Purchase considerations

[Gary6586]

Hello all. Am new to CAC, but not to Corvettes. Am looking at a fairly nice '78, 4-spd. Never owned a C-3, so would appreciate heads-up about those "routine problem areas" and those parts that one must "take-out-a-loan" to replace/repair on C-3's.

I do my own work, so am not intimidated by mechanicals. It's just those "mystery" items that drive me crazy . . . .

Take care all and drive safe . . .

Gary

 

[6 Shooter]

Gary,

I have not owned a C3 but just wanted to welcome you to the

I'm sure the Shark Boys will pick-up on this thread real soon.

Later . . . . . .
6 Shooter

 

[bossvette]

when I was looking at mine I was told to make sure there was no frame rust, especiallty in the rear kick-up area there are "drain" holes in the frame that sometimes get filled with dirt/stuff which will hold water and cause frame rot.

bring a small screwdriver and make sure they are open and there is no sign of major frame rust there and where the birdcage attaches.

you can buy most everything for a C3 somewhere and like you I do my own work I have not found anything I cannot fix.

 

[bill81vette]

1st, welcome to CAC!!!

2nd from what I've read here, a few of the problems seem to be the ground connections thru out the vehicle,connections going bad or corroding(what do you expect for a 20-30 year old car!!),as well as the heat comming from the engine comp.and parts just plain old getting worn out and changed out as well as upgrades.
I haven't experenced any yet b/c mine is still at the body shop being restored but I'm sure I will

goodluck with the 78

 

[Jack]

The vacuum systems can get real interesting ... 'specially the headlights. Earlier C3 have vacuum doors for HVAC too ... dunno 'bout 78. C3 w/ power steering have a goofy control valve-ram system ... similar to some older Fords. Other than the rear wheel bearings, the rest is fairly straight forward to work on.
JACK:gap

 

[78SilvAnniv]

Welcome Gary,
I have a soft spot for the 78s. Husband and I just discussed your question and we both feel that the 78 really does not have many parts that would require you to take out a loan to replace, however the major items would be the drivetrain. I'm talking about replacing/repairing the major components like the engine, tranny and differential gears. We've replaced the engine and differential.
Another item I found to be spendy, because we did not do it ourselves, was the suspension bushings. Most everything else we are able to do.
Heidi

 

[Daryllawman]

Hello and welcome to the Corvette Action Center....Good Luck on your search for a 78......You just can't beat the looks of a C-3.....they get alot of looks also.... I have not had too much trouble with my 79. I did have a C-4 but when I bought it, I was really looking for a C-3. Then I found the one I wanted , so the C-4 had to go......

 

[GTR1999]

Look a some C3 before buying one. Frame and birdcage rust is the #1 concern when looking at a 30 year old vette.

Rubber components may be dry rotted. Look at the rear strut rods to see if they're bent-sign of an improper alignment with worn suspension parts.

The engine and tranny is standard chevy and pretty good. Parts are avaliable and "everyone" has worked on a SBC! The stock exhaust is a lousy system that robs about 30 hp, but that can be fixed easy enough.

Rear bearings get a lot of talk on corvettes.No black magic with them though,just need the correct tools and now how to use them. The parking brakes were junk from the 1st day they were used with the disc brake system.

The differentials in the late 70's cars have some concern with the side yokes as they weren't as hard as the earlier years and wear out faster. Maybe they were already replaced?

The interior parts were not as good as the older C3's. The seats and door panels don't hold up as well.

You can get most parts for them but the quality of some leaves a lot to be desired,some just plain don't fit.

All in all corvettes are nice car, I don't think they should be up on a pedestal though. There are way too many to considered a rare car so get one, fix it up and drive it!

 

[Stallion]

1978 is a great year. They are priced really well because they aren't at that point where they are rare and much desired (why, I don't know). But that benefits us, so all's well.

For a few starters, the antenna motor has a tendency to go bad because it is located right above the muffler. So if you are having any power antenna problems, its most likely caused by that.

That's just an example, and there are a few more little "tipsy" things on the '78, but nothing that will be daunting or problematic. They are great cars and I would never get a different shark year. Personally I would choose another '78 over a '69 or anything equivalent. But that's just me.

 

[fl_rider]

I bought a 78 one month ago

The rubber suspension bushings are 27 years old and will probably need replacement before too long. The first thing I did after I got mine was replace the upper and lower control arm bushings and the ball joints and tie rod ends.

I havent dug into it yet but I am sure the bushings for the rear suspension are in the same shape the front bushings were in.

Other than that it's a Chevy and everything is rebuildable.

Have fun with yours, I am having a blast with mine.

Chris B

 

[red70vette]

There are few parts that would be prohibitive in cost. What you need to decide is what you want to do with the car. Do you want a driver? Factory correct NCRS vehicle? A collectible car?

In most cases a 78 would have few if any parts that are not available from a variety of sources. Choose your direction and go for it. Earlier sharks (68-70) have some unique one year only parts that might cost you big bucks to replace with correct parts. All of these parts could be replaced with no so correct parts very cheaply. The engine is a small bolck Chevy and the body remained virtually inchanged for 10 years.

Bumpers could be a concern for a 78 since the originals deteriorate with age and are fairly expensive($250-$350) but I don't consider that prohibitive.

The best advice is to buy the best car you can afford in as complete and finished condition as possible. It is much cheaper to buy it done than to do it after you buy it.

 

[Gary6586]

Feedback

To all responders - thanks! There doesn't appear to be any of those "mystery" items that I feared. Aside from the normal wear items, this car is in fairly good shape. Owner replaced many rear-end items, and installed VetteBrakes, etc. Paint is past its sheen, but that's an easy fix. Many spider/stress cracks though. Yes, a SBC is straighforward, and I have rebuilt and raced many of them.

Man, either I have gained a bit of weight, or those cockpits have shrunk! Forgot how small they were.

Thanks again to all. Hope to see ya on the road . . . .Gary