MotorWeek | Retro Review: '82 Chevrolet Corvette

[@ClaytonYatescarenthusiast]

Seriously John Davis is a legend! No other face has been around since the beginning of video and cars. Any kind of hall of fame we can get this guy in

[@mitchellpak1666]

This was mandatory viewing for my brother and myself on PBS in the 1980's.

[@cubedmack]

Yup, as a kid i use to watch this show every Saturday morning, lol.

[@tomlea3713]

I remember being thrilled to find this show on TV on a Saturday. Any car show on TV for that matter!

[@crazyeyez1502]

Yup. And i still watch it on occasion with my dad

[@landyachtfan79]

Sunday mornings, WENH Channel 11 out of Durham, New Hampshire.

[@markk3652]

I still tune in from time to time, beats a lot of these new car related shows that are completely scripted with fake problems, and bad drama- yeah fantomworks- I'm calling you out!!

[@BillLykken]

After all these years It is still a good looking car.

[@OfficialWhosHim]

Why would it not be

[@nicholasstarcher3460]

@@OfficialWhosHim Most cars from that era look dated. Even the later c4's styling looks old today. However, the c3's timeless styling still looks new today.

[@erah3400]

@@nicholasstarcher3460 it does not look new at all which is not a bad thing because new cars look like crap

[@stevemilo6935]

@@OfficialWhosHim Its ugly as hell.

[@berrisfueller8205]

It may have not been all that fast, but man was it sexy lol

[@spankthemonkey3437]

The grand national and t types could beat it if boost was turned up on the turbo

[@jimmycline4778]

@@spankthemonkey3437 Are you serious? You wouldn’t have to turn the boost up on Gran National! It would destroy this car as is!

[@spankthemonkey3437]

@@jimmycline4778 actually the 0 to 60 times were faster but the quarter mile times weren't

[@spankthemonkey3437]

@@Snake-ms7sj the very rare 82 grand national wasn't as fast as say an 87 but definitely a little slower than the 82 Vette

[@gordocarbo]

@@spankthemonkey3437 82 grand national, what planet was it made on? The Lil Red Truck from Dodge was quickest thing on the st for a number of yrs starting in the 70s. 70s were horrible for performance, proof from this vid. Mid-late C3s still dont cost much today

[@Mark-xh9ne]

As a kid these were fairly common. I thought they were trashy. Until today I never realized what a well proportioned beautiful design it was. What an awesome cruiser!

[@tonysvwaudiparts]

I know it's been four years since you wrote this comment, but I would have to agree. I never liked them when I was a kid either. But we have one that runs auto cross here locally, and seeing at these days it really does have some very nice flowing lines.

[@jimbob3030]

The drivers of these were often trashy and gave them a trashy image for many decades, but the car on it's own isn't.

[@MyTruckstop]

I worked for a Chevrolet dealer back in those days. I loved driving any Corvette which was sold or in for service. ( had the opportunity to drive a 69 427, only 400 hp version to the 82. I remember this model very well because we had one at our GM training center that year. A few years later I owned an 84 with the same engine, I could get 24 mpg on the highway and it stuck in corners. Not the fastest but these cars have an attitude about them. Thanks for posting this.

[@PliskinHK]

I love having the pleasant voice of John Davis fired straight into my right ear

[@dm919]

I love their scientific method of recording data. Lady with a stopwatch and clipboard.

[@jasonvogelsang3306]

Ahh yes. 1982 technology.

[@TheJayrockerr]

Dennis Midkiff -Exactly, as Jason Vogelsang said. 1982 technology, before GPS. Thanks to the United States’ military.

[@markbrinton6790]

More accurate than the string and sun/shade line used with wagons in the 1880s

[@marcusjosefsson4998]

@ungratefulmetalpansy So? When was GPS made available for anyone else but the U.S. military? Hint: A lot later than 1978.

[@marcusjosefsson4998]

@ungratefulmetalpansy So? You mentioned the GPS satellite launched in '78, as if that was available technology in '82. Moving the goalposts much?

[@timhiltonsuperstar]

This is my favorite Corvette. The body just oozes class and style. While not as fast as today's cars the good looks just say "let's cruise"

[@Guy-mx4fb]

jerry calvert problem is, they won't pass smog after those modifications, and that is a hassle depending on your state

[@torrencemonroe1233]

It was the curvy body that hooked me. I purchased an '81 way back in '85 and I still have it today. It's still a lot of fun to drive and weekend cruising in this baby never gets old!! 🇺🇸👍

[@SubieandFriends]

Yea your right man, however i wonder if the first years of this generation had more power then the later models, or were the power robbing emissions components installed from the first year of this gen?

[@ReallyRyan.]

@@SubieandFriends The first years of the C3 definitely had more power. The federally mandated emissions components and lower engine compression ratios to meet the new emission standards standards came to the Corvette in 1975. The Corvette's horsepower fell from around 300 to about 180 from the 1968-1975+ model years.

[@frankdenardo8684]

tim hilton love the old school Corvette.

[@oliverrojas3185]

Motorweek, thanks for posting this recording of the 82' Corvette Collectors Edition.

[@RootsRockRebel]

Motorweek, thank you soooooo much for posting these old shows!!!! I love watching them! Thank you!!!!

[@Doobie1975]

wow I'm really impressed and surprised how fast this Corvette was considering it was a Smog era Corvette.

