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Big Block Project: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

While it might not still retain its original engine, this 1967 Corvette Convertible does feature a freshly rebuilt replacement big-block. It is a restoration project that has stalled, but it is a running, driving car that appears to only need cosmetic work to bring it back to its best. The Corvette is located in Bedford, Pennsylvania, and is listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN price of $52,500 for the Corvette, but the option is available to make an offer.

The Corvette started life finished in the very attractive Lynndale Blue, but as you can see, it now wears a coat of grey primer. The restoration on the Corvette is said to have commenced in the 1990s and has been stalled for some considerable time. There is still plenty to do on the body before it is ready for a fresh coat of paint. Having said that, what has been done to this point constitutes a frame-off restoration, so you would have to assume that the frame is in decent condition. The only thing that raises alarm bells with me is that the approach to tackling the body seems to have been a bit haphazard, so I would really want to get a good look underneath the car.

To me, the interior is a major disappointment, because what should be here is beautiful, Teal Blue leather upholstery. Maybe I was setting my expectations too high because I think that Teal Blue is a great interior color. There really is nothing major wrong with the black interior fitted to this car, but the original trim color is significantly rarer than black. There are a few detail items to attend to before the interior could be classed as perfect, but the new owner will be undertaking these tasks from a pretty solid base. The owner also includes one of the biggest collections of documentation that I have ever seen with a classic car, and it documents not only every step of the restoration to this point but the history of the car back to 1972.

The original 427ci, tri-power, 435hp V8 engine no longer graces the engine bay of the Corvette, but the owner does hold all of the documentation verifying that this was what was there originally. In its place is a date-correct replacement, which presents nicely. Of course, an engine like that is less about looks than performance, and in this area, the Corvette doesn’t let us down. That 427 was rebuilt during the restoration and has done no real miles since. After the rebuild, it was stored properly to protect what would have been a major investment. The engine has now been thoroughly checked, and after receiving new plugs, wires, a distributor, and a rebuild of the carburetors, it starts and runs. Sending the power to the rear is the responsibility of a 4-speed manual transmission, and with that also working properly, the car is said to run and drive well. Stopping duties have been given a helping hand with the fitting of new calipers and a new master cylinder.

While it might not be a numbers-matching car, this Corvette Convertible has been a project that has been undertaken to be as period-correct as possible. There are a few question marks over the way the work on the body has been tackled, but if the vehicle is solid, then completing the restoration shouldn’t be a huge undertaking. Once this has been done, the next owner will have an attractive and desirable car that would be an absolute blast to drive.

Comments

  1. Avatar Andy

    Maybe someone can explain the mystique of matching numbers. I read an article years ago about the subject. A foreign race car could be wrecked, rebuilt, and engine-swapped multiple times and still command a king’s ransom. Why? Not many examples were built. When it comes to.mass-produced cars there needs to be something to make one appear to be more desirable than the next. Matching numbers is a rare condition, desirable but IMO not worth breaking the bank. Moving things fail, that’s a fact of life. For a car it means that it has been used as intended. It doesn’r make it worth less to me.

    Like 28
    • Avatar Don Diego

      Agreed about “matching numbers”…”This car, with fewer than 35k miles, has never had an oil change, only added when necessary”.

      Like 4
    • Avatar Steve R

      Matching numbers is often used as a crutch to extract more money from buyers. It matters with muscle cars, but more than it should. The higher the cars original output, the more it matters. It’s also a way to help document certain cars, mainly GM, where the VIN often will not verify a cars pedigree by itself.

      As for matching numbers on non-performance models, who cares. To me it doesn’t matter one bit unless the car is a documented super low mileage, all original survivor.

      Steve R

      Like 10
      • Avatar MFerrell

        There is a whole world of Corvette enthusiasts who couldn’t give a rip about “matching numbers”, and much prefer the Corvette built to suit their tastes. Most online forums, you wouldn’t know these enthusiasts exist. Personally, I just want one I can drive to my heart’s content, without worrying about it.

        Like 15
    • Avatar local_sheriff

      For what we know there may be several classics out there that has had the engine pulled due to malfunctions and replaced under warranty. Unless one have the complete history of his/her car, having owned a vehicle for 95% of its life is still no warranty it still has the block it initially came with.

      I’ve always regarded matching #s as a bonus only,but it’s become hysteria. Though you bought your rare BB 6pack muscle car when it was less than a year old and you’ve never had the engine pulled, there is still a chance it isn’t #s matching…!

      Like 6
  2. Avatar stillrunners

    Whale there ya go….kindanice driver…..

