“America’s Sports Car” – the Chevrolet Corvette – went into the 1959 model year largely unchanged. It sprouted quad headlights the year before and several versions of the 283 cubic inch V8 were offered to power the hot little car. 9,670 copies were built in ’59 and 4,175 of them had a 4-speed manual transmission, as is the case with the seller’s Corvette project. We say this is a project as the seller (a dealer) does not refer to the vehicle’s running condition.
Demand for the Corvette increased yearly after the dismal start of just 4,460 copies in 1953, 1954, and 1955 combined. What turned the tide was the availability (finally!) of a V8 engine and something other than a 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. Also, the styling was updated in 1957 and that look would carry the first generation through to the “C2” Corvettes that came along in 1963.
We’re not sure what to make of the seller’s ‘Vette. While it’s painted black, there are traces of either red paint or primer in the interior on the floorboards and rocker panels. Is that indicative of rust in the undercarriage as fiberglass was still the primary component in the body panels? This Corvette has the optional hardtop since the only body style offered was a convertible. The indicated mileage is 68,589 and is said to be exempt due to the age of the Chevy.
We assume there’s a 283 V8 under the hood, but no discussion is made of the powerplant. And which version is there because no less than five choices were available including dual carburetors and fuel injection. The seller describes this ‘Vette as being a “perfect candidate for a restoration or restomod” and the car wears old-school mag wheels (wider rims and tires in the back). With a clear title, this vintage Chevy is in Wylie, Texas, and is offered here on eBay for $35,000 OBO. What would be your preference as to reviving this hot rod?
The ask might be within reason if it was a surviving 60’s style hot rod. But the performance parts on this car are what you’d expect someone to use when modifying their pickup in the mid-80’s or early-90’s. Once you get past the dish mags, the potential for this car to exude much charm doesn’t exist in its current condition.
Steve R
Haven’t we seen this car before? The inner door panels look like they spent some time under water. They just don’t blow up like that normally. Would go underneath for a look see before going any further with this one. 35K seems like a lot for a car needing a complete restoration.
Notice the red awning the car is partially parked under casting a red shadow over the car and interior.
The car looks like a badass and possibly roller rockers n cam considering those tall valve covers
The interior: yuck
Exterior: body and paint is going to be easy
Mechanical: unknown (but its just a smallblock chevy how easy is that?)
Chassis: in person inspection
This is how a lot of these old Corvettes looked like in the 70’s. Guys could afford them, and the purists weren’t around to gasp and clutch their pearls, when you put on the big and littles, and swapped out the engine.
Yeah … I bought a ’61 with a 283, 2-4bbl, four-speed for $1200 … everything worked … one of the fastest cars I owned … not really good for Chicago winters … traded it even for a three-speed ’55TBird with a hard top … the things we did back then …
Forgot to mention that was in 1974 … hard to afford that car today … if we only knew what we had …
I can’t caution enough about fiberglass this old especially in a sunbaked hot climate.
Though they say they give an accurate description, there is none.
Purchase price= $35,000 Parts to repair/replace/restore= $10 to $25,000= You are underwater. Even if one were to do all the work themselves, (and that would take someone with some pretty serious skills) you’re looking at 500 to 2,000 hours. I am not only a huge Corvette fan, but I am also a lifelong owner. That being said, this is not worth it.
Charles J the seller obviously discovered that and decided to pass that on to the next person.
I believe that you are exactly right. I hate to admit it, but I have been there, done that. Bought a car convinced that I could make it a really nice runner, only to find that my expectations fat exceeded my financial situation.
The seller is a dealer, he never intended to fix it up. He posts a weekly video on YouTube every Fridays which shows him traveling throughout the country buying cars, mostly projects. Each video gets several hundred thousand views. His eBay store often has a dozen or more cars for sale. It looks familiar and might have been featured on his channel recently, but I don’t watch it enough to be sure.
Steve R
If there is any indication what you are in for with this one just look at the engine bay nothing is right under that hood. What a cobbled mess that is. To restore this car will be a small fortune if that is a desire. You will have to tear this one completely down to find out what you have. I am restoring a 62 and it is not an easy thing to do. There is no way I could start off paying 35,000 for this one. It will need a lot to bring this one around
Spoken like a man who has been there and done that!
Go by the pictures. Don’t trust anything any classic car “dealer” has to say. First hand inspection only! I’d pretty much leave it alone. Redo the interior and have fun driving it.
Not everyone is after an award winning stock restoration, some just want an old Corvette that needs a little bit here & there & are handy enough to do it themselves. A safe good performing C1 for sunny weekend cruises. And to the author, the styling was updated in 1956 , not 1957 .
Somone is still looking at minimum $50,000 to even get this car to “weekend fun” status, (and $15,000 comes and goes fairly quickly) As I said, I have been there, and the amount of so-called nickel and dime parts that one begins spending money on is something one has to experience to understand. I dropped nearly $60,000, (purchase price and parts) into a semi rough ’64 365 horse roadster before I realized that I was still probably 10 to 15 grand away from it being a nice driver. Hell, a good paint job for this thing would run $10,000.
Don’t forget the other possible cost, payments interest insurance registration storage maintenance warranty etc
This car is NOT a good candidate for restoration. I’m having a hard time finding any reason for someone to buy it unless they want a bare body (that’s been hit) with a clear title.
You can probably find a nicely restored base-engine ’59 for less than the cost of making this car reliable, pretty, and safe. Hard pass.
It can’t be just me that thinks that these TV celebrity on-line sellers (Dennis Collins in this case, but also Mark Worman of GYC) always overcharge for their EBay vehicles.
I guess that you are supposed to be impressed that these guys have put their names on the stuff (mostly junk they don’t want to deal with) they sell.
I completely disagree with you about Mark Workman. He is almost always upfront about the car’s he puts up for sale.
That doesn’t mean that the prices he advertises ion EBay aren’t inflated, which was my point.
Would have been better left RED. And whose been messing with the front grille?
More dealer cars featured here but then they pay for it. Dennis just needs to put it on BAT with no reserve like he does often.
nearly all of the 55 corvettes were equipped with the v8. The manual was offered as well. I think that roll up windows and a lower price had much to do with the corvette sales increase in 56.
Thats NOT rust nor red paint ! Notice the red awning the car is parked under . That red is even showing on the ground