[@supremeobliterator]

That's true, a lot of people don't realize the emissions and fuel standards hampered the automotive industry as much as it did in that era.

[@alexyoungberg5232]

Fuel injection helped a lot

[@WhuDhat]

The 30 foot braking surprised me

[@dr.lyleevans6915]

Still, sad it had that cross-fire aka cease-fire 350

[@alexyoungberg5232]

@@WhuDhat with a boat anchor on the front tires..?

[@JackF99]

Mid '70's to mid '80's - tough time to be an auto journalist. Have to be the worst ten years in automotive history.

[@overcastfriday81]

It's interesting how they worked to adjust everyone's expectations down. I also remember everyone talking about the 5.0 Mustang, IROC Camaro and Buick Grand National.

[@ChevyBM]

Naaah, there was some awesome land-yachts made in that time

[@jrvbamafan1]

78 trans am is still the best lookup car to ever roll off an assembly line to me

[@magiccheeseball]

@@jrvbamafan1 what about 77? Pretty much the same car

[@Doobie1975]

I do admit I'm a big fan of the late 70's GM B/C body cars along with the 1976-77 GM's personal luxury cars although I normally prefer vehicles built in the late 60's/early 70's.

[@nostalgiadad7137]

News flash. No one cares if your 2000's model ( canary, Taurus, accord, civic focus,......) is faster. Can your 2000''s model run with the Vette of its year? Nope. This car is still cooler. 

[@supercooled]

+corey vire fI was going to make a similar comment. My 2015 can dust this Corvette in the corners and quarter mile and it's an econobox. lol.

[@nostalgiadad7137]

supercooled thats not similar at all. Lol. I said no on cares if it can and your econobox still isn't as cool.

[@supercooled]

Definitely not as cool, but it's pretty cool nonetheless. IT HAS A TURBO!

[@michaelmontgomery2446]

+supercooled The corvette has a V8, one of the worst V8s GM ever made but a V8 none the less. It wasn't unreliable it just wasn't fast.

[@dynodon8592]

I think it is interesting that a 2015 4 cyl Camry can hang with this vette through the quarter. Justsaying!

[@rodmunch69]

I have an '82 Corvette and it's just stunningly beautiful. I've had many nice expensive and rare cars, none of them get the looks like this car, including newer Corvettes and BMWs I've had. With that said by modern standards, ugh, it's a chore to drive. The turning radius is huge, it's fairly slow by modern standards (although you're close to the ground and it feels much faster than it actually is), it doesn't handle very well and with that early computer controlled crossfire V8 it will go out of tune for no reason at all. However again is the looks... it's soo awesome looking, also I love that long hood when you're drivers seat, it just looks cool - like the Batmobile, finally while turning isn't all that great on the highway the thing cruises incredibly well and is very comfortable. On the downside it's a very small car inside by modern standards, so doing stuff to the interior like any type of work on the console is a pain in the rear, either Americans have gotten huge and fat or this car was made by a team of midgets - but just normal usage and seating is actually very good. The car sits very low like a sports car should, but in a world where every dullard has a SUV, it's very difficult see anything. Brakes also are not very good by modern standards. All in all this car is awesome, but also shows how far car technology has come. This car was based on a platform that was designed in the early sixties as this is the same basic underpinings as the '63 Stringray redesign - so the car by '82 was nearly 20 years old already and badly needed to be updated -which it was for the '84 model. That early computer controlled ignition is a pain in the rear however. Also the car feels incredibly unsafe after you've driven new cars - if you got into anything major in this car you're dead. Finally is the price - these cars don't really sell for much which is shocking based on other garbage cars like 80's Camaros and Mustangs and all the 70s cars skyrocketing in price. You can pickup one of these, non-collectors edition, in fantastic condition for probably $12k, and the price hasn't changed in over decade. It's shocking that these don't appear to be going up in value at all, I mean sooner or later they will I guess, but not yet.

[@rodmunch69]

I replaced the exhaust and catalytic converter on mine and was surprised at the lack of results, I thought it would be a pretty massive difference - but I think you have to reset the computer as well which I never did. The crossfire itself I didn't have too many problems with - other than the fact it constantly goes out of tune. You can tune it and sure enough within a few months its out of tune again - and of course then it starts to rattle and shake. If you know how to tune a car perhaps it's not as big of a deal, but driving newer cars it's rough to switch back. The car cruises on the highway great, but get into a parking lot and wow, you feel that old chassis since doing things like just trying to turn take up huge amounts of space - then again the car is as long as my Caddy CTS, something I never realized until it was parked in my garage next to each other. Don't get me wrong, the car is great, I've had it for a decade now, but I feel its age when I get into it, it takes a few mins to readjust to being an in older car. But man, it looks just amazing - and on the highway, at speed, it's a fantastic car.

[@moejr1974]

I had an 84 CFI Vette for 7 years and never had a problem. I had the TB's synced when I got it and it never went out of tune. If it goes out of tune every few months then the tech isn't doing it right. Gerard keep the original engine. You can get HP out of that CFI. People are doing it. An LS will ruin the cars value which is going to go up.

