Howdee folks,,,,my name is Dan ,,,at some point in the next couple
months I plan to buy a vette,,,always wanted to own one and its about
time. Now ,,,I must sy my preference has always been the C3
models,,68-82,,,does anyone have any good advise about these models,,I
have heard that they had trouble with the rear ends. any one who has
advise would be greatly appreciated. NOW,,,,if someone has one you are
considering selling and are not in a great rush to get it sold let me
knw,,,I am not actually looking for a prject at this point in life but
might consider one needing very minor work generally I want a really
nice ready to go car,and would be most interested in matching
numbers,,,I like Black,,whte,,,yellow,,or red most as far as color,,I
will try to ck back at this group but please feel free to email
me,,Thanks,,Dan
Andy - 17 Dec 2006 20:52 GMT
Check out:
http://www.corvetteforum.com/
>Howdee folks,,,,my name is Dan ,,,at some point in the next couple
>months I plan to buy a vette,,,always wanted to own one and its about
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>will try to ck back at this group but please feel free to email
>me,,Thanks,,Dan
Tom in Missouri - 17 Dec 2006 21:59 GMT
Check the Internet for more information. Some places to check:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/3000/guide2.html
http://www.ncrs.org/forum/tech.cgi
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5
Rear ends on the '63 to '79 are basically the same. They were all designed
with the load from a 327 and skinny tires. However, as the engines got
bigger, the vehicle load got heavier, and the tire width (and thus traction)
became more, the rear end became a weak link.
That said, you do have to abuse them to break them. I have broken two in
about 30 years. One was in a car I bought, and when opened, the goo of STP
was obvious, which was probably someone's attempt to quiet the popping
Positraction clutches, and that only made it worse and broke everything.
The other was in racing behind a 427. Wonder why that one broke?
Rear wheel bearings are an issue. However, the best bet is to have the
trailing arms rebuilt by a professional such as Van Steel, Baer, and a
couple of others who specialize in these for about $300 a side and never
have to worry about them again.
After that, they have typical Chevrolet problems, which aren't many, and
being typical Chevrolet, you can fix them anywhere and for half the price of
anything else on the road.
Typically, buy the best you can afford. Bargains usually are not. One only
needing paint for $6000 isn't if a good one is for $9000, because it will
cost you an average of $4000 for paint, and often more than that.
Even if you get a bargain and end up cheaper, what is the price of buying
and driving today versus buying, fixing, and not driving until a year or two
from now?
> Howdee folks,,,,my name is Dan ,,,at some point in the next couple
> months I plan to buy a vette,,,always wanted to own one and its about
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> will try to ck back at this group but please feel free to email
> me,,Thanks,,Dan
dave - 18 Dec 2006 21:26 GMT
Rearends : I have the factory 12 bolt and am 150 h.p. greater than stock
for a 1970 BB (390 h.p. stock / 540 h.p. now) . No problems with my
rearend at all. Torque increase is approx. 100 ft.lbs more too. (500
stock / 600 now) . The saving grace is that the rear tires dont hook up
; if they did , id be in trouble im sure.
Gearbox's : No problems with my M21 stock 4 speed either.
In fact, no drivetrain problems at all.
Had a problem with rear main seals leaking , but corrected that with
going back to a stock oil pump and positive crankcase evacuation via the
Header Collectors .
If you can, find a decent BB and it will go up in price quicker ,
except perhaps for an 1970 - 1971 LT1 SB motor.
Before you buy one, have it checked out by a Vette Mechanic who knows
this generation Vette.
Dave
tww - 19 Dec 2006 01:00 GMT
> Check the Internet for more information. Some places to check:
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> couple of others who specialize in these for about $300 a side and never
> have to worry about them again.
Had mine go out on a 71 454 years ago -- twice in 60k miles. Often wondered
if there was a better solution.
> After that, they have typical Chevrolet problems, which aren't many, and
> being typical Chevrolet, you can fix them anywhere and for half the price of
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> > will try to ck back at this group but please feel free to email
> > me,,Thanks,,Dan
dave - 18 Dec 2006 21:19 GMT
Dan, Email me for a complete checkout list on a C3 Corvette. It will
show you want to look for in terms of potential problem areas. Dave
bent - 19 Dec 2006 21:14 GMT
It is a lot of fun too.
You should read some sites that tell you all abou the vettes history. These
need not be enormous. Can't expect someone to re-write it out here. Then
once you know the basic facts, then these posts make (more) sense and you
can get specifics. For instance what year was 4 wheel disk brakes standard
(and what thereafter). What year did fuel injection come in (and what
thereafter). What if you missed by a year. You owe it to yourself. These
types of things are basic facts, you read them once, and you should 'member
'em..