There are some project cars that just have the right stuff going for them. The right amount of patina, the right about of original components, the right amount of rust (none) and a seller who knows what he is talking about. To me, this 1954 Corvette listed on eBay, sent in by Barn Finds reader Peter R, is a solid investment due to its originality and rust-free chassis. With the matching numbers engine and confirmation that it isn’t completely frozen, there’s even a chance this first-generation ‘Vette will run under the power of its original powerplant once restored. I dig the vestiges of a flame paint job in the picture above, a sure-sign of the era in which this car lived. Bidding is already north of $30,000 and there’s 2 days to go – where will it end up?
One of 300 in Pennant Blue. What a car!
The I-6 and Powerglide tranny will not make this a barnstormer, but it is a rare Corvette and will get looks wherever it goes. The few ’53 & ’54 Corvettes that exist must be worth a pretty penny when restored.
I had a 54 Pennant Blue. Someone did a heck of a repaint on it when I got it and it was white. I was going to take it to Carlisle so I was going to have my bodyman shoot a fresh coat on it. He went to pull the windshield frame and what was underneath but the original Pennant Blue. Took the door panels off and more…..Had it at Carlisle and had the pleasure of the NBC evening news people lug their equipment up the hill and did a nice 3 minute interview with me. Also had #160 “53”.
I have one of the 4 1954 black Corvettes in my shop
The guy I bought my 53 from had a black 54 and he chose to keep it over the 53. It only had 12k rounds on the speedo.
Very cool!!!
I know there’s a “Drive it like you found it”, thing going on but, this car deserves to be restored to original condition. JMHO.
Pretty cool induction system.
Sold for $34,500. I sure hope this car has a happy future.
AND it has the grills over the headlights, AND the plexiglass sidecurtains, but not the full wheel “spinner” hubcaps. Mine cost me $600 in l966, went straight very well, so much weight of the straight 6 was forward that it did not want to go around a corner. So is a conversation piece, and an investment, but if you want a driver at a reasonable cost, get a Miata.
There was a teacher at my Jr high who had one of these with an olds motor butchered into it. Guess it was scary fast. Would have been scary to steer I’m guessing also with the old’s motor. Makes me wonder if he still has it after all these years. Know he still has some of his old toys still.
Miata…..? Dime a dozen. Don’t even notice them…………….
Corvettes were a dime a dozen, as were ’57 Chevys, 20 years out. If you want to invest, or drive, buy something at the bottom of its market, which is about 20 years after manufacture, and buy it cheap, and keep it, or drive it. Which is where Miatas are now.
I lived in that era and Corvettes were not a dime a dozen. Production just broke 10,000 a year and being secondary cars you were lucky to see one on the weekends. Miata has broke the 1 million mark since 1990 but I hardly see a restored one. Not worth the bucks to restore a 1990 and that’s 25 years out. Still a 1990 Miata is still a 1990 and not being sarcastic but I can’t tell them apart. If I went to a Miata show and saw 100 of them in a row I’d be done looking in 5 minutes. To each his own though. As they say, “Whatever trips your trigger………”
10,000 a year at the end of the 60s……………..