    Like 2
  3. Avatar gbvette62

    That car is rough. The gaps are so bad because the nose is a mess. This car is going to need a new nose, and a lot of other body work. I think that gray primer is hiding a lot of sins. The color blown in the door jams is not Lynndale, but looks more like Marina Blue.

    There’s a lot of paper work, but nothing really worthwhile, nothing that would identify what the original engine and options were, such as a window sticker or build sheet. There’s a letter that says a former owner thought that it was originally a 427/435, but no documentation to back it up.

    The seller is well known in the Corvette hobby. He seems to come up with a lot of cars that look like they’ve been through the ringer.

    Like 8
  4. Avatar pwtiger

    Yikes, After looking at the photos on Ebay, this thing is a mess. Even if it had matching numbers I don’t think it would make sense to throw another 50K at it…

    Like 2
  5. Avatar DETROIT LAND YACHT

    Photos are not delivering good vibes at all. Body doesn’t look to be lining up. I’d definitely restomod and go with modern suspension and a wider/lower profile tire.

    Like 2
  6. Avatar CapNemo

    If the proper calipers had been purchased, they could’ve simply been installed instead of going through all the work of Fitting them.

    Like 3
  7. Avatar moosie

    looking at all the pictures in the Ebay listing leaves me with the thought that this poor Vette had a very “colorful ” past . The paint code on the trim tag does designate Lyndale Blue tho.

    Like 1
    • Avatar John B.

      I’ve owned a number of Corvettes when I was young-almost none had “matching” number engines-they were often hot rodded, blown up, and replaced with a more powerful engine. As for the body I used to know a Corvette dealer who would remove nice body parts then replace them with repaired panels; he would then primer the car and sell it to some unsuspecting soul who wasn’t really savvy on Corvettes. Then he would sell the nice parts and “double dip” at the buyers expense. Primer hides a lot!

      Like 1
  8. Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

    When new they were something special. My cousins first husband had a Chevy dealership with his Dad in 67. They sold a Yellow 67 convertible with black interior and top. IIRC that one also had side pipes on it, 427 Tri-Power 4 speed. I was in having something done on my car and looked it over. It was an absolutely gorgeous car, and I looked it over for quite some time.
    Unfortunately it wasn’t long for the world though, heard the car and a freight train had a meeting of the minds and the car came out with the short straw.
    Trust me, Yellow and black is a great combination for a 67 convertible

    Like 2
  9. Avatar rpol35

    Compelling documentation, quite a trail! That said, as complete as this Vette is, it still needs a significant amount of work.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar dogwater

    I think that 50k is a little high for this car but looking at the pictures,it seams to have good bones( no frame pictures)but its all there……

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Don Sicura

    Any Corvettes that come out of this guys used car dealership in Bedford, PA. are highly suspect to me, looking at the paperwork tells me that the title was washed through South Carolina to eliminate any title brand there might have been (SC is a bill of sale state), the front clip has been changed more than once, the doors show red paint but the data plate shows it left Saint Louis with blue paint & a whole host of other problems, and at more than 50K, you are underwater before the check even clears the bank.

    Like 3
  12. Avatar Benjy58

    Back in the 60’s my dad worked at the local chevy dealer. If you were to walk in back of the service department you would see a pile of chevy big blocks that blew up under warranty all with the fuel pump housings broken off so they couldn’t be reused. So maybe a bunch of cars out there have been dealer warranty engine changes.

    Like 2
  13. Avatar Del

    With issues noted its a 20 grand car

    Like 3
  14. Avatar George Mattar

    If anyone bothered to read the letter some clown wrote 19 years ago, he said the original color was Marlboro Maroon. Code 977 is Lynndale Blue. There also is a pretty good chunk of the floor missing from what appears to be from a U joint exploding. The gaps are terrible especially around rhe headlamp buckets and drivers door. Paint in the jambs appears to be Marina Blue. GM reportedly built 3,754 L71 Corvettes for 67 model year. Go find a better one. This car needs a ton of work. Way too much money. FYI. This car had been off and on eBay for months.

    Like 3
  15. Avatar Comet

    This car looks like a thrown together mess. I didn’t know you could make body panels fit that badly. What comes to mind is a car built with cast aside parts left over from other more successful restoration efforts. An assembly of parts that didn’t make the varsity team.

    Like 1
  16. Avatar chillymost1

    HAHAHAHA!
    This guy can’t be serious.
    $52,500?
    It needs that much more in resto work.
    Buy one done and ready to go.

    Like 1
  17. Avatar TimM

    What’s not to like here???? This thing must move!!!

    Like 0

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