Although seeing a desirable classic that its owner has left to rust and deteriorate beyond the point of no return is sad, finding one that has fallen victim to accident damage is no less heartbreaking. That has been the fate of this 1969 Corvette Convertible. It needs a new owner willing and able to perform a revival, but that person needs to complete some homework first. The accident damage means the seller supplies it with a “Salvage” title, which the seller indicates might have ramifications down the track. It is listed here on eBay in Granite City, Illinois. They’ve set their BIN at $13,900, and twenty-three people are watching the listing.
Although the driver’s side shots of this Riverside Gold Corvette provide some indications of the trauma it has suffered, the passenger-side ones make your eyes water. The story behind the accident damage is unclear, but the car must have presented well before the irresistible force encountered the immovable object. The paint and undamaged panels look above average, while the Black soft-top has no glaring faults or issues. The trim is in good order, as are the Rally wheels. The side exhaust adds a touch of purpose, and the Convertible’s small-block must have sounded wonderful exhaling through it. I’ve skirted around the accident damage, but a few issues require consideration. This Corvette needs a new front clip, hood, bumper, at least one headlamp door, and miscellaneous trim pieces. The comprehensive list could significantly diminish the new owner’s bank account. However, those are only cosmetic considerations. I don’t think the accident was a heavy one, but there’s no indication whether there could be underlying damage to the frame or other structural components. Only an in-person inspection could confirm this, and it is a strategy I would highly recommend in this situation. If there are no issues, a competent new owner might be capable of performing many of the required repairs in a home workshop to help minimize the costs.
The seller indicates this Corvette’s engine bay houses a 350ci V8 that sends its power to the road via a four-speed manual transmission. Chevrolet increased its small-block capacity from 327ci in 1969, offering two versions of the new 350 for Corvette buyers. The entry-level ZQ3 produced a healthy 300hp, while the optional L46 put 350hp at the driver’s disposal. Although I can’t be entirely sure, my instincts tell me this car is 1-of-12,846 equipped with the L46. At $131.65 over the sticker price, it represented a worthwhile investment chosen by more than 33% of buyers that year. It endowed the ‘Vette with the ability to cover the ¼-mile in 14.2 seconds and gave it a top speed of 142mph. It appears that this engine bay is missing a few items, like the ignition shield, and the air cleaner is an aftermarket item. The seller indicates that although this car isn’t roadworthy, it runs and drives. It is unclear whether the impact damaged any mechanical components or other items, but it is another aspect of this classic requiring further investigation.
One area of this Corvette which poses a mystery is its interior. It is trimmed in Black vinyl, and the upholstery condition looks acceptable for a driver-grade vehicle. However, someone has commenced dismantling the interior, and it appears it lacks a few critical items. The door trims are gone, as is most of the passenger-side dash assembly. The wheel center is missing, and we can add a few console items to the list. None of these components appear in the supplied photos, so it would be safest to assume they are not included. That means that the interior shopping list will be nearly as long as that for the body components.
Chevrolet had a hit on its hand with the 1969 Corvette, and by the end of the year, 38,462 people had spent their cash on one. It represented a record figure that was not surpassed until 1975. The high production total has not adversely impacted prices in the current market, with values continuing to climb steadily. This car requires plenty of TLC to return to active duty, but the salvage title might raise questions in the minds of some. Do you feel that way, or are you tempted to give this classic a second chance at life?
I’m wondering if it is a theft recovery.
Somebody got an azz chewin’, I bet. Now son, be careful with my car,,yeah, yeah, wow this is fun,,,oh, oh,,
Howard A this has to be your shortest comment I’ve ever !
Isatso?
“Isatso?” LOL, Howard out did himself.
This is the kind of car and damage that we did in our restoration shop. Fiberglass parts were readily available and we had a frame machine if there was damage to undercarriage parts. It was fun to be able to repair cars like this and hand them back to the owners in as new condition. The money was good but the big smiles were much better.
@bobhess- Back when I was doing a lot of NCRS judging, a front clip was an issue and we would check for evidence of the bonding strips as proof of originality and check for screws or rivets inside the fenders.
