C3 Makeover: Modernizing a Classic Corvette
2024 ж. 9 Мам.
377 123 Рет қаралды
In this video I walk through how I modernized my 1977 C3 Corvette through a number of modifications with a primary goal of improving the overall driving experience.
To help judge the final product, I then score it against a modern sports car, my 2023 C8 Corvette in (4) key categories: Comfort, Road trip-ability, performance and maintenance.
Check it out and let me know what you think!
Can't argue with your scores man! Old cars have a totally different appeal and it's nice to see you appreciate all of what's great about these two very different sports cars. I think a lot of people struggle to understand how someone could rate a nearly 50 year old car so highly, but gearheads get it. Great video!
old cars have character
@@BuckingHorse-Bull Yep and Id never make a change to neuter that aspect A proper adjusted carb/choke will start immediately hot or cold. Never sit for hours in 110 deg heat so not worried about vapor lock. To me adding EFI just adds more to go wrong/fail.
I will never get tired of the side profile of the C3. So beautiful.
Nice lookers but after owning, the ride and suspension components made me not want another . Not for tall people
The C3 was imho the best looking Corvette made.
Agreed. I remember the first time I saw a C4 on the road... I was shocked... so disappointed. It felt like the Corvette lost its identity. I was really happy when the style started to come back with the C5.
I'm a C5Z guy but man this build is beautiful.
I've never seen a car youtuber go in this direction with a build. Some may find it less exciting than MORE HORSEPOWER BABYYY, but this is the real car stuff I appreciate. Completely agree with your scoring, awesome to see someone modernize an old car and make it comfortable to drive.
Same. I get the die hards but I’m in my 40s now. Comfort is and ease of use is what I’m starting to value. Otherwise, I find myself just looking at it in the garage.
a lot of people dont know how to appreciate a car for what it was. this is also why i heavily dislike LS swap anything, bet those projects have more time under a tarp than miles
I really want a totally modernized ‘68 Corvette. I want it to feel modern inside, while being classic everywhere else. So, I, for one, was stoked to see this video.
I did it 10 Years ago with my car but I prefer to leave it in secret, as I´m not a KZheadr anyways....
Love this. You are respecting the car and giving it a usability that fits the times, technology and personal taste. Not everything needs an LS swap, or a Concourse rotisserie resto
C3 all day. Those curves wins over everything. Back in the days it was all about design. Something we lack today because of safety rules and regulations.
I do miss the days of cars being beautiful, but it’s more to do with cost effectiveness and the emphasis on maximising company profits more than safety regulations, I’m sure many companies especially the smaller ones would love to make more interesting designs but it would simply cost too much for too little return
@@Anon-dx1rl yea it’s all about money and how cheap they can make it add to rules and regulations safety factors and it takes away great designs. If I had the money I would so get a c2 resto mod. My dream car. Maybe one of these days. 🙏
Yes and probably aero more than anything else. They're grinding all the corners off.
@@relaxgaming8872 Yup....if mfrs were that worried about safety they would take most the gadgets excessive buttons out of them. Nobody needs all that garbage and a screen to drive.
C3 is one of the most beautiful car designs ever.
I rarely comment on videos. What you did here is amazing. So down to earth while talking about these incredibly thought out upgrades. Good job dude. Looking at you drive that C3 in the sunlight put a smile on my face. Respect
Really glad you used a post-smog C3 for your build. The iconic style is there, but the performance and driving experience suffered critically from shoehorning all the necessary emissions equipment into the late 70s models. While it might bother some enthusiasts that it's not stock, personally I don't see any value whatsoever in preserving the lesser driving experience of a gas-guzzling, less comfortable, lower performing car when bolt-on upgrades are so readily available and make such a huge difference.
@bitemedude - totally agree - and - its easy to upgrade C3 / other classic cars too / thanks for the comment!
