Well, I found it.

"Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage" (Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage)
08/22/2014 at 16:42 • Filed to: None

Been searching on Tailpipe.co for a while, and came across this. My exact dream car. I really, really need $54k. RIGHT NOW.

EDIT: HOLY SHIT. Read the description again. Not only is this my 100% dream car, it was also built ON MY BIRTHDAY. Yeah, I need this.

http://www.allcollectorcars.com/for-sale/1969-…

DISCUSSION (38)

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 16:44

You and I have the same dream car. Though I prefer the '68 for a few small details.

Nibby > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 16:44

DAT BLUE

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/22/2014 at 16:46

You, my friend, have awesome taste. Oddly, I've always liked the '69 better for a few nitpicky details.

lone_liberal > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 16:47

Love it! The want for an early C3 is growing in me. Damn I wish I had space and money for a new toy.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 16:47

Yeah? I always liked the key in the dash of the 68's and they had no fender "flares" around the wheels which looks cleaner imo. But I do like the door handles better on the '69's.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Nibby
08/22/2014 at 16:48

I KNOW. My favorite color, no doubt. Its just so perfect.

mazda616 > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 16:51

That's amazing. Love.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/22/2014 at 16:51

Well, for some reason, I've always liked the flares. Not sure why. The door handles are also another key factor. One of the nicest things about the '69 compared to the '68 was that they worked out a few issues in the interior regarding spaciousness. So, the '69 had a more spacious interior than the '68. I do like the key in the dash more on the '68, though.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > lone_liberal
08/22/2014 at 16:53

Yeah, same here. That's been my dream car since I was 5. If I had $54k, I would go buy that right now.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > mazda616
08/22/2014 at 16:56

I know. SO MUCH WANT.

lone_liberal > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 16:57

I keep looking at the C3s on buyavette.net, http://www.buyavette.net/C3.php . At this point it's getting painful as I've seen cars I love come and go.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > lone_liberal
08/22/2014 at 17:04

Oh my god. I've never seen that website. Well, there goes all productivity for tomorrow.

Oh, and I know that feeling. You find a car that you 100% adore, then it gets sold. Then you start to wonder where it is, and how the new owner is treating it.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 17:20

That's interesting. I never knew about the interior changes. What did they do?

StingrayJake > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 17:25

Sirs, we all have the same dream car.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/22/2014 at 17:30

It wasn't major by any means, but it was slightly changed. Reportedly, Duntov pushed through a $120k tooling change, just so inner door panels could open up a half-inch per side in extra shoulder width. They did this because, when the '68 'Vette came out, some reviewers criticized the lack of space in the interior for its occupants. So, this was the solution. I also think they made the steering wheel a bit smaller in '69.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > StingrayJake
08/22/2014 at 17:34

Yet again, as I said to cletus44, you have fantastic taste. I always thought it was an odd dream car to have; glad there are others that agree with me.

StingrayJake > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 17:45

I have an unhealthy obsession with the Corvette, which is baffling considering I've never owned one and barely driven one. The only model I've ever driven was a family friend's 1971 coupe. It was my 18th birthday and my parents asked the friend to give me a ride in it as a surprise. We got about five miles out of town, he pulled over, and asked if I wanted to drive it. Sure it was five straight miles back to the parking lot, but damn if it wasn't five of the best minutes of my life. The early C3s have long been at the top of my list followed closely by late C2s.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > StingrayJake
08/22/2014 at 17:55

Yep, same here. Started when I was 3. I was just getting into cars. I was riding in the back seat of my mom's Century, and a '96 Grand Sport came flying past us, at full throttle. I've been hooked ever since. Before about a year ago, I only got to ride in one Corvette. It was our next door neighbor, who was a test driver for GM. One day, he brought home a brand new '05 Corvette, and asked me if I wanted a ride. It was only for about 10 miles, but, still. It was fantastic. About a year ago, I bought an '86 Corvette. Sure, its not nearly as cool as a C2 or an early C3, but I adore it.

With me, the early C3s are my favorites, then those are followed by the C2s. My top two favorite 'Vettes are probably the '69 and the '67.

GhostZ > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 18:06

Funny enough, you can pick up a 1972-1973 Corvette for 1/10th the price and then swap in an aftermarket 427 and sidepipe exhaust for half the price.

