Sitting next to another “Vette” in storage, this 1974 Chevrolet Corvette seems to just need a good clean and some touch up paint to try to rekindle some of its 70s & 80s glory (check out that rear spoiler!) The car is located in Dearborn Heights, Michigan and is listed for sale here on eBay. There’s no reserve, and with bidding just over $3,000 as I write someone might get a bargain!
With metallic paint, chrome aftermarket wheels, raised white letter tires and a substantial rear spoiler this C3 Corvette makes a statement. Now that statement might be “I never left the 80s behind!” but you have to admit it’s striking.
The seller is quite enthusiastic about the car: “…car runs & drives fantastic, trans is flawless, needs new flywheel and starter installed. I have the new parts; the old original starter gave out from the new motor, upon inspection I noticed a couple teeth missing from the flywheel so I purchased new flywheel and starter.” They also suggest that the Dayton wire wheels are factory; I don’t think any C3 left the factory on wire wheels but I’ll be happy to listen to you if you think I’m wrong.
The interior actually looks pretty nice although the seat is either covered with red paint overspray from a previous paint job or was dyed from another color in the first place. I think that’s the center to one of the wire wheels on the passenger seat. The car is also “numbers matching” according to the seller.
The seller also tells us that they had the engine rebuilt about one and a half years ago and it’s covered about 1000 miles since then. The engine was over bored and roller rockers and lifters were installed. I’m somewhat surprised that the engine needed boring considering the seller has stated that the car has less than 75,000 miles. What do you think, readers? Is this a way to recapture your youth? Or has time passed it by? And what’s the car on the left in the pictures (I have what I think it is, but let’s see if I’m right)?
“seems to just need a good clean and some touch up paint”, I don’t agree. Looking at where the paint is peeling around the headlight door and the back of the hood, as well as the crack in the left sail panel, and what appears to be bubbles in the paint on the fenders and quarters, I’d say it needs to be stripped and painted. It looks to me that it has way to many coats of lacquer on it, and would need to be stripped before repainting.
The interior was obviously dyed black. Besides the red showing on the seats, it can be seen on the seat belt buckle cover, on the steering wheel hub, where the steering column meets the dash and in the folds of the dash map pocket.
I’ve had 74’s and like them, but at $3,750 (the current bid), that’s about all I would give for this car. By the time you strip and paint it, do the interior, and fix what ever other issues it probably has, you could buy a nicer car needing nothing. Interestingly, the VIN indicates this was a base L-48 350, but the console data plate is for a 350 L-82, though the plates are easy to change.
The first thing whoever buys this car should do, is put a fan shroud on it. Early Corvettes tend to run hot, and without a fan shroud they will almost always over heat.
“gbvette62”
I’m guessing that it was once white w a red interior.
I’ve never been a fan of “re-dyed” interiors w a color change, as they only seem to look good for the first month of use.
& same goes for the exterior, IF you are gonna change the exterior color than you’d better do a really thorough prep to ensure a good bonding base, otherwise you’ll soon be revealing the old color as you new “quickie” paint job begins to chip & peel. :-(
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Probably not a bad car for someone with some repaint skills. Sand it down, fix the bodywork flaws, redye (or replace) the interior, replace the starter, eventually replace the flywheel, & you’ll have a nice car. (“Whew! I got tired just TYPING that to do list! :-P )
After review of the interior pics I feel like the red that we see is from a buffing compound? Red seems to appear in cracks or crevices and not so much where your 501 jeans are rubbing across as you are entering or exiting the car. Which would be wearing off the black dye job. Doesn’t explain the seat belt. Without actually touching or looking up close I think it’s possible that someone was just piggy and had been compounding an adjoining vehicle or perhaps this one. I think we’ve all witnessed the after effects of an uncaring or oblivious service person. Just a thought.
I think the most valuable car pictured is the RWD Corolla beside the Vette (seriously).
I’m a GM/Vette guy but would predict this car is a can of worms. IMO lots of red flags.
I spy a Chevette and a mid eighties Nova. In auto mechanics back in high school we had a guy come in for service with a mint 86 Nova. Mint and it had 225k on it as I remember. I’ve heard several stories of those cars closing in on 300k. Toyota motor of course!
Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t putting a plastic sheet over a car the fastest way to totally ruin the paint job, or is that an “old wives tale”?
Milt, yes, IF it traps moisture underneath.
In this case it looks like the garage/shop is a mostly dry environment & the Seller is simply trying to limit the dust/dirt (perhaps it is a dry but dusty shop?) from falling/accumulating on his cars.
Besides, it is mostly fiberglass on the upper surfaces, so that helps too.
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Which raises another point of caution.
These C3 Vettes had a LOT of sheetmetal in the cabin structure (a-pillars, b-pillars/roll-hoop, floors, door inners, etc. Given that it IS located in MI (a state notorious for road-salt corrosion) I’d be certain to inspect these metal areas.
(That said, I have a very nice, low-mileage C3 (’80 or ’81?) that I bought in MI & it is in near mint condition. The prior owner only drove it in the “summer months”, which is pretty common in MI also.) :-)
It needs a starter and a FLYWHEEL, but it runs and drives perfect. Sure, ok.
Grant,
He didn’t say that it STARTS perfect!! :-P
I ran a Ferrari for a whole summer once with the same issues , bad starter and teeth missing on flywheel , but there were always people about who would help a Ferrari owner in ( financial ) distress .
Never put a vehicle under anything that won’t breathe. Even a cloth cover, if left outside, traps dust and moisture and sands the paint job in a breeze, not to mention the potential for mold. If you get it out of the sun, wash it once in a while and it should last a long time without a cover.
Owned a 74 and and was a great car. Years later I bought a 77 that’s strikingly similar to this one. Bought on Ebay from a private seller from Detroit, it had a really bad repaint that was metallic burgundy over the original blue and the blue interior was painted black. This was not mentioned in the sellers description but I knew it was not original color but not as bad is was. Not good decision on my part!
If it’s an original Michigan car, you better take a look at the frame. Also keep in mind that the cost of Corvette interior parts are outrageous.
Look, I just “found” this Vette in my barn. Oh yeah, I forgot that I rebuilt the motor a year and a half ago.
Silly me.