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)
C3 here. That paint and 70’s interior makes it a great cruiser. Never mind that a decade old compact car smokes it at the stoplight drags.
Performance be damned. The C3 has always been my favorite Corvette. Throw in the fact that I’m a sucker for T-tops and it’s an easy choice for me.
The C5’s CdA-value is Prius-like, so it’s no surprise that its highway fuel economy can also approach something Prius-like with some engine tuning, even with the V8.
Tuning the LS1 to operate in lean-burn mode allows for 40 mpg at 60-70 mph highway cruising:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNIZ25eBMco
Definitely the C5. I’d do an EV conversion to make it even more exciting, while also reducing weight. I’d think a 40 kWh pack of Tesla Model 3 batteries could yield a 200 mile range with some minor aero tweaks, and the weight would drop to around 2,700 lbs in the process.
If I ran GM, the next Corvette would be as small as the C1, and very aerodynamically slippery. I’d aim for 50 mpg highway, 30 mpg city, with a V8 powering it. The performance benefits to losing close to 1,000 lbs and cutting the drag in half vs. the current model, retaining the mid-engined layout, would be monstrous.
Now I really want to hypermile a Corvette and show up to Vette club meetups to brag about the efficiency I’m pulling.
Oh man. I love the yellow C5. When I was in HS one of my friend’s grandmother lived with them. She drove like a murano or something. One day I went to the their house to hang out and there was a bright yellow C5 in the driveway, exactly like the one posted. His grandma just decided one day to go trade in the nissan for the Vette. Baller move.
Same friend’s dad had a Grand Prix GTP with a heads up display which I thought was awesome as kid. That was his DD. He also bought a 350z right when they were released as his fun car. One afternoon, I was installing stereo in my 300zx and friends dad rolled up in his Z and asked if I wanted to drive it before he traded it it. Next time I went to his house there was a black C5 Z06. So two C5s at that house.
BUT. For my choice here. I was ready to pick the C5, but seeing as they are both auto, I had to go with the C3 because that paint is amazing.
I’ve been half seriously keeping an eye out for C4 (yes, I think they look cool) or c5 vette to buy for a year or two as a summer cruiser. I just now realized I’m not likely to get it out of my driveway without scraping it to hell every time. Sigh. Guess I’ll keep my eyes out for a stick shift TJ that hasn’t been thrashed to hell
I LOVE the look of the C3, but a 200 HP ‘vette? From 1972 until the day the last C4 was made, there’s not a single Corvette worth spending money on when there are so many better choices. C5* easy.
*more specifically, someone else’s C5 that had a manual.
Remember, it’s stupidly cheap and easy to bump the horsepower on those 350 blocks. Headers, exhaust, cam, carb
C2 Splitback is my personal favorite ‘vette. For these two, I ended up going for the C3. Low hp malaise ‘vettes in some ways are honest about what a ‘vette is actually used for. Cruising. Parking in front of a DQ. Driving around some lakes on a lovely day. That sort of thing.
The C3 is gorgeous, I kinda want to make it a display piece. Sure the drive isn’t great, but if you want a fun drive why the heck would you look for an automatic vette?? The Honda from yesterday would give you way more fun, and the Hyundai from last week would be better if you wanna go fast. That C5 just screams sad dad energy.
Ugh both are autos. I personally don’t much care for the C3. I think it’s wonky looking and the malaise era powertrain just doesn’t hold up today. If I’m going for a cruiser rather than a bruiser I can think of countless better options for the same money. Hell for this price I’d take a well loved more modern drop top pony car. More performance, less trouble. S197 Mustang GTs are cheeeeeeap right now and manuals aren’t that hard to find.
The C5 is a pretty good car. The styling is rather forgettable and very clearly late 90s/early 2000s, not to mention the plastic palace interiors are wretched. However, you’ve got an LS, the cars are so slippery that they’re actually decent on gas, they’re competent sports cars, and they’re reliable/easy to maintain. If you want fun on a budget they’re a great choice. It’s a damn shame that this example has a slushbox that’s better suited for truck duty than performance driving.
But hey…the choice is between two slushers so here we are. Fortunately with the Ford/GM 10 speed in the more modern American sports cars an automatic isn’t a total buzzkill anymore.
As much as the C3 is pretty it is also a terrible car. I’m a Corvette guy pretty much through and through and unless you put a LOT of money into a C3 they are not all that good. A C5 may be “boring” but it will always simply work. And with an LS and sadly with the auto it’s about as simple as it gets. The 4Lx0 transmissions don’t entirely suck either other than the fact they aren’t 6 speeds. C5 wins without hesitation, question or any second thought.
