just throwin a ton of $ at it by going all-out for some xtra HP n speed he's tryin to do here.
BTW ... i imagine this guys givin that white pos in the beginning clip of this video a 10 of 10 for performance only because in appearance its not even a 5 - just another jellybean thats currently produced by all manufacturers in the appearance dept. - the C3 'disco' wheels he refers to r way better lookin than anything about that white pos in the foreground - bash 4 bash buddy ......................
And that my '3 cents' of basic sense ! Good day my friends
Owned a 77 Vette for 33 years. My fourth and final engine was 383 Full Roller. My fourth and final transmission was a 525 HP 700R4 from JEGS. Two rear end rebuilds on 370 ring and pinion. New trail arm assemblies. DEWITT Aluminum radiator. Lots of chrome under hood including fan Blade, hood hardware, springs. Supercompt Titanium hooker headers, new AC, new everything at least 3 to 4 times. Twin turbo hood. 78 pace car rear spoiler, remove that useless luggage rack. Moon roofs, true Corvette Spoke or wire rims. Probable spent $100K on my 77 over 30 plus years. Finally sold it two years ago. Since then I owned 2012 Grand Sport and now 2007 Z06. Could not be happier to be out of a C3 and into a C6 Vette. So much newer and comfortable in technology and performance. :)
... spent over a 100k inc the original cost of the C3 and what did u get for it - (dont answer that - we already know)
It's your money! Go for it personally I wouldn't do it on anything newer than 72 but that's my opinion
Agree / 68-72 are the best years / thanks for the comment!
455HP GM Crate engine with a 4 speed. Can we say rocket. Next brakes upgrade. 1980 Chevrolet corvette with factory 4 speed.
I was looking at a 450hp or 500hp 406. Im guessing 450hp is plenty !?!
I love the 1982 C3 collectors edition turbine wheels!!
You are wrong. C3 are not common anymore. I drive a C3 and it's a pleasure to drive. Also I live in the Sacramento area and have only seen 3 other C3 in the last 2 years. I've been driving a C3 since 1975 and love them. I also had 3 C2s before my first C3. I wouldn't drive a C4 or later, they just aren't real Corvettes to me.
Love my C3 too / thanks for the comment!
Nice. Looks like a fun project!
Thanks Zach- I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty again too- thanks for the comment!
2 bolt 350s last forever at this level. Shouldn't have a bit of trouble at 500 hp.
I had a '75 with the Gymkhana package, it handled quite well, way better than any other stock suspension C3.
Do you have a fiberglass leaf? Always curious how ride is affected by those / thanks for the comment!
@@TacoJoe Gymkhana has both front and rear sway bars,(no rear bar on standard Vettes) the front sway bar on the FE7 is larger than the standard. More and stiffer rear leaf, I think 5, heavier 550lb front springs and from the factory, upgraded shocks..... I got my car in '88 and it did not have fiberglass leafs. I had it fully restored in 2002 by a Corvette specialty shop and they made no mention of fiberglass leafs in the rebuild.... So short story long.... No.
@@TacoJoeI bought a '75 and it has a VBP 360lb glass rear leaf. I think stock front coils, and a 7/8" sway bar up front. It hooks up, but felt as though the rear end was trying to walk out on me through a turn. However yesterday I finished putting in Bilstein B6 and B8 shock absorbers in the front and rear, respectively, and my god what a night and day difference. The car is nearly flat when cornering and it rides phenomenal. I think if you budget for a fiberglass 360lb leaf in the back and a set of Bilsteins, you'll be very impressed. I think the stock leaf spring rate in these cars was 140lbs, which definitely would make it handle like a pooch.
The C3 a boring car? Next to the '63 Split Window, the C3 Corvette is the most popular body style they offered. Looks a million times better than that Euro Trash-inspired C8. My son bought a '76 and we stuffed a 425 hp / 430 lb-ft 396 big block, and a 700R4 transmission in it. We also redid the AC to use modern coolant. But even with the stock 350, it was never a "boring" car.
haha thanks for the comment / make no mistake, l love my C3 too / just wanted to upgrade-improve it much like your 76. I have some content in the works and I'll get into some of the details-my upgrade reasoning / stay tuned and thanks for the comment!
All 63's were split unless ragtop. No need to say it.
