Good morning, Autopians! It’s Friday, so it’s time to blow the budget a little bit. And what better way to do that than with America’s sports-car darling, the Corvette? To keep things interesting, we’re looking at two very different eras of Vette, in similar condition, for a similar price. But before we get all baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie on you, let’s see who’s bigger in Japan:
Huh, I expected that to be a lot closer. I was spoiled for choice when it came to Celicas; I picked that one for the flip-forward lights. Maybe a different one would have put up more of a fight. Oh well, that Honda is pretty cool, even with the checkered past.
Now, I need to confess something, and it’s a bit of a dirty little secret to admit this to most gearheads, but I love, love, Corvettes. And the older they are, the better I like them. (Except the C2; I’ve never really warmed to that one.) [Editor’s Note: I’ve never met anyone who picks C2 as their least favorite ‘Vette? Huh. – JT] I’ve never owned a Corvette of any era, but they’re well-represented in my humble model car collection:
Yeah. And this isn’t even all my Corvettes. Hey, what can I say? It’s cheaper than golf and healthier than drugs.
So today, we’re looking at two Vettes, one from twenty years ago when they started to really become good driver’s cars, and one from the disco era, which looks fantastic but isn’t much of a performer. Will you choose substance, or style? Let’s find out.
2003 Chevrolet Corvette – $15,900
Engine/drivetrain: 5.7 liter overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: San Diego, CA
Odometer reading: 94,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep
The C5 Corvette, introduced in 1997, has gained a perhaps unfair reputation as the official car of retired Baby Boomers. It makes sense: as the guys (and they were nearly all guys) who always wanted a Corvette but couldn’t afford one became empty-nesters and reached retirement age, this car was the “new Corvette.” It didn’t hurt that the C5 was more comfortable and refined than earlier versions. It also turned up the wick on performance, being the first GM car to use the now-legendary LS small-block V8.
This C5, like so many, is equipped with an automatic transmission. A six-speed manual was available, but many of the older owners opted for the two-pedal solution. This is sacrilege to many car folks, but Corvettes have had automatics since the beginning, and more than once in the car’s history it has been the only transmission available.
My biggest beef with the C5 is that it never felt very special; the styling is sort of bland, and the interior bits might as well have come from a Camaro. It’s a much better car than earlier Corvettes, but it feels too tame to me, and too plasticky.
This one is in great shape, and it’s yellow, which is arguably the best color for a C5, and it’s the 50th anniversary edition with the badges to prove it, if that matters to you. (In fact, I think the badges are the only difference.) It comes with a complete set of service records, and it has had a lot of recent work done. It feels like a safe bet, and maybe that’s the problem; Corvettes aren’t supposed to feel like a safe bet.
1978 Chevrolet Corvette – $13,900
Engine/drivetrain: 5.7 liter overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: La Center, WA
Odometer reading: 140,000 miles
Runs/drives? Sure does
Now this is more like it, to me anyway. The “Coke-bottle” C3 body style has always been my favorite Corvette. Yes, I know this style included the worst performance years, but I’ve never cared much about speed anyway. The C3 looks cool, makes V8 noises, and feels special to drive, and that’s good enough for me.
1978 was the first year for the big glass back window; previous C3s had a small vertical rear window flanked by buttresses. The big window should have added some luggage space to the Corvette, but unfortunately it didn’t open; the only way to get luggage in and out of the space is by flipping the seats forward. This C3 has speaker boxes back there, which is probably a better use of the space.
You might have noticed that this car has an amazing paint job. It’s deep indigo, with huge metal flakes in it, and the seller says it flashes different colors in the sunlight. It’s an absolutely fitting finish for a ’70s Corvette, and personally I love it. But this car isn’t all just flashy paint; it has had a bunch of mechanical work to make sure it runs and drives like it should. It has new tires, and while I’m not too crazy about the aftermarket wheels, they could be a lot worse.