Exactly, screw the purist crowd. Stock they were pig slow, boring etc . Stock doesnt equal more value (which I could care less about) either theres a butt for every seat My #s L82 buyers could give a chit if the #s matched or not ...purists just wanted to nit pick it and tell stories while chiseling $$. Never again
I dont think anyone now-a-days are buying c3s for their performance. For a long time i think its just purely because of their unique style. So seeing someome upgrade one to modern comfort standards is so satisfying! I get to live vicariously through your amazing beauty shots of the car 😂
No joke... this video made me fall in love with my '81 all over again. It was my first car I bought at 17, and i've seriously been considering selling it in the spring because it's "hard to live with", and i'm heading to college in the fall. But now, i'm understanding it just needs more love. Going to look at fuel injection kits right now! Lol
Why? Qjet and an HEI, proper choke is as reliable as it gets. I think many aftermarket efi purchasers assume they will have oem reliability and that doesnt happen
Quality video. I love my C3 and I appreciate your hard work on yours.
The C3 is still my favorite Corvette of all time and for me personally because it's a build somewhat more like a resto mod I give it a 37 that's just my opinion though and a 33 for the C8 it just fits me like a glove at 5:5 but definitely this C3 is done better than well and it's modded to your comfort
Your videos are very educational and well edited, thanks for sharing your work in a clear cohesive way!
Really enjoyed this. It's a nice balance between the hour long videos about specific tasks on car builds, and the 2 minute "here's what I did, it's sick!"
This is one of the best car vids I have ever seen
Wow. GREAT VIDEO! Thanks for taking the time to give the details. Well done.
I absolutely LOVE your C3! Extremely well done build.
C3 is one of the most beautiful car designs ever!
Extremely well done, both the build and the video! Pro-level work all around.
Wow. Masterfully done and thank you for your very clear, straight forward and polished video explaining it all. Congrats and thanks for sharing. Most of all enjoy that C3!
Hey man, you are awesome at explaining everything, simply. I am not car savvy so it was a great experience listening to you narrate your video. Cheers!
Great video; it felt like a big production! Good content, time management, and flow. Very informative.
Wow. Incredible story-incredibly told with the video setup of all the parts and everything.
Great build, great video, great story. Thanks
I upgraded my 74 C3 similar but automatic. Coil over front shocks, fiberglass mono leaf rear. Punched out the engine to 355 cid, aluminum heads, mild cam 460 lift 272 duration, compression 10.75 to 1. Running a Holley sniper fuel injection system. I modified a standard GM HEI distributor so I could control the timing with the holley sniper system. The last thing I’m planning on doing is to install a rack and pinion system for the steering. I’ll be doing that sometime next summer. I’ve had this car since 1985 and loved driving it back then and even more so now with the mods. Enjoy your C3 and drive it, it was made to be driven and not sit inside a garage!
Hey I like the HEI mod so sniper can adjust timing! - is it a just replacement metal pickup/contact -reluctor setup that the sniper can control over a larger degree range after you set timing at a specific "set" cal value? I know my edelbrock setup was calibrated to 12 deg then once set, the ECU takes over / thanks for the comment!
No, you first have to prevent the mechanical advance and vacuum advance from changing. Then you need to modify an old HEI cap so you can see where the rotor is pointing to get a good approximation. Holley in their setup wants a fixed 16 degree setting when using timing control and you should see that 16 degrees with your timing light. Once that’s set you put the Holley system in control. You can purchase a cable to bring out the reluctor signal. The module inside is discarded. Hope this helps!@@TacoJoe
I sure does / thanks for the details! I have a have a small block ford build in the works and may add EFI to the mix - and with the build - take on more mods like this (vs a prescribed Edelbrock kit setup) - I love the HEI design and appreciate the help!
Sorry for such a late reply, all I did was remove the stock Gm module and I purchased a cable from Holley to connect to the two reluctor wires that originally plugged into the module. I also had to lock the mechanical advance. I had an old HEI cap that I cut up so I could see where the rotor was pointing. From what I understand is that the Holley distributor comes with a clear cap to show you where the rotor it pointing. Now I setup my sniper first to get that going and once I was happy with it running,I then tackled the timing my way. Hopes this helps you and again, sorry for the late response!@@TacoJoe
If you do the rack and pinion (Steeroids, I'm assuming) conversion just make sure you get all their new reinforcement brackets. I have the v1.0 installed in my 79 and the original brackets flex too much and do not inspire confidence. Also know that your turning radius will slightly increase if you do the Steeroids conversion as you can't turn the wheel quite as far lock-to-lock. The Steeroids rack is very picky with your power steering pump specs, too and it wants a narrow range for pressure AND flow from the pump. If it flows too much and you don't install a power steering cooler, it can actually damage the rack and lead to premature failure... (Steeroids says 1000-1200 PSI for the pump; 1000 makes it less darty at high speed, but harder to move at idle / low speed; they also want a pump with
Amazing good sir,you made this beautiful classic your own,and you're happy with it,that there is a success,love it and goodwill.
