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Corvettes for Sale: 1971 Corvette Convertible Was a Former Wedding Present

This classic 1971 Corvette seems to thrive on festive occasions.

For example, about 15 years ago, newlyweds received this Stingray convertible as a wedding present. They drove it a few times but it wound up spending most of the time in storage.

Not surprisingly, they wound up selling it a couple of years ago to the current owner, who planned to restore it but instead bought a house in Florida and has no time for such projects.

Therefore, on Christmas Day 2021, someone else will become the new owner after a no-reserve auction on eBay comes to an end on Saturday.

So far, 43 bids have climbed to $19,200.

On the bright side, this Stingray still has its original 350 engine hooked to a four-speed manual transmission. The owner says it “ran excellent” when he parked it in the garage two years ago, but it will need a new battery after sitting so long. About half of the 21,801 Corvettes built that year came with air conditioning, and fortunately this is one of them.

He says the interior “is all there” and in “pretty good condition.” The frame is described as rust-free, and the body looks “very good with a few cracks here and there.” It’s covered with paint that’s old “but looks good for a driver.” The brakes work, the exhaust looks new, and the tires have “a lot of tread” but definitely need to be replaced due to being 20 years old.

“All in all,” the owner says, his classic ‘Vette is “an excellent car to bring back to its previous glory.” After all, he muses, “where do you find a #’s matching factory air 4spd convertible project these days?”

Source:
eBay Motors via autoevolution.com

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Corvettes for Sale: 1971 Corvette 454 Yard Find on eBay

Corvettes for Sale: 1971 Corvette Yard Find on eBay

This 1971 Corvette Stingray coupe is reminiscent of a Dolly Parton song with its “coat (of paint) of many colors.”

Yes, it’ll take a lot of work to get this early C3 looking like the chrome bumper classic it yearns to be (including those chrome bumpers that have gone AWOL).

But at least a little bit of the heavy lifting has already been done for the new owner of this car currently for sale on eBay out of Northford, Connecticut at the “Buy It Now” price of $7,500.

Corvettes for Sale: 1971 Corvette 454 Yard Find on eBay

The seller apparently is a man of few words – 33 to be exact in his listing, but he does say that a rebuilt 454 engine has been installed under the hood and a new exhaust system installed. He candidly admits that he doesn’t know whether that motor is the original matching numbers unit.

He also points out that the front clip is not the right one and in one of the photos it does appear to be from a ’68.

As for the interior, it’s hard to tell exactly what kind of shape it’s in because the radiator is resting on the rear deck and blocks the view. About all we see is the steering wheel and a bare driver’s door panel.

If the frame and birdcage aren’t too rusty, there could be enough room in the price to handle the restoration. What do you think?

Source:
eBay Motors via barnfinds.com

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Corvettes for Sale: 1970 Corvette is a Tangerine Dream Machine

While the new C8s are definitely head-turners, there’s nothing like a restored chrome-bumper C3 to turn a few heads.

Take, for example, this stunning 1970 coupe that’s being offered on Craigslist out of the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area at the price of $40,000, or best offer.

Based on the photos that accompany this beauty, there appears to be little work remaining to be done.

The original L46 350 V8 engine has given way to a much more powerful small-block GM Performance engine that include heads, intake and radiator all done in aluminum. With a Holley 750 carburetor, MSD Ignition, and Hooker Headers, the engine pumps out an impressive 430 horsepower, according to the seller. It’s hooked to a Muncie four-speed manual transmission, and he’s also installed Wilwood brakes and a new emergency brake system and completely replaced the suspension.

Little wonder, then, that the seller maintains that this vintage C3 “runs and drives amazing.”

The black leather interior is described as “all original” and in “excellent” condition, and the photos appear to back up that declaration. All the gauges work, even the clock, and storage bags for the T-tops and the removable rear window are also included. The car is also one of just 425 produced with shoulder seat belts.

But the real talking point of this car, in our opinion, has to be that outstanding Candy Tangerine paint that appears to be in perfect condition. Coupled with the aggressive aftermarket wheels, big-block hood, front spoiler, and side pipes, the car definitely strikes a menacing pose on the street.

Little wonder that one of the photos shows a large trophy from a car show resting comfortably in the front seat.

As the seller summarizes it, “this car is a real head turner – vary rare and hard to find!”

