Low Mileage Widebody: 1980 Chevrolet Corvette

This 1980 Chevrolet Corvette is a low mileage example that began the process of a widebody conversion but has stalled at the paint and final assembly phase. The kit looks like the familiar Can- Am package, which is well known throughout the world of C3 owners given its ties to the original design by Greenwood. The seller contends that the paper trail and the odometer back up the low mileage claims, and that there’s no rust on the birdcage or anywhere, for that matter. The interior features custom touches as well, from digital gauges to a subwoofer enclosure. This C3 appears to have been someone’s potential show car, and the seller claims he’s just never going to get around to finishing it. Find the Corvette here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $4,995. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Larry D. for the find. 

The seller also mentions that he represents a professional bodyshop and that the widebody assembly was done at a high level, and not just thrown together by a couple of hacks. He suspects not much more is in needed to get it back to fighting form, speculating that you could just be looking at paint and primer to get the exterior at least looking sharp. I will say, though I am not a judge in bodywork quality evaluated over the internet, the widebody kit does look fairly well integrated with no obvious indications of having been sloppily installed. The other feature I like are the period-correct wheels, which were a popular look for this era of the Corvette and the later C4. The Corvette is also equipped with T-tops, and when you factor in the widebody and the wheels, this is peak 1970s-1980s aftermarket excess for the Corvette enthusiast who wouldn’t leave their car stock.

The interior needs a fair amount of work, not to mention cleaning up. The seats are torn down and the cabin is just a mess. It’s hard to tell whether the parts strewn about are from the Corvette or from another car entirely, but the one bright spot is the gauge cluster and the center stack. Both feature a cool, custom assortment of digital gauges, and while it will clearly need some finish work, I like the look on a heavily modified car such as this. The seller doesn’t indicate whether this was their handiwork or a previous owner’s, but if the exterior is finished up and the custom subwoofer enclosure repaired and wired up, the digital read-outs will compliment this wild Corvette perfectly. The seller reports this was a well-optioned car from the factory, equipped with power windows, locks, and antenna; air conditioning; a tilt/telescoping wheel; cruise control; delay wipers; and more.

Now, the low mileage claims can sometimes seem suspect on a project car like this, but the general cosmetics of the engine bay are encouraging. The seller reports it does run and drive, but will need brake work before it’s driven very far. The tires are said to have plenty of tread (but no word on how old they are) and the exhaust is in good shape, too. The engine is numbers matching and he notes that it’s completely unmodified in every way, right down to all the original smog equipment still being present. Interestingly, the seller claims to have bought it from one individual who had it in storage for 25 years, and now he’s owned for a spell and it’s been in storage the whole time as well. This widebody Corvette is a throwback to the styling trends and aftermarket scene of the 1980s, and it will hopefully be restored with its enhancements intact as a rolling exhibit to car customizing.