Excellent editing on the video, impeccable build.
I just rematched your old cobra videos yesterday. Great channel. Love your content
Wow Excellent Job! love the look of this unit!
I love the stance and those chunky BFG's! Perfect.
Great build! I like the dash as well. And that paint color is amazing!
Thank you sir, I wish you were my mentor at tech - imagine the work I could be doing now.
C3 .... Oh my god I love it and allways have. Thank you for keeping it alive :)
OMG, I love this video! Thank you for giving me some ideas for my c3 restomod!
Professionally done all around! Clean ride…totally well planned and explained…great post brother!!!
Not a corvette guy at all here, just a gear head. I love the practical approach to your video and the way you broke down each of your mods, not just how you did it but WHY you did it and what the benefits were. I have a 2000 Mustang GT that I've updated over the years and I was nowhere near as coherent when I did my videos -- plus I can tell I'm not as rounded of a mechanic -- your work speaks for itself. Very clean and concise work here and I can tell you clearly have a passion for your cars. I have a bone stock 2011 GT500 and love driving it but have to say with some of my upgrades to the 2000 I enjoy the car so much more. There is no doubt though, it's nowhere near as safe as the newer car. I augmented my fuse boxes in almost identical fashion BTW -- the fuse box for a stock 2000 mustang is under the drivers dash -- you have to be a monkey to change the fuses and I curse when I have to get down there and change a fuse. So I added an augmented circuit setup very similar to yours. Made a world of difference. Plus it helps that the new fuse boxes have leds to show you what fuse is out. Loved your video and approach.
@fericyde - thanks for the nice comment - 2000 GT had the 4.6 I believe correct? Nice motor/nice car and tons of cool mods are out there for this gen of mustang. 2011 GT500 too!?! Nice garage myman!
LOL, yeah, the 4.6 I have to say was the best part of the car that I had to remove to swap in the Coyote (this is what I said in 2012, I've driven it over 10 years swapped now). The 4.6 was reliable, didn't use oil at 160k or so miles and still ran great -- sold it to a ford mechanic and his son who were rescuing another GT that had been blown up (after some mods I understood -- they were going a more stock route). I also put in a T56, major suspension upgrades, an android head unit (I use Torque from time to time but just android auto alone is an improvement) UPR k-member up front and a griggs racing setup in the rear with a torque arm (very similar to the one that is on a 3rd gen Camaro BTW). I'm shooting for 51/49 weight distribution some day :) at the moment I'm at 52.5/47.5 -- close but that 40-50 lbs of weight are rather hard to move without something drastic happening. @@TacoJoe
100% I subscribed. Just found the channel. All hail the algorithm?
Great build I think I like about this video is you basically covered a lot of the points that need to be it was right to the point of how to build a badass machine.😊
Great upgrade plan, excellent video. Thanks!
I appreciated the keep it simple approach. On point on the issues you addressed.
beautiful and thoughtful work. i’d take it over the C8 or damn near any modern car, any day of the week.
This is such a great & informative video! Than you for creating and posting this!
good content! you explain things in a way that is easy to understand. Great breakdown of normal person usage and recommendations.
really amazing video, love the animations and attention to detail in all the information
I absolutely love what you've done. I have been wanting to resto mod as C3 corvette for a long time. Clearly, i'm not the only one....
I'm glad i found your channel. Great video
This is one of the best videos, auto comparison, that I have ever seen on you tube
Love the C3's Nice job abd awesome overview. Really enjoyed the video along with the choices and explanations. Thanks
Thank you for the video. Enjoyed the whole content and presentation, it was very well done.
Great C3 build! I love that green color and simple style. Good choices of mods too. Thanks for going into such detail and comparing it to the new C8.
