My third Corvette is a 2000 Navy Metallic 6 speed coupe that I ordered on Easter Sunday, 1999. I became smitten with the total performance of these C5s after a test drive. However, this story is about my former Corvette, a 1980 T Top roadster, and its current owner, who tortures me with gratitude.
He sent me photos of the car with its trophies; I just wish he'd sell it back! I purchased a new Red with Red interior 1980 Corvette in August that year from Evans Chevrolet in Painesville, Ohio. This L48 4 speed looked better than it performed, as final production at St. Louis wound down on these last non-computer-controlled-engine-management, lacquer painted Corvettes. I enjoyed its distinct personality along with all the distinct maintenance issues right to the day I sold it in 1999. In addition to "normal" maintenance, I replaced many broken or worn parts, such as the shifter reverse lock out handle, header reveal molding, clock, speedo cable, left rear brake caliper, water pump, wheel center caps, vanity mirror, electric antenna (twice), mufflers, ignition module, rear leaf spring, and weather stripping.
I installed a free flow catalytic converter just to get some reasonable performance, too. Crazy enough, the best issue happened when the cam shaft began wiping lobes flat on the 350 at 28,202 miles in August, 1995. I had read many articles about Corvette owners who wanted to restore 300 HP to their cut piston 1971 and up cars, so I was ready. In 4 and a half days, I installed new lifters, push rods, double roller timing chain, roller rockers, and an Erson RV 10 camshaft (.28 lift intake and exhaust with 208 degrees of duration). The can fit well with the 3.07 rear axle. The car ran great, like it should have run from the factory. So what did I do? I sold her four years later. Its now the third owner, actually, who writes and sends photos. He mailed the attached "story" about my 20 years with the car. Id love to have it back, but his children have first dibs and its unlikely they'll give me a crack to re-acquire this gorgeous and great running C3 that I spent a lifetime preparing.