[@dannyspitzer1267]

+Rod....great review, agree with so much of what u said...the car has amazing looks but is a technological dinosaur

[@gordocarbo]

Lot of it is the drivetrains they are antiquated, slow Say in Ca anything 76 and newer has to pass strict smog, most these cars stock cant. The L82 when brand new had a hard time getting an ok with ca smog . Just isnt a big demand for them. The guy with 8k looking for a cheap vette will grab a C4 Like the C3 styling and interior better but as a car...a good C4 is leauges better. Hobby is aging out to a point.

[@TheMcCartneyTeam]

Such a cool looking car. Even if it's not that fast.

[@thewiseguy3529]

You're not that fast haha 😂

[@barochoc]

Absolutely stunning car. My favourite Corvette of all time. Timeless

[@satchboogyfan]

It's so funny to see the Speedo only goes to 85mph

[@fallenslayer7433]

Satch Boogifan the electric dash in the c4 corvettes only go to 85 too xD but they can go a ways past that

[@Guy-mx4fb]

theres a mom and pop shop that sells speedo for this vette that shows 150mph and it looks factory

[@algernonilfracombe]

There was some stupid federal law in the early-eighties mandating this, the argument being that if you could only tell how fast you were going up to 85 you weren't going to speed beyond that (me neither)- rather perverse when you consider these (contemporaneously) high-performance cars. Possibly this was one of the reasons why the 83-cough, make that 84- 'vette had a digital readout that could go right the way up to the 150+ that the car was capable of. Whatever, not like you can't get replacement parts.

[@falconater68]

You understand that a car isn't limited by the speedo correct?

[@Nobody-xh5qe]

Lmao rite

[@mgmcd1]

“... and an openable rear hatch.”

[@gggfff685]

Lol yeah I heard that too

[@bigheadfred]

Those hydraulic struts on the hatch needed some lubrication.

[@jackson4274]

Inflation in the early 80s was wild, kinda like today. MSRP on that Vette doubled from '78 to '82

[@glx68]

Hey you guys! It's an absolute legend and the dream car of my youngster years. The design of this car's timeless and a fascinating eye catcher!!!!🎉❤

[@hertzair1186]

Why have the retractable headlights up during acceleration tests?...it’ll just slow it down! 🤪

[@roddydykes7053]

Sure yeah probably helped the braking tests a whole bunch!

[@rickjohansson4257]

It would affect top speed maybe a tad but not acceleration. I noticed the speedo only went to 85 anyway so.... (JK)

[@OfficialWhosHim]

@@rickjohansson4257 its top speed is around 150mph

[@hertzair1186]

@@rickjohansson4257 ....I think I was being facetious

[@sidefx996]

@@OfficialWhosHim Not even close. 125-130mph.

[@BIGGIEDEVIL]

This car with an ls7 swap would make it a lot better car

[@jeanlessage7560]

That would kill somebody

[@lazydadsgarage]

jean lessage not if you swap in the brakes and suspension

[@jeanlessage7560]

That would make it less fun tho

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Stock engine just needs high compression pistons and a camshaft...

[@overcastfriday81]

And probably headers and big valve, aluminum heads. Might as well if you're opening it up to change pistons.

[@daveaaron8209]

Lol! The old crossfire, or better know as ceasefire or misfire injection! I remember that! What a piece of crap that was!

[@intermissionbuffalo]

+dave aaron The Crossfire would have been decent if it were not 2 1 barrel TBI's. Twin 2 barrels would have at least been ok.

[@rodmunch69]

I have one. I agree.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Needed high compression pistons, some head/intake manifold porting, and a camshaft for a huge increase in power...

[@styldsteel1]

dave aaron ceasefire 😆

[@LynxStarAuto]

84's still used it. Also, twin injector throttle bodies were not possible because computer processors of the time could not handle so many drivers. Those injectors were a pretty massive load. In order for twin injection TB's to have worked, two ECU's (one for each TBI unit) would have been needed. That would have made things quite messy and complex for minimal (if any) gains.

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Call me old-school, but I miss the Corvette of this generation. :)

[@tscooter22]

Jason Carpp Nothing wrong with that. Those were good looking cars! I liked the 'looks' of those better than the next generation. Performance is another story. :-)

[@jasoncarpp7742]

tscooter22 To me, there's more to performance than just lightening fast acceleration. :)

[@tscooter22]

Jason Carpp Taken to a whole 'nuther level, the Miata. Seriously, the numbers suck, but the car is a BLAST to drive. (please don't tell me it's a girls car, because I had a '91) :-) Factoid: 70% of Miata owners are men. Sorry, not trying got hijack the thread.

[@philtripe]

tscooter22 you go girl! chicks that drive sports cars are hot!

[@CiberS360]

phil tripe LOL

[@KartKing4ever]

The 83 Corvette that never existed.

[@adbyrd29]

Yup i was gonna say the same thing

[@timothybybee15]

truth

[@evanhooper1]

It does, it was just never released. This video is supposed to be taken place in late 81 or early 82 and people didn't know they would withhold the 83 Vette until 84.

[@wolfman9999999]

You are mostly correct. The '84 was supposed to be released in '83. GM was having issues with the new design and held it off a model year before releasing it. Given how trouble plagued the early C4's were, I shudder to think what the problems that they fixed before releasing the car for production were.

[@Thinker669]

KartKing4ever They had prototypes and the rest were revinned to 84 models.

[@v1nc3mc]

Awesome! I own a 1972 Corvette with a 327 swap and I luv it. Awesome vid.

[@Srd1126]

Amazing to think they were talking about 16 second quarter miles being a big improvement!

