There is no feeling like opening a shed or garage to discover a dusty classic that awaits liberation after years of hibernation. I have experienced it once, although the vehicle I found wasn’t of the same caliber as this 1966 Chevrolet Corvette. It has occupied this spot for two decades, but the seller has dragged it from hiding and is within sight of completing its revival. The fact it retains its original mechanical components adds to its appeal, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J for spotting the ‘Vette listed here on Craigslist in Christiansburg, Virginia. You could take it home by handing the seller $55,000.
There must have been something in the air in 1966. Not only did Ford’s Mustang sell in record numbers, but the Chevrolet Corvette achieved the same feat. The company sold 23,562 cars in 1965, with the tally rising to 27,720 the following year. The Convertible was comfortably the more popular choice, with Coupes accounting for 36% of the total. This car had been in the custody of its owner for thirty-six years before being liberated by the seller. It spent twenty years in storage, but it is unclear why it was parked. The seller is sparing in their information beyond confirming that the Tuxedo Black paint gracing its exterior isn’t original. The Trim Tag reveals that the first owner ordered it in Mosport Green, which sat at the bottom end of the popularity scale among the ten shades offered that year. As with the storage question, we are flying blind on when and why the change occurred. The listing suggests it wasn’t as part of accident repairs, with the seller describing the Corvette as a “no-hit” body. They provide no information on the state of the frame or birdcage, and while they describe the side exhaust as “factory style,” they don’t indicate whether the knock-off wheels are the real deal.
The 1966 Corvette provided one of the great bargains in automotive history if buyers wished to enjoy excellent performance. The standard 327ci V8 generated 300hp and 360 ft/lbs of torque, which many found readily acceptable. However, by splashing an additional $105.35, the engine bay could house the L79 version. This boosted power to 350hp, drastically improving the top speed and the ¼-mile ET. The first owner ticked that box on the Order Form, teaming the motor with a four-speed manual transmission. The car hasn’t seen active service in two decades, but the first slice of good news is that virtually every mechanical component is confirmed as numbers-matching. The seller is working through a meticulous revival process that includes rebuilding or replacing almost every brake component, rebuilding the original carburetor, flushing the fuel system, and replacing the tires. They were on the verge of coaxing the engine to life when they placed their listing, and it would be fascinating to learn the results. It seems that the buyer won’t need to do much and that returning the Corvette to its rightful place on our road is a viable short-term goal.
It is sometimes challenging to explain how technology has changed the automotive world, but this Corvette provides a graphic demonstration. We all accept that some form of a stereo will be an integral part of any new car purchase today. However, the AM/FM radio was a $199.10 factory option when this Corvette left the factory. That may not sound startling, but it deserves some perspective. Cheaper options that year included power steering at $94.80, leather trim for $79.00, and the M21 close-ratio four-speed for $184.35. If you’re not already impressed, ticking the box beside the L36 version of the 427ci big-block lifted power and torque to 390hp and 460 ft/lbs while lightening the buyer’s wallet by a mere $181.20. It is hard to imagine a world where a radio would cost more than a more powerful engine, but that was a 1966 reality. This interior looks unmolested and should present nicely following a thorough cleaning. There is no evidence of wear or abuse and no signs of rodent infestation or UV damage. It is also nice to discover no aftermarket additions.
It will be fascinating to gauge your feedback on this 1966 Corvette and to learn what you would do if it found its way into your garage. The color change is disappointing, especially since the car retains its crucial original mechanical components. That makes it ripe for a cosmetic restoration to return it to its factory form. However, some readers might wish to leave it essentially untouched, allowing it to tell the story of the life it has led via its minor flaws and imperfections. I don’t know which path I would choose, and it will be interesting to learn whether we have any readers who are so taken by this classic that they are considering contacting the seller. We would love to hear the results and your plans for its future if you do.
Wow, what a Time Machine we have here! And with the L79 4 speed it is a land rocket as well. I had the same setup in a 67 Camaro. I am not crazy about the green either, but you are so close to an all original it only makes sense to put her back in stock order. Probably wise to pull and refresh the engine and drivetrain as well. I hope it finds a good home.
Beautiful car. The right stuff inside and out.
Gone. Posting deleted.
Clearly, “wrong” color didn’t effect value. The ONLY thing that matters is that L79 Mighty Mouse and the transmission.
‘No aftermarket additions’? Like the side pipes? So much for thinking before selling.
Look like stock GM side pipes to me… Available as a factory option or a dealer installed one!
OK, can someone enlighten me as to why the seller lists all the things that he is going to replace/ repair/ or restore on this car but lists it for sale with many of those things not done? Is it sold “as is” or “as will be”?
