What do you do with your C3?

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What do you do with your C3?

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Corvette Forums >> Corvette Models >> Corvette C3 Forum >> What do you do with your C3?

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What do you do with your C3? - 3/17/2008 11:12:19 AM

DeeVeeEight

Posts: 471
Joined: 10/24/2007
From: South Jersey
Status: offline

What do you like to do with your C3? Are you in it for the tinkering, repairs and modifications, do you use it as a daily driver or a show car - or something in between? Do you go touring, auto crossing, drag racing, to auto shows or just like cruising the local scene? What upgrades, repairs and modifications have you done and what are you planning on in the future? Pictures are always welcome! Tell us about your relationship with your Corvette!

I like the troubleshooting and repair aspects, I enjoy doing the smaller more manageable jobs at home in my driveway and leave the big jobs to my local mechanic. He lets me get involved at the shop as much as I want when my Corvette is in there but I try to not be a pain in the a$$ and get in his way too often. I also enjoy cruising the local scene, going for a ride on some country roads and the occasional outing to the drag strip. Last year at the strip I ran a 13.27 before I snapped the rear gears and made iron salad out of them. I am hoping for some better times this year, I'll be real happy if I get in to the 12's. As the weather is starting to warm up I am getting that old "Cabin Fever" feeling again and trying to figure out when I can get back to the dragstrip!

_____________________________

If you don't ask, you get the same answer as no.

1979 L-82, 383 Stroker, Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake, Holley 750, Headers, Flowmasters, VB&P 400# rear monospring, Richmond 5 speed. American Racing Vector Wheels, Firestone Indy 500's

Post #: 1

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/17/2008 1:06:10 PM

C3 Starship

Posts: 4694
Joined: 7/25/2006
Status: offline

Well, I work on it and dream of drivin' it. Been sittin' so long now, that I have to pull the gas tank and clean it out.

Mods? Well my sig kinda tells the story. Everything underneigth is new 'cept for the front rotors. Oh ya, the tranny isn't new, but still in good shape. Will be rebuilding a 3sp stick (manual) w/od for install later.

I prefer long cruises, not really into "Point and Shoot". Buildin' 'er up for the twisties of our mountain roads. Plenty of power to pull and pass on the short straights.

Pics? O.K.

After suspension upgrade...

Here's some, of the suspension.

This is the kit...

rear...

front....

454 in place....

Don't look too close at the body and paint, that's a project for another day.....

O.K., I'm done bloviating now.

( for this post anyway

)

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1980 L-82 Fastback (forward too)
Mono composite front and rear.
Full adjust ride height and
response.
400+ hp, 454, M-22, 3.07

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o225/C3Starship/Patch.jpg

2007 H. D. Sportster, XL 883 EFI

(in reply to DeeVeeEight)

Post #: 2

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/17/2008 4:39:00 PM

DeeVeeEight

Posts: 471
Joined: 10/24/2007
From: South Jersey
Status: offline

Man! - that is a lot of grunt going in under the hood and I like that suspension package too!

I like the twisties too, did that Tail of the Dragon run in Tennessee/North Carolina last summer - a fantastic ride! I am trying to get my car to do ALL of those things - Point and Shoot, Twisties, Long Cruises (need another gear), and eventually - show worthy....

(in reply to C3 Starship)

Post #: 3

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/17/2008 4:44:10 PM

Posts: 998
Joined: 8/7/2006
Status: offline

Mine is a daily driver, if it's not raining I take the Vette.
I don't race it but I enjoy a night at the drag strip. There going to open a drag strip at Lowes Speedway soon, can't wait for that.
Car Shows: On each Friday there is a show one town away at the Micky D's there lots of cars and I like to see what others have done. Most times I'm still at work but if I get off early enough it's worth a look.
I like to tinker too and I do most of the work myself. Took off the trailing arms but brought them to the Corvette shop to be rebuilt. Had him install a new engine and had the TH400 rebuilt at the same time. Had ball joints and bushing installed. Every thing else I did myself.
Interior: Decided to change the front speakers and cracked the top dash in the process so thats new now. Installed new carpet and insulation and had the Corvette shop recover the seats.
After 8 years most of the restoration is done. Sometime this year I'll install new window regulators and replace a weatherstrip that wore out.
I'd like to have new door panels but I may just paint them.
I have chambered duel exhaust so even though I'm not the fastest Vette on the road, it sounds like it is. PG.

(in reply to C3 Starship)

Post #: 4

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/17/2008 6:42:30 PM

73shark

Posts: 1057
Joined: 4/18/2006
Status: offline

Right now mine is on jack stands awaiting the rebuilt engine to be dropped in. Probably been that way longer than C3s has.

Check the ROTM write-up for the rest of the answers.