[@777FreakyD]

Just picked one of these 82CE 2 weeks ago with 45k miles. Drives nice and sounds great

[@jamesmasciale6246]

I wish they'd show entire episodes! It's really intriguing to see how far cars have come in the last 30 years...

[@jeremiasdrumond7457]

Such a beautiful looking car! :)

[@montecarloss305]

Reading through the comments, it's pretty entertaining to see what everyone's thoughts are on this bodystyle. I guess it has a lot to do with when you come of age. For me, this bodystyle looks old and tired no matter how you look at it, but the first Vettes I remember seeing on the street were the mid-80s ones. Another thing that I thought was interesting. The 82 Vette cost twice as much as the 78? I assume this must more of a factor of the inflation problems of the late Ford administration and Carter administration than GM jacking up the price.

[@UHPdriver]

John Davis mentions his '78 5 different times.

[@roddydykes7053]

UHPdriver I think it was more than that, he mentions it 3 times in the last shot alone

[@neilbrown82]

Hard to believe the base price doubles from 78 to 82

[@ekscalybur]

Yeah, because when doing a comparison, it's normal to only talk about 1 of the 2.....

[@281cu6]

@@neilbrown82 There was severe inflation in the 1970s after the ending of the Gold standard and the reckless monetary policy.

[@neilbrown82]

@@281cu6 ya very true

[@jerlaine1638]

Grew up with my Grandpa having an 82 Vette, it was his first of 3 and i absolutely loved it!!! It may have been the slowest but fuck that car absolutely oozed sex appeal and class, loved driving it to car shows

[@Jerkwad152]

lol, good old Ceasefire injection...

[@rodmunch69]

I hate it... the stupid car just goes out of tune for no reason... just cause.

[@JarOfRats]

We called it "Misfire Injection" back in the day.

[@ash27slick74]

Now that's funny!!😆😆

[@lulujrlaulom7905]

My bowls turn every time i hear the words.

[@wrinkleneckbass]

I remember going to the Chevy dealer in 1982 and seeing a collectors edition sitting on the showroom floor. Man that was a gorgeous car, with those curves and that beautiful silver paint, the lovely silver leather interior, and the cool tinted t-tops. With a sticker price close to $25k though, you had to make serious money to be able to buy one. The look of the car is so timeless I would have no problem driving one around even today.

[@JungSooLeee]

Did the 84 Corvette look better to you than the C3? I always wonder what people back in the early 80s thought of the C4 design vs the C3.

[@wrinkleneckbass]

@@JungSooLeee They were very different cars and I liked them both. The C3 was a flashy looking car from the disco era, whereas the C4 looked like it meant business. Of course back then, I preferred the C4 because of the superior performance and the understated looks. All these years later though, I'd rather have a C3 because the look is so timeless. What I'd really love to have is a 1986 or 1987 Buick Regal Grand National. That thing was a beautiful black beast.

[@tonysvwaudiparts]

@@JungSooLeee I really started noticing cars more in the mid 80s, but at that point in time I definitely preferred the C4 Vette to the design of these. The ZR one was just about my favorite of all time. But if you were to ask me to choose between them today, I would definitely choose the C3. It has more character, more natural beauty to it.

[@jondoe406]

sooo the 82 mustang gt MW tested ran 15.9....for half the price! Today I'd still take the vette tho :-D

[@travkatz]

I would love to restomod a 1980-1982 rolling chassis. I think it's in the top 5 best looking cars of all time, and everything is set up for greatness under the skin

[@tbok75]

as a kid, this was my dream car. Corvette Summer was one of my favorite movies (with Smokey/Bandit of course). I'm 41 now and buying one isnt exactly impossible. I just dread the thought of how broke I'll end up fixing it, and fixing it up. LOL

[@w.s.soapcompany94]

Their cult community does make them one of the most fixable (price not with standing) the parts and knowledge are abundant for any year. Have you seen vanguard motor sales videos?

[@gordocarbo]

@@w.s.soapcompany94 Dont buy a cheap fixer vette. Youll be sorry! Save and get a nicely maintained/driven one. Cant fix these up cheap, vette specific parts are a ripoff$ 6 os after buying a 73 L82 and looking at parts cost vs my 67 a body...vette was quickly sold. haha

[@CraigK5thGen]

“But before the new ‘83 version hits the street”….. lol 😜

[@JohnnyRebKy]

Amazing how far cars have come today. People act like 400HP is nothing now

[@scottyellis3442]

Love the old videos, carries me back.

[@torres3800]

The c5 vette was and is my favorite of all time. I love all corvettes but give me a silver 2001 Zo6 and I'll be happy.

[@swampcrawlerls1267]

I love c5 also!

[@mike6845]

It was mine too until the C8 came out

[@mulletsquirrel]

I've loved the C5 since I first saw it. Finally was able to buy one last year. Wish I would have done so a couple years back before inflation went nuts!

[@daehawk9585]

My favorite Vette. Crossfire sucked though. And I wonder how well those plastic leaf springs held up.

[@rodmunch69]

Mine has 80k and no issues.

[@moejr1974]

CFI works fine if it is set right. I had my 84 for 7 years and not one issue with the cross fire

[@jayceanderson6541]

My great grandfather bought an 82 collector edition corvette brand new. He bought it from the dealership with 9,000 miles but he was the first owner. I assume it was used as a test/demo car. I’d love to find a way to tell if the corvette in this video is the exact one that he bought. He just passed it down to me today with 20,000 miles on the odometer

[@mulletsquirrel]

Jeez, why didn't he drive it?

