The C3 Chevy Corvette would have a record sales year in 1969. At nearly 39,000 cars, that would be a number not beaten until 1976. One of the engine options offered was the L71 427 cubic inch V8 that produced 435 hp. The good news is that the seller says this ‘Vette is one of 2,722 built with one that year, but the bad news is that the engine is long gone, and the vehicle is now a roller. If this is a convertible you’d like to restore, you’ll find it in Jackson, New Jersey, and here on eBay where the reserve is unmet at $8,300.
A UAW strike in 1969 extended production by two months, so that’s partly why Corvette sales were up 10,000 units that year. Convertibles – like the seller’s edition – comprised 43% of the cars sold as the coupe slowly became more popular. The L71 427 was the most powerful Chevy engine in 1969 and its output of more than one horsepower per cubic inch was attributable to Tri-Power carburetion. Only about 6% of the Corvettes built came with that fire-breather and it’s a shame this car lost this knuckle-buster.
We’re told this Corvette has “all of the telltale signs” that this was an L71 Chevy, but the seller doesn’t elaborate on what he/she means. Perhaps the key lies in some of the close-up photos the seller provides, but there is no mention of any documentation that will prove it. The fiberglass body seems fine, and the seller says the frame is “super solid” with no rot (really, what about the floorboard on the driver’s side?). The reported color is Monaco Orange, but it’s more like Faded Red now. The hood has been modified from stock.
While there are no seats in the car, the seller has them along with the factory Rally wheels. The Chevrolet seems to be rolling on Corvette wheels from about a decade later. The title is clean, and the trim tag is in place, though a photo of it may help in determining what’s here and what isn’t. If this was a real-deal L71 car, would you opt to locate one and include it in your restoration?
With only a 6% chance of it being a real L71 car, and no engine or documentation whatsoever, there’s a roughly 150% chance that this absolutely was NOT an L71 car. Almost certainly just another in a long line of unverifiable claims.
Terrible pics, one kind of underneath shot looked pretty bad for rust. Almost certainly not a real deal 427 or proof would be shown.
Check the caps on the half shafts on the differential, they are different then a small block, look for a single 3/8 fuel line, check the tach it’s different, finally look for the sway bar, small blocks didn’t have them. This should let you know if it’s a true 427.
Looks like the right tach for a 435 horse.
The vin number should tell you what engine it should have.
Not on a 1969 Corvette it doesn’t, hence the question of originality.
Another , YOUSTABEE !!!
If you look close at the pics on ebay there’s one that shows there’s definitely a motor in that car which means he took the motor out either for something else or he knew the body was to rough to fix. Either way, It had a motor in it and now it doesn’t. Another “Lets try and make more money by taking the car apart” kind of things. Sad these people won’t just leave the stock cars “STOCK!!”.
I seem to have seen that ugly hood somewhere else, before. Is that a Motion piece.
1969 production ran through the end of 1969, 4 months, not 2, longer due to the strike.
One way to tell a 427 69 Vette is an electronic ignition module was mounted on the core supports, I had a 69 coupe that had that module and still had the 4 speed Muncie as well, no other paperwork, can’t complain it was only $800 back in 2009. The big blocks also had a different fuel line and tachometer I believe. It does say 435 on the shift console data plate of this one,
its showing SOLD at $11k.
The aluminum slotted wheels are Corvette wheels, but not a decade later, they actually came out in 1973. The 1978 Indy Pace car had these wheels with a redline on them. I have a project 1970 convertible similar to this, and it has the original 8×15 Ralleys, and I also have a set of these slotted aluminum wheels to replace them, these wheels look great on a C3 Vette. I would go for a 427 if I could find one, but a 454 would also be a good replacement. If money was no object, I’d put in a 427 7.0L LS7 V8 engine as found in the 2006-2013 C6 Z06 with a 6 speed. There’s currently a 1970 454 in a Maryland salvage yard for $2k, and ten Z06 427s from $8500 to $16k.
Same seller as the other decrepit Vette on a trailer, I believe.
They must have stumbled upon a Corvette graveyard, should have left well enough alone.
writer, i believe the floorboards are glass
All these “experts”, as someone who owns multiple big block vettes and has done frame offs, 1976 was first year of the steel floor. Looks like a piece of old glued carpet maybe? Fiberglass usually does not rot.