UPDATE 11/18/18 – After getting relisted a few times, this Corvette is back on eBay with more photos and no reserve. Let’s see if she sells this time around!
FROM 7/2/18 – I honestly can’t see any reason why you would park a car like this! Having driven quite a few C3 Corvettes in the past year, I’ve learned how much fun these cars are to drive. I’ve yet to experience a 454-powered example, but I’m sure it only adds to the fun factor. So that leaves me wondering, why in the world would you drive this one just 26,000 miles, invest in a new paint job and then park it for 32 years? Perhaps there were mechanical issues, maybe the owner couldn’t climb in and out of it anymore or perhaps the owner decided to preserve it for the future? It’s hard to say what the reason was, but it’s up for grabs here on eBay in the Adirondacks of Northern New York with a current bid of $3,350.
While I’m sure the weight of the big 454 has an impact on the handling, I bet it more than makes up for it in acceleration and burnouts! This LS4 was rated at 275 horsepower, which is only 25 more than the 350 L82, but it was also rated 390 foot-pounds of torque. That’s a 105 foot-pound increase over the L82! Unfortunately, the seller hasn’t attempted to start the engine yet, so there’s the possibility that it’s damaged beyond repair.
The interior looks to be original, but is going to definitely need work. A good detailing might be all it takes to make it driveable, but new carpets and some touchup paint would make it a much more enjoyable place to spend some time.
There are a lot of unknowns with this one, but for the right price, it would be worth the risk. Stingray values are definitely on the rise, especially for LS4 equipped examples. They are fun cars to drive, offer decent performance and get tons of attention everywhere you take them. So, how much would you be willing to spend on this one as is?
The condition of the engine bay and interior belie the odometer reading. I am sure that is 124,000 miles. Way too much wear and tear evident.
You are so right Josh, big torque will make up for lack of horsepower. Plenty here to put a smile on your face when those big secondaries open wide!
It’s all in the math. Hp = ( Torque x RPM ) / 5252. Works every time.
It would be nice if sellers would start backing up their claims of low mileage with more than a picture of the speedometer. That would mean it was driven less than 2,000 miles a year bewteeen 1973 and when it was parked in 1986. It could be true, but it’s up to the seller to prove it.
Steve R
Very true Steve R. I just bought an 88 Corvette that had the same owner for the previous 20 years. He said that he had only driven it about 2000-3000 miles in the last 5 years. Fortunately, he had receipts to verify his claim. I keep every receipt for everything done on every car I have, but of course 90% of people don’t do things like that.
I call total bull$hit on the milage claim, everyone that has owned a vehicle with 26,000 miles knows what it should look like especially under the hood.
Stealers Wheels!
“Clowns to the left of me jokers on the right”
Stealers Wheel.
it sure doesn’t look like a low miles car, lots of wear on the interior
It’s funny my 71 AMX, which probably has 138k miles, Odometer says 38k, but looks nicer than most if the clearly incorrect low mileage cars we’ve seen on here. If it wasn’t for the amount of wear on the driver’s seat, the worn foot print from the driver’s foot, and the fact that the engine itself is worn out it would have looked the part.
Torque gets you to speed, horsepower keeps you there; torque is where the fun is!!
My wife’s Subaru has nearly the same horsepower as my 69 C3 but the old vette has 50% more torque; different seat of the pants experience!
24,000 miles? Nope. As has been said already, I have owned cars with low miles and they don’t look like this pig
Nice 124k automatic non convert car …
The C3 is not as desirable of vettes but the 454 on this high mileage car offsets it some …..
The car needs documentation for sure other than saying I am willing to check the title low miles?
Had one of these with the 454, 4 speed. 70,000 miles when I bought it a few years back. Fun car to drive, but being 6′ 2″ tall, not very comfortable. Sold it to a friend of mine in Australia. He shipped it there and restored it. Still has it I believe.
I had one as well. With all that torque it was a blast to drive. It survived the birth of my 1st child but when my 2nd son was born it became a ritual sacrifice. Should’ve kept it but I drive what I own and with 2 kids that would’ve meant I was leaving one of them at home to go out for a ride.
I have a 76 4spd restomod. Did all the work right before I got married. 8yrs 3 kids later I drive it about 500 miles a year if that. But it has been in the family since 80. So it’s not going anywhere. It’s nice for date nights with wife and the kids like a ride in it as well.. oh and it has 28000 miles like this one lol…… it turned once
I salute you my friend. Family first.
Could have taken the top off :-)
One thing I’ve noticed in the C4’s, might apply to C3’s also: convertibles have more headroom inside than coupes do. I’m 6’4″ and fit just fine in the C4 convertible with the top up or down, yet I can scrape my head in a coupe. I have to admit I’m not a fan of BBC Vettes, but that’s my opinion so if you like it, so much the better.
Yeah, had the tops off when driving. Not a big corvette fan. Still have the Mustang. Never giving that car up.
C3s usually have a whole lotta ‘hidden flaws’- that ‘low mileage’ doesn’t mean anything, as plenty of $$$ stuff deteriorates when sitting. Big block is nice, but this one will end up as a ‘weekend driver’, with the whole ‘sit and rot’ cycle repeated. I am restoring a ‘77 much-abused C3 coupe, right now- it is just another one I have seen, just like other examples I’ve had worked on prior to this. Driven a little, stored a lot, rotted suspension bits, leaks wherever fluid is held, interior needs refreshed, and any corrodable items replaced or rejuvenated. Money pit, thy name is Corvette…
@Creature- You must be skilled and enjoy working on the car as there is no other reason to restore a 1977 Corvette. Any and all costs are well and truly sunk as you have noted.
I’ll take torquey cars over high hp any day. My 81 Vette has the “anemic” 190 hp 350 which is laughably “underpowered” by any modern car standards. Yet it still pushes you back into the seat firmly and it would be hard to beat it off the line til 30 mph, especially if you have to corner right away, therefore doing a left turn at a light it’s “unbeatable” lol. Thing is, I do a lot more left turns at lights than straight line drag races, so it’s definitely a fun driver.
Looks like he stopped at Maaco on the way home, I doubt that car was painted in ’86… and to say that car has only 24k miles on it is umm, disingenuous at best. That being said its bid up to $9100 but still below the reserve. Good luck.
This time around, the current bidding has it at $8500 after 28 paddle raises. No reserve, so I’m wondering it it will get to or exceed the prior bidding level?
At least take it off the trailer…..
Nobody likes a flipper
Ugly interior colors. That doesn’t match.
Agreed. I’d swap it to red. Possibly red leather. That would be sharp.
It has been repainted, it came from the factory in Orange.
Why the 454 isnt making 396 HP the Chevelle SS made 4 years earlier?
The big blocks are the ones its sitting on?
A lot of government regulations related to pollution in 4 years.
I thought that everyone agrees that if the odometer digits don’t align as shown in this car, the odometer has been “tinkered” with??
Overpriced pos. Flipper good luck.
The ad has ended, so it’s a mute issue at the moment. Just to remember though this was right before OPEC and the gas lines of 74. That thing would have been thirsty so one reason to park it.
Black with brown interior seams odd.