Stop talking about it, keep the prices low 💀
you are correct the zz4 block is the best option for these any 383 or 427 as well
Make sure you pick a good transmission. In my opinion, the way the shift feels is as important as the strength. I drove a foxbody mustang with a Ford T5 in it, but when I drove an almost identical mustang with a Tremec, the shifts felt rough like I was going to break something. Not that there is anything wrong with Tremec transmissions, but the driving experience was much nicer with the other transmission, and the car was overall way more fun to drive.
Thank Jack - very much appreciate your comment - I have a T5 in my cobra and love how it shifts too - I’ve never driven a TKO but have read they are notchy / I’ll definitely consider a GM T5 too but no slicks on that setup - haha
It will be interesting to watch your progress. For the average guy with a small wallet, it should get more fun. Most everyone I know, wanted a Corvette, but could never afford it. Because the C 3's are abundant and cheap, you fix will be great. Thanks
Hey thanks Nick- I really like my C3 and once I make some of these changes, I think I’ll put even more miles on it - thanks for the comment!
Would love to find one of these with a manual gearbox. Kinda rare in my neck of the woods.
if you find an auto you like its not too terrible to swap in a 5 speed so don't despair / good luck with your search!
2 bolt main is why i have a crate engine. Rod thru the block
I like that color better than my yellow 76 L82..
Emerald green (I think) - very forgiving with scratches and polishes up nice too / thanks for the comment!
First issue you have is the carpeted dash. When I see that, I know there’s hidden problems with the car.
i had a 72 .It had great handling
Love c3 corvettes. Can't wait
Or do what my co-worker did and by a turn key 350 (about 400hp) from Chevy performance with a 5 speed manual. That thing is a blast to drive and is surprisingly manageable.
Late 70's C3's are a dream for modding a classic w/out ruining value. Let's face it - late 70's motors are junk. If you can find a rust free car, far better to do a complete motor-trans-drive train replacement, beef up brakes, upgrade suspension / slightly lower overall stance, new wheels and a duck tail spoiler. Now you have something that looks cool and performs.
Well said @GTX1123 / thanks for the comment!
Strange how a "shark look" is boring but kids on the side of the road jump for joy when they see a Hotwheel in real life...haha P.S. with a Gymkhana suspension it handles way better than my C4.
Might need a suspension upgrade then :) thanks for the comment
the 5 speed or 6 speed swap is a must and way better on fuel
color is amazing
I’m just starting the mostly restoration of my brothers. So much to do
Only a panty waist driver would say the C3 can't handle with proper mods.
Looks like a good overall video but I’m all out over the flip-flops in the shop. I would simply just fire anyone working in flip-flops. Work boots only for safety
haha - bad habits die hard (or you lose a toe / lol)
I like it all except it just sits too high in the rear. The 2-bolt main is way underrated,youll never crack the block with what you have there.
Like SBC's because they are internally balanced also / thanks for the comment!
That car and a LS3 swap, potential😮
I'd like to know how much you spent to do this. I have a 78 "anniversary special" that's been sitting and needs paint, interior and after watching this, a new motor and such. How much would that cost to create a dream "cruiser". Great video...thank you.
I have some new content on the way that shows the final product and I'll see if I can work in some cost numbers too / thanks for the comment!
@@TacoJoe Great, thank you!
THAT LUGGAGE RACK IS HIDEOUS AND ADDS TO BORING LOOKS..TONS OF POTENTIAL FOR SURE THO. THAT CRATE ENGINE YOU GOT, USED TO BE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER BY AFTERMARKET BUYERA BC OF VALUE PER HP. LOVE THE LS BUT THE SMALL BLOCK WAS A GEM TOO.
I like the color! 😀
There's a certain kind of person who drives a vehicle like this, is that you?
I should know, I'd love to own this piece of work, swap the engine for sure, and maybe a suspension upgrade; then, it'll be a road warrior. I can definitely see it's potential, not too fast, but quick!
The nice thing about rebuilding a car is aside from it being fun (for me anyone), if anything goes wrong I can usually diagnose it in 5mins or less because in all likelihood I put that part together, configured it, already fixed it once before, etc. Thanks for the comment!
the C3 could use more fender flair, but C3 > Viper in coolness.
Their OK as they are, you are just trying to compete with the C8.
Love it for what it is.
I have a 82 Collector l love it, l think it's the most perfect car ever built.