One of the BEST video's I have seen in a LONG time! The video itself is super well put together. I honestly think with your knowledge and a bit of thought applied a BIG channel could arise from it. WELL DONE!
Really great comparison, inspiring, thanks!
Love the creativity!
You took a lot of work on this. Most people would not be able to do this. Thank you, thank you, thank you !!!!!
Outstanding. Had a 1981 way back when. If I could have afforded to have this done at the time, I'd still have it today.
great video. Thanks for the great commentary and ideas. I have a 69 that I want to modernize and this helps me out.
Found this video completely by mistake. When you talked about the dash that you custom built, I felt the same, a bit out of place being all squared off, but still looks FANTASTIC! I think the car looks perfect!
Just beautifully done
Thank you TJ - this video is outstanding! You have provided useful information and advice that can benefit so many people to have more enjoyment with their later model C3s. You have communicated your points with clarity and honesty. Super impressive!
Maybe with a little clay you could have build out the old dash to accept the new dash components and update its styling and then rendered it in fiberglass. Just a thought. That said C3’s are, for me, close to the Jaguar E Type in beauty and being a national icon. I like the C3 better than the original E Type but not quite as much as the restomoded Eagle Speedster. It would be wonderful for a company to do for the C3 what Eagle does for the E Type.
well said @CX0909 - I like the fiberglass idea / longer term I'm still thinking for ways I can make the new dash look more natural (and not like a Greenwood Vette, racecar or something similar) - Totally agree that E-types are works of art too - Thanks for the comment!
Probably my all time favorite body style! This is a car to modify the way you did it! Congratulations!!!
I'll keep my eye out for you and that gorgeous C3 on the road once the snow melts up here!
Great work! Like the way you scored both cars
Love the dash , well done
Wow...beautiful rebuild...!
Awesome video. A while back, I was thinking about buying a classic Corvette (Maybe same year and body style) and doing some modifications. I got a lot of great ideas from watching you.
Great work.. for some this kind of work is a calling.. you found your calling. You engineer.. you don’t just stuff things in..
That was awesome! Great job!!
Young boy , brilliant work .
That’s a rad C3 build. Really classy and great enhancements.
That was a great video TJ. No hacking going in here lol, well done and BTW your editing and filming is just amazing !
Great video production! And beautiful cars!
Great camera shots, commentary, technical information, and integrated cgi graphics. Well done Sir - I subbed :)
I owned a '76 'Vette so this was a fun video. 😀 Nicely done!
I really like what you’re doing. Very well done 👍
Love the C3 and I can appreciate your modernization. The only difference I'd prefer is sticking to a curvier dashboard. But I understand. Awesome Job👍
Great video. Thanks for sharing
Great video as always!
Great video in all regards, Excellent job!!
Great attitude for building cars !!!
c3's are easily my favorite cars ever made, from any time period and any manufacturer the c3 takes the cake its got a special place in my heart
This was very good and informational video! Thank you
Great video! Thanks for doing this.
Great swap, great job, congrats.
I love this! This is great!
C8 & C3 totally different beasts, a great pair to drive. Props to diy skills.
Great video! Awesome concept for a comparison
Thank You, This is amazing as I am thinking of getting a C3 and would want to do some of these mods.
Very well done video! I am a gear head as well, but noticed more than anything the quality of the video...mostly the editing. Nice work!
All of this vid was really well done!
Great video, TJ. 🙂 I love restomods and OEM+ upgrades. It's what I do to my own cars. 🙂 Paul 😎
Great Video! Love both Vettes.
Good presentation, thanks
If I were rich I would ask if you would build me a car. Genius, man.
Beautiful car. Nice work!
This editing is unreal brother. Very impressed.
C3 is my favorite…great job
Not shocked, had a c4 and c7..sold both. Miss the c4 more than the 7 and i lived the 7.
Subscribed. I have a lot of choices on YT but you consistantly put out high quality videos on the cars I'm most interested in so you get the nod. Very well done. Thank You!
appreciate the kind words @MrRanggong - more content is on the way so stay tuned!
Good show!!!
Man, this was unexpected. You focused on building a _practical_ car. Love this video, A+ !!! 😎