[@Sonic_1000]

Great vid! It's amazing how far along cars have come.

[@z28camaro79]

OMG at the price jump. C2 is still the best looking Vette IMO.

[@ckcz0629]

OMG John I didn't know you are a corvette guy me too been watching your show for years big fan.

[@SupesMe]

Awesome, I miss my 75. But my 00 spends way less time in the shop :)

[@RedLP5000S]

There was no '83 Vette, right? I thought there was a hold for a year and '84 was the first year for the C4.

[@aspieotaku3580]

1982 the last year for the old stingray look! Slow as hell though but looks nice! A 1984 corvette will leave it in the dust and costs less regardless of only having 15 more hp lol! You can get a 1984 for only 3 grand!

[@NickThePilotUSA]

a c4 with a coyote swap would be awesome...i saw a c3 with a terminator swap online...i think it was a 75?

[@aspieotaku3580]

***** Oh fuck that sounds sick!

[@coop4274]

Nick Sandman ummm hell no. Never gonna have a corvette with a ford engine in it. Wtf is wrong with you. Just for saying that you should have your privilege to drive taken away. Ugh.

[@vollste]

The ‘84 still had the MissFire system. Step up to the ‘87 - ‘89 as they worked a lot of bugs out by then.

[@eternalthread7846]

Nick Sandman that sounds sick

[@leesale98]

Have two older vettes. Yes most modern cars will beat them in performance (pretty much any new car will beat a 70's vette), but these are classic time machines that'll be around when most modern daily drivers have long been crushed. Sit in one and you'll really appreciate how far the new vettes have come.

[@speedfiend925]

*****, the 1983 Vette? Guess you guys spoke too soon eh? ;-)

[@JarOfRats]

Oh come on! They made THREE of them!

[@robertroberts9782]

At the vette museum in Kentucky. They have some 83 s

[@daveb1081]

@@robertroberts9782 made 3, only 1 still exists, and is currently on display at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky!

[@gadsdonflag4289]

I just (3 weeks ago) bought an '82 Collector Edition with only 24,700 miles. It was in a collector's show room for the past 22 years. It's in MINT condition and I'm afraid to drive it anywhere because of other drivers not paying attention......there's not a chip or a scratch in it anywhere. ;-)

[@ktr831]

Wher can I get that all new 1983 corvette? It was my favorite Vette of all!!!!

[@jpadicecoffee9812]

40 years later. Still a nice car to look at . Plenty of curves...

[@8089kyle]

My father has an 80’ he bought new. When i was a kid i thought it was a rocket ship. I find driving it now hilarious lol

[@jacdan502]

i bet it feels SO slow!

[@gumbie007]

Did they do a speed test (0- 60) with the Pop Up Lights up...???

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Yup!

[@RealtimeReviews613]

Its amazing how far cars how come especially with smaller engines with more power but gas milage hasn't really changed.

[@oldtwins]

How so? A Honda Accord V6 screams down the 1/4 mile in the low 14's and gets 34mpg highway. Only through massive advances in automotive technology allowed this to happen.

[@mcesarey]

Gas mileage has changed drastically...I don't see why so many people don't see this. For instance, our '14 Santa Fe makes 65 more HP than this Corvette, and it gets 50% better gas mileage despite being 800 lbs heavier. How is that not an advancement?

[@1985hamburgler]

Michael Esarey Who is "our" are you a corporation?

[@mcesarey]

No, I was referring to my wife's Santa Fe

[@larrydrozd2740]

I restore classic cars for a living. Been doing it for decades now. Our shop has done and won awards with just about every "important" and rare, high dollar corvette there is. I always thought the very early C3's were the way to go. Recently, I came across a 1980 that was stuck in a storage container for almost 19 years. I bought it for way too cheap and proceeded to get it road worthy with the notion of just selling it when I finished and make a profit. Nope! I really like this version! Is it fast? No, but its not slow either. What it does better is drive and ride and is way more comfortable than any 50's, 60's or early 70's vette I've ever driven and I've driven a TON of them! GM figured it out at this point so the car is just a joy to drive. Granted, I did have to put a 700R4 overdrive trans in it to make it cruise-able on the big, Texas 85mph roads. I also installed a 140mph speedo from a 1979 model. The only performance mods are a big, modern aluminum radiator, KYB shocks, 134a compressor and condenser and headers with a full dual exhaust. Hooker makes a nice bolt on kit for these. I get thumbs up from the modern Vette owners on the road all the time. Its got a nice, vintage vibe with just enough "modern" in it to make it a great cruising car I can drive for hours and not get beat up by it like an earlier version.

[@stonecrestmovies]

My right ear loved this video

[@smithraymond09029]

1:30 you can blame that price jump greatly on the fact that inflation was rampant in the late 70s and subsequently interest rates went through the roof in the early 80s.

[@mulletsquirrel]

I'm seeing a parallel to today's inflation, yuck

[@supremeobliterator]

Wow, the Corvette almost doubled in price between 1978 and 1982. I know the late 1970s and early 1980s were a time of high inflation and part of that is the options but damn! I can't imagine what car buyers would do if a model doubled in price in four years today.

