Just when you think you have seen everything in the automotive world, up pops temptation.  Take a look at this Pat L. located 1971 Corvette for sale on craigslist in Gadsden, Alabama.  Looks like a NCRS Duntov Award level restoration, right?  The picture above reveals a flawless paint job with every part and piece in the right place.  Can you believe that this sapphire blue Corvette is all original and has just $2,650 miles on the odometer?  To make things even better, the asking price is not in the stratosphere.  $38,500 buys this well documented Stingray Corvette.  Is the price worth it?  Would you be able to resist driving it if it were in your garage?

Seeing low mileage Corvettes is nothing new.  Most newer Corvettes are second or third cars for their owners.  There are also a number of late seventies and early Corvettes that were socked away as an investment because they were advertised as either an Indianapolis 500 Official Pace Car or a collector’s edition of some sort.  Finding a low mileage C1, C2, or early C3 is an event that doesn’t happen very often.  Most of these cars were driven, and examples with special options or very low mileage often found themselves in select collections or in a car museum.

This Corvette ended up on a different path.  It was purchased from Spicer Chevrolet in Neosha, Missouri on August 25, 1971 by a collector car enthusiast.  It sat in his personal collection until his passing.  The car then was sold by the estate to a dealer, who then sold it to a collector in New York.  It was purchased from that collector by the current owner and seller.

This Corvette left the factory with a 270 horsepower engine with 350 cubic inches.  It is backed up by a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission.  Most prominent of its options were air conditioning, an AM/FM radio, power steering and power brakes.  The original paint was touched up at the dealership to repair flaws from the factory and the car was also treated to undercoating, raised white letter tires, trim rings, and beauty bands.  The wheels and hubcaps you see on the car now are there now for what the seller calls “maintenance miles.”

A peek inside reveals a perfect interior that shows just how brilliant the blue color was when these cars sat on the showroom floor.  We have seen a number of restored and original Corvettes of this vintage on Barn Finds, but none have looked like this one.  Simply stunning.

Documentation included with the car includes the original window sticker.  It is still affixed to the driver’s door glass, and has never been removed.  Also included is the bill of sale, Protecto-Plate, original owners manual, dealer paperwork, seat shims in their original pouch, unopened license plate hardware, and the original key punch outs.  The original bank loan documents are even present.

A look under the hood reveals an almost completely untouched engine with the ignition shielding still in place.  Due to the low mileage on the car, rebuilding the radiator by DeWitt Radiator was required.  The master cylinder also had to be replaced, and the brake calipers were switched out for units with stainless steel sleeves.

Owning this car would be a feather in the cap of any Corvette enthusiast.  Cars like this don’t come up for sale very often, and the investment potential is obvious.  Still, how would you resist driving it?  You just couldn’t sit in your living room on a gorgeous fall day without hearing this siren’s song.  Maybe a few extra miles wouldn’t hurt…

Could you resist driving this pristine beauty?