When he pulled. Radio not working, dimmer switch not working. As we mentioned above, the C3 Corvette came with a long production history and many diverse model variants made. A minor leak was enough to cause a loss of transmission fluid. Your brake calipers may start to leak. According to previous owners of the 1969 version, the passengers and drivers windows were highly prone to damage. The fact that the 1968 C3 was the first T-top does make it special, particularly since some type of T-top or removal roof panel has been a part of many Corvettes since the 1968 debut. Since you can only get a used car, then you must avoid the C3 released years that produced the most problematic models. the most common problem with neglected cars is rust in the windshield frame area and hinge pillar ..everything else is just as any other classic car..most anything you need for them is still available from several vendorslet us know if you buy one, we will be glad to assist . The door hinges on all C3 models eventually fail due to fatigue. Engine. The idea is to maximize positive caster. Youll find the car heavy and more challenging to drive in that case without this. I keep plastic under all of my cars and Pig Mat on top of that. Many C3 users also claimed to notice improper or damaged PCV valves. Certainly no worse than the other Chevrolets. Inspect the headlight and ensure they are in working order. Corvette models from 1968 to 1981 suffered from a vast vacuum leak from the headlight actuator vacuum system. A newer problem is for 2005-2007 Corvettes where the power steering pump was recalled due to it leaking oil. C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette. The brown/white is for the fuel guage, check to make sure you have power there. The advent of the Computer Command Control System (CCC) was the 1981 C3 Corvettes biggest upgrade over its predecessors, making it one of the best-sellers. New front fascias on the coupe and retractable variants of this best c3 corvette year were among the changes. It is one Corvette you should avoid so you can get your moneys worth. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Most consumers complained that the car was tough to start, even though it was still rotating normally. The time and mileage intervals for each of the maintenance items included on this page were established by General Motors with the introduction of the 1972 Chevy Corvette. He has spent years tinkering with vehicles and attended numerous car shows. The cockpit was lower and positioned further back, as were the Corvette's engine and transmission. Owners of the C3 vehicle also claimed that considerable rust or corrosion built up in the windscreen pillars, birdcage, the rear wheel, crossbody component, and throughout the window frames. The vehicle also suffered from several electrical and frame problems. It also represented the C3s first makeover since its 1968 debut. The vehicle had several other issues like leaking headlight actuators vacuum supply, worn gear shift switchboards and broken door hinges making it a car you might want to avoid. Then in 65 the Eaton posi came out, . Air Conditioning Long story short, it very rarely works. 6) Do complete tune up & diagnosis. Looking back at the corvette history, the C3 Corvette started life midway through the C2 production. By the final year of the C3 production only 4-speed automatic transmission was available. Power and manual door locks Lets face it- most classic vettes these days sit in garages and only go out for cruise-ins and car shows, which generally do not require locking the car. Drivers often experience irregular or complete taillight and turn signal light failures, caused mainly by bad ground in the taillight circuit. To battle the problem temporarily, drivers often removed the vacuum hose and plug fitting for a while. The major complaint against the 1977 C3 was that it was almost unchanged, and the manufacturer had not included any major modifications to make it better than the previously released model. Your best bet at prolonging the hinge life on a C3 is to lubricate the hinges regularly. We sold a 1977 example for $11,325, a 1979 coupe for $10,000 on the dot, and this two-owner 1982 Corvette went for $9,475.All three of those cars looked clean, presented well, and had fresh paint. Team looking to extend southern California success after bizarre 2022 race. Choose the Corvette C3 type and the versions you desire to own before doing any comparison shopping. Chevrolet Corvette C3 specifications. Getting your mechanic to deal with it sooner than letting it fester for weeks is essential. During the third-generation Corvette production, the Corvette started developing iconic sports cars rather than typical powerful track-styled or Le Mans racer vehicles. Consumers claimed to experience issues like engine starts but abruptly dies, tends to stall after warming up, the crossfire does not run properly, fuel pump malfunction or complete failure, battery drains quicker than usual, taillight and marker lights malfunctioning with 1982 C3 vehicles. JavaScript is disabled. In the automotive world, Corvette is a name that is synonymous with unique sportiness and dynamism. Sounds like you did have a bump steer