If only cars could talk! Just imagine the stories this ’57 Corvette fuelie would have to tell. Sadly, it can’t talk and chances are we will never know it’s full story. What we do know is that it started life as a 250 horsepower fuel injected Powerglide car, spent a number of years as a drag racer and then found it’s way into a barn sometime in the 1980’s. It was rescued from the barn it was covered in junk and the inside had been infested by rodents. It won’t be easy restoring this one back to original condition, but hopefully someone will restore it to its former glory! You can find this fuelie here on eBay in Sutter, California with a current bid of $15,100.
Chances are this Corvette was being raced right up until it was parked in the barn. The seller notes that it has clearly been painted several times, which could suggest it was raced for a number of years and updated along the way to keep up with the ever changing style trends of the ’60s and ’70s drag racing scene. It’s also likely that it suffered body damage a time or two over the years, but the body does looks fairly straight, all things considered. The process of removing all the old layers of paint could provide some information on the car’s history and hopefully the next owner will document anything they discover.
It looks like this find shared the barn with another early Corvette, but there’s no word on what happened to the other one. There’s also no word on where the engine went. And that’s where things get a bit confusing. In the first photo in the seller’s ad, you clearly see a high rise carb setup that appears to be attached to an engine, but in the photos of when it was found there doesn’t seem to be an engine present. The seller states in the ad that the engine you see in the first photo isn’t included with the car. So did the car come with the engine when they found it and it just can’t be seen in the old photos? And if so, why doesn’t it come with the car?
This looks like a rather overwhelming project, but if you can track down all the correct parts to return it to original you will have a very desirable Corvette. Finding the fuel injection system could prove to be difficult, but not impossible. The lack of detailed photos and information is also a bit of a concern, but hopefully the seller is willing to take photos of the frame for closer inspection. If it isn’t too rusty, this could be a challenging but fun project!
Some pictures show a left front bumper, others not. And some show a left front headlight assembly, others the bucket is hanging. Nice color combination, wish I had the hardtop.
Junk
Looks like it could be yard art at best.
Doug I know a guy in Pennsylvania that has some hardtops,Email me at ecoair9798@aol.com and I’ll give you the info.not sure if they are for sale,, and the guy is a super dude but doesn’t need the $$$$ Good luck
CharlieHulsizer
I am always very wary of these ebay sellors that give little or no information. The ebay auction does not appear to gve any information on an engine, except documentation lists.
It appears to have been found engineless and pics taken, then tidied up, engine added and hauled away in the other pic.
The is a whole mess of parts in one pic on ebay, not clear which car they belong to?
Why does the sellor not give a whole and detailed account of this car?
wonder what the reserve is?? Cool but will be an ambitious resto.deserves to be brought back or restorodded. Sad to see a car like this to get in this condition.
I don’t see anywhere in the ad, where the seller says this 57 was once a race car?
I think you are right. If it was raced seriously in the 70’s or earlier I don’t think anyone would have thought twice about hacking up the wheel wells for bigger tires. If you look at pictures from that era, it was common practice. These cars were nothing special back then.
Steve R
I would have thought they were fairly special with the F/G panels and being a concept car at that time.But they did not measure up to the hype you mean?
I think Steve R means they weren’t especially rare or valuable back then. If memory serves these cars could be had for around 3 grand in good condition at that time.
If it was raced chances are the everything underneath needs to be scrapped. A ground-up restomod sitting on a custom chassis seems like the sane choice on this one.
Just not worth the $$$$ to restore this one, way cheaper to buy it already done
A friend’s uncle had a 57 or 58 like this in the late 70s or early 80s with the same “if you value your life…” sticker. His was red.
No engine and no fuelie system..
Beat to crap but at one time was sweet…. So please buy this barn find and pay 30 grand or more and then spend another 50 grand and still have a nom non matching car that used to be great…
Why do people want to buy these junkers rusted out and gutted for a killing….
Corvette as stated in past is a numbers matching machine… from engine… to frame to dash to everything… and its old or destroyed or missing… lol…
Check that big time trailer…..maybe the strip trailer ?
Some thoughts:
1. Restore. If doing for your own pleasure, go for it. If for resale, forget about it. You’ll never have a matching numbers car and the purists won’t pony up the money that you have in it.
2. Resto mod. Definitely a possibility. Depends on your abilities and finances.
3. Driver. Make it mechanically sound and refurbish as your tastes dictate. Original is nice, repop parts are a five letter word, not 4.
Agreed on retro due to non original
So why not spend sixty and get a reg 57 convertible done?
This one will only appreciate in value versus the litter box listed with rust and busted frame
https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/29850715
What is with all these neglected Vettes all of a sudden? They seem to come in waves periodically once the first one pops up. I’ll say it again, unless you are physically impaired, and even if you are flat broke, no excuse for letting cars such as this rot over the course of time. Wash it from time to time, cover it, take steps to deter mice and mold, put it up on blocks…… anything, just do something.
Very poorly garaged…
Lot of mold on walls there…
Suspect the frame is bad……
Its a shame ..
Pitty… to say the least…
love this Corvette bodystyle!
Amazing that yet another C1 emerges from long time storage. There can’t be that many more of these out there like this. Or can there?
sooo … If he isn’t happy with the bidding, he will pull the ad some of the pics are cringeworthy bidding is up to 20K and reserve is not met wish I was sitting on 20K wouldn’t buy THIS one, but there are others I have seen!
I think these are two different cars. Although it is hard to imagine where one guy would find two trashed Vettes. This looks like some kind of scam to me.
Greetings All,
So, if I have this right, you can win the auction, he can accept your deposit, BUT, if someone approaches him with more money he can hand you your deposit back?
The guy is a flake.
EBAy should not allow this. If you win the auction, and follow through with the deposit, the car should be yours as long as the other financial conditions are met!
I am surprised to see a California car in this bad of condition no matter how long it’s been off the road.
Is it me or is the steering wheel a couple of different colors?..
resto-mod gasser style with flip-nose, fenderwell headers and blown injected 409!
The trailer photo looks like it could be the “before” photo when it was brought into long term storage. Agree about the mold on the walls of that musty garage. I’ve had less mold in my crawlspace after an unexpected flood!
lead photo shows 2 vette’s , where is the older one
Notice the NCRS sticker on the window. Pretty funny. NCRS should exile this guy to Siberia.
looks like a 54 55 in the bay to th left