I had Guldstrand do some work for me over the years-he really knows his stuff! he signed the dasb on my 67 at Monterey last year and remembered working on it. As to GM only in it to make money-I'd say that the guys in the Corvette group were/are just as dedicated as our friends in Germany when it comes to their sportscar.

The 73 was no whale. Not all motors were strangled in the early 70s. LT1s and L82s were still quite fun. My 74 SD455 Trans Am was also far from gutless-just ask the guys in the FOC that I used to regularly pass at Riverside Raceway.
Fanatic about numbers? Some Corvette fans certainly are-no more so than many in the Porsche community.

Isnt the motor in the C3 offset to one side?

When at full-throttle, yes. :D

From the googles:

"the requirements for an IRS is equal length swing arms/ drive axles, that means the diffy has to be mounted on the centerline, but due to construction, the pinion is off to the passenger side by about a inch or so, so to keep driveshaft angles correct and not too much offset at high RPM's, the rest of the drive train is mounted a inch or so to the right also....."

Well played sir.

The 73 was no whale. [/QUOTE]
Pregnant guppy then.
The 73 weighs about 500 lb more than a 1964. Listed curb is about 2960 for the 64 and 3440+ for a 73.
There was no big block available in 64 , so SBC vs SBC add about +200 more for a 73 with big block auto AC PS.etc.
Yes there were a few engines which still made some decent hp but even the LT1 with solid lifters through end of 72 was a shadow of it,s former 11:1 performance potential.
My LS5 was a good truck motor for 72 more torque than anything else .

This thread could have contained one response:

A C3 Corvette, in anywhere near stock condition is not much fun to drive.

Of course that is a subjective thing and someone who ha only driven 1940s cars would think that it's the tightest thing ever put on wheels. If you've driven any great European cars, even of the same era, it's a plastic pig.

Pregnant guppy then.
The 73 weighs about 500 lb more than a 1964. Listed curb is about 2960 for the 64 and 3440+ for a 73.
There was no big block available in 64 , so SBC vs SBC add about +200 more for a 73 with big block auto AC PS.etc.
Yes there were a few engines which still made some decent hp but even the LT1 with solid lifters through end of 72 was a shadow of it,s former 11:1 performance potential.
My LS5 was a good truck motor for 72 more torque than anything else .[/QUOTE]

Rather silly to compare with a C2 isn't it? Comparing to the 72 makes more sense and in that case, the weight difference is negligible. The point isn't that the lower compression engines produced superior power-they don't. That being said, the cars were still fun to drive and the lost power is easily restored for those so inclined.
I think many here on Pelican tend to base our 911 performance/driving characteristics on our modified cars. A totally stock "T" riding on original vintage rubber is hardly much of a performer. I've always believed my 911s were more "solid" in feel than my Corvettes. That doesn't necessarily mean they are better built or more reliable. As to performance, its not too difficult to find suitable Corvettes and Porsches to compare over the last fifty years. Its been an epic battle. That's why I own both.

An absolutely untrue statement. I've driven and owned nearly ALL the great European cars of the comparable era and you are incorrect.

for the money you pay for these things, the above mention C4 ZR1 and C5 z06 are FAR FAR FAR better cars.

i have such a horrible redneck desire to own a C4 Zr1 ... i have no idea why ...

for the money, a 7500. Boxster is a FAR FAR FAR better car than a 67 911S as well.
;)

+1.

After owning the '69 Vette, I was shocked at the lack of acceleration the first time I drove a 911.
Mash the throttle, and twiddle your thumbs waiting for something to happen.

I was accustomed to the V8's massive torque from idle all the way to redline.

Corvettes are not my 'thing', but I don't think they are redneck.

I think the last couple of iterations have addressed many of the legitimate sticking points. You can't deny is a world class sports car.

I have a 1971 coupe. It is definitely NOT underpowered. 400ci 500hp, 500tq.
I was raised to worship at the Corvette and Porsche altars. My father was a very successful club racer in the late '50s-early '60s. Ran a '58 fuelie to 1960 Texas region SCCA championship.
C-3 'vette is still one of the dead sexiest cars ever designed.
Sure, a C-5 or C-6 will run circles around most C-3s.
My '71 looks better standing still than any C-6 at 180mph+
See for yourself:
http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/...psb876a43f.jpg
http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/...pseda8db00.jpg
Trust me, my '82sc receives very little love on the Corvette Forum. I don't understand the odd dynamic between the two, the polarity between the owners of either. I love them both, but they're very different cars, one brutal, one finessed.
BTW, my '71 handles very well, but it took work and $$.

Carter

Beautiful machine!

Thanks HardDrive!!

Yes it is. The color, the year-specific touches like the grille and gill treatment, the stock condition, it's gorgeous. I think that it's easy to muck one of those up with anything that cheapens the look.

And just to be clear: I think that C3 'vettes are cool. It was the new Corvette when I was 9-24 years old. I used to go into the Chevy dealer in my neighborhood and drool all over them. I also have a memory of getting a ride in a 427 4-speed as a child and getting a physics lesson. I just think that if someone used to driving modern cars in the present time jumped into one today, they might find it lacking in refinement.

Glad y'all like the car. The color is called Steel Cities Grey. Used only in '71 and '72. Around 1500 cars done each year(hence the codename 71scgc). The pics were taken shortly after I first got it. I've spent a great deal of $$ on this car. Haven't decided if I'm gonna do the paint and body yet. Patina is in, and I can save $10,000+. It'll probably still end up cheaper than this '82 sc will.
Carter

Speeder, I think we all like the cars we grew up looking at. I love C3 'vettes. They weren't Corvettes to my Pop. "Vettes for him ended in 1967.
Deep inside, I'm a Mopar guy.