As for being built on your birthday, yeah, that's something you can't really replicate.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > GhostZ
08/22/2014 at 18:13

For that cheap? Damn. I knew '74-'82 'Vettes have dropped in price, but I always thought the '68-'73 'Vettes have been raising in value. That being said, I probably wouldn't do it. If I had the money, I would definitely just buy and original one. One day, if I have the money, I would love to make a resto-mod C3, though.

DanZman > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 18:29

I'd love to have an early C3. My ultimate goal would be a tastefully resto-modded one that I'd have painted in Atomic Orange to match my current Vette.

GhostZ > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 18:42

They have been raising in price, but '73 Vettes are still pretty damn cheap, and much less than a 1969.

If you really want to go cheap, you can get a Big Block-swapped 1977 Corvette for probably less than $15,000. That is, if you want to give up the chrome fenders.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > DanZman
08/22/2014 at 18:47

God, I'd love to do a resto-mod C3. I wouldn't do it on a early C3, since those are too desirable, and I love those to be original. Personally, I would resto-mod a '80 or an '81 Corvette, since people always hate on those. Just buy one of those, drop an LS in, and go from there. That would be badass.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > GhostZ
08/22/2014 at 18:49

Well, yeah, I figured it would be cheaper than a '69. Still, I figured they would still command a decent price, since the '73 was the only year with chrome bumpers in the back and the urethane front.

I would totally rock a '77 'Vette. I'd rock almost any Corvette, to be honest.

GhostZ > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 18:59

Some data from Hemming's Price Checker (it aggregates classified sales)

1969:
Average price: $37,285

1973
Average price: $21,775

1977
Average: $15,639

And these are the list prices for dealerships. I imagine private sales are probably about $30% less. I've seen running '77 vettes go for under $10k easily.

DanZman > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 19:01

Personally I wouldnt be set on it being an early car. It would just have to be cheap and in need of restoration. I do really love the flat back window and luggage rack tho...

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > GhostZ
08/22/2014 at 19:02

Oh yeah, virtually nobody listens to those prices when they are selling their car. There are perfectly fine running '75-'77 Corvettes on my local craigslist that can go for under $6k. Granted, those were kind of the worst years of the Corvette, especially the '75, but I still like them.

jkm7680 > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 19:04

Awesome! Go and find $54k!

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > DanZman
08/22/2014 at 19:07

Well, that's the thing. The later models are definitely cheaper to find. If you want the luggage rack and flat back window, you could find a '75, '76, or '77 for pretty damn cheap. That way, you'd have more money left to dump into it, and you wouldn't be upsetting all of the purists and such.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > jkm7680
08/22/2014 at 19:08

I wish dude. I wish. I can only hope to win the lottery tonight.

GhostZ > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 19:12

They're bad because Chevy started cheaping out on things. The Fiberglass got sort of shitty, the engines got underpowered, and the suspension and interior suffered compromises.

But with modern parts and the massive resto-mod craze, they are under-appreciated to the point where it's cheaper to retrofit a '77 corvette to '69 performance rather than get an original 1969.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > GhostZ
08/22/2014 at 19:20

Well, everybody cheapened out in that era. The underpowered engines weren't really their fault, it was the government's fault, because of all the emissions equipment. If they didn't have that, then the engines wouldn't be underpowered. Otherwise, yes, it did get worse.

Yeah, resto-modding really is a great craze. As long as its done tastefully, that is.

jkm7680 > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 19:26

I feel what you feel man. When there is that one car that you really want, but it's just out of reach.

Best of luck to you, and hopefully you'll get it one day!

GhostZ > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 19:46

Yeah, I don't blame them at all, but that's just the reality: they were still good cars, they were just dragging chains around all the time.

DanZman > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
08/22/2014 at 20:16

I like that compromise! Honestly I'm not a huge fan of the side exit exhaust anyway. I'd probably build up an LS motor to be good for about 450whp and figure a way to get c6 z06 brakes onto it. Its all just a pipe dream for now tho. First I need to haev the space to put it!

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > jkm7680
08/22/2014 at 21:11

Thanks man!

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > GhostZ
08/22/2014 at 21:12

Exactly. That's a good analogy, for sure.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > DanZman
08/22/2014 at 21:16

Well, I like the side exhaust, but only on certain C3s. After 1969 side pipes weren't an option anyways, so that's definitely not an issue. That build plan sounds perfect to me. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Well, if you got the space, that would be an amazing car to have!