Source:
craigslist.com via barnfinds.com

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Eagles Song ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ Inspired by True Story of Cocaine and a Fast Corvette

If it hadn’t been for a Corvette, we might not be blasting “Life in the Fast Lane” out of our mid-engine Stingray speakers some 45 years later.

That’s the word from Far Out Magazine in a story explaining the source for one of the Eagles’ greatest songs ever. (A cool story for sure, but they messed up who actually was in the Corvette!)

Considering that members of the Eagles crew were known as some of the biggest party animals ever, we’re not surprised to find out that drugs – or at least a ride with a drug dealer – helped spawn the 1976 hit off their mega-hit “Hotel California” album.

In the 2013 documentary The History of the Eagles, Glenn Frey explains: “I was riding shotgun in a Corvette with a drug dealer on the way to a poker game. The next thing I know, we’re doing 90. Holding! [cocaine] Big time! I say, ‘Hey man!’ He grins and goes, ‘Life in the fast lane!’ I thought, ‘Now there’s a song title.’”

The band would go on to build the song around a catchy riff that lead guitarist Joe Walsh had just been using to warm up.

Frey explained the meaning of the song: “‘Life In The Fast Lane’ kind of expressed the stereotyped LA ‘run around in your Porsche’ 24-hour boogie mode that unfortunately is too true for a lot of people.

“It wasn’t really a statement about the guys in the band,” he continued, “or about anybody in particular – just it’s kind of disturbing to see the extremes that the bourgeois jet set will involve themselves in. For instance, disco almost turned into a lifestyle, and it’s such a non-meaningful thing on which to base one’s life.”

Walsh chimed in with his thoughts on the song’s philosophy: “Yeah, that’s probably true, and I think it was healthy, though, that we realized that running around and parties and fast cars are really not the answer – it’s kind of a shallow way to approach why we’re on this planet, and it probably came as a band consciousness.”

Here is more on this story from Ultimate Classic Rock:

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Source:
faroutmagazine.co.uk

Protect Your Corvette with the Finest Weatherstripping Rubber from Zip Corvette!

Do you need to replace the weatherstrip on your Corvette? Don’t wait until you’re stuck in a summer downpour to find out!

Zip Corvette’s 1956-1982 Corvette Deluxe Body Weatherstrip Kits are the finest available – providing a fit and finish on your C1-C3 Corvette that is second to none. Deluxe weatherstrip kits include the primary weatherstrips along with several pieces that are typically replaced at the same time, plus hardware necessary for installation. Zip also stocks a full inventory of single weatherstrip pieces and smaller kits for 1953-2004 Corvettes.

Weatherstrip not only keeps out moisture, but it also helps to muffle road noise inside the cabin and provides a more enjoyable ride. But over time, sun and moisture will take their toll and you’ll need to replace some of your weatherstrips. Buyer beware – not all rubber weatherstrip is created equally!

Because the fit, feel, and formulation of rubber weatherstrip can vary greatly among manufacturers, Zip Corvette carries only the absolute highest quality American-made EPDM weatherstrip for your 1953-2004 Corvette from Corvette Rubber. Zip’s team of quality experts has analyzed the weatherstrip available on the market – Your Corvette deserves only the very best and Zip will not sell weatherstripping that looks terrible, fits incorrectly, and won’t provide the useful life your Corvette deserves. Zip’s weatherstripping may be a little more expensive than the competition – but side by side, there is no comparison.

Corvette Rubber features its own specialized EPDM sponge rubber formula developed to replicate the fit and feel of your Corvette’s original weatherstrip, adding a unique urethane coating designed to provide a highly smooth, silky surface finish while improving durability. It’s much softer than other reproduction weatherstrips, resulting in a better fit for doors, glass, and roof panels.

For easy removal and installation, use Zip’s 3M adhesive cleaner and 3M adhesives available in black or yellow. Zip recommends using weatherstrip conditioner to keep your Corvette’s weatherstrip looking new and fresh for years to come.

Keep the cool air inside this summer and the elements outside year-round with Corvette weatherstrip from Zip.

Source:
zip-corvette.com

[VIDEO] This 1980 Corvette for Sale Has the Rare V54 Factory Roof Panel Carrier Option

With 40,614 coupes manufactured in St. Louis, the 1980 Corvette isn’t necessarily what you think of as an ultra-rare car.