[@jeremygeorgia4943]

Really nice car. When I was younger, I had a plastic model of this car. It came with two packets of Turtle Wax.

[@scdevon]

Ahhh. The old "CrossFire Injection" system (AKA Post Nasal Drip) All show and no go. That was 1982.

[@MarvelousSeven]

scdevon the system was sound, the intake manifold was awful. Replace it with an XRam manifold and it will make 260hp, per dyno.

[@algernonilfracombe]

The Crossfire system worked fine in theory but easily lost synchronisation of ignition in actual road use- particularly if the owner tried to adjust or modify it. Really the best that can be said about the Crossfire was that it slugged on for a couple of years before the far superior TPI system was introduced in '85. And while I still love the looks of the C3 Corvette, by the late seventies \ early eighties it was really well last it's sell-by date.

[@that_renegade_screenwriter]

Welcome to the malaise era. Soon, in the early 1990's it will be all over.

[@scdevon]

@@that_renegade_screenwriter Yes. The Dark Ages 1974 - 1990. Good riddance. They should have quit building cars entirely during this era.

[@jeremyconner329]

@@scdevon u

[@landyachtfan79]

THIS is the one I have been waiting for......THE FIRST 'VETTE THAT MW EVER TESTED!!!!!

[@Doobie1975]

For the C3 Corvette's I've liked the earlier models built from 1968 to 1972 the best, I didn't care much for the 1973-82 Corvette's all that much at all.

[@brianboley870]

I think that is because the 74-82's were an absolute abomination and an insult to GM and the Corvette name plate.

[@robvoyles]

@@brianboley870 said only you.....smh

[@Mike2500able]

In 82 it may not have been a total beast but it could handle curves like it was on rails.

[@andrewchristianson2086]

Sounds like this is when the price of cars started going up quite a bit. Sure the 82 is quicker but not 9000 to 18000 difference worth. I actually like the look of the 78 best. Always have.

[@andrenj1970]

love all vettes, had '91 C4 conv. with greenwood package and still have '98 C5 conv. mint condition with lots of boltons and custom toys.

[@cadsux]

Mr. Davis, do you still own the curvaceous '78 beauty? Do you own other Vettes as well?

[@Motorweek]

John's vette is long gone. He had a Pantera too.

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

***** That makes me sad. John's Vette was beautiful!

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

***** Those Panteras are collectible now. Hindsight...

[@me3333]

***** It would be very cool to see a video or pictures on one of your retro videos of that Pantera. A Pantera has always been a boyhood dream of mine. What color was his, was it reliable, did he have it long? Thanks MotorWeek!

[@paxhumana2015]

+me3333 , I used to live in a small town in Nevada and there was a guy that once had a Pantera that was black and he drove it all around town.

[@Daehawk]

From what I hear that crossfire system was pure hell.

[@daveb1081]

it wasn't a bad system. you had to know how to work on them

[@StoneCold75]

That 82 was the most sexy Vette ever...like a rattlesnake body

[@theyhatehimbecausehetoldth7576]

+StoneCold75 cough cough 73

[@seantaylor2683]

+Makin Bacon cough cough '67

[@theyhatehimbecausehetoldth7576]

Sean Taylor cough cough 63

[@seantaylor2683]

Makin Bacon couldn't get a 427 in 63

[@theyhatehimbecausehetoldth7576]

Sean Taylor cough cough you can always put one in

[@rockiemountin7535]

Love these old motor week shows I used to watch when they were on TV

[@mundotaku_org]

1982 Corvette, AKA disappointment.

[@DrewLSsix]

mundotaku. Not really, it demonstrated the upswing in performance of the 80s and aside from the early car's power advantage the 82 was no doubt the best C3.

[@68orangecrate26]

I’m a Mustang guy. But, I love the 70’s - 80’s Vette. What a good looking car…

[@lfsracer79]

Something doesn't add up. 2:35 0-70 mph in 8.0 seconds 2:54 0-84 mph in 16.0 seconds

[@russelljdj]

The small intake manifold ports ran out of air as the rpm's went up. I'd bet a better intake manifold would take care of that problem. Best of all if you have a C3 they still bring original sticker price at least, unless it's in horrible shape. Nice!! None of these new computer cars on wheels will be around 30 years from now as the electronics will be fried!

[@cjhawk67]

Max Power These new electric cars start breaking down after 6-8 years here in ohio where its below freezing and salty 4 months of the year lol

[@AE86ofMtAkina]

look at the e30's, lots of computers and still reliable. As long as the computer doesn't have moving parts, its fine :)

[@cjhawk67]

Quality Tofu Delivery Doesn't matter if theres moving parts or not if this happens scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/s526x395/10384349_10202980026514706_2709994726165031320_n.jpg?oh=c7b8b6d7dfd27cf2a184e7d7c1a17aa3&oe=559407DB

[@cjhawk67]

Quality Tofu Delivery Thats my 01 rango after going down the low maintenance road to my dads house. Cooked my ecm although still runs and drives only enough just throws ecm failure and a ton of random come and go codes.

[@whirlpool1978]

The C3 Corvettes are my most favorite Corvettes ever!

[@Y10Q]

Nope , it doubled in price due to Dollar going away from gold standard in late 70s

[@heavenstomurgatroyd7033]

YES10 - uh that was 71 the Nixon era. Inflation in 1980 was double digits. My first car loan was 20%....