Look for this on an upcoming episode of Coffee Walk…
Gone. Ad deleted. Mosport Green is a far better color than black. If you want to be a slave to your car’s paint, go ahead buy a black car. I have professionally detailed cars since 1977, owned 50 cars since 1973 and not ONE black car. Too much work. Nice driver 66 here.
Further perspective on the AM-FM radio..it wasn’t stereo FM. You needed an 8-track to get stereo music back in those days. And its $199 option cost was very expensive for the day. As for this car, I too prefer the convertible but it is a C2, my favorite generation of Vettes.
Here’s the crazy part about the AM/FM radio option at $199, the L-79 engine option was $105 more than the standard 300 horse motor. And the L-79 included up-graded cam, pistons, heads, intake, carburetor, and exhaust manifolds. Chevy was pretty darn proud of those radios.
Well, they might not ‘upsell’ an engine option, but a radio? Everybody (nearly) wanted a radio. And priced it accordingly.
Peter; point well taken. All I am saying is that it’s a little nutty that something that in all likelihood cost 10 times more to produce would sell for nearly 50% less.
GM’s incremental cost of those engines was very small. Every Corvette engine had a cam in it. The cost to them for that cam was essentially the same as the cost of a mild cam. They were making enough of them that it didn’t make a difference which one you bought. Same with the heads and carbs. If the pistons were forged as opposed to cast they would have cost more, but when you’re buying tens of thousands of them they would still be cheap. Lastly, if that hot engine seals the deal and you buy the car maybe they don’t make as much on that car but they make the sale. Every time one of those hot cars left someone at a stoplight, they made a someone a return customer. GM made tons of money in those years for a lot of reasons, and one of them was that dollar for dollar you had a hard time buying anything faster.
An AM/FM radio is essentially, two radios in the same chassis. Add an 8 track tape player and you have THREE components in a single unit AND the labor associated with the assembly of each additional individual internal component. An engine upgrade is STILL a single engine with NO additional parts . . . just different parts and NO EXTRA LABOR. So yeah, the radio(s) and tape player cost more.
Yep, all internal combustion engines are essentially the same, just a bunch of parts that all of them share. Never mind that Chevrolet high performance engines are full if semi exotic parts. Let’s take a small block Chevrolet for instance. Standard crankshaft, nope. They were treated to a process called Tufftriting to help them withstand the effects of high RPMs. Standard pistons, nope. They were “pop up” forged aluminum. Camshafts, nope. They had completely different profiles and mapping Heads, nope. They were special castings and valves. Intake manifold, nope. They were special configuration aluminum. Carburetors, nope. They were specifically designed for better air flow at high RPMs. Assembly, nope. Whie not hand built, they were subjected to much stricter tolerances than a standard motor, so they were more closely monitored during the assembly process. Different than a run of the mill passenger car motor, yep. Designed and manufactured to produce more horsepower at higher RPMs. Designated for specific cars, yep. Radios, designed and built for every Chevrolet produced, yep. 10s of thousands produced. High performance engines, Thousands produced. To think that a radio intended to be installed in virtually any Chevrolet produced was more expensive to produce than a high performance engine intended for severe duty for specific cars maked absolutely zero sense.
Like I said, NOT ONE ADDITIONAL PART . . . . . just different parts and, at the quantity that Chevy was buying, not even a significant difference in price, if any. I’d be willing to bet that that extra $105 was pure profit. You can bet that Chevy wasn’t sacrificing profits for sales. Also, I don’t know if you know this but . . . . . you can’t put a Corvette radio in ANY other GM car, let alone a Chevrolet. Corvette radio dials were vertical. Only GM product to be made that way. so, there goes your “commonality” argument.
The only difference between a Corvette radio and one for every other Chevrolet is the face plate. Why don’t you do this. Get your hands on a comprehensive parts catalogue with prices and figure the cost for parts for an engine built to 327/ 250 horse specs and the costs to build one to the specs for a 327/ 350 horse engine and then tell me the costs are the same. Actually, you don’t need to tell me as I know the answer, and this has become a fairly silly little disagreement that I no longer care to participate in.
What I’m paying for parts and what GM pays for parts are seriously dissimilar numbers. And regardless of how much the cost of manufacture, a vendor will upcharge for ‘high performance’ parts that may well cost the same as ‘normal’ parts, just be configured differently.
Mosport Green one year ( 1966 ) only color.
This car’s frame has numerous rust spots. Seller never indicated that to me before I spent 1600 in travel expenses going to look at the car. I have pics to prove. Beware if anyone decides to try and buy it. Look it over carefully!!!!
Sorry to hear that the seller was less than honest with you.
It seems these days that you need to be very specific with sellers before spending any money or significant time. If a seller is unable or unwilling to provide photos of the entire vehicle, then it is time to move on.
Not sure about the original owner’s tastes, If he ordered that radio, I would much rather have the big block for $100 less