Frank, I was wondering how thorough NCRS judging got.
When I had my ’70, I got up under the front cowl and found (IIRC) a “Rockwell Automation” sticker attached to the inside of the nose. I also found grease pencil markings on the upper inner fenders. The bonding strips were plainly visible.
Agree with bobhess, frame straighten this one (if needed), source a replacement front clip (shouldn’t be hard to find), and get this one back on the road!
I’ve understood a salvage title isn’t the end of the world, and some red tape “footwork” probably will be required, but it does run and drive, and looks to have been cared for a decent amount.
I am thinking $13,900 is a pretty fair deal (without having stood in front of the car)…73k mileage is on the low side given its 53 years old.
Food for thought, this may have been someone’s in process restoration, and was in an accident during a shakedown/test run….hmmm
Always fun trying to figure out a cars story and history!
Best of luck to the new owner! 👍
yea I’m sure that a good corvette guy could fix this one nicely, or a gearhead could make a project out of it. Helped a guy fix one like this, helped him glue the nose on. Think the missing items can be had. Least its not a 68 which had a lot of one year only parts. I imagine the guy got paid by ins and wants to squeeze more coin out of it. Good luck if you choose to take it on!
Cheers
GPC
This is one I would like to see as it gets put back together. If it gets put back together.
Whenever I see a car for sale like this one in a shop, with all the tools to make things right but they’re still selling the car, it makes me realize that I need to back away and find something else.
Jus’ sayin’ …
Check the seller’s other items. Looks like they specialize in repairable vehicles, classic and current.
Yes, and 1,255 items listed.
I feel the same way,why would someone let the interior get taken apart, I for sure would have put the missing pieces up. Good luck to both parties.
Vettekart, anyone?
Too good for Vette Kart, Go with
a glue on nose.
Pretty sure the frame is tweaked, not saying it can’t be repaired. Looking at the rear picture and front shot. Just gluing a clip on it probably won’t do it.
$13K for a salvage title? Considerable damage to this one.
I’d think long and hard and have an expert examine the vehicle before spending $$$ on buying it.
The more you look at the pictures, the more damage you see. Basically that whole body is tweaked. And I’ll bet there’s alot more damage hiding under the body.
Howard’s commitment to less bloviation is inspiring.
$13,900 is way too expensive for this 1969 WRECKED SALVAGE TITLE small block no option Corvette convertible.
Maybe half that!
Buying a good used set of side pipe covers alone will cost you $2,000+ not counting a new front-end, all the other work, paint, body and detailing needed to bring it back.
At that point you STILL have a salvaged title to deal with!
Kinda like the folks who paid almost $20K for my wife’s burnt up small block automatic 1967 Corvette 2 years ago. Way too much! If her car was a bargain I would have bought it back from insurance.
The last time her burnt up Corvette came up for sale again with MORE PARTS MISSING the seller said NO TITLE as it was an insurance total. That was BS! As it had a SALVAGE TITLE when it sold the first time.
Say whatever you need to say to “Gitter Sold”!
Been restoring for people over 35 years. Some say money doesn’t matter, sorry but a deal like this is going to cost a lot more than buying a clean and restorable 69 . At the end of the day she’ll still have that salvage title and so many questions surrounding how bad it was smashed. Maybe $5000-$6000 maybe..
Glue er back together,keep it and drive the snot out of it ,,good winter project,I even as a Mopar guy love chrome bumper vetts
This being a car from Illinois, I’d be more concerned with rust and rot in the usual C3 places more than a possible slight pull to set the frame straight. Branded titles don’t scare me, but the rest of the world seems run from them. Consider resale prices and bid accordingly.
Frame is definitely tweaked, looks like the right front is twisted. Frankly I’m amazed the windshield is intact. Looking at the interior, the alignment of the radio and HVAC controls show that the tweaking goes beyond the front clip. It’s something that a good frame mechanic could probably straighten, but whatever else is associated with it makes me worry. If it can be straightened out, it looks like it would be a really pretty car once it’s done