4Speed LT1: 1975 Chevrolet Corvette C3

I know that everybody loves to hate on the plastic bumper C3 generation Corvette -- yeah the chassis is a loose as wizard's cuff...and the low compression carburetor fed V8s are terrible and build quality is on par with the worst best stuff at Harbor Freight...but they have a certain aesthetic charm, and chicks dig 'em.  So, I have to say I'm surprised that one equipped with a late model LT1 and 4-speed goodbox is this inexpensive. Find this 1975 Chevrolet Corvette C3 offered for $7999 in Huntington Station, NY. Tip from FuelTruck.

Procharger Puffer: 1978 Chevrolet Corvette

One of the biggest knocks on the Disco era Corvette's is the lack of power from the strangled 350 V8 engines.  In 1978 for the 25th anniversary, you could get a 220hp option which was a nice upgrade over the base 185hp.  The biggest exterior change for 1978 was a new fastback design and the removal of the rear flying buttress sail panels.  Today's car really turns up the wick in the power department with an addition of a Procharger on a 383 stroker engine to the a claimed 580 hp.  The stock three speed automatic has been swapped in favor of the later 700R4 overdrive unit.  Find this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette for sale in Newfield, NJ for $18,500 via craigslist.

4-Speed Needs TLC: 1973 Chevrolet Corvette C3

The plastic bumper C3 generation Corvette is not the most desirable of cars to have proudly displayed the crossed flags emblem, but if your budget is less than $10k and you don't like the plain looking C4...then the C3 is your best choice...or you can get this crusty looking "chrome bumper" Vette and apply some elbow grease.  Find this 1973 Chevrolet Corvette offered for $7300 in Trumbull, CT via craigslist. From Cory.

Something for Everyone: 1974 Chevrolet Corvette

by Matt -- A dog’s breakfast. That’s what the Australians call a haphazard conglomeration of pieces and parts which work together to create one cohesive mess. Want try drive yourself completely insane? Try naming all of the parts adhered to this C3. Is that a coffin-nose AMC Matador grill? Land Rover Series II turn signals? Surely not, but it doesn’t really matter. This is an alternate interpretation of Johnny Cash’s “One Piece at a Time” where the dude works at Pull-a-Part. Even if you hate this car, chances are pretty good that you’ll like at least one or two parts on it. Find this rolling parts bin on Craigslist in San Antonio, Texas for $6,000.

Shooting Brake: 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Breadvan

The C3 generation Corvette is the ugly redheaded step cousin of the Vette world -- stuck in the back row at Corvette car shows and regularly given swirlies in the locker room toilet.  However, if you want an affordable Vette from the 1960s, the C3 is just about the only way to go, and if you want to modify a Corvette into a shooting brake, it might as well be a C3.  Find this 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Breadvan offered for $20,000 in Junction City, KY via craigslist.  Tip from Seant.

Little Red Corvette: 1981 Chevrolet Corvette C3

The plastic bumper C3 generation Corvette is not the most desirable of cars to have proudly displayed the crossed flags emblem, but if your budget is less than $10k and you don't like the plain looking C4...then the C3 is your best choice.  Sorry.  Find this 1981 Chevrolet Corvette C3 offered for $9,000 in Manteca, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

Corvette Hunter, In The Wild: 1979 Chevrolet Corvette C3

We've stumbled on a real beauty 'ere folks -- and I've got to be really quiet or I might spook it.  Just look at the paint job on the back of this one -- she's a female judging by the well defined hips and vents down the side, but I'm going to sneak in for a closer look.  Find this 1979 Chevrolet Corvette offered for an undisclosed amount of money in Bronx, NY via craigslist.  Tip from Cory.

Happy 4th of July America: 1974 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible C3

Happy 4th of July to all the freedom lovers around this great country. It is time to celebrate the best of American freedom, and I can't think of a better example of freedom than the C3 Corvette, not just because the handling feels like the chassis is free from the suspension, but also because 'Murica.  Find this 1974 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible C3 here on eBay offered for $21,555.55 with one day to go, located in Lincoln, NE.