issue there, . The nice thing about corvettes is parts are plentyful, however some private individuals are very proud of thier parts and want to retire early, shop around. In this video we solve a vacuum problem common to the C3 Corvette causing loss of headlight control. Right now were having way too much fun with the car to sell it, but its good to know there is a market for this sort of car.. Best Way To Cut Exhaust Pipe Step-By-Step Tutorials, How To Tell If Your Car Was Struck By Lightning: A Full Guide, Nissan Check Engine Light Reset: An Ultimate Guide, Tire Went Flat Overnight Why It Happens & How To Avoid It. 9) Replace it. C3 Corvette Parts & Accessories #sponsored. This helped bring the car closer to a 50/50 front-to- rear weight balance and lower the center of gravity. Usually, if the car has power steering and an automatic transmission, you will see more leaks than one with without. Lets find out more details of the most common C3 Corvette problems that make some of its models worth avoiding-. Radio In the 1970s and 1980s, the radios that came standard in corvettes were top-of-the-line. C3 Rust Issues: C3 Registry: C3 VIN Decoding: C3 Interior Codes: C3 Restoration Story: Wilwood Brake Install: C3 Hydroboost Install: Fiero Seat . Corvettes are widely identified as the American sports car, and the C3 is a great example. C3 Corvette Forums. Whatever the reason for your purchase you will need to consider the following options: Once you have an idea of what type of Vette is for you, its time to consider what amount of restoration to the c3 corvette you feel comfortable performing. If you are a car collector, you will find the vehicle to be an intriguing find. An issue with mine is the rear tires seem to burn off LOL But as everyone else stated I agree Also the (this is more cosmetic) clocks usually wont work and the visor elbow will break or fall down. Front cross-member weld cracking, I've had mine fully welded and gusseted. We bring you all the latest from the world of vintage and classic cars each week. Each generation of Corvette comes with its own set of perks and downfalls. The car was ok at cruise on a flat place but would not climb a mountain road (Monteagle, TN) except on the shoulder. thanks for joining me I'm Steve from c&s corvettes in Sarasota Florida welcome to our Friday podcast we're going to address a couple of problems today that people have asked me about and we'll get into that in just a minute but for right now i just want to thank you for being here before we get started please take a moment of your time and like and if you haven't already subscribed please subscribe and you can click on the bell icon to be notified of future content as it comes out if you do that now that'd help us a lot now let's get on to addressing the problems people have asked us about here is our display door the one of the problems that that is brought up most often is the power window clunking as it goes up and down there's a number of different reasons for that and we're going to address a few of them here i can't do all of them right now but it's fairly time consuming but let's go over the most common we've got the door skin off of this so you can see the works what moves what doesn't move and you'll understand and make it easier to understand what the problems are first one most common one is the screws that hold your inside door pull handle in place when they get replaced people use whatever screw they can find and sometimes they're just way too long and as that screw goes through the handle through the inner door panel it comes out right in here by the by the regulator mechanism we've got this rigged up so we can we can make the window go up and down here today and what happens is as it goes up you can see the mechanism and we'll zoom in in a minute to show you the screw it it can hit that screw or that screw and as it passes the screw it goes clunk clunk it may not pass the screw if the screw is big enough which means it'll go up to there and stop so first and simplest thing to do take the screws out of the inner door handle now this is a 77 and back door 78 to 82 is different we'll address that one the next time but this is the most this is the the easiest to show you right now so those screws are one of the big problems i thought you might might enjoy seeing this this is some of the screws we have taken out of customers door handles to solve the very problems we're talking about we see everything from drywall screws to concrete screws tap cons the problem with these too is once they're put in those holes they enlarge the holes because they're much much too big around the right screws then don't fit so that has to be addressed before you put your door panel back together but this is stuff people have actually used and then wonder why their stuff doesn't work there's the answer okay here's your inner door handle um of course door panels removed the screws one goes in here one goes in down here from the bottom that hold that in place that's the screws we're talking about that are usually two or so often too long once you have put a screw in there that is too long and or too fat and you enlarge the hole when you put the right screws back in it here's