The 1973 model year marked one of transition for Chevrolet’s Corvette. The company introduced measures to reduce noise and improve comfort, while the iconic chrome front bumper made way for a new 5mph unit that changed the car’s overall appearance. While tightening emission regulations may have taken the hard edge off the ‘Vette, a buyer could still order one with the right combination of options to provide respectable performance. The original owner of this Corvette did so by ordering it with the 454ci big-block V8 under the hood. It remains original and unmolested and is a turnkey classic seeking a new home. Located in West Babylon, New York, you will find the Corvette listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set a sale price of $24,500, and I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L for referring this potent survivor to us.
The first thing that struck me when I looked at this Corvette was its paint color. The owner indicates that it rolled off the line wearing Elkhart Green, but it has received a repaint around fifteen years ago. He describes this new shade as slightly different from that original color, but it appears to be surprisingly close to Code 945 Blue Green. Regardless, it makes a stunning visual statement. The paint is in good condition for its age, with no significant defects or problems. The fiberglass beneath is free from stress cracks or other issues, and I would describe the exterior as a high-quality survivor standard. The owner doesn’t mention any problems with rust in the frame or birdcage, and the lack of visible corrosion across other areas of the vehicle gives us cause to be quietly confident. The badges and urethane front bumper are in excellent order, as are the beautiful chrome rear bumpers. There are no scratches or flaws with the glass, and the Rally wheels continue the tidy theme. It seems that the next owner won’t be spending a fortune on exterior presentation.
Opening the corvettes doors reveals an interior whose presentation matches the exterior. It has no glaring faults or flaws, while the only aftermarket addition is a modern stereo. There is some slight wear on the outer edge of the driver’s seatback, but otherwise, the Black leather upholstery is in excellent condition. The carpet has avoided the fading that can plague Corvettes of this era, while the remaining trim and plastic are spotless. Not only does this interior present well, but it is nicely equipped. In addition to the stereo, the new owner will receive air conditioning, power windows, and a tilt and reach wheel. The only functional fault that the owner identifies is that the driver’s window can be slow to operate. This may require further investigation and could be something as simple as a lubrication issue or a faulty switch. Either way, it shouldn’t cost a fortune to rectify.
While 30,464 buyers slapped down their cash for a new Corvette in 1973, an impressive 4,412 of those ticked the box beside “LS4” on the Order Form. This brought those buyers the 454ci Chevrolet big-block V8. That was the choice that the original owner made with this classic, while he also ticked the boxes for a four-speed manual transmission, power steering, and power brakes. With 275hp on tap, that would allow this Corvette to cover the ¼ mile in 14.7 seconds. While that figure remains short of what a C3 Corvette could produce at the peak of its powers, it looked pretty respectable in a 1973 context. The owner claims that this full numbers-matching classic has a genuine 70,000 miles showing on its odometer but doesn’t indicate whether he holds verifying evidence. However, it has been part of the same family for more than thirty years, so it is possible. He says it runs and drives perfectly, meaning that it is ready to hit the road with a new owner behind the wheel.
By 1973, the C3 Corvette was a different creature from what it had been when it was launched only a few years earlier. It’s still offered respectable performance levels, but the company knew that the mighty big-block was reaching the end of its production run. It soldiered on for a further year before disappearing entirely from the Corvette range for 1975. Our feature car presents nicely and could function effectively as a daily driver or weekend cruiser. Its numbers-matching status increases its desirability, and when you consider its overall condition, it wouldn’t take much to lift it to the next level. The asking price looks pretty competitive, and while the car has only been on the market for a few days, I think a new owner will be found pretty quickly.
I’m not a green car fan but this is one good looking car. Of the 70 plus cars we’ve owned only two were green, a ’59 Porsche 356A and a ’64 Porsche 356C. Had a customer with a ’67 big block Corvette coupe painted with Goodwood green from the factory. It’s the only other green car I’ve lusted for but too many cars already got in the way of buying it. Looking back, big mistake.
Beautiful car and color combination. At $25k, seems like a bargain these days…
Beautiful Corvette and while few and far between, this is proof that there are still some great deals out there.
Seems like a good price for a cool car
The key to releasing the pent-up ponies in cars of this era was to increase the compression ratio to pre-smog specs and change the camshaft and possibly the carburetion and most certainly, the exhaust system. By 1973 the body of knowledge here was quite extensive, and your local speed shop would gladly assist you on your search for the missing horses.
A lot of people did just that, and those cars wound up in the wrecking yards just as their predecessors did.
This car was not “opened up”, and as a result, is still on this side of the crusher and in really good shape. It’s a driver.
I wonder how they managed going back to the high compression ratios with the gov. Taking the lead out of gas? Did they always have to put additives in every fill up?
A repaint kills the survivor status, it might be a nice car but is hardly a survivor after it’s been taken apart and repainted. Original paint with touchups is ok, not total repaints
Did you look at the pictures? This car is drop-dead GORGEOUS! C3s are rapidly becoming more desirable as C1s & C2s are well out of the range of mere mortals. These cars are meant to be SEEN. As Dave says, it’s a driver, and a darn nice one at that. Even the people who are not “green car” fans like it.
I am helping my son-in-law refurbish a ’76. It has terrible paint – a respray over all the hairline cracks and spiderwebbing – it looks good from 20 feet (well, maybe 30 feet), and he LOVES it.
The C3 was Bill Mitchell’s favorite. He far preferred it to the C4.
It is an extravagant design, meant to elicit a visceral response.
Which it does. In spades. Whoever ends up with this beauty isn’t going to care whether it’s a survivor. They’re going to buy it
for the only legitimate reason to buy a car – ego gratification.
The only Corvette Zora Duntov owned was a C3. If it was good enough for Zora…