It could have been better sure, but for me if l could f$#k it I'd marry it, but a knee trembler on the bonnet is great too.
I get off while looking at my C3.
Hello how are you, my question is I have the 1978 L82 with of course 220 horses, 4 blot main . 4speed muncie 370 rears and would like to squeeze out as much as can without braking the bank, have any solutions or ideas CS THANKS
Cam
... yea - you'll break the bank here if u dont have 1000's upon 1000's of bidenbux
Okay serious question. I noticed your Factory 5 Cobra. My dream car is the C3 Corvette Stingray but I'm also in love with the Factory 5's F9 that I hope comes out soon. I have no auto mechanic experience. Spend $10,000 on a dream car that runs with little or minimal repairs needed, or spend $20-40,000 on a ground up project?
C3 is a safe bet but it's a cruiser compared to a MK4. Love my C3 though - its all about what kind of car you want/etc - thanks for the comment!
Gonna be good. Looking FWD to the show. My suggestions: Some sort of front chin spoiler, the OEM one is OK. And please... forget carburators.. F.I. will be the trick. Its 2020 after all!
I'll definitely look into the chin spoiler - thats a prime aesthetic area for the car that should be easy to improve - thank for the comment!
And FI is on the radar- we'll see :)
@@TacoJoe Souds like a plan! Gonna be a sweet ride!
@@TacoJoe Coil overs? Say...just to get the stance nice...
Stay with an old school carburetor. if it's tune well make more power than FI DYNO proven. As for spoiler it's needed not just for looks, these car suck air from the bottom of the nose the air dam even stock one help cool the car and direct air up into cooling system car will run 20 degrees cooler on the open road, even with stock one in place. My 76 C3 project is under way as well I went with a 383 stroker motor from The Hot Rod Co. in Washington State, backed up with TKO 500 kit. As for handling I am replacing steering box with Borgeson Universal 999032 - Borgeson Corvette Power Steering Kits if your is a leaker and they all are, this kit takes out the ram and control valve for good and supporting hoses no more leaks! My Friend put one in and you won't believe the difference in handling. Good luck great production on Video going to be watching!
can someone give me some advice. I have a 1980 c3. I want to know if I should pull the engine and make it a 383 stroker. Or should I find an LS LQ4 or LQ9 install a hot cam change the top to Ls6? Thanks.. Also can anyone tell me what suspension kit they would use? I've seen a few but some are crazy expensive. steering kit?
Can't go wrong with an LS/LQ4 or LQ9- only catch in a C3 is clearing the cross member / OEM steering hydraulic - but - it can be done. Good luck and thanks for the comment!
You don't need to go crazy. For the front: 550lb coil springs (optional- I think mine are stock), Bilstein B6 shocks, "Spreader bar". For the rear: 360lb rear leaf spring (VanSteel), Bilstein B8 shocks. I run this setup and it feels like a new car over bumps, and in corners it feels like how a corvette should feel - glued to the road. This is with Mickey Thompson street radials on the back wheels though. So all in you're looking at about $1k. $360ish for the shocks off Rockauto $500 for the fiberglass leaf spring, $175 for a spreader bar.
I like where you're going with it so far but I think the interior could use some sprucing up.
Hey Fred - Interior is DEFINITELY on radar and is something i'll likely tackle this winter / any recommendations? Right now it screams 70s and is in dire need of upgrade. I'm considering some dash changes too / only thing really locked in is the steering column/location and footbox - other than that its an open slate :) Thanks for the comment!
@@TacoJoe Hard to say. Either more modern or more retro. The 70s interiors were rough across the board but the 60s had style. Split the difference and go retro future😂
Haha - retro-future / i like it! Thanks for the tip Fred-
1970 LT-1 was 370 HP 11 to 1 compression was the last high performance Chevy for a decade or two .. forged crank .. 4 bolt mains 2.02 1.60 valves.,
Put that rack and pinion kit in it and it will steer like 30 years newer. I do not like how it steers at high speed it steers too fast to me. My stock c3 takes a hell of a corner, at 75 mph on a hard sweeping corner it will begin to slide all four tires then I have to back off or it will spin out. The c3 has steering components from 1963 c2 and this was taken from a 57 bel air design. The brakes are good the four wheel disc brakes are I believe the first into production cars to have them in '67 The c3 is the first car to be a dream show car that actually turned into reality. Thanks to mako shark 2.