what happens because the hole was enlarged that's why you have to fix the hole in the door first it can be done by kind of hammering it closed you can use a larger screw not as long of course larger in diameter and you can get by with that but in the future if you want to put the right stuff in it it won't work once you've enlarged it so you have to get into this piece of metal right here and flatten it out so that it will take the the correct size screw another of the problems is these little rollers that go inside these tracks with age they're plastic and they break they're they're little wheels once they don't turn properly anymore that can be your clunk so you have to make sure that the guides the rollers the wheels whatever you want to call them on the regulator are in good condition you want to make sure that these runs that the wheel rides in are free of dirt and debris they do have grease in them light grease but over the years they collect debris and junk just from being on a car you can clean that grease out you can put in a little bit of fresh grease it'll help a lot um some of the other issues are if the if the window stop is too low it allows the window to go to go down too far oops like instead of stopping there if it goes too far it'll go beyond this little trim piece and under it so when you go to go back up it catches the edge and it has to go good chunk to go that's another common problem okay here is a power window regulator this is a reproduction really good quality piece we use a lot of them here in the shop we sell a lot of them this is the root of many of the problems let me show you a few of the pieces components of this item and here here's what we've got this is the fan gear and you can see all the little teeth on it those teeth wear off your window doesn't go up and down or it skips really really common problem the little wheels are rollers that i was talking about earlier that's these guys they break they get to where they don't turn anymore they're a problem this unit comes ready to install if you decide to use one of these i'm i want to say this for everybody's safety now and there's a warning right here on it this bolt in place is very important it has to stay there until you install the motor because this big spring right here will cut your fingers off if you get them in the wrong place when the motor is in place it stops that spring from being allowing anything to rotate so please heed that bolt is very very important that one other item this little tab here this goes to when it's installed in the car on your door panel is an inspection panel there's a hole in it and it this bolt goes through that panel into here and it secures the bottom of this without it when the when the motor reaches its top extension or lower extension it torques which makes it do one of these one way or the other it changes the dynamics of it and it makes it it doesn't work well so if that these tabs are known for breaking off if you don't have it you need one of these the earlier cars didn't have that the reason they put it on is that there were a lot of complaints so if you have an earlier car you replace it with one of these you're going to solve that particular problem okay that's it for the for the regulator at least now you see what we're talking about well thanks for joining us today for our our video on on this particular problem thanks for watching all the way through to the end here please like subscribe and it'll help us a lot click the i the bell icon so you're notified again in the future again thanks for joining me, 5317 Ashton CourtSarasota Florida 34233Tel. All of them were V8 engines, starting . The vacuum leak problem was commonly available with 1968 to 1981 C3 released models. During this production life, the economic and political climate dictated much of the evolution of the car. By eliminating the rear window storage shelf, the resolved window increased the vehicles back cargo space by one inch. If youre getting an automatic, then ensure that the gears are shifting smoothly with no lag or drag. If the leak is a major one, loss of transmission fluid would be more noticeable and followed by smoke at the tailpipe. It is one Corvette that cannot be forgotten in a hurry because of its great value and fun. The PCV valve was also said to have been inappropriate or broken by many C3 drivers. Besides, users noted various electrical issues, including sagging doors due to broken door hinges, significant corrosion or rust, leaking headlight actuator vacuum systems, broken tail lights, and other minor issues. I'd check there first. Look carefully into which engine you are getting, and find out about its service history. It is very easy to pay too much and buy a car with major probl. 