4k: I Can't Drive 55 MPG: 1974 Chevrolet Corvette TDI

The intersection of hair metal and eco-geekdom is a lonely one, marked by the paradoxical symbiosis of Birkenstocks and acid-washed jackets in the same closet. Do you wear a mullet not because it is stylish, but because you want to reduce the amount of toxic sunscreen runoff in our rivers, but still protect your neck from the damaging effects of sunshine coming through a ozone depleted stratosphere?  If your idea of a rad night out is wearing gold-chain necklaces to a Sierra Club meeting, set down your tofu burger, take the syringe out of your arm, and check out this 55 MPG Corvette. Find this 1974 Chevrolet Corvette with Volkswagen 1.9L TDI swap in New London, CT for $4,000 via craigslist.

15k: Mako Smurf: 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

Ah, the C3 Vette.  Loved by 80s enthusiasts around the world and known for its mako-shark looks, the C3 generation Corvette (1968-1982) splits the styling gap between the timeless C2 and bland C4. From a price perspective a used C3 was a bargain by the late '80s and many went under the customizer's knife...or hatchet.  Of course, criticizing those customs is un-American and will land you in re-education camp.  Find this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette custom currently bidding on ebay for $13,000 reserve-not-met with 7 days to go, located in Clifton, NJ.

15k: Star Wars Summer: 1974 Chevrolet Corvette, Custom C3

The Corvette was a medium sized class of interstellar transport ship, smaller than a frigate but large enough to be considered a capital ship.  One of the more famous Corvette class ships was the Tantive IV, used by that rebel scum Leia Organa to transport leaked classified technical specs for the peaceful Life Sphere to a terrorist organization loosely affiliated with Al Qaeda, known as "The Rebellion."  Subsequently, the leaked data permitted a band of suicide squad flying terrorists to drop a weapon of mass destruction into the Life Sphere's reactor core causing the death of over 100,000 unarmed civilian contractors and a greater number of uniformed Republic soldiers in the Holocaust at Yavin. It was as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.  Find this 1974 Chevrolet Corvette custom for sale in Jefferson Hills, PA for $12,500 via craigslist.

20k: Breadvette!! 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Shooting Brake

The C3 generation Chevrolet Corvette was sold from 1968-1982 as a coupe, T-top and convertible, but never was it offered as a shooting brake/breadvan.  That hasn't stopped blow torch epoxy wielding customizers from creating what could have been the offspring of a C2 Vette and Volvo 1800ES.  Find this 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Shooting Brake for sale in Auburn, CA for $19,500 via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

10k: Coupe DeVette: 1969 Chevrolet Corvette C3, Cadillac Big Block V8 Powered

As luck would have it we just featured a C3 Corvette late last week when a much more intriguing (if less than original) version popped up on our DT-dar yesterday.  The 1969 Corvette engine lineup was a smörgåsbord of cast iron Chevy V8  engines, starting with the basic 300 hp L48 small blocks and going all the way to 430 horsepower L88 big blocks...but through it all, Chevrolet never borrowed an engine from its GM stablemate Cadillac, which is exactly what this seller's dad did back in 1974.  Find this 1969 Chevrolet Corvette with Cadillac big block V8 power for sale in Bullhead City, CA for $9,000 via craigslist.

15k: Cheapvette: 1968 Chevrolet Corvette C3

The shape of the third generation Corvette was released to the public a few weeks early by a mistake in the Hot Wheels factory that shipped the 1968 Corvette shaped 1/64th scale models earlier than scheduled.  The body and interior were all new, but the basic C2 subframe carried over with few changes, as was the wild line-up of V8 engines.  Finding a cheap early C3 is still a crap shoot as restorations of the fiberglass bodies can be pricey and they will never command the prices of a C2...but for the Vette lover on the budget they do offer style and cool for the price of a used Kia.  Find this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette C3 for $14,000 located in Lincoln, CA. Another tip from Kaibeezy.