Undeniably, some project candidates show greater promise than others. If an American icon with mind-blowing performance is on your Wish List, this 1966 Chevrolet Corvette deserves a close look. With much of the hard work complete and a rebuilt big-block ready for action, all that’s left is to complete the cosmetic tasks, reassemble this potent beast, and hit the road behind the wheel of a classic with mind-blowing performance. The Corvette has generated enormous interest since the seller listed it here on eBay in Ontario, New York. Bidding sits below the reserve at $35,100, but I believe that the action is far from over.
There’s a lot to unpack with this Corvette, and I don’t simply mean the selection of parts filling its interior. The seller purchased the car from its original owner after it spent fifteen years in storage. It is a rock-solid vehicle that called California home for most of its life, meaning that the frame and birdcage have no rust issues. The fiberglass looks extremely good, with a Black guide coat over Gray primer. The previous owner installed a Stinger hood, but a correct new reproduction hood is on order and will be included. It appears that all that is required is basic surface preparation before the new owner applies a fresh layer of the car’s original Nassau Blue. The seller states that the exterior trim is in good condition, and that the first owner ordered the vehicle with tinted glass. It rolls on a set of ’67 Rally wheels with new tires, although the buyer will receive a set of reproduction knock-off wheels and a factory side exhaust setup.
The first owner obviously focused on outright performance when ordering this Corvette. They ticked the box beside the L72 version of the 427ci V8 on their Order Form. They also selected a four-speed M21 close-ratio manual transmission, power steering, power brakes, and the F41 suspension package. The big-block churned out an “official” 425hp, though many knowledgeable people believe that figure is understated. Whatever the truth, this was a genuinely fast car in its prime, and it could be again. The V8 included in this deal isn’t numbers-matching, but it is period correct and carries the appropriate engine block code. It is built as a long block and will need final assembly before being bolted under the hood.
While the interior hardware is present, there is still plenty for the buyer to do inside this classic. The seller has a sparkling new Al Knoch trim kit in the correct Blue on order, and will include that in the deal. The buyer also receives boxes of parts to help with their build. The weatherstrip kit will be welcome, helping keep dust and moisture out. The seller doesn’t supply a comprehensive parts list but indicates that the new items have cost them over $12,000.
Some classics leave lingering doubts about their desirability and potential, but the listing statistics confirm that people like what they see with this 1966 Corvette. It has attracted almost 500 views in the past day, and 113 people have added it to their Watch List. This interest has translated into 15 bids, demonstrating that people want to become the new owner of this classic. If you share those feelings, are you tempted to throw your hat into the ring?
a lot of money for a u build it and hope it’s all there
What hairyolds68 said. Guaranteed parts are missing. You need plenty of time and money to restore this car properly.
I say, forget the restoration.
This is the perfect car to make an “almost” replica of the ’67 Corvette from the movie King of the Mountain.
(“Almost” because it’s the wrong year, but very few people would know/notice)
Here we go again with another mystery pig-in-a-poke auction by a short-term “owner” who’s jumping title.
His posting of a whopping 12 photos include several taken by the transporter when he bought the car in late November. There’s no shots showing the trim / VIN tags, undercarriage, or block stamping. He hasn’t even unloaded the car or boxes to show bidders everything that comes with it. To complete this hustle, there’s a shill bidder, 6***9(308), trying to jack the price up to the reserve.
This same car was listed on the Rochester, NY CraigsList for $49,000 about twenty days ago. That’s around 4 days after the transporter picked it up. Nice. At least the CraigsList ad has the VIN, 194376S112818.
Maybe this car is a good value. I consider that possibility a one-in-a-trillion chance. No thanks.
Agreed,.
This owner is a design technician for Legos.
Interesting article when looking for Dyno results
In “Big-Block Power Tune” (Nov. ’06), Corvette Fever chronicled a meticulous dyno tune on a correctly restored ’66 L72 Corvette in order to determine horsepower gain from the tune. Before the dyno tune, the engine produced 289 rear-wheel horsepower (rwhp) at 5,000 rpm and 331 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm. After the dyno tune the output went up to 301 rwhp at 5,000 rpm and 342 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm. This car was restored to showroom original condition for acceptable street operation and was equipped with the (more restrictive) N14 side-mount exhaust system. A standard under-car exhaust would most likely have resulted in somewhat higher numbers, probably at a higher rpm. Maximum horsepower was reached at 5,000 rather than closer to 6,400 rpm, where an open exhaust would have produced peak power. On average, the 345 net hp LS1 engine also produces 300 rwhp. Equal rwhp for both the LS1 and L72 translates to 345 net horsepower for the L72.
big block cars had a rear sway bar i don’t even see signs of one .. this car has been stripped of everything .even the window regulators
I noticed that as well. Even if all the major parts are there, and usable, there are thousands of nuts, bolts, washers, screws, clips, rubber tabs, etc that you can almost guarantee are missing. It could be a $100k car when done. Who thinks they can finish it for $50k?