Corvette fans pining for a barn find – here we go: on eBay is this 1959 Chevrolet Corvette project car, complete with dirt and a skim of moss, bid to $28,100 with several days yet to go in the auction. The seller has included a $35,000 buy-it-now option, but the car is also for sale locally so the listing could end at any time. This Corvette is located in Walker, Louisiana, and we have the inimitable T.J. to thank for this tip. Not much history is revealed in the listing, though the car seems to have several siblings to pal around with in its current garage. The car does not run and the seller advises a full restoration.
The factory engine was the same 283 cu. in. V8 used in prior years, offered in several configurations: a four-barrel carburetor, two four-barrels, the same with a high-performance camshaft, Rochester fuel injection, or fuel injection with a high-performance cam. Horsepower ran from 230 up to 290. The generator appears new-ish here, but the rest of the engine bay needs a lot of work. This car came equipped with an automatic transmission, for an extra $199.
Since some derision met the ’58 Corvette, which was festooned with chrome “spears” on its trunk, phony louvers on its hood, and fake vents in its coves, Chevrolet was determined to “clean up” the ’59. It lost a few of the details that make the ’58 very valuable today, but it has its fans as well. The loss of the chrome on the trunk saved weight, and revised seats made the car feel sportier and more supportive. This year was the last time the Corvette sold fewer than 10,000 cars, so something was going right. The hard top was an expensive option at $236; no word whether a soft top is in there somewhere.
About three colors are visible here: the steering wheel and other parts are clearly red; portions of the interior are teal, and the current exterior is white. The seller notes that the bonding strips are present. If any Barn Finders can decode what the original colors might have been, we’d love to hear from you below. Meanwhile, the car’s chassis is termed “fair” by the seller, though it apparently has no rot. So this car is a good starting point – but for what? A restoration to whatever is determined to be original? Or a restomod? On one end of the spectrum is this mostly restored ’59 in factory dress that sold for just shy of $100k. At the other end of the spectrum, here’s the most expensive restomod I was able to find, and it’s a doozy, at $427,900. Which direction would you steer this Corvette?
Restomod would seem to be the logical path for this one. The inch by inch restoration cost, especially the unsealed engine, could be a costly one. Could easily exceed the net worth in a sort period of time.
The old car hobby is all about money.
A car that grows its own biofuel. That’s different.
Louisiana? “High black water…the devil’s daughter”…run from this one folks!
Looks like another victim of a flood.
Unless you have stupid money to toss into the wind. Definitely not my cup of tea.
Run Forest run.35k no way. Take odds to Vegas that car has been flooded more then once. Way to much in resources time and $ to bring this one back.
Make good parts car if you are restoring one an short on parts.your not wrap tight if you buy this to restore
I’m guessing (hoping?) original color is white with a blue interior. Corvettes of this era used a reddish primer (I think), so that may be what you see there. Imagine getting this running with new blue interior and leave the exterior as-is (with moss of course!). That may be my dream vette. You wouldn’t be able to keep the people away at the car shows. It’s like a Corvette Chia Pet.
Awesome idea! …. and a kind of devil-may-care approach to restoration – I love it. Like Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
its a floater; well actually a sinker.
At least it has a trailer hitch!
At least the engine was removed and cleaned up. This is a swamp mobile, bayou special. Beware.
What lake did they pull this out of? Good thing fiberglass is mildew resistant
Not the worst I’ve seen, but damned near it.
I’m no Corvette fan, but it probably looks worse then it is. If this cars paint had no wax or was severely oxidized then sat under a tree for just a few years it would get algae , lichens and mold growing on it. A simple power wash could take care of that in no time. The interior is trashed, it looks like the door glass was off the track and allowed the weather to get to it , but the interior looks like it was a hodge-podge of parts to begin with- its possible this was used as a parts car for one of the sellers other Vettes and then pulled out of the garage and left to sit . From the looks of it I think the car was red originally; probably red interior judging by the headliner and the few pieces inside.
Slightly worn or just awful , the interior would be replaced anyway, and the engine would be rebuilt as would the drivetrain , so I think for the right person a restoration is not out of the picture. Maybe not a concours job , but I’d wager it will be redone
I think this car is grossly overpriced. Also, I doubt the “never-hit” claim. That poor hood fit says otherwise.
This dealer seems to specialize in selling early Corvettes in poor condition and missing many parts. Most I would consider unworthy of restoration or even repair. He must know his target audience, however. His completed eBay ads are all shown as “sold”.
Im curious. What would it take to convert this to 12v besides an alternator??
It is a 12v system.
I never knew that there was a “Mossy Oak” camo version of this year ‘Vette. Or did the seller have to fight off the gators, when he pulled this bad boy out of the swamp?
The seller seems to have many other Corvette’s and he doesn’t want this ,that might be a clue
A real POS!
Just push it back to the pond and create a nice coral reef .