Here’s a question for you to ponder. Imagine that it’s 1967, and you have enough money to walk into your local Chevrolet dealership and drive away in a shiny new Corvette Convertible. You then drive it normally, but before the decade is out, you place it into storage. You don’t leave it in hiding for months or years, but you measure the time in decades. Could you do it, or is your level of self-control in those sorts of scenarios as low as mine? That is the story behind this Corvette, and I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Boot for spotting this classic survivor for us. The owner has decided that the time has come to part with the Corvette, so he has listed it for sale here at Hemmings. It is located in Hoschton, Georgia, and the owner has set a sale price of $69,999. However, like so many things in life, this figure is negotiable.

When I looked at this Corvette, I admit that I struggled to decide exactly how to categorize it. The car isn’t an amazingly preserved time capsule, nor is it an original and unmolested survivor. The Goodwood Green paint is largely original, although the owner does note some past repaint work in one spot. It holds a respectable shine, but it also has plenty of the minor marks, chips, peeling, and checking that you might expect after 54-years. The Black soft-top appears to be new, but the hardtop is said to be original. The passenger side front bumper is slightly bent, while a couple of the others and the Rally wheels show some corrosion and deterioration. However, when we delve below the surface, we reach one aspect of the vehicle that has caused the struggle that I mentioned earlier. It seems that the owner has had the body lifted from the frame. There must have been some corrosion on the frame because this has now been soda blasted and repainted before the body was reattached using all new hardware. From my perspective, that transforms the Corvette from an original survivor to one that has undergone minor and essential restoration work.

The Corvette is a numbers-matching classic that features the standard 300hp version of the 327ci V8, a 4-speed manual transmission, a 3.36 Posi rear end, and power steering. That combination would have been capable of launching the Convertible through the ¼ mile in 14.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 131mph. It seems that the original owner only accumulated around 25,000 miles behind the wheel of the ‘Vette before he parked it in the late 1960s. It didn’t turn a wheel or fire a shot until the current owner unearthed it in 2016. Naturally, the revival process wasn’t a simple matter of dropping in a fresh battery and pouring some fuel down the carburetor. It was a bit more involved than that. Every aspect of this classic’s drivetrain, suspension, and braking system was rebuilt, with the owner retaining as many of the original components as was humanly possible. The original exhaust was not viable, but the original battery is among the collection of removed components included with the car. The owner says that the Corvette now drives as well as it would have in 1967, which means that it is ready to hit the road with a new owner. Since the work was completed, the vehicle hasn’t done much work, with the odometer still showing less than 26,000 miles. As part of the sale, the buyer will receive some interesting documentation. This includes the original Tank Sticker, Owner’s Manual, and Protect-O-Plate.

One aspect of the Corvette that has remained untouched since it emerged from hiding is the interior. The owner has had it cleaned, but that’s it. There has been no restoration work performed, and the only items replaced have been things like globes for the lights. It is upholstered in Black vinyl, and the condition of all of the upholstered surfaces are consistent with the Corvette’s odometer reading. The carpet shows some fading, and there’s some wear on the trim surrounding the shifter, but otherwise, the condition is pretty impressive. The original owner didn’t load the interior with optional extras. The AM/FM radio seems to be the sole nod to luxury, but at $172.75, it was by no means a cheap choice. That brings me to one tiny slice of trivia to think about. When you consider the cost of the radio, that makes the idea of upgrading from the standard engine to the L79 version seem like a bargain. It brought an additional 50hp to the table and cost a mere $105.35. If I’d been the buyer in 1967, I know which I would’ve chosen. I’d grab the extra ponies and sing to myself as I traveled the country’s highways and byways.

This 1967 Corvette Convertible isn’t perfect. In fact, it is a long way from being perfect. However, it is a classic that has been revived after nearly five decades in hiding. Any work that has been performed would probably come under the heading of essential maintenance and preservation. That raises the question of what the buyer might choose to do with the car once they park it in their garage. The current owner has addressed all of its pressing issues, making it a safe and structurally sound vehicle that can be enjoyed immediately. If you were to buy it, would you do that, or would you be unable to resist the urge to treat it to further restoration work? I can honestly say that I don’t know what path I would follow. Do you?