Based on the age of the tires on this barn find, this 1974 Chevrolet Corvette has been sitting in storage for quite some time. The Corvette is located in the Kansas City area and is listed for sale here on Craigslist for $13,500. The Corvette is painted red with what looks to be a tan saddle interior. The car is equipped with Chevrolet’s LS-4 454 cubic inch V8 engine backed by an automatic transmission. The odometer reflects approximately 87,000 miles.
There is not much in the ad by way of description except that it states that the Corvette has an extremely rare automatic transmission. I am not sure that I know what makes it “extremely rare.” The base engine for 1974 was the L-48 350 cubic inch V8 engine that produced 195 net horsepower and 275 lb ft of torque. Production of the L-48 engine was 37,502 units for the Corvette in 1972. There were two optional engines – the L-82 350 cubic inch V8 engine and the LS-4 454 cubic inch V8 engine. Chevrolet produced 6,700 Corvettes with the L-82 V8 engine which was rated at 250 net horsepower and 285 lb ft of torque. Less than 3,500 buyers opted for the LS-4 454 V8 engine in 1974. It was rated at 270 net horsepower and 380 lb ft of torque.
The condition of the car is uncertain as there are no interior or engine pictures. The car is not running and is said to come with a new carburetor. The interior is said to need work which would probably including replacing the carpet, door panels and seat covers. The seller states that the transmission was rebuilt 500 miles ago and that the car is a matching numbers Corvette.
Car and Driver tested the 454 cubic inch V8 equipped Corvette in 1974 and recorded a 14.7 second quarter mile with an automatic equipped car and 3.08 rear axle ratio. The 1974-1978 Corvettes don’t get a lot of respect but they have better handling characteristics than earlier C3 cars. This one is probably going to need some work but hopefully it is on the street again soon.
🎶 🎵 …. We’re going to ..Kansas City, Kansas City here i come….. ……
…….We’re going to Kansas City , Kansas City here i come… 🎼 ….
“I want that rare automatic, but I hope I don’t have to pay that sum”
If you want a big block and both the bird cage and frame are solid it could be a decent vehicle for someone wanting a Vette. I’d still want to do a good inspection of it prior to any money changing hands.
Buy it, pull that 454, and rebuild it so that it’s a real Chevy big block instead of choked to death by emission controls. Clean it up and drive the piss out of it! That’s what Corvettes are designed to be.
Here’s a perfect example of another lousy ad. Just four so so pictures of the outside of the car, no under hood pictures, and no interior shots, in spite of saying the interior needs work. Also very little information in the ad, except to say it has a “extremely rare” automatic, which is pretty funny considering almost 75% of all 74 Corvettes were automatics.
Most early 70’s big block Corvettes were loaded out with PS, PB, PW, AC, leather, etc, making them nice cruisers, if not all out performance machines.
This could be a decent car for someone, and the price might not be out of line, but how would you ever know from the sellers ad?
I get a big kick out of people wanting every nickel for their vehicle.
Yet they are too lazy to have it professionally detailed with clear pictures of every part of the car. My take is what are you hiding? We are not playing poker!
I wonder what’s under that hat…
My sister and I almost got killed in one of these. My dad brought a brand new ’74 Corvette home from the Chev dealership that he had shares in. It was a silver coupe, with a 454, and 4-speed. My dad let me drive it to a country store about 5 miles away to get ice-cream. My younger sister,who had just got her licence, insisted on coming with me. I had limited experience driving stick on farm trucks and tractors. She had none.
I drive to the store,without drama,although the car was quite powerful compared to what we were used to. We got the ice-cream, and she made a fuss, Demanding to drive back.
The store was on a fairly busy rural highway with a 50 MPH limit. We were waiting to pull out, when there was a gap in traffic between 2 gravel trucks. My sister gave it the gas , and pulled out in 1st gear, in front of the second pebble-hauler. I yelled at her to floor it. She did. The car lurched forward, and the drivers seat (apparently not clicked into place) slammed all the way back. Her short legs could not reach the pedals, the pedals and the car slowed as quickly as it had accelerated. The rig behind hit the air-horns and locked the (apparently properly adjusted )brakes. As the truck continued on collision-course, I grabbed the wheel and steered onto the shoulder, and the truck passed. We never told Dad what happened.
The last year before the Government destroyed the Muscle car era. The Corvette would fetch more bucks if it was detailed. Barn find dust and grime only works on certain cars. Corvettes are not rare unless they are C1’s or 2’s.
The rest are like belly buttons!
Not just the Feds. Soaring insurance rates, changing consumer tastes are as much the cause as the Feds ever were.
I sold mine in 1979 for $6500.00
It was to put down on a house as I was about to get married.
I was taking a long last look at my downtown apartment, and riding the elevator down to the underground where I was parked.
Buddy in the elevator, whom I had seen around said ‘why the long face’
I told him my plans and he said ‘Are you …crazy?’ I wonder where he is now, where my vette’ is now, where my wife is now
Try Googling their names and the VIN number if you still have them.
Bruce, re: your reference to the age of the tires. Whenever I see Goodyear Eagle ST’s, I have the same thought. I think they went out of production 15 years ago, possibly more.
Buffard Pusser death car.
Buford, and it was a convertible.
No body likes a nit picker Juice, but your wrong it was T-top car.
https://pin.it/4543f8U
Hey Slicky Boy- you are correct!
Not just the Feds. Soaring insurance rates, changing consumer tastes are as much the cause as the Feds ever were.
Looks like the same orangish red as Pontiac’s ’74 Buccaneer red.
The turbo 400 auto trans here should not need rebuilding at 87k miles – seen them shiftin good & no slippage w/o repairs at 225k miles.
I’m guessing there were not many vettes in ’74 built with the 454, considering memories of the recent gas crisis, price increase, & gas lines. I know i sure as heck would not buy a new 440 or 454 or 455 or 460 anything back in ’74.