In this video we will look at styling changes from 1972 to 1974 in the Corvette C3. During these years Designers were adapting to 5 MPH bumper standards as well as tougher emissions requirements. How did they do?
Great video… thanks, I had a 69 coupe , my first vette, Sold it for a 73 coupe, really liked the redesign, the soft bumper, new one piece hood, the side vents.. the lines are beautiful… still enjoying it today..🤗
1973 is probably the best looking car ever made In human history with some modifications, it had the long front bumper and short back bumper, you can add chrome bumber in front if you want, it has better quality interior in sound isolation compared to previous years, this model has the best of the worlds
74-77 great for resto mod,in most cases. 78-82 if you want the bigger rear window ,more storage space.great to resto mod 68-72 leave stock in most cases. thanks Larry Shinoda! living the dream garage for sure ...enjoy it!
I like both but I am a Rubber Bummer fan. I have owned 3 of them I have a 75 L82 convertible I love them. At the end of the day, Corvettes are just cool.
They both are good at their respective things Chrome Bumper: collectors item, lot more aggressive engines, very beautiful cars, and built for smaller people Rubber bumper: slightly less collectible (prices are climbing i think) the motors are pretty tame, and they make really good daily drivers or touring cars, lots more legroom, and the cabin on the 80-82 feels so much larger. I have an 81 and i daily it, and it works pretty good, i wish i had features from the chrome bumper cars like the headlight washers, the wiper doors and the really near Fiber Optics, but, the drivability of a later C3 is amazing. I am 6’0 and just don’t fit in the chrome bumper cars properly, my legs just aren’t comfortable. i fit in my 81 with legroom to spare.
I know there is a size difference with C2’s I can’t drive a C1. The latest C3 I have is my 74. Do 81,s have bigger interiors? If they do I did not realize that. My friend has an 82 I will check it out
Wow excellent video and channel I know what I’ll be doing for the next couple hours 😅. I’m with you I like the 73 the most it has the best front and the best rear styling. I have a 74 (with a 1980-82 rear bumper) but I prefer the 73. Don’t care for the hood and bumper on the front of the chrome cars.
68-72 great looks but not much protection, rough ride (but still cool), 73-79 great cruisers with the original early c3 looks with way better fit and finish, ride quality and safety. 80-82 redesigned rear end and more electronics (81-82 with OD). I own a 79 L-82 4 speed auto (200r4) and kept the original TH350. 95% original…. Tons of fun on a sunny day.
The interior of 68--69 is bit different. 70-76 are generally the same. The most notable change is seatbelts (74+), and the color of the gauges. Gauges went from green to blue in 1972+. The 76 has a 4 spoke steering wheel. I like all the years. It depends on the color combo. I really like the alloy wheels on the mid 70's+ cars.
your correct on the interiors, that why I say generally, and the changed quite a bit the later you got. I had a friend who has a white 77 with the alloy wheels, loved that car.
Horsepower ratings are a bit overrated. If I wanted to go fast I'd buy a much newer car. These cars are all about style so whatever style you like is best. Rubber bumper cars are worth less which is good for buyers.
The horsepower ratings of these cars is nonsense from a driving perspective. They will all get up and scoot from a drive ability standpoint. There is no noticeable difference in day-to-day driving. They are all powerful. The only criticism would probably be with a quadrajet carburetor. You could swap that out for an Edelbrock or Holley and get better Drive ability results also easier tuning
Always disliked the rubber. The paint always cracked on them because they expand and contract so much. Chrome bumpers are more manly because soft rubber crashes are soft 😂