But today we bring you a video of a somewhat special ’80 Corvette up for sale at a Connecticut dealership with an option you may have read about, but have probably never seen in person. I know I haven’t, and fellow CorvetteBlogger Senior Editor Keith Cornett says he hasn’t either.

My first Corvette of the dozen I’ve owned over the past 38 years was a red-on-red ’80, so these cars have a special place in my heart. One of the drawbacks of the late C3s, however, was the fact that it was awkward to access the storage space behind the seats because the rear hatch didn’t open (until the ’82 Collector Edition solved that problem with a couple of hinges – go figure!).

This white Corvette solved that problem a couple of years before the Collector Edition, just by adding the rare Roof Panel Carrier option that was outfitted to just 3,755 cars that year – at a mere cost of $125.

Basically, the rear deck of the car has four holes strategically placed into which special brackets are placed that, with the aid of some straps, then hold the roof panels in place.

While the idea was likely to provide more storage space behind the seats, the salesman who’s offering this 42,000-original-mile, two-owner Corvette nevertheless didn’t feel comfortable going down the road with the panels on the carrier. We can’t blame him, considering the pristine nature of the glass T-tops on the car, even though he points out the panels are tightly locked in place out back.

He’s probably thinking about those poor souls who have forgotten to latch their C4 to C7 panels and watched them fly off into oblivion.

I have mixed feelings about this option. While I like the extra space it affords inside the car with the open roof, I’m not really that crazy about the way the holes look in the back of the deck, nor do I really care for the way the panels look actually mounted on the back of the car. To us, it messes up the beautiful curves of the C3 as it goes down the road.

Still, I can appreciate the usefulness and inexpensive nature of this option. Sales remained about the same in 1982 (with 3,303 sold for $135 each) but the number declined in the final year of the third generation to 1,992 ($144 cost), perhaps a result of the hinged glass offered on the Collector Editions.

What about you? Would you feel comfortable placing your roof panels on this contraption? I don’t know. I’d probably just leave the panels in a safe place at home and take the car out on a sunny day when there’s no chance of rain if I needed the space.

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Source:
tommyautos.com

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Our Favorite Three Corvettes for Sale by Corvette Mike in April

The Corvette market is smoking hot as we have seen the big bucks and high sale rates for America’s favorite sports car at the auctions. While we’ve seen restomod prices going sky high, it’s also the documented original examples that are garnering a lot of interest from collectors.

Today we took a virtual cruise over to our friends at Corvette Mike in sunny Anaheim, California to check out the inventory of one of the country’s renowned Corvette resellers. With originality on our minds, we came across these three Corvettes that are in need of a new home.

1967 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible with L71 427/435 hp V8

As the final model year for the Midyear (C2) generation, the 1967 Corvette was refined with changes to the body that included redesigned front fender vents and the removal of nearly all badging and script emblems. Even the gas caps were changed from a silver insert to body-color to better blend with the sleek new look. Under the hood, GM offered a number of engine combinations with the 427/435 hp L71 being at the top of the food chain for consumers. That engine featured a solid-lifter camshaft and valvetrain that was topped with three progressively linked Holley carburetors and the trademark triangular air cleaner. A Muncie four-speed manual transmission would put that power on the ground.

Corvette Mike is offering a Marlboro Maroon 1967 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible with a numbers matching 427/435 hp L71 Turbo-Jet V8 engine coupled to a four-speed manual transmission and equipped with side exhaust and bolt-on alloy wheels with redline radial tires. This is an original low-mileage car with just 37,239 miles showing on the odometer.

The big-block 427 wears a black stinger hood stripe and a black convertible soft top and inside the cockpit is a black interior with clear floor mats and a Walnut steering wheel. The Maroon ’67 Corvette has been judged NCRS Top Flight and the 427 engine was deemed original as certified by noted expert Al Grenning. Documentation includes the Protect-o-Plate and restoration receipts. Price: $249,000

1969 Corvette Stingray Coupe with L71 427/435 hp V8

Unveiled in 1968, the third generation got its “Shark” nickname from the Mako Shark II concept which the C3s drew much inspiration. The second-year 1969 model was more refined than the inaugural model as production techniques were perfected and build quality increased. Today, the 1969 Corvette is widely regarded as one of the best ever.

