While owning a pristine classic is something to be proud of, there is a lot to be said for parking a survivor-grade car in your garage. An owner needs to second-guess before taking a spotless car into certain environments and conditions. There are fewer such difficult choices for the owner of a vehicle like this 1969 Corvette Convertible to make. It presents well, and owning it would be nothing to be ashamed of. However, it has enough little flaws that the occasional mark or stone-chip will not cause heartache or sleepless nights. The owner has decided to part with the Corvette, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Alderside, Alberta, Canada, and while spirited bidding has pushed the price along to $20,100, the reserve hasn’t been met.
If a potential buyer is seeking an original and unmolested Corvette, this probably won’t be the car for them. However, that doesn’t make this a bad one by any stretch of the imagination. It started its life wearing Cortez Silver, but a previous owner chose to perform a color change to its current Monza Red. The work appears to have been completed to a high standard, with no evidence of the previous shade visible anywhere on the car. The paint has a few marks and chips, but it still holds an impressive shine. There are a few fine cracks in the paint on the hood, but there’s nothing that demands immediate attention. The car comes equipped with a factory hardtop that is also finished in Monza Red and a Black soft-top that appears to be in good order. Delving below the surface, the frame seems to be in good condition. It has some dirt and some very mild surface corrosion, but no evidence of structural rust issues. The chrome appears to be in good order, while the same is true of the glass.
The Corvette isn’t a numbers-matching vehicle, but it does come with a 350ci V8 that would have pumped out 300hp when new. This 350 has been treated to a few upgrades, so the actual figure could be slightly higher. These include an MSD ignition, an Edelbrock intake, and a Holley carburetor. The horses find their way to the rear wheel via a 4-speed manual transmission, and with the upgrades, this Corvette should be able to better its original 14.6-second ¼-mile ET. The Corvette has recently received a new front leaf spring, a new dual exhaust, new brake pads, new calipers, and new hoses in addition to the engine upgrades. The steering box has been rebuilt, and sundry other items have been reconditioned or replaced. The owner holds receipts for this work, and they will be included in the sale. He says that the car runs and drives perfectly and is ready to be driven and enjoyed immediately.
Taking a look inside the Corvette reveals an interior that is generally pretty tidy. The original vinyl seat covers have made way for leather, and apart from some minor wear on the driver’s seat, these are in good condition. A previous owner also fitted new door trims when he upgraded the seats, and these look to be in good order. The dash and console present well, and the only flaws are a single crack in the dash pad, along with some minor flaws in some of the plastic pieces. The original radio has made way for a CD player, and speakers have been mounted in the kick panels. The original owner ordered the vehicle with air conditioning, but this currently doesn’t function. The belt has been removed, so it might require further investigation to determine if there are any problems to be addressed.
With Summer fast approaching, the lure of a Corvette Convertible has to be a strong one. This 1969 model isn’t 100% original, it isn’t perfect, and that is what makes it an attractive proposition. I think that we’ve all seen owners virtually hyperventilate when their previously perfect classic cops a stone-chip on an outing. That is easy to understand, but it shouldn’t be as much of a concern with this car. Its very lack of originality and perfection will appeal to many people because it means that the driving experience can be more relaxed than might be the case in a pristine example. There have already been 22 bids submitted on this Convertible, so it seems that there are a few people who like what they see. I can’t say that I blame them because if I were on the hunt for a chrome bumper Corvette, this one would be a strong contender.
Personally, I’d rather have one like this that can be guiltlessly driven for miles and miles.
ditto. I used to had a pristine collector and had stress every time I got on a major road with the distracted soccer moms, idiot roadragers, and inexperienced teens. Got to the point I wasn’t driving it except around the subdivision to keep the fluids circulating. Sold and bought the same in a “15-footer” driver quality. I can drive anywhere now without worry and the insurance savings and “miles of smiles” makes up for any appreciation I would have had from the collector car. Rock chips be damned!
Engine should be a 350cc with 375 HP. I had the identical car in the 80’s.
@Jerry. In ’69 you could get two 350ci engines, a 300 hp (ZQ3) or the 350 hp (L46). The 350ci 370hp LT1 wasn’t available until the next year 1970.
What Randy’s said. I used to own several trailer queens. Nerve racking even in the 80s before millions of illegals came here. They drive unsafe cars with no insurance. I had enough. Bought a silver 73 Corvette six years ago for 10K. Street quality paint. Did a chassis resto to make it safe and reliable. I drive it every chance I get. While I drive it, I rarely see any old cars on the road. Very sad. Guess these guys with $150,000 restored cars are waiting to die. Then their brain dead kids get them who would rather drive an Audi Q7 like my daughter. Heck, most of today’s cell phone using kids can’t drive stick. Unbelievable what we have become.
Simple math: 340M legals in the country vs 11M illegals. That’s a factor of more than 30. I guarantee there are millions more “legals” driving without insurance. The “illegals” are the least of your problems.
I enjoy some of the restored cars but as has been noted, I’d rather have a less than perfect car so I can drive it. Neither my Vette nor my T-Bird are the most collectable of cars but I can drive both without fear of getting a ding on them.
Does this car have birdcage I hear people say?
Why do all these Corvettes sit SO high? What the heck are these people doing to them?
I know what you mean. I have the same car and I swear the suspension looks stock, but the car looks like it is higher in the back.
all C3 Corvettes have a “birdcage”. its the metal occupant structure from the windshield to the bulkhead behind the seats. its what holds the car together essentially and is also the occupant safety structure (if 69s had any real safety built into it).
Replacing a birdcage if rusty is a major undertaking.
Judging by the tach redline it is most likely a 350/350, nice driver quality Corvette but in the picture of the interior of the hardtop it shows no headliner panels. Too bad it has that nasty luggage rack.