Ask any Corvette enthusiast what their favorite year model or body style is and why and you’ll get a plethora of great answers. 1972 was the last C3 model to feature chrome bumpers in both the front and rear and there’s just something about the ’72 body that looks magical from any angle, especially one that has been as well cared for as the Stingray that is being offered here. If you are in the market for an immaculate third-generation Chevrolet Corvette, this may be a good car for you to consider. It can be seen here on Craigslist with a price tag of $29,500 and is located in Aloha, Oregon, a little over 10 miles west of downtown Portland. Many thanks go out to Barn Finds reader Matt H. for the tip on this one.
The owner of this Corvette has had it for over 3 decades and says he has babied it the entire time. Looking at the photos, it’s very easy to believe this car has led a sheltered life. This Corvette has placed in several high-end car shows and is said to grab attention everywhere it goes. No word on whether or not that red paint is original, but it presents stunningly. If I did my research correctly, I believe the color is Mille Miglia Red, GM code #973 for 1972. The car also has Chevy rally wheels and rides on B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A white letter tires.
Inside, things look just about as well preserved as they do on the outside, and the black interior looks comfortable and inviting. We know for sure the cabin has a tilt steering column, and I believe I also see a telescopic wheel knob above the horn. Although it was standard equipment, it’s pretty cool that you get T-Tops as well to let the sunshine in on nice days. The car also comes with power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning although the A/C needs to be charged.
Another item of beauty can be observed when you lift the hood, which is the correct numbers matching 454 cubic inch engine. In 1972 this big block was rated at 270 horsepower, which many gearheads thought was a conservative estimate. The 454 is mated to a Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission.
Also interesting is that the car has Oregon plates that begin with 454- this is not a vanity plate! The seller says it took some effort to get this but does not elaborate on how it was pulled off. I’d probably ask him to throw the license plate in on the deal so I could hang it in my garage. This is one really nicely preserved Corvette with hardly a thing to complain about inside or outside, and it really doesn’t appear to need much of anything except for the next owner to take possession and start enjoying it. What are your thoughts on this 1972 Chevrolet Corvette? Do you think $29,500 is a good deal for what you are getting here?
Nice!
What’s going on with the parking brake?
Looks like its a redneck phone holder. Great looking car and priced nicely as well.
I thought it was a fire extinguisher.
Maybe it is a redneck fire extinguisher.
It might be a very small fire extinguisher, very nice car already gone from Craiglist.
Whatever it is, it should have been removed before shooting the pictures.
And she’s gone. No surprise.
Must have been the Redneck phone comment. Hah!
The ad is gone but it looked like it was a very nice car.
Nice but not enough pedals.
I thought that it would go pretty fast, Nice looking car, and big block to boot, for the asking price, for once.
I like it!! The first thing I’d do is install a 700R4. Second thing, drive the wheels off of it! Nice car at a very good price…
My friend had a 71 vett with a 454 -automatic. I noticed everytime he would put it in reverse. The back would raise up. In front of the gear shift. It had light and lit up.If one of the lights in back went out. It would show up on that little dash. I think it also had the hp of 365. It was ontario orange with a black half vinly top . I think (but not postive) it had a t-top. It was nice too,but would burn your feet up in the summer time.
Johnny, I think that you are talking about the fiber optic lights.
On my ’70 350 manual, the lights on the console above the gear shift indicated if the front headlights and turn signals worked. If you turned on the lights or used the signals, those indicators would also light up. If they didn’t, that meant that the light that the indicator pertained to was dead and needed to be replaced.
The same with the rear lights, those indicators were located below the shifter.
72s are nice cars. You can actually drive them on today’s gas. I have owned two C3s. Yes in hit weather the cabin is toasty. I bet that AC needs more than a charge after 50 years. The AC is broken in my 73 coupe. At $4,000 to fix, I take out the t tops. I owned a 71 454 coupe in the 70s. My 73 is a far better car. Someone got a nice red car at a fair price. But as mentioned not enough pedals. Love stirring the shifter in my car.