Out was the 327 engine in favor of the 350 V8 and performance enthusiasts could choose between four different big-block powerplants. For the third straight year, the 427/435 hp L71 reigned as the top street-performance engine available from Chevrolet. Only 2,722 L71s were offered which accounts for just 7% of all 1969 Corvettes to have Tri-power V8. Making the car even rarer is that it’s wearing the factory N14 Side Exhaust which came into production midway through the model year.

This ’69 T-Top Coupe is offered in Fathom Green and equipped with the L71 427/435 and mated to an M21 close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission. Options include the K66 Transistorized Ignition, power brakes, headlight washers, and more. The matching-numbers powertrain has been verified by C3 expert Mark Donnally and it retains an NCRS validated tank sticker. Other documentation includes an NCRS Top Flight award as well as the Owner’s Kit and keys. Price: $135,000

1979 Red 6K Original Mile Coupe

While the first two Corvettes were heavy on performance, it was a super clean little red Corvette from 1979 that caught our eye for our third choice in today’s blog post.

The 1979 Corvette arrived at an interesting time for Chevrolet. The year before, the 1978 Corvette had celebrated both the model’s 25th Anniversary and the first time the Corvette served as the Indy 500 Pace Car. Both events were celebrated with special editions, and many of those special features on the cars were made into options on the 1979 Corvette. With the Corvette riding a new wave of popularity, the 1979 model year would set a record that still stands to this day for the most Corvettes ever produced – 53,807!

This 1979 Corvette offered by Corvette Mike is Red/Red and it features the L48 350/195 ci V8 engine that is mated to an automatic transmission. The car is a literal time machine with just 6,624 miles showing on the odometer. It’s one of the cleanest Corvettes we’ve seen with hardly a spec of dust noticeable on the center dash gauge cluster.

The 1979 Corvette is well documented with a complete owner’s history, documentation, and receipts. The documentation even includes the original Michigan license place from 1979. The Corvette has been judged by the NCRS where it was awarded Top Flight and the prestigious Bowtie award for its unrestored originality. Price: $34,900

To learn more about these highly collectible Corvettes for sale or to view the other collector Corvettes offered by Corvette Mike, visit them online at CorvetteMike.com or give Troy Worrell a call at 714-712-0060 and let them know you found them here on CorvetteBlogger.com!

Source:
Corvette Mike

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[VIDEO] Barn Find 1974 Corvette Receives First Car Wash in Over 15 Years

We like a good automotive archeology tale and when we came across this “First Wash” video featuring a 1974 Corvette, we figured you would enjoy it as well. There is something very satisfying about watching that accumulated dirt and grime being washed away to reveal a beautiful Corvette Stingray.

The backstory on the Corvette is that it had been stored in a barn for at least 15 years and maybe even longer before the current owner bought it. The car was originally white but now is described as a Dark Purple. However, the color doesn’t fully reveal itself until the water starts flowing.

After a very refreshing pre-wash, the Corvette receives the business end of a foam cannon, and then finally an orbital polisher is run over the car which provides a great “after” pic from how the car looked when it was first pushed out the garage.

From WD Detailing on YouTube:

ABANDONED BARN FIND First Wash In 15 Years Corvette! Satisfying Car Detailing Exterior & Restoration. Today, we tackle the exterior of a Corvette that is covered in dirt & debris that hasn’t been washed in over 15 years that will require us to pressure wash the entire exterior, followed by a wash, clay bar and then polishing the paint to bring back its shine.

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Source:
YouTube

QUICK SHIFTS: Base C8 Review, C8 Luggage Test, C3 Love, EV News, Continuations, Corvette’s First Rivalry

Welcome to another fun-filled edition of Quick Shifts! Quick Shifts is a content feature here at CorvetteBlogger featuring links to Corvette and automotive-related stories of interest. The content that we have hand-selected for you this week includes a $60k C8 review, the C8 luggage test, C3 seduction, a Z06 three-way, the wild west of EV startups, and a bevy of continuation and replicars.

FIRST GEAR:

CNET’s Road Show kicks things off this week with a review of the mythical sub-$60,000 Stingray. The seemingly endless parade of 2020 Corvette reviews this year have really highlighted a fundamental change in the way auto journalists view America’s sports car. It used to be that no matter how big of a can the ‘Vette opened on the fancy boys from Europe, writers would come up with some way to rationalize their “still not a supercar” prejudice. Here, even in base, bare bones form, the author goes out of his way to reiterate that this Chevy is as super as they come!