But the C3 is so pretty 🙁
I like them both, and I think that the choice will come down to the buyer’s use case as they are two very different tools for very different jobs.
The 45 year old C3 would probably attract a lot of attention from old men and young children at car shows. You’d probably get to talk to some cool people with interesting stories about their car history. The bass boat paint job probably looks cool in person, but it just looks dirty in photos.
The C5 could conceivably serve as a daily driver. I wouldn’t necessarily trust the C3’s T-top seals to keep me dry on the way to work in a downpour.
So if I were looking for something to take to car meets, I’d go with the C3; if I were looking for something to drive all the time, I’d take the C5. Personally as a one-car man I voted for the C5 — it seems like I’d get more fun out of that one.
I’m a man of odd (to put it nicely) tastes and I’ve always loved the C3 Corvettes. I prefer the vertical rear window models but can’t win them all right. My brother in law had a 2001 Z06 for a while, and it was a blast to drive but the interior was a total letdown. At least with the C3 you know you are getting an awful interior to match the tepid performance.
Based on the comments and my own personal preferences, I don’t understand why some type of Icon or Singer restomod house hasn’t done the same thing with C3s. Their style is generally liked, it is just the performance/amenities that are lacking. And that is just what the restomodders fix.
It’s probably more money than I’d want to spend knowing it needs money to make it not a slug but irrational nice price for the c3. C5 does nothing for me. I grew up riding in the floorboards of a bright yellow 73 c3. 454. Detuned. 9 mpg with a 12 gallon tank. I thought it was awesome at 10 or so.
C5 is pretty much the best Corvette, because it’s the most balanced on price, performance, and reliability. I’d rather have a hardtop or convertible, in blue, with a manual transmission. But I wouldn’t kick this one out of bed.
It may be the better car, but the C5 is just too blobby and bland both inside and out for me. Given that both are automatics, I’ll take the C3 and make it a project car for an LS swap and some suspension tweaks at the very least.
I picked the ’78, C5s are too jellybean-ish and a fat-wide ass that makes Trump look tiny.
You can’t see past the fenders on the 70’s model.
Give me the yellow one.
With a phone book in the seat, you can periscope through the T-top,
You could do like all the other frumpy boats of the 70’s and install curb feelers I suppose.
My brain says C5, but my heart’s fallen for the C3, mostly thanks to that paint job. Shame the wheels aren’t original, and the price is just too high (https://youtu.be/C3HvrvADp2A?t=172), but it’s so sparkly.
The C3 is my least favorite Corvette design. C5 would be just a couple spots higher on style, and a huge margin better on performance.
This will be a polarizing vote.
The stingray vetts are my least favorite but that paint and T-tops just makes my chest hair tingle. The only thing it’s missing is side pipes and it would be perfect. I would go with the C3 then find a way to LS swap it. Best of both worlds then.
I’ve always loved all the early generation Vettes. But once the C3 lost the rear chrome, I lost my interest. So it’s substance for me.
The C3 after 72 became an abomination of a Corvette. Weak, SBC only drivetrain, truck suspensions and it could be said they were the hairy chest gold chain stereotypical mid life crisis mobile of the 70’s and 80’s. More Boomer fodder at the time, yet today, like molestaches and shitty High top shoes, the Millennials and Z’s lust after them. I suspect once they have to actually drive and live with one, they quickly change their tune, but it is what it is.
The C5 is actually getting a lot of love from the Youtubers lately, they all try to trope the New balance/ white T thing but that schtick is tired and old and honestly pretty lame since they are often in the same breath saying how surprisingly good the 400 ish HP comfy seat reliable sports car getting 20-25 MPG is.
I hate the Yellow paint, but I would still take that over the C3. Maybe if the C3 had the C5 drivetrain transplanted, I might go the other way, but that is a big maybe.
The C5 is the better car, hands down. But gimme the metalflakes & T tops. I’m not going on a track or doing any stoplight GPs, so speed is not an issue. Maybe after a good summer of cruising I’ll crack open the Summit catalog and turn up the wick on that 350, and it’s screaming out for sidepipes, but it’s not necessary. I might even be tempted to go electric. Possibilities are endless!
C5s are starting to become the next big grassroots drift car of choice now that we’ve ran out of 240SXes so if that C5 would have been a manual, it would have been the choice for me. But since both choices are auto and therefore basically just nice weather cruisers, I’m going to pick the one that looks cooler. C3 for me.
The wheels on the C3 are fine but not great. I’d live with them while looking for something cooler but also still 70s period correct. That paint is already extremely 70s so why not fully lean into that late 70s custom car vibe.