Your c3' color is very nice and your car looks good.
I got an 80 in dark claret with just over 60k, recently changed that power steering cylinder ram, the power steering pump and all the hoses. If you ever are driving the c3 and run out of power steering fluid from a leak the steering is even more nutty/ scary 😁
modern tire compounds is your friend
C3 is a great platform but you need to make sure you don't overpay. They are not "collectible" so don't pay a collectible price....
Awesome video! What did you use to measure the 0-60? I love the MPH/time overlay on the video! Im going to have to subscribe and catch up on a bunch more of your episodes!
Thanks! I love filming them too! I used a Dragy. Its awesome, but my phone is a little older and struggles with the time overlay...perfect reason to buy a new phone!
what is the name of this specific color
A c3 setup up properly is the sexiest car in the world. Your jacked up rear suspension, luggage rack and lame stock size tires ruins the look of your car.
Upgrades on the way / stay tuned
Put a well built 383 or 408 stroker with good set aluminum heads aluminum intake water pump and radiator get the weight down., use a good roller cam set up get a better 5 or 6 speed transmission put 410 gears in the back. It will get and go
... yea n cost about as much as what he's doin here --- basically the cost of an avg C3 itself
can't wait
My poor virgin ears, hearing all the "Corvettes suck" talk in the video. It's sacrilege. Now, I'm more a C2 guy than a C3 guy, but still.
I stayed for the jokes.
How much was the short block
C3 after 72 are a different animal. Uglier and too much environmental protection crap making it slower. The chrome bumper c3s are waaaaay cooler than that viper.
I wish my c3 was chrome bumper / 68-72 were the best years (IMHO) - 73 had a chrome one and a urethane one and 74-on were the plastic C3s / thank for the comment
@@TacoJoe I have my favorite vettes but I love them all. The later c3s are still awesome though! Uglier was probably the wrong word. Less attractive fits better. I just sold my 2014 vette and picked up a 69. It didn't have the soul this one has. If that makes sense.
Isn't the ride adjustable by fiddling with the rear leaf springs on the C3?
Yeah, remove the 1800s carriage suspension and get proper coilovers.
Viper not very cool tbh...maybe 6/10. Nice c3 way better
Fair enough
Here is another one that equates driving excitement with 0 to 60 straight line acceleration….too bad..why don’t you have some excitement on some challenging curves with challenging cambers and some surprising crests.I know it requires also driving skills.
How tall are you? Do you sit comfortably?
6' 1" / plenty of room in a C3 for a tall guy (no issues)
MPG ?
had a stock 79 with the base engine. The biggest thing i hated about the the vette was the lack of horsepower and torque. Looked cool as hell though. wasted potential.
Das one Shark. C3’s can rule. Zow.
2 bolt blocks are ok most people don't make enough power to need 4 bolt blocks
Is that an 77?
Yes- 77 (last year of the flat back window)
Should've slapped a Doug Nash transmission out of a c4
didn't the C4 have 700R4s?
@@TacoJoe they had a Doug Nash 4 speed with a equivalent to a gear vendors overdrive too
A lot of opinionated narrative here, all of which is only partially true. I could debunk most of this here, but not going to. Needs to learn a bit more about gen 1 small blocks.
Looks at way more than 3/10.....
Year?
1977
I cant believe it lmao, i own a c3 from the same year, same engine, same interior and same color, amazing car,
Could someone please tell me the gm color code for this color and trim? Ive been searching for ages
Bryar blue
@@glennsawyer3283 thank you dude!
As common as a civic?? Not. From 68-82 there were only 542,861 c3 built. That is a total run of 15 years. From 73-82 Honda produced 1,061,021 civics in only 10 years. Your math is a bit off.
Haha- sorry grumphie777 / was trying to get across there are still lots of C3s around / thanks for the comment!
Who doesnt know you can pull cats off and build up an engine?
Could go with out your snooze cracks , I don’t care what anyone says these cars handle good for their time,they can’t compete with lighter weight cars with rack and pinion.They gad smog restrictions, but had IPR suspensions and 4 piston 4 wheel disk brakes,I will take on your Honda with my 71 454 4 sp one a road course ,anytime corvette hater.
at 71 454 totally rips and you got chrome bumpers too! - nice ride!