With a claimed 44,000 original miles on the clock, this 1971 Corvette is a striking looking car that appears to need little but some minor detail work to make it really sparkle. It is a car that has certainly generated some interest since it was listed for sale, and after bidding commenced at a paltry $1, it has now jumped to $11,900 in a No Reserve auction. The Corvette is located in Miami, Florida, and is listed for sale here on eBay.
The chrome-bumper examples certainly remain a favorite among the C3 Corvette enthusiasts, and this Bridgehampton Blue car looks like quite a nice example. The owner says that the frame is solid, and I get the impression from the ad that this includes the birdcage. The paint looks to be in great condition, with a wonderfully deep gloss to it. The bumpers and a couple of minor trim items look a bit discolored, and while they might respond to a good polish, they may also require a trip to the plater. It appears that the biggest issue here is the fact that the headlights only pop up manually, so this will need to be rectified.
I guess that when you’re talking about an original and unrestored 48-year-old car, you would be having some pretty high expectations if you expected the interior to be perfect, and while this interior is impressive, there are a few minor items that will need to be attended to. The owner says that most of the gauges work, but doesn’t actually specify which ones don’t, and he also says that the radio has stopped working. The upholstery on the seats is slightly stretched, but unless you are seeking a concourse car, this really shouldn’t be an issue. The rest of the interior and upholstery looks to be in really nice, useable condition.
Another nice aspect of the Corvette is that it’s a full numbers-matching car. That means that the original 350ci V8 and automatic transmission are still in place. The owner has recently spent quite a few dollars on the mechanical aspects of the car, and that should help the confidence of the new owner. The car has been fitted with a complete new brake system, a new gas tank, new exhaust, and a new radiator. All of this adds up to a car that would seem to need little in the way of mechanical work or refurbishment.
The 1971 Corvette is not an ultra rare car, with 21,300 cars rolling off the line. However, of those cars, only 1,417 cars were finished in Bridgehampton Blue, which is amongst the rarer color choices. This one needs some work, but it does look like it is mainly details rather than items that would represent major expenditure. It is possible to find examples of the 1971 Corvette for sale for under $15,000, but these are cars that are going to need some work, and some of this work can be quite significant. A good example will punish your wallet to the tune of around $24,000, and the price just keeps on rising. This particular car shows a lot of promise, and it will be interesting to see where the auction price goes. I’d love to think that one of our Barn Finds readers is going to bid on this one.
The inside out license plate is funny!
The repaint seems decent and the newer seat covers, rug, etc. are good color matches. Except for the great color it seems very plain Jane for bringing much money, but we’ll see.
I’m blinded by the blue-on-blue combo in this great bodystyle. Gimme.
I was actually going to bid on this one I liked the color alway liked this body style but who buys a Vette with an automatic transmission???
People who physically can’t row their own gears, like me.
TimS I am in the same boat. I would love to shift my own gears but lost my arm in a motorcycle wreck.
Nice C3 , nice color combo, a/t isn’t a deal breaker. I’d. Love to own it even with the bypassed heater core.
Had a friend that bought a red one like this new and kept it his entire life. He only drove it about 42,000 miles. The current owner loves it as much as the original owner.
My two mistakes in 1973. Letting go of my 1971 Big Block and my first wife. Sure wish I could drive them both again.
Ended: Mar 11, 2019 , 9:15AM
Winning bid:US $13,400.00
[ 56 bids ]
I think this was well bought.
I had a ’70 Vette Conv bought in April ’81 for $2300 + traded a ’75 Formula w/ a blown trans & rear end that was worth $2k then. Had a 350/350 w/ M-22 4sp. A no option car other than black leather deluxe int. & the upgraded M-22. Had no heater core & radio delete. I later put black hooker headers & side pipes on it. Was told by the owner that was a Chevy dealer GM mechanic, was some rare road racing model back then but never looked into it. Sold in ’99 for $7k w/o the new rubber & thick True Spoke 15″x8″ all around as left CT for ID. Was funny when hammering it, headlights would go up & down. Sort of miss it but not really. The ‘ride’ was nothing to write home about. I bought it w/ 52k miles & sold it w/ 56k miles. That same month I bought it, bought a Harley 3 weeks later. So hardly drove it thereafter. This is a pic when around the 1st year I had it.
I had the same color ’71 but it was 4 speed. Bought it for $4000 from the original owner. Rusted frame and birdcage killed it but I made over 2G’s parting it out.
Seems cheap.
I think it’s about right. Plain Jane automatic without A/C, missing the ignition shielding, vacuum problems? About time one of these went for a reasonable price.
No air conditioning that kind of kills it for me but it sure is a pretty car
Having owned many low mileage classics, I see many discrepancies to what a low mileage survivor should look like. First off is the odometer numbers are no longer on the same plane with the second digit showing part of the three. The car appears to have had a major repair to the passenger front fender as the gap and hood do not come close to meeting. Add to that both a new interior and paint and it does not represent itself as a survivor.
You stand correct. Thought the same when looking at that 2nd digit. Someone didn’t do a good enough job rolling it back. That thin plastic film across the roll of numbers, is old & brittle these days lol. But by no means a ‘survivor’. I’d have passed.