Photo Credit: Steven Ewing/Roadshow

SECOND GEAR:

Next, we will hand things off to Autoblog, who put the latest member of the crossed flags family through a different kind of ringer; the luggage test! While we have lamented the C8’s exterior detentions a time or two around here, it is impossible to argue against the car’s practicality! See how much AB (does anyone call them that?) was able to cram into their Accelerate Yellow test car right here.

Photo Credit: Chevrolet

THIRD GEAR:

We’ll let Hagerty’s “Hack Mechanic,” Rob Siegel put a little C3 into gear three this week. Read Rob’s harrowing tale of seduction, temptation, and perfect accent stripes on Hagerty.com!

Photo Credit: Rich Sparks

FOURTH GEAR:

It is C5 Z06 vs. C6 Z06 vs. C7 Z06 in a 20-minute ode to one of the best badges in all auto-dom! YouTube channel/ TV show, EverydayDriver got the three Zs together on one, glorious mountain road. As long as you can stand the sight of a C7 with the stick on “sleepy eyes” mod, it is absolutely worth a watch!

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FIFTH GEAR:

It was a busy week in the electric vehicle world, especially where General Motors is concerned! Early in the week it was announced that, despite their own $20 billion EV program, GM would be investing an additional $2 Billion(!!!) in EV/fuel cell truck startup, Nikola. The news sent Wall Street on a wild and ongoing ride that calls into question the validity of Nikola’s entire operation. Make what you will of that developing story but nothing about it looks particularly flattering for our beloved Corvette’s parent company. The silver lining is that they are at least having a bit of success selling (or partnering to sell) electric cars in China.

Also this week, Lucid, another EV startup, gave a first look at their Tesla-fighting sedan. First announced back in 2017 (by a bunch of former Tesla employees) , the production-ready “Air” is said to make 1080 HP, cover the quarter in under 10 seconds, have a range of more than 500 miles per plug-in (with the ability to add 300 miles in “just” 20 minutes of charging), and top out at $170,000. They followed all of that up with a teaser for their upcoming Electric Utility Vehicle, dubbed “Project Gravity.”

Photo Credit: Lucid Motors

SIXTH GEAR:

It was also a banner week for high-end replica and continuation cars! There were several accounts of how great the million-dollar GTO Engineering Ferrari 250 GT SWB (for Short Wheel Base) “revival” car is to drive. It sounds like an outrageous amount of money, but, as the best of these stories points out, it is about one-tenth of what you’d expect to pay for the genuine article.

Continuing in that same vein, Aston Martin will be building a special run of Goldfinger edition DB5s, complete with all of the gadgets used by Sean Connery in the 1964 Fort Knox heist film. If you want to live out your childhood 007 fantasy, one of these will only put you back about $3.5 million.

Finally, and, at $298,000, looking like a decent deal compared to the last two cars, is a new, carbon fiber bodied, 810 HP take on one of the great movie cars in recent-ish memory, “Eleanor.” If you get one, be sure to spring for a good security system!

Photo Credit: Aston Martin

REVERSE:

In third gear, Mr. Siegel said that the twin peaks of early 60s automotive design are the mid-year Corvette and the E-Type Jag. That sparked our memory of an excellent story that we saw over the summer on the Classic and Sports Car webpage. It highlights these two pillars of vehicular beauty with interesting histories, driving impressions, and even a look at the owners; a dreamer who finally purchased a Sting Ray in 2019, and the five-decade owner of an XK-E. Enjoy reading about these classics and be sure to get your own cars out to enjoy the cool weather this weekend. We will see you next time on Quick Shifts!

Photo Credit: classicandsportscar.com

Previous Quick Shifts:
C8 vs Porsche Cayman, Spending $80K, MB Revealed, C8.R in iRacing, Autoblog Review, and More!
C8 Corvette Z06 Rumors, Ram Hellcat Pickup, Blackwing Steering Wheel, a Flyin’ Miata, and More!
Sam Schmidt’s C8 Corvette, a New Ride for GTA Fans, DIY C8 Engine Cover Swap, Vintage Corvette Racers, and More!