_____________________________

So many toys, so little time

(in reply to pg)

Post #: 5

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/17/2008 8:25:03 PM

blueshark

Posts: 2148
Joined: 7/20/2006
From: Dickson, TN.
Status: offline

I just look at mine and drool while I dream of the time when I have the finances to drop my power plant in and do the body work I want to do. But when it's done it's gonna be a driver, a local show car, a cruiser and a straight line runner. I'm gonna drive the crap out of it and then do it again.

I can't seem to get pictures to post right from photobucket (too stupid I guess)so I guess you'll have to see my gallery for pictures of the soon to be black MakoRatRay.! Hah!

Cheers

_____________________________

God Speed Rich.
www.larosadesign.net
Design, Engineering,Tooling
www.stantonscustomrods.net

"Welcome to Tennessee,
The patron state of shootin' stuff".......Shooter

(in reply to DeeVeeEight)

Post #: 6

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/18/2008 12:16:46 AM

aldous

Posts: 128
Joined: 1/5/2008
Status: offline

I have my 79 since december, just 3 months.
I drive it at least 3 days per week ( the weather is quite nice here also in winter)
some jobs done and other to do : mainly the suspensions and steering.
interiors are OK but not perfect. I'll work on them later

I'm realizing that my driving attitudes with my car , change from day to day. sometimes I like to go fast , sometimes I like just to enjoy a quiet ride ( the Vette is very comfortable in my opinion) . sometimes I just stop in front of the sea , inside my Vette , watching the sea with some music.

the c3 is a "strange" car : it's not a "total" sport car , it's not a GT , but with here you can do anything you like . I like this very much
Aldo

Thumbnail Image

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Aldo from south Italy

1979 L82 ,4 speed, edelbrock performer rpm intake, edelbrock 600cfm carb,double hump 64cc heads 2.02/1.6 valves, Hedman Hedders dual headers, Flowmaster 40 series, Goodyear Eagle GT+4 255/60/15 , 4 Bilstein HD shocks

(in reply to DeeVeeEight)

Post #: 7

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/18/2008 4:33:48 AM

watwheel

Posts: 278
Joined: 9/9/2006
From: Michigan
Status: offline

I take mine out on the weekends for a drive with the wife. We will go to the park , dinner, see friends or just drive. Going to put her in a couple of shows this summer just to see how she does. No expectations other than to show off the NEW 72 vette. Hopefully other people will appreciate the time and effort that was put into it.

(in reply to aldous)

Post #: 8

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/18/2008 11:04:57 AM

DryCreamer

Posts: 93
Joined: 1/28/2008
From: Muncie, IN
Status: offline

I bought my Vette Jan 25th, so I've only owed it about a month and a half, and after driving it maybe a whole 4 times in that month, I pulled the engine all apart in order to make it go more like a real American car should go. Its a real shame I have smog dished pistons because its gonna leave my compression a lot lower than I had hoped, even with 64cc heads I won't crack 9:1 BOOO! But it still should put me over 300 hp regardless, which was my goal, and I can still drive on 89 :)

The suspension needs a complete overhaul (everything rubber had dry rotted from sitting to long) and the car needs painted, and hopefully if I can save my pennies I can do all stuff this summer. The interior is a 7 out of 10, but if I get the seats recovered it will be nice, and luckily the seats can be taken out without taking the whole seat frame out so I can do one at a time.

I do the work myself, but I would farm out the interior stuff because I don't do that kinda work very much and it would be cheaper to have a shop repair one at a time than for me to buy those $800 kits (because I'm not as big on factory correct as a I am factory functional).

I usually will drive my cars in any kinda of weather, even snowy stuff (hey, people did it for over 90 years, just because its old or expensive doesn't mean the functionality has decreased), and I take it to the strip about every two months, and on nice nights me and some friends cruise the local strip (McGalliard) and talk to each other car to car like we all have big brass :) Trying to relive a little magic.

Going from Caprice's and Buick's, its nice to find that companies actually make stuff to fix up a Corvette, like little knobs and panels, that are impossible to find for Impalas because they don't have the aftermarket support as much (unless you got a 64) but the stuff is EXPENSIVE because if I was patient enough I could find things for my 225 in a boneyard for cheap (bought a whole interior for a '72 I had for $70, everything!), but even Corvette boneyard stuff is only like $10 less than new stuff :/

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Clayton

(in reply to watwheel)

Post #: 9

RE: What do you do with your C3? - 3/18/2008 6:16:55 PM

blknblu68

Posts: 207
Joined: 4/4/2007
Status: offline

bought my 68 knowin the heads needed work and that the car was originally a 350 hp 327 car not a 454 as it had when purchased, so i drove it a few times and then ripped it down and repaired a bunch of BUBBA stuff,spent 5 hrs scraping stickers off firewall,inner fenders,under hood etc!! installed a fresh 327,new center force clutch pressureplate,pilot and throw out bearing,hooker super copms and side pipes,etc... and have spent the winter collecting other things that needed attention that i will work on this spring in between driving it as much as possible!!!