Yes, this is the nadir of Corvette performance. I’ve actually driven a ’78 with an automatic, and it’s… not fast. Horsepower was actually up by 20 from a couple years earlier, to 185, but it’s still nothing to brag about, even in the malaise era. But who cares? Grab some aviator sunglasses, trim up your mustache, and cruise.
Okay, maybe I’m romaticizing these cars too much. I mean, they’re just Chevys after all. But that was always sort of the point: they’re working-class heroes, something to aspire to that’s actually attainable, unlike a Ferrari or something. You’ve got two flavors to choose from: screaming banana yellow, or sparkly grape soda. Which will it be?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers, except the model cars – that one’s me)
The C5 interior is better in every way than the same era Camaro. I’ve had both. And now I have a BMW of the same era and it’s just as plasticky as GM was at the time.
I love a Disco-Vette. I may have still picked “substance” if the ’03 had a 6-speed. But since it doesn’t, then Disco me up!
You just had to pick two slushies, eh? I guess, even at my advanced age, I’m more of a driver than a rider.
I’ve always appreciated the Mako, but the earlier ones more. ’68 was the best one, IMHO.
Had to go with the C3.
I have a couple of pairs of jorts somewhere in my dresser. That means I’m only a tucked-in polo shirt and a few awful opinions away from being a C5 owner.
Don’t forget the white New Balance shoes.
Hey, they’re high quality shoes, available in extra wide at Nordstrom Rack for a discount that lets me splurge on the random hobbies that have become core identifiers of my personality. I’m grilling ribeyes. How would you like yours? If you want it anything other than medium rare, you’ll have meatloaf. Try this peanut butter porter- it’s from the brewery down the street.
weak
We would also have accepted American eagle Hawaiian shirt in place of a polo.
https://www.highseastradingco.com/p-467-american-eagles.aspx
That paint job on the C3 is awful. It just looks tacky. I really don’t like either of these. If it had a different paint job I would’ve gone with the C3. Maybe if it was priced more like $8k then I could get it repainted. Guess its the C5 with that awful, molten plastic lava interior.
Old age must be creeping up on me because I am just not feeling this sudden outpouring of love for the C5. Yeah, it had performance cred, but it was just not attractive at all. I was also turned off the first time I sat in one because… well… it was too easy. It didn’t have the C4’s require leap of faith in order to land in the driver’s seat. On the flip side, I have grown to appreciate the C3 more. Everything it was lacking in performance is pretty easy to overcome today and it’s over-the-top style was a delightfully crazy evolution over the C2. (Everyone should love the C2, by the way. That’s just common sense).
At least the C5 carried the torch one last generation for pop-up headlights, but gimme that C3 and it’s crazy paint.
Both are automatics, so both are for cruising with style. While yellow is certainly the right color for the C5, the C3 is the stylish one here. I wouldn’t turn either one down as a gift, but my money would have to go to the C3 if I were buying.
If the C3 was an earlier example with metal bumpers, a four speed, and the 427, it would have been no contest. But I’ve driven examples of both of these cars. My dad (yes, he’s a boomer!) has owned both (thankfully with manual transmissions), and there is no contest – the C5 is a better car in every possible way. I understand a lot of people view the C5 as bland, and I’ll admit I love the looks of a Coke bottle Vette. But the ride quality and performance of the C5 is just light years better than the C3, and this the bass boat paint on this C3 just isn’t my thing. If I’m driving a Vette with an autotragic transmission, it’s gonna at least be worth driving.
This, all day.
By ’78, the ‘Vette was a (relative) slug. I drove one once, and even the manual (in that particular car) didn’t help much. If I had to have a slushbox Plastic Tub Toy, the ’03 would be a better choice. Besides, the older car needs a respray. At least.
A C2 manual would rock my world — especially a ’63 splittie — but since there isn’t one in today’s showdown, I’ll stick with what’s here.
If it were an earlier example with metal bumpers, a four speed, and the 427, it would also be $50K+. You aren’t the only one who prefers those.
I like C3s. Growing up they were the most common Corvette I’d see around, and they were synonomous with “sports car” for me when I was a kid.