[@97warlock]

my freind had an 82 Vette back in 89 ..... late night cruising,having fun ....... took a 45 curve at just over 90 ..... it felt like it was glued to the road as much G force we were feeling inside.

[@milfordcivic6755]

The V-8s of the 70's and 80's were total slugs and pigs at the pump straight out of the factory. We've come a long way since then.....

[@seththomas9105]

Find a 76-82 in good shape with a shelled out engine and drop in a 350 GM crate motor with a 5 or 6 speed. Do some updates on the suspension; restomod. Plug and play fun!

[@badbackshop]

Some pencil neck kid in a GD 80-something Mustang 5.0 blew my friggen doors off at a light immediately after I had just washed my 82' (this was in 1986) - still had a few water beads on it. I was in the car with my lady and I was wholly embarrassed and enraged...F_CK!! I sunk some considerable money into that baby - custom glistening 2-tone lacquer paint (liquid sliver metallic/ice blue metallic), glassed on spoiler and custom hood. She got looks and complements constantly - gorgeous car. That 82' was pure eye candy however - performance was crappolah. If I ever dig up the cash I will hunt down a cherry 80-82 and do a ground up, crate engine build and do that beautiful body style justice. I did get revenge on the much reviled 5.0 in 1988. I just scored a brand new 88' with the 4+3 trans. I totally blew away a different 5.0 candy-ass at a light one eve and damn near killed my wife and I when I turned off to our exit at over 100 mph. Thank God for the amazing handling of the 88 plus its leg zapping ABS!

[@JarOfRats]

You should have spent less on trailer queen cosmetics and more on making it less of a slug.

[@dontcare8197]

I've been looking 38 years for this video to make a comment, beautiful car

[@chinchy111]

And ive been waiting 38 years to reply to it

[@mikezerker6925]

Such a beautiful, sexy car with those shapely curved fenders 😍... then they flattened everything with the next generation and ended up with the most boring Vette ever made! 😖

[@vonster4255]

I disagree, i think the c4 oozes style, and although it is smoothed out still to me is more asthetic than is predecessors. Plus, the c4 just screams 80s i love that about it.

[@vfspectrum4652]

@@vonster4255 i think mike just oozed somethin else

[@redrocker1055]

I've been searching and searching for an '83 Vette forever. I've never been able to find one. It's almost as if they don't even exist.

[@RandyNelson-k7s]

They literally do not exist. 83 would've been the 30th anniversary which is why they had the collectors edition in 82 to make up for the lack of.

[@corneliusmcmuffin3256]

"The soon to be retired Chevrolet Corvette" LMAO

[@solidbreed9767]

Shut up

[@JamesK7911]

My dad had 1979 Corvette that him and his brother restored in the early 90s. He had it until 2015 when he sold it and got a 1997 Corvette. His 1979 Corvette was so cool but I remember nothing inside worked anymore. The heat and AC controls were broken, no clock, no horn, no interior lights, no wipers, pretty much anything electrical or had an electrical motor was lifeless in it as it would just completely drain the battery. The only thing I remember my dad fixing before getting rid of it was the radio. Everything was able to work in his 97 Corvette which he drove much more in the year then he ever did with his 79 since it was more winter friendly. He sold it in 2019 and got a 2009 Shelby GT500 convertible

[@ezekielm2010]

I have a Collector Edition ;)

[@GobotWars]

I see what they did there playing "Shut Down" by the Beach Boys on the radio, as this too is a "fuel injected Stingray". The C3 was a beauty when it was new in the 60s, but of all the smog era cars I think the changing times of the mid to late 70s hit the Vette the hardest. It had the furthest to fall, after all.

[@hartsickdisciple]

A '78 Vette did the 1/4 mile in 18 seconds? That's so sad.

[@corbinhbucknerjr558]

Single exhaust, the early restrictive pellet style catalytic converter, really choked those smog era engines down. Add a dual exhaust, dump the cats, and that by itself will add 75 horses. Carbs or early throttle bodies lean tuned so the fuel intake was restricted, and the intake manifolds were built for economy and a hot lean burn. Those engines couldn't breathe. Add a free breathing manifold and a free flowing carburetor with the dual exhaust and you'll take that smogger from 185 horses to 300-350 horsepower.

[@corbinhbucknerjr558]

Vladimir Yemelyanov You are joking, right? Leaf springs worked pretty well on all of the muscle cars back in the day, from 428 CJ Mustangs to 455 Trans Ams, 454 Chevelles and 440 Barracudas. Some of them, especially the later 2nd generation F-body Camaros and Firebirds were excellent handling cars as well. The 1971 Corvette with a 454 V-8 (LS6- 425HP, 475lb ft torque) did just fine with a single multi leaf transverse steel spring, and the later smoggers with even better suspensions are excellent candidates for increased horsepower. The late C-3 Corvettes have a single leaf fiberglass transverse mounted spring and a multi link independent rear suspension on a solid mount Dana 44 limited slip differential. Besides, the type of spring in a vehicle has a very small bearing on the amount of horsepower that any particular vehicle can deal with.

[@rodmunch69]

Could be worse, could be a 1981 Corvette which slipped under the 200 hp barrier. However here's a hint... replace the catalytic converter with a high flow one, and while you're there replace the mufflers with modern ones as well - that makes a big instant difference. That's still a V8 sitting there, if it's allowed to breath it can do great things.

