Is this C3 for me?

[teamzr1]

From what I understand it was disconnected due to fuel consumption. I saw this mentioned a few other times by people when researching so didn't get any red flags from it.

Did they pull the belt from the crank off it ?
Sometimes with older units when that is done and the compressor is never rotating they tend to dry out and freeze up

 

[L303]

Did they pull the belt from the crank off it ?
Sometimes with older units when that is done and the compressor is never rotating they tend to dry out and freeze up

Yes, the belt is off it but it does spin. Could still have dried out though.

 

[teamzr1]

I can't answer that unfortunately as didn't remove the oil filler cap so one for the list.
Nothing obvious dripping out of the bellhousing onto the floor. Difficult to see a specific bit as it seems to be all over.

Looks more wet up front by crank, if main crank seal, timing chain gasket, head gasket, valve cover, etc

 

[L303]

Looks more wet up front by crank, if main crank seal, timing chain gasket, head gasket, valve cover, etc

Sounds like a big job. Urgent?

 

[Nassau65]

During the 70’s 80’s and well into the 90’s, A/C was a mysterious thing to many if not most garages. US vehicles typically had the belt removed to try to improve fuel economy. If it did develope any kind of fault it was so much easier to remove the belt than trying to get it fixed. ( if you could actually find someone to try and fix it)
How long has the car been in the UK? If longer than 30 years that’s probably why belt removed.
Wouldn’t worry about the A/C, big expense to put right after so long not used. Just remove the T-Tops for the open air experience.

 

[teamzr1]

Cannot tell until you locate the source of leak,
Should be easy to tell by look, touch and smell if it is oil or steering fluid
Reason I mentioned taking photos from the top and closely by front of engine to see if leak coming from up higher

 

[Roscobbc]

C3's are very basic in terms of maintenance - even vacuum headlamps are straightforward enough. Brakes again are straightforward. BTW you will get some suspension play etc when jacked up with wheels off the ground and 'unloaded'

 

[teamzr1]

As to the springs,
You would have to look and see if the car sits lower than stock
If it is possible the stock springs were cut, so they would look different when the car is jacked up
Not clear by photo, but for some reason those sway bars look to have a larger diameter ?
Photos of engine bay might allow than to see if any other mods were done for racing

To know exactly everything about the 1974 MY below I am attaching the GM engineering book with specs
click below this PDF and save it

 

[L303]

Cannot tell until you locate the source of leak,
Should be easy to tell by look, touch and smell if it is oil or steering fluid
Reason I mentioned taking photos from the top and closely by front of engine to see if leak coming from up higher

I have this short video and this photo. Unsure if helpful though, it was more for my quick reference.

 

[L303]

As to the springs,
You would have to look and see if the car sits lower than stock
If it is possible the stock springs were cut, so they would look different when the car is jacked up
Not clear by photo, but for some reason those sway bars look to have a larger diameter ?
Photos of engine bay might allow than to see if any other mods were done for racing

To know exactly everything about the 1974 MY below I am attaching the GM engineering book with specs
click below this PDF and save it

Thank you I will take a look this evening at the PDF.

 

[L303]

During the 70’s 80’s and well into the 90’s, A/C was a mysterious thing to many if not most garages. US vehicles typically had the belt removed to try to improve fuel economy. If it did develope any kind of fault it was so much easier to remove the belt than trying to get it fixed. ( if you could actually find someone to try and fix it)
How long has the car been in the UK? If longer than 30 years that’s probably why belt removed.
Wouldn’t worry about the A/C, big expense to put right after so long not used. Just remove the T-Tops for the open air experience.

Yes it's been here longer than 30 years. I am not too fussed about the AC working for our 2 weeks of heat.

 

[teamzr1]

I have this short video and this photo. Unsure if helpful though, it was more for my quick reference.

Video moving too fast to see much

photo is also limited, but is that oil on the cooling fan ?
Also notice the sparkplug wires sitting on top of headers which will melt and foul out

 

[Nassau65]

Yes it's been here longer than 30 years. I am not too fussed about the AC working for our 2 weeks of heat.

Well said.

 

[johng]

Going back to your original question about the birdcage, my car looked not too dissimilar to this one. This is the only photo I can find that I took at the time. The metal under the bush on the drivers side was a bit pitted but solid, but the lower windscreen corner panel above it had almost completely rusted away. This couldn't be seen until I removed the instrument panel and windscreen. My car had also sat unused for 16 years and most of the rubber bits had cracked, I replaced everything made of rubber.

 

[L303]

Going back to your original question about the birdcage, my car looked not too dissimilar to this one. This is the only photo I can find that I took at the time. The metal under the bush on the drivers side was a bit pitted but solid, but the lower windscreen corner panel above it had almost completely rusted away. This couldn't be seen until I removed the instrument panel and windscreen. My car had also sat unused for 16 years and most of the rubber bits had cracked, I replaced everything made of rubber.

Thanks for showing that photo of yours Johng and that info. I am a worried about that with there being a lot of rust bits gathering in there. May I ask what you did to solve the lower windscreen corner panel and how big of a job?

I would aim to replace the windscreen at some point due to a scratch but until then I suppose it would remain unseen.

 

[L303]

Video moving too fast to see much

photo is also limited, but is that oil on the cooling fan ?
Also notice the sparkplug wires sitting on top of headers which will melt and foul out

Will try to check.
Simple repositioning needed on the sparkplug wires?

Off topic, don't suppose you can tell me anything about these wheels. Aftermarket?

 

[johng]

Well the usual route to fixing this is to remove the entire front clip (I really didn't fancy that). I copied some examples shown on the Corvette Kingdom website which entails drilling out the spot welds on the inner panel to remove that, then removing what was left of the old outer panel, trimming and welding in a new outer panel and re welding the inner panel. Not a quick job!
This is what was left of the outer panel once I'd removed the inner panel

 

[Nassau65]

Those wheels are definitely aftermarket, sort of turbo vec style. Very 70’s early mid 80’s. Wheels have always been a very personalised accessory. I suppose that’s why there are so many styles about. Always thought the factory aluminium wheel for the C3 was lovely, especially when highly polished.
Wheels are of course something that can be added as and when.

 

[Vetteheadracer]

On the subject of C3's this just popped up on Barn Finds. It looks like an absolute beauty and it less than $20,000.....okay its in Kansas but I'd certainly be interested in buying it if I was in the market for a C3.

Bargain Buy? 1970 Chevrolet Corvette

"Buy a Corvette and you buy a piece of tomorrow" read the 1970 Chevrolet Corvette brochure. Although not literal, that philosophical waxing from 53 years ago almost feels prophetic -- in this case, anyway -- as this example has well withstood the test of time remaining largely original. I found...

barnfinds.com

P.S. there is a link to the Craigslist advert in the article

 

[L303]

Those wheels are definitely aftermarket, sort of turbo vec style. Very 70’s early mid 80’s. Wheels have always been a very personalised accessory. I suppose that’s why there are so many styles about. Always thought the factory aluminium wheel for the C3 was lovely, especially when highly polished.
Wheels are of course something that can be added as and when.

Thanks for confirming. I don’t dislike them, just didn’t see many with them on. Look better coated and with polished spokes.