Later on I’d learn they were slower than a modern mid-size sedan, but I still like them.
With that said, I don’t like this one. I like T-Tops. I don’t want an automatic. The paint…is OK. Its not doing much for me though.
The C5 is certainly going to be a more comfortable cruiser, so the AT is a bit more forgivable there. It is really superior in every way to the C3, except maybe body style…but that is subjective. I don’t care about being lumped in with the white Nike, jean shorts crowd. It is a nice car for not a ton of money.
Welp, I’m a boomer and it would take two men and a boy to beat me away from that C3.
It’s all about nostalgia, mates. The seventies were pretty good to me (excepting the scourge of disco) so I’ll invest in a little feel-good, even though we all know that iron is only iron, and time has passed.
Whut fills the eye fills the heart.
yellow is awesome, so I chose the C5
Ugh. I love the C3s up to 1969 with metal bumpers and 300+ hp. This one is trying to substitute metalflake for horsepower. And the C5s, while good performers, would associate me with a crowd that I would prefer to avoid. That’d be a NO for me, dog.
If I were a lazy man, and I most certainly am, that era of LS+GM auto = if it remains (mostly) un-hoont, it just won’t let you down.
And if it does, a cheap, readily available fix is close at hand
…or a hero. But what’s a hero?
Sometimes there a man who fits right in there in his time and place
I’m all for nostalgia, and that C3 is peak nostalgia for a GenX like myself, but that boomerific ’03 would be so much easier to live with.
I voted C3 without looking at the price and now regret my vote. I was expecting like a $7000 cost for it and an engine swap, paint job and suspension upgrades would get me close to the C5 cost. Now I see it would get me into the 20k plus range and nope nope nope. I take back my vote and vote C5.
The C3 was The Vette when I was young, so yeah I have always loved them and still have an idea of buying one. But with that said, I’m not a fan of that paint job and would want one with more original parts. So C5 today, but probably only today
Not really a fan of either, but the C3 was more of a looker. You can always upgrade the oily bits to get more performance.
It really depends on how I’m feeling… The C3 to cruise (slowly btw) in style or the C5 if I’m looking for a more capable chassis that is a few bolt ons away from going fast enough.
Today I feel like actually driving a car, so I voted C5.
I really really like that C3–it’s loud and obnoxious in all of the right ways, but I voted for the C5 because I’m would vastly prefer the more modern driving experience. However I am experiencing a little but of voter’s remorse.
Any C3 is always a project. But a fun daily driver. Keep that in mind and look for one that runs, has not been unmercifully modded, and all the parts are there. And a LS crate motor is a great upgrade. Even fun to work on.
who doesn’t wan to channel their inner Dirk Digler…
The ’03, it’s not even close. And I say this as the owner of an ’81 Corvette.
First, that ’78 is priced WAY too high. All original, that’s a 8-9k car, 10k on it’s best day. But it’s been painted, badly, and the wheels have been swapped. With 140k miles on it, it’s likely that the motor and transmission have both been gone through at least once, along with the rear end. Were these done correctly? Maybe, but unlikely. What else has, or hasn’t, been done to this thing. At 14 thousand, you’re getting dangerously close to chrome bumper prices.
On the other hand, that ’03, while not super stylish, appears to have been well cared for and is just getting broken in good. Plus, it probably has working air conditioning. And, it will actually get out of it’s own way at the stop light.
Sometimes, all hat and no cattle is worth it if the hat is particularly sparkly. Give me the disco ball and I’ll cruise at 30 mph all around town.
I mean, isn’t LS always the answer?
WHO IS THIS MAN?
If you’re buying an automatic Corvette, you’re buying it for style. And it doesn’t get much more stylish than bowling-ball indigo flake. Some side pipes would make it perfect.
’78 was a badged anniversary year, too.
Side pipes would be great on that.
A C3 burbled down the road past me a few months back (this was in north east England btw). I was shocked by the amount of weird hydrocarbons that were left in its wake. You could run a modern engine on that thing’s exhaust.