It looks like this garage find 1954 Chevrolet Corvette has already been found and recently auctioned off for $52,000 after having been stored for 51 years! The current seller is now trying to make a quick turnaround and has it listed here on eBay. The buy it now is $54,000, so I don’t see them making a killing on the car! Thanks to Ricky M. for this fantastic plastic find! The car is in Atlanta, Georgia (where I’m heading tomorrow).
Although there’s no caption to this effect, it looks like the seller cleaned off half of the car before taking this picture. I thought it was interesting that the $54,000 price is almost 19-1/2 times the 1954 list price of $2,774 ($26,078 in 2018 dollars when accounting for inflation). So you are still paying double the value of the car when new for this unrestored version.
The underside looks pretty sound apart from the two patched mufflers. But if you want a perfect car, you’re still going to have to pull the body off the frame, get rid of the surface corrosion and paint it.
According to the listing, the car comes with this “rare” aftermarket hardtop.
I would actually enjoy spending an afternoon or two getting this interior cleaned up. I’m pretty comfortable agreeing that the 47,333 miles showing is the original mileage.
The Blue Flame six is intact and looks like it wouldn’t take much to get it running. The car “turns and fires” (I’m guessing that means it doesn’t stay running) and I hope it doesn’t need much to keep it going. Would you like to be the person that gives this Corvette a sympathetic refurbishment to get it back on the road?
To high of a starting price as paint will just shy of 13 grand..and paying for frame off is 35 plus .. but definitely a cool car. I am betting it’s a fuel issue stemming from a rusted tank. I would hook up a one gallon garden tractor gas tank to the fuel line above the carbs using gravity feed to see if it runs by itself (after new plugs and points etc) to rule out gummed up carbs from fuel sitting and drying .
A frame off would be great to stop the surface rust …
When you realize you paid to much and are just trying to break even…….
This is a near perfect example of a car calling out for a light handed, sympathetic restoration. Does the world need anymore frame off restored Corvettes? Maybe, but certainly not when they start out in this condition.
Steve R
Great year if I do say so myself………..not much fun to drive though….kind of like a tractor………but great styling.
You’re right about that. Great to look at but horrible things to drive.
Maybe underpowered with the 6 and auto, but C1’s on modern radial tires drive quite nice IMO.
Larger folks may opt for the 2” shorter steering columns of the 58-62.. but otherwise relatively comfortable too.
The old Blu flame
There’s probably some Bondo in the body. Wait…the body is made of Bondo!
Not to say it ISN’T valuable, but IMO the buyer overpaid for this tired Vette. I would expect to pay around $25k for it as it sits. This one will require a bit of $$$ to poured into it before it sees the roads again.
The seller is flipping it for a mere $2k profit? Something a bit off there. That barely covers his costs to get it. My guess is whatever ailment caused this Vette to be parked at 47k outweighed it’s value. Tread carefully around this one.
It seems more like someone that is in over their head either project wise or financially. A flipper would be seeking a higher profit.
Steve R
Nice. Already Boxed for Xmas too 😚
Rookie flipper learns Lesson #1 the hard way.
This was featured here on 10/14:
https://barnfinds.com/parked-for-53-years-update-1954-chevrolet-corvette/
Yep….like a nice girl….you’d really like taking out the other one….
Car, worth more than barn it was found In!
This car is an excellent example of what a corvette should be! I am curious as to what the heck all those studs are sticking up all over the dashboard?
Tonneau cover fasteners?
Okay thanks for the info! I just didn’t remember them on the corvettes back then! I wonder if they are dealer install or a accessorie?
I lived very close to where this car resided for 50+ years [Hampstead, Maryland, near the PA/MD line]. It was inside a single car garage, covered by an OD green army tarp. The closest I ever came to seeing the car was to peer inside the garage door windows, but all I could see was the tarp with the outline of the car underneath.
I was told at the time, the owner of the property had died and the house & contents were sold in one lot, and the buyer didn’t know about the car in the garage.