Going to get my First vette!

[leev]

hi! im now in my first year iin college and my father was a chevy fan, we had 3 camaros before (i was too young to appreciate them then and it was hard times in the family so he sold them, 69, 74 and 87) anyway, this year or next, my dad is going to get me a corvette and ive always been a fan of C3s. in the philippines, corvettes are rare and there arent any original big blocks here. all 350's. and ive had a couple of finds,
1972 - LT1 - my prob is the horsepower on this is like 200 and were looking to something stronger, but doesnt it cost quite a lot to change heads and adjust everything in it?
1978 silver anniv (cheaper than the Chrome bumpers here) but i want a chrome bumper vette.
1971 - its got a rebuilt 350 with about 380 hp, not bad but the owner priced it way too high.
1969 vertible - no clue as to how much the owner sells it.

anyway, my point it, can anyone give me or point out to me a good chrome bumper year vette, or tell me the pros and cons of each year? and do you have suggestions in fixing up the engines in its respective years to reach at least above 350 hp while not spending too much?

 

[Vette79]

leev, Welcome to CAC! Anything you will need to know you will find right here. A lot of great people. Now, I suggest going to the home page and comparing the differences between the years you have specified. You will find a lot of information including pictures. I love chrome bumper vette's as well but I own a 1979 original black coupe. I Love my vette no matter the lack of HP. Try to find one that will need very little work and is in good condition. Good Luck locating your Dream Car...

 

[leev]

leev, Welcome to CAC! Anything you will need to know you will find right here. A lot of great people. Now, I suggest going to the home page and comparing the differences between the years you have specified. You will find a lot of information including pictures. I love chrome bumper vette's as well but I own a 1979 original black coupe. I Love my vette no matter the lack of HP. Try to find one that will need very little work and is in good condition. Good Luck locating your Dream Car...

thanks! i look forward to telling you stories of my soon to be vette! im tired of japanese toy car racers all around the streets!

 

[6880 Mike]

...can anyone give me or point out to me a good chrome bumper year vette, or tell me the pros and cons of each year?...

Good reading here. Worth the price of a copy. All C3s are discussed.

 

[Curtis]

Hi Leev. Welcome to the site.. I plan on moving to Philippines if my disability gets approved.. Going to Cagayan de Oro. Where are you located? I knew a guy in Manila area (Las Pinas) that collected vettes there about 10 years ago..He lived right across street from a Hotel, and there was a McDonalds about a block away..Wish I could remember the name of the hotel so you could find him. Maybe I should sell you my 76.. Enough power there to suck those Mitsubushis and Hondas right through the air cleaner. Hope we meet sometime.

 

[leev]

what do you guys think about putting the new GM 454 HO in a 68-73 vette? is it hard to do or will the engine fit in just right?

 

[leev]

Hi Leev. Welcome to the site.. I plan on moving to Philippines if my disability gets approved.. Going to Cagayan de Oro. Where are you located? I knew a guy in Manila area (Las Pinas) that collected vettes there about 10 years ago..He lived right across street from a Hotel, and there was a McDonalds about a block away..Wish I could remember the name of the hotel so you could find him. Maybe I should sell you my 76.. Enough power there to suck those Mitsubushis and Hondas right through the air cleaner. Hope we meet sometime.

im here in manila, i think you should go here. everythings much much more convenient in the capital. well if youre going into muscle again if you go here, ill hook you up with this guy named Ben Lim, and Deo Concepcion. Ben,he's the chevy man in the country. Deo, a muscle car wiz

 

[6880 Mike]

what do you guys think about putting the new GM 454 HO in a 68-73 vette? is it hard to do or will the engine fit in just right?

It's a bolt-in, but you will need big block front springs to carry the additional load and you will want to upgrade to big block cooling if the project car was originally a small block.

FWIW: What's the price of gasoline in the Phillipines? A big block will go through plenty of it.

 

[leev]

It's a bolt-in, but you will need big block front springs to carry the additional load and you will want to upgrade to big block cooling if the project car was originally a small block.

FWIW: What's the price of gasoline in the Phillipines? A big block will go through plenty of it.

well a big block will turn this car into a weekend car only
are there any good GM performance small blocks out of the catalogue than can churn out 400++ horses? and what changes would i have to do on the car?

 

[fine69]

leev,

Welcome to the CAC.

From reading your post and replies, I think you're getting too caught up in HP numbers. Don't be fooled by the labeling of a 200 HP LT-1. In the early 1970s, the way in which HP was reported was changed... I urge you test drive the Vettes you mentioned. I have an L-46, and while it's not a big block, its performance will throw you back in your seat.

Do the test drives, and let us know what you think.

Mabuti...

Ralph

 

[fine69]

leev,

Welcome to the CAC.

From reading your post and replies, I think you're getting too caught up in HP numbers. Don't be fooled by the labeling of a 200 HP LT-1. In the early 1970s, the way in which HP was reported was changed... I urge you test drive the Vettes you mentioned. I have an L-46, and while it's not a big block, its performance will throw you back in your seat.

Do the test drives, and let us know what you think.

Mabuti...

Ralph

Leev,

You should read the replies you've received.

 

[leev]

yes i will, thanks for the help, im now choosing between 69 and 70 convertible, i honestly prefer the egg crate pattern, but the 69 would surely hold more value so im thinking hard on this one! if in turn i do end up without the money, im sticking with the 72 LT1, since ive always wanted to own an LT1, guys im kinda stuck between performance and value, i really want the car to drive hard and fast and i know its much easier to achieve that with the 72 but will following what i want for now make me have regrets? or if i get the 69, will i learn to love it?