[@rodmunch69]

I replace the CC with a high flow model and went with dual exhaust as well - not sure I got anything close to 75hp, but probably a good 30-40hp, it was absolutely noticeable, the car ran better, got better mileage and most importantly sounded dramatically better. If I cut the CC out completely I might have got closer to your number, but played it safe on inspections, which they then dropped like a year later.

[@moejr1974]

I have no clue where he got 18 seconds for the 1/4 mile for a base 78 Vette. They usually were in the 16.5 range. 1977 Chevrolet Corvette L48 0-60 mph 8.7 | Quarter mile 16.4 1979 Chevrolet Corvette L82 0-60 mph 7.2 | Quarter mile 15.5

[@frankfilippone9679]

And still the most BANG for the buck!

[@Clearanceman2]

Late 70s, early 80s were the low point in cars, especially American cars. I had a late 70s Grand Prix and it came with a 1 year 12,000 mile warranty. Cars were slow and not even reliable. It's when Japan started to take over our market. And it took 30 years for the trend to reverse.

[@75lord]

Chris C.Dont let your american pride deter you from the truth...The american cars in those times were very unreliable and if they really cared, they wouldnt have sold us that junk. Japan' s average car went miles and miles before falling apart but the states sold us cars that died before 100000 miles back then. Be real

[@75lord]

Chris C. They did not take the market for the hardcore guys but Japan did take the market for the average commuter and I dont blame them. Who wants to pay all that money for as big, unreliable, piece of falling apart junk when you could get a well put together import that will sip gas and go well over 200000 miles with little maintenance? Come on man be truthful.....only american engines that have ever been japan style reliable is the GM 3800 and the jeep inline 6

[@studio-flash]

Clearanceman2 It was all about the emissions and safety whereby the Americans were way ahead of everyone else and had to make these adjustments. In the late 70 early 80's the Japanese cars has lots of extras to them compared to British cars, but they were rust buckets and no more reliable than any other car in the UK ( don't know about the USA). Yes the Japanese started to make head ways in the USA and Europe but they were no better than what we had in the UK ..just a new choice.

[@shawnyoung5960]

75lord Depends how you treat em I recently junked my daily driver, a 1985 Chevy Celebrity with a 2.8 carb motor. Has ran flawlessly here in NY even with the winter weather and on the way to the scrap yard it was running better than most cars that were 8 to 10 years old.I haven't seen any 15 year old imports yet mine is/was 30 and I still see some late 80's american cars sill going. My car got hit bad enough that it was unrealistic to get it repaired. Heck I bought an 83 Plymouth Turismo in 86 or 87 that had well over 300,000 miles on it when I sold it 99 to my brother-in-law and he got a few years out of it. I myself tend to run cars forever though I dont see my 03 ford lasting quite as long.

[@studio-flash]

Clearanceman2 C4 Corvette was a great car, also Ferrari 308 gts.

[@terrybaptist795]

Crossfire I heard those systems were prone to being problematic.

[@keithlabarrie3098]

Terry you heard right

[@milankovitch8697]

Some owners renamed it "Ceasefire".

[@2006gtobob]

5:20, listen to that door rattle!

[@TheTallMan50]

That was the glass window.

[@classic-kool]

GM didn't bat an eye... How embarrassing! 💪😘

[@jamesengland7461]

I used to have a 79 Toyota Supra. Sticker price $10,500. Only 110 hp. So, strangely, these are actually good numbers for the era. I also had a 79 Monza V6 with "only" 110hp which would absolutely smoke my Supra, and Monzas were also available with a V8. Price? $6500

[@j.d.2230]

A 16.0 quarter mile is dead slow by todays standards, but anyone who was around in '82 would know that 16.0 in '82 was FAST. Government strangulation (regulations) was still crushing the American auto makers in the 80s.

[@JarOfRats]

Fair enough, but there were still PLENTY of older muscle cars around in 1982 that snickered at an '82 Corvette's 16s and showed the Vette driver their tail lights.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

@@JarOfRats He's talking about new cars sold at the same time.

[@JarOfRats]

@@oldtwinsna8347 It's impressive that you were able to read Phil Stanley's mind... unless you're just making wild assumptions.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

@@JarOfRats What's more impressive is that it takes a special kind of mind not to even think it's an assumption, but merely a given.

[@JarOfRats]

@@oldtwinsna8347 Well, considering that when I was racing in 1982, and that NO ONE thought that 16s were quick, and the streets were full of 13 second daily drivers, your opinion is duly noted and disregarded. Cheers.

[@samuelseager6785]

Still waiting for the 1983 Corvette.

[@sidefx996]

Why does everyone come here and watch 30 year old videos about smog laden 80's cars with no horsepower and brag about how their new fucking Camry or Tacoma is now faster, as if that's something to brag about. Here's a hint. NO ONE CARES.

[@dynodon8592]

Speak for yourself.....then deal with gal!

[@paxhumana2015]

+sidefx996 , why did YOU come here, ass clown?

[@pzkw108]

+sidefx996 Here's a hint. NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU MORON !!!!!!

[@mitchellmason1896]

u r u here

[@russell2996]

Go back to your mom's basement.

[@nightowl3582]

One of my friends has one of these. I think he might love it more than he loves his wife, LMAO.