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Cheap Corvette: 1975 Chevrolet Corvette

This 1975 Chevrolet Corvette has been parked in its current location for the past 8-years. and in that time, it has slowly become surrounded (and in some cases covered) with all manner of odds and ends. The owner has decided that enough is enough, and so has decided to part with the car. It is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. The price for the Corvette has been set at $3,500 OBO.

The owner of the Corvette states that the car has a solid frame, but that the radiator support has been replaced. It isn’t clear why this work was performed, but couple this with the fact that the sale includes a new radiator still in the box and the fact that the owner also says that the car will need a new front bumper cover, all suggests that the Corvette may have suffered some form of accident damage at some point. The hood has also been removed from the car, but I can catch a glimpse of it leaning against the garage wall in one photo. The rest of the car and the paint actually looks like it is in pretty fair condition, so maybe it won’t need much in the way of work to the panels or paint.

The interior of the Corvette features the optional Custom Trim, finished in Saddle. The leather on the seats is looking dirty and cracked, but these might be able to be restored without having to resort to replacement. There are a few cracked and broken pieces of plastic trim, the most notable of these being the floor console. The door trims look like they will need at least a really good clean, while the factory radio is also missing. However, the car does feature air conditioning, power windows, and a tilt/telescopic wheel.

Under the hood of the Corvette, we find a 350ci V8 engine, 3-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. It isn’t clear which version of the 350 this car is fitted with, but the good news is that the engine does start and run. Obviously, there will be some work required before the car is ready to return to the road after 8-years, but at least the next owner will be starting from a known base.

It is definitely possible to buy a 1975 Corvette for under $10,000 these days, but the vast majority of these will require some fairly reasonable restoration work to return them to a decent state. It is also possible to buy some running, driving examples that only require some very minor work for around the $12,000 mark. This Corvette does need some work, but if it is as solid as the owner tends to indicate, then it represents a potentially cheap project car. If you are the sort of person who is quite “hands-on,”  and are willing to undertake the majority of the labor on the car yourself, there is no reason why this Corvette couldn’t be a financially viable project car.

Comments

  1. Avatar Tom Member

    IF it runs and the paint is restorable, more importantly the bird cage and other rust prone areas are good, it might be worth it. As a master detailer, white paint that has been neglected usually never works out really well.

    No HP, automatic, not a great resale color, especially the tan interior, makes this car unattractive, again, in my opinion.

    Interior is rough, few pictures means more that will need to be done in my book. For instance, center console is badly cracked. I am sure THAT list going to get long on this car BECAUSE it looks like it was just not well cared for….which is never good on every level.

    Like 2
  2. Avatar ccrvtt

    Tom (above) obviously knows what he’s talking about, but color (outside & inside) is often a matter of taste. The good news is that most of the interior is available from Mid America or Corvette Central. The bad news is that it’s a bit pricey when you need to buy a lot.

    This would have to be a labor of love but it looks like a talented amateur could do a lot of the work. If the birdcage/rust issues are minimal most of the drivetrain & chassis parts are still available from Advance or O’Reilly’s or Auto Zone.

    I’m fine with the luggage rack, though a lot of other people find it offensive. I like the ducktail spoiler treatment and the flying buttress recessed rear window. It deserves to be put back together.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Bakyrdhero

      I’ve always liked these C3’s, but barn finds is slowly pulling back the curtain on them for me.

      Like 2
      • Avatar YooperMike

        I understand what you’re saying. So few “Barn Finds” and more used cars. Love the C-4 myself.

        Like 1
      • Avatar Bakyrdhero

        Don’t get me wrong, I like the used cars that pop up here. The everyday appliances that aren’t seen very often anymore. With the C3’s though, I’ve seen so many here ridden hard an put away wet and not worth the cost of restoration.

        Like 2
  3. Avatar rpol35

    The engine is the 165 HP L48 variant, the second least powerful Corvette ever made, coming in just behind the ’53-’55 Blue Flame six cylinder model. It is connected, however, to the famed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission, more than is needed for this engine, but a nice inclusion nevertheless.

    Unless you really, really want a Corvette on the cheap, I’d pass on this one; there are others available as project cars that are a better starting point.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Angrymike

      Small blocks are the easiest to put so power into, a set of heads, a cam and an aluminum intake with a Holley and this would be quite “woke” ! The auto is a bummer, but these are so easy to make work real well. This would be a fun project !

      Like 0
  4. Avatar George mattar

    Every front bumper on 73 to 79 Corvette self destructs by itself. I have a 73. Installed fiberglass one. Far superior and better fit. The center console is like $75 from Corvette America. But the seat covers are junk and likely the seat foam just from age. There is another $650 for covers and $225 for foam. And they are a pain in the butt to install. Tom the detailed is correct. I professionally detail cars and white rarely turns out well at this age. You can buy a much better 75 than this for about $7,000. Why buy this?

    Like 3
  5. Avatar Classic Steel

    I agree on the neoprene or rubber
    bumpers as they dried up and cracked and fell off these models. I had two 74 verts in the past and each was cracked all over and missing chunks in spots.

    To the person who loves to work on them this might be their car to drop a LS engine in and modify to the car they want. These are the less desirable 74+ models.
    I am a purist on most vettes but one in
    pieces and not desirable then one should have at it their way…

    Like 2
  6. Avatar ACZ

    What year did Chevy start using a TH350 with the base engine in a Vette?
    A Connecticut car with a solid frame & cage (especially the windshield frame) ? You really have to see that to believe it. Good project car, provided you look closely first.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Del

    What would a wrecking company pay for one of these ?

    Like 2

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