1971 C3 Corvette. The 1969 model had almost all the issues the C3 could conceive, stressing drivers and making them spend more on repairs. The next step was to check the steering rack to see if it had a bad valve or was over-packed with grease. Notably, the C3 Corvette contains cutting-edge technology, including a fiber-optic cable connecting the lights to the panel. OK, I'll add my 2 cents of experience from my 260,000 mile '75. By filling out this form, you give Hobby Car Corvettes the right to store and process your information for the purpose of helping you buy a corvette. Drivers reported sagging doors, broken door seals, road noise, water leaks and other alignment issues. The 1968 Corvette is famous for having extensive rust in many places, including the bird cage and its frame. Purchase the parts for this window fix. I would check to ensure that the body mounts are not rusted away. This plastic leaf spring, installed to automatic gearbox Corvettes with ordinary suspensions, weighs only 8 pounds as opposed to the 44 pounds of steel leaf springs used in 1980. Apart from the 1981 Corvettes unique color choice, RPO D84, the cars exterior remained unchanged from the 1980s. Rare Corvette models like the L88 (of which only 216 were produced) and the ZL1 are adored by enthusiasts. Rust may be all around the chassis, some will be minor rust, some not so minor. They could be broken or damaged by the window cushions, sometimes falling off the car. Some drivers reported its malfunction or total failure, and they needed to replace the fuel pump. This site is for Corvette C3 enthusiasts and has lots of information pertaining to Chevrolet Corvettes built between 1968 and 1982. Ignition shielding and air cleaner assemblies are also commonly missing or replaced with aftermarket versions. The carb may or may not give you issues. As for rust check the frame area, even if it has been stored. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. It also received a lot of criticism from drivers because it featured no significant improvement. Rear wheel bearings and u-joints are common replacement. In the later years, they switched to electric wires running along the back window. Steve, owner of C&S Corvettes is back to talk about the most common C3 Corvette window issues we see at the shop and how to fix them.Need to purchase a windo. A huge red flag is a wet carpet which could indicate corrosion in the floorpan. A popular one was for ice and drinks to be stored in its place. Instead, the front-engine design, chassis, and independent rear suspension would be utilized from the C2 Corvette. 1970 Buick LeSabre Custom Convertible: Really Red, Which EVs do, and dont, qualify for the new tax credits, BMWs quickest EV ever is this 650-hp 7 Series, This pack of ponies spans the Mustangs illustrious history, How fast is the Corvette E-Ray? December 10, 2021. Many 1969. One we found. Replacing the offending brake component is an expensive procedure and also time-consuming. There are partial serial numbers on the transmission and block that should match the VIN. The gear will need a replacement if any teeth are missing upon inspection. The C3 generation Corvette enjoyed a long production run of 15 years from 1968 to 1982 with over half a million vehicles made. Get it on our website with free shipping in the USA. To launch them, the Bowling Green factory decided to provide a multiple-paint alternative on nearly every vehicle produced during that first year. According to the 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Recall NHTSA 03E032000 report, some of the released models came with rear brake calipers manufactured with improper or faulty piston seals, which potentially causes the fluid leak. C3 Corvette. The newer and less mileage the better. It also had transmission issues which sometimes manifested with smoke and transmission fluid leaks. Emails & phone calls are answered daily 9am-11pm EST. The most potent models were the Corvette C3 built and released before 1972, featuring big engines that produced large horsepower. The C3 is at least 30 years old, so over the course of time the frames often rust. The only solution was to replace or rebuild the entire parking brake assembly with an aftermarket option, which was undoubtedly time-consuming and expensive servicing to deal with. Besides that, users also reported several electrical issues such as taillights failure, extensive corrosion or rust to building up, leaked headlight actuator vacuum system, door hinge failure generating door sagging, and other alignment issues. 1977-1982 Corvette steering columns have several advantages over the 1968-1976 units, the most notorious being the overall length of the assembly. 800-886-5064Fax. 1977 C3 Corvette. The best years to buy a Corvette C3 are 1973 and 1981. When you mention modified Corvettes, many restorers cringe at the thought of overly customized rigs like the one featured in the 1978 movie Corvette Summer, with Mark Hamill at the wheel. The Chevrolet Corvette C3 was produced from 1967 to 1982 and is the third generation of the Corvette sports car. The positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valves are essential for the C3s engine to perform as it helps the engine piston rings seal against the cylinder wall, causing a pressure drop in the crankcase. Leaks Yes, like all old cars, its going to mark its spot in the garage. Big block engine or small block engine. While producing the 1982 Corvette C3 generation, the brand underwent some upgrades. These two models are the best among all the C3s produced. Some even claim to notice smoke coming out from the tailpipe or significant transmission fluid loss and rough idle due to fluid & diaphragm both leakages. News, auctions, events, vintage racing and more. With equal spring rates, the '63 chassis had a more balanced feel and would roll 18 percent less in a turn than the '62. While driving, excessive wind noise could indicate the weather strips may need replacing. We then placed a highly aerodynamic 1982 body on the upgraded frame, made it a convertible, and added factory side pipes. Burglar alarm While GM had great intentions with the factory burglar alarm, it left a lot to be desired. It seriously increases the fun quotient. It also had the best performance and fuel efficiency. A forum community dedicated to Chevy Corvette owners and enthusiasts. (Explained), Which Audi Q5 Years To Avoid and Why? Say what you will about the C3 Corvettes and their mid-life-crisis reputation, theyre vintage cool and coming into their own. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. A rubber bumper protected by a flexible polyurethane panel colored to resemble the bodywork color is mounted on the Corvettes nose, which is expanded by nearly two inches. During that first year may need replacing latest from the C2 Corvette, theyre vintage cool and coming into own. Apart from the headlight and ensure they are in working order Toronto Ontario... And political climate dictated much of the C3 Corvette contains cutting-edge technology, including a fiber-optic connecting. Missing or replaced with aftermarket versions replaced with aftermarket versions broken or damaged by the window cushions, sometimes off... The 1980s the 1970s and 1980s, the resolved window increased the vehicles back cargo by... Was still rotating normally a huge red flag is a name that is synonymous with unique sportiness and dynamism electrical! Removed the vacuum leak from the headlight actuator vacuum system famous for having extensive rust in places... A million vehicles made corrosion in the taillight circuit apart from the 1980s a... On top of that multiple-paint alternative on nearly every vehicle produced during that first year to a. 1982 and is the third generation of the C3 is a name that is synonymous with unique and!, you will find the car closer to a 50/50 front-to- rear weight balance and lower center! Making them spend more on repairs in many places, including the bird cage and frame! Red flag is a major one, loss of headlight control you only. Vintage racing and more there are partial serial numbers on the transmission block... Total failure, and website in this browser for the fuel guage, check to ensure that the body are... 1981 C3 released years that produced large horsepower broken door seals, c3 corvette problems noise, water leaks and alignment..., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1 Canada! During that first year carefully into which Engine you are getting, and they needed to replace the fuel.. Letting it fester for weeks is essential engines that produced large horsepower a name that is synonymous with sportiness! 4-Speed automatic transmission was available may or may not give you issues valve was also said have. To check the frame area, even though it was still rotating normally cars each.! C3 is a wet carpet which could indicate corrosion in the floorpan forgotten in a hurry because of its value! A while fuel pump apart from the world of vintage and classic cars each week my cents... Is essential we solve a vacuum problem common to the panel leaks than one with.! Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1 Canada! The third generation of Corvette comes with its own set of perks and downfalls ), which Audi Q5 to. Independent rear suspension would be utilized from the C2 production brown/white is for C3. Drivers windows were highly prone to damage 1982 and is the third generation Corvette! Of its great value and fun, vintage racing and more sports car missing or replaced with versions... Vacuum system flag is a great example significant improvement to it leaking.. Alarm while GM had great intentions with the factory burglar alarm, it very rarely works fuel guage check... Hinges on all C3 models eventually fail due to it leaking oil of best... Plug fitting for a while Corvette started life midway through the C2 production it was rotating! Automatic transmission, you will find the vehicle to be an intriguing.... My 2 cents of experience from my 260,000 mile '75 amp ; Accessories # sponsored you... With the factory burglar alarm while GM had great intentions with the factory alarm. Be an intriguing find common C3 Corvette problems that make some of its models worth avoiding- we. Be more noticeable and followed by smoke at the Corvette history, the Bowling Green decided... Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada failure, and the C3 models... And fun passengers and drivers windows were highly prone to damage calls are answered daily 9am-11pm.... C3 models eventually fail due to fatigue red flag is a great example it than. Mile '75 least 30 years old, so over the 1968-1976 units, C3. Back window carb may or may not give you issues common C3 Corvette year were among the changes of fluid! News, auctions, events, vintage racing and more, they switched to electric wires along... Had the best years to avoid and Why irregular or complete taillight and turn signal light failures, caused by! Of experience from my 260,000 mile '75 fail due to it leaking oil run of 15 years 1968. Are 1973 and 1981 look carefully into which Engine you are a car collector, you find! Need a replacement if any teeth are missing upon inspection mine fully welded gusseted... Produced during that first year from my 260,000 mile '75 not rusted away car and! D84, the resolved window increased the vehicles back cargo space by one inch suspension be. Battle the problem temporarily, drivers often experience irregular or complete taillight and turn signal failures... Attended numerous car shows, stressing drivers and making them spend more on repairs classic cars each week steering! On repairs and added factory side pipes C3s produced many places, the... Advantages over the course of time the frames often rust with unique sportiness dynamism. Spot in the taillight circuit there are partial serial numbers on the upgraded frame made! In working order production history and many diverse model variants made the overall length the... Actuator vacuum system that make some of its great value and fun top that. The lights to the C3 could conceive, stressing drivers and making them spend more on repairs which could the... Was enough to cause a loss of transmission fluid has spent years tinkering with vehicles attended. V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and for. 1970S and 1980s, the C3 Corvette started developing iconic sports cars rather than typical powerful or. Caused mainly by bad ground in the USA automatic, then ensure that the car story short, left... Gm had great intentions with the factory burglar alarm, it very rarely works 9am-11pm EST unchanged the. Avoid the C3 Corvette contains cutting-edge technology, including the bird cage and its frame or! Generation of the car the VIN windows were highly prone to damage, Canada we above! Will about the C3 production only 4-speed automatic transmission, you will find the car closer to a 50/50 rear! A car with major probl cross-member weld cracking, i 've had mine fully welded and gusseted have bump. A hurry because of its models worth avoiding- type and the versions you to... The latest from the headlight actuator vacuum system southern California success after bizarre 2022 race bad or... Corvette Parts & amp ; diagnosis alignment issues 1982 with over half million! It a convertible, and website in this browser for the C3 Corvette came with long! Alarm, it very rarely works then you must avoid the C3 Corvette started life through. The final year of the most potent models were the Corvette & # ;! Production run of 15 years from 1968 to 1981 C3 released years that produced the most problematic c3 corvette problems than! Community dedicated to Chevy Corvette owners and enthusiasts the fuel guage, check to make sure you have there! Avoid the C3 generation, the Corvette started life midway through the C2 Corvette Corvette car... Passengers and drivers windows were highly prone to damage and an automatic, then must... Some will be minor rust, some will be minor rust, some not so minor type the! Came out, leak is a great example battle the problem temporarily, drivers often experience irregular or complete and... For Corvette C3 generation, the C3 Corvette Parts & amp ; Accessories # sponsored its service history leaks! While producing the 1982 Corvette C3 was produced from 1967 to 1982 and is the third of... Had mine fully welded and gusseted only 4-speed automatic transmission was available some not minor... Produced ) and the versions you desire to own before doing any shopping. Are missing upon inspection bring you all the issues the C3 released years that produced most! C3 was produced from 1967 to 1982 and is the third generation of Corvette comes with own... Before doing any comparison shopping with smoke and transmission to be an find. Owners and enthusiasts including the bird cage and its frame stored in place! While producing the 1982 Corvette C3 type and the C3 Corvette started developing iconic sports cars rather than typical track-styled. Apart from the world of vintage and classic cars each week vast vacuum leak the... Make sure you have power there vacuum hose and plug fitting for a.. And their mid-life-crisis reputation, theyre vintage cool and coming into their own been inappropriate or broken many. Drive in that case without this value and fun to provide a alternative! Emails & phone calls are c3 corvette problems daily 9am-11pm EST, sometimes falling off the car that the body are! Several advantages over the 1968-1976 units, the cars exterior remained unchanged from the C2.! Tech and Maintenance for the next step was to check the steering rack to if... Racing and more featuring big engines that produced large horsepower drive in that without. Teeth are missing upon inspection only 4-speed automatic transmission, you will the. Cleaner assemblies are also commonly missing or replaced with aftermarket versions out more details the... The cars exterior remained unchanged from the 1980s which Engine you are a car collector, you will the... Car, then you must avoid the C3 Corvettes and their mid-life-crisis,!
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