 

[oceangal]

I went with a 383 bored out stroker motor, its not in the car yet but I am sure the HP is going to be much improved on my '82.

Good luck and its nice to see a young person interested in the classics!
My freshman bought a 1960 Olds Dynamic 88 so the old car trend carries on in my house!

 

[ed1655]

Good reading here. Worth the price of a copy. All C3s are discussed.

DEFINATELY BUY THIS BOOK! also, here's a good website that gives you a year to year breakdown:

http://www.web-cars.com/corvette/1968.php

 

[Evolution1980]

yes i will, thanks for the help, im now choosing between 69 and 70 convertible, i honestly prefer the egg crate pattern, but the 69 would surely hold more value so im thinking hard on this one! if in turn i do end up without the money, im sticking with the 72 LT1, since ive always wanted to own an LT1, guys im kinda stuck between performance and value, i really want the car to drive hard and fast and i know its much easier to achieve that with the 72 but will following what i want for now make me have regrets? or if i get the 69, will i learn to love it?

You are trying have your cake and eat it too. Based on your words above, you need to decide. Performance or Value? But first, define "value". Value to you now? To you later? Or value to the person that you may sell the car to at a later time?
(Here I go on my 'saving my car for someone else' rant!)

If you want performance, you are eventually going to be upgrading your car. Period. As soon as you get away from stock, you are going to take a perceived hit in value. But that's only the value to a collector. Who are you buying the car for? Are you buying it for you? Are you buying it and storing/maintaining it so the next owner can have a nice car?

YOU want a vette. YOU want a fast vette. So forget about (resale/market) value. Buy the best condition vette that you can afford. If it doesn't have a beautiful engine bay, who cares? You're going to be replacing the engine and exhaust and everything else anyways...eventually.
If you are going to be driving your car "fast and hard", then why spend the extra bucks just to have an LT-1? It's 'just an engine'. Are you going to feel right about spending more money for a 'rarer' engine and then beating on it???

Back to 'value' and it's definition. If you are going to be turning the wrench yourself (i.e., not paying for labor), then you can get a vette in so-so mechanical condition. If you are going to be paying for labor, then you need to buy the best condition vette you can afford. You cannot rebuild a Corvette to a certain condition for less than what it cost to just outright buy the same condition vette.
Example: On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being MINT and 5 being "bucket of parts and a rolling chassis"... You can buy a 3-rated car for $10000. You can get the 5-rated car for $2000. Unless you are doing all your own labor and have a line on parts, it's going to cost you more than $8000 to get your 5 to a 3 rating. Got it?
The best 'value' to you is the car that you can immediately enjoy. You can't drive a vette "fast and hard" if it spends most of it's life being rebuilt and up on jackstands.

Send a PM to KalboJosh. He just came back to the states after being in the Philippines for the past 5+ years. He knows the automotive market over there. (Not that you don't. But he may be able to give you some advice from both sides of the world.)

To answer another of your questions: You will learn to love ANY vette that you have. They are all created equal. Some are just created little more equal than others.

PS - If you like the eggcrate gills, then just buy a 70-72 and drop the GM ZZ383 crate engine in it. You'll have your cake and be able to eat it too.

 

[fine69]

You are trying have your cake and eat it too. Based on your words above, you need to decide. Performance or Value? But first, define "value". Value to you now? To you later? Or value to the person that you may sell the car to at a later time?
(Here I go on my 'saving my car for someone else' rant!)

If you want performance, you are eventually going to be upgrading your car. Period. As soon as you get away from stock, you are going to take a perceived hit in value. But that's only the value to a collector. Who are you buying the car for? Are you buying it for you? Are you buying it and storing/maintaining it so the next owner can have a nice car?

YOU want a vette. YOU want a fast vette. So forget about (resale/market) value. Buy the best condition vette that you can afford. If it doesn't have a beautiful engine bay, who cares? You're going to be replacing the engine and exhaust and everything else anyways...eventually.
If you are going to be driving your car "fast and hard", then why spend the extra bucks just to have an LT-1? It's 'just an engine'. Are you going to feel right about spending more money for a 'rarer' engine and then beating on it???

Back to 'value' and it's definition. If you are going to be turning the wrench yourself (i.e., not paying for labor), then you can get a vette in so-so mechanical condition. If you are going to be paying for labor, then you need to buy the best condition vette you can afford. You cannot rebuild a Corvette to a certain condition for less than what it cost to just outright buy the same condition vette.
Example: On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being MINT and 5 being "bucket of parts and a rolling chassis"... You can buy a 3-rated car for $10000. You can get the 5-rated car for $2000. Unless you are doing all your own labor and have a line on parts, it's going to cost you more than $8000 to get your 5 to a 3 rating. Got it?
The best 'value' to you is the car that you can immediately enjoy. You can't drive a vette "fast and hard" if it spends most of it's life being rebuilt and up on jackstands.

Send a PM to KalboJosh. He just came back to the states after being in the Philippines for the past 5+ years. He knows the automotive market over there. (Not that you don't. But he may be able to give you some advice from both sides of the world.)

To answer another of your questions: You will learn to love ANY vette that you have. They are all created equal. Some are just created little more equal than others.

PS - If you like the eggcrate gills, then just buy a 70-72 and drop the GM ZZ383 crate engine in it. You'll have your cake and be able to eat it too.

I love this guy! Can I get an Amen?!!

 

[petes74ttop]

AMEN!