After scrolling through all the photos, it’s sort of hard to comprehend that this 1960 Chevrolet Corvette needs a full restoration. That’s what the seller here says, and as good as this car looks, I’m wondering if he’s referring more to some mechanical issues, as this C1 isn’t currently running or driving. It takes confidence to start your auction at $1 with no reserve, but that was the opening price here, although 55 bids have now taken that amount up to $22,100. If you want in on the action, this 1960 Chevrolet Corvette is down in Miami, Florida, and can be checked out here on eBay.
The seller mentions that the paint is in nice condition, which the pictures seem to support, although there’s no mention of how old the finish is. There’s also no word on whether the body has undergone any work already, but the panels appear to have a good fit overall, plus the exterior seems mostly complete, other than a missing antenna on the driver’s side rear quarter. The bumpers could use some refreshing, but once that’s been done, I might stop there and leave the outside as-is for a while. More good news is that the hardtop is included, and while some new vinyl underneath would help cosmetically, it seems fine structurally.
The only scoop we get regarding the engine is that it’s a 350 and turns by hand, but no date code or information about where the small block came from is provided. It’s missing several external components, and the block looks like it may have been painted not long before the photo shoot. There’s also an automatic transmission, but no specifics about it either. It’ll be up to the next owner to decide whether to work with this pairing, source a 283 of some variety, or go with something entirely different under the hood.
It might not be perfect, but I’m not finding too much to complain about with the interior, although it’s unknown if all the gauges will function when this one’s running again. We also get to view a few photos from underneath, which appear to show an overall solid platform, so this 1960 Chevrolet Corvette seems like it’s at a good starting point for whatever the buyer has in mind. Which direction would you go in here, and what’s a reasonable price to pay for this one in its current state?
This dealer has been regularly featured in this site for some time, always Corvette’s always a bit rough around the edges. If you look at their completed sales, many have “sold” only to be listed again, often more than once, a short time later. This happens so often that it should make potential buyers a bit suspicious of how nice the cars are in person.
Steve R
It’s certainly worth confirming the car never had flood damage.
If this is the same guy who sells Covettes as fast as he can get them and it was in his shop, this part of Miami has a history of no floods at all. Doesn’t say anything about the car though but a flood car would look a whole lot different than this one, even cleaned up. Lost our Mini Cooper in ’17 with an over 4 foot saltwater bath and it was ugly. Instruments still had greenish looking yucky stuff in them.
Judging from the absolute trash this guy passes off as an automobile, flood damage should be the least of a buyer’s worries.
Check out that video I posted.
@Steve R. Either they made a New Year’s resolution to present the cars as honestly as they can, or they have a new owner.
lipstick on a pig!
Because?
The engine was “rebuilt” with a spray can for starters. Hideous over-spray. i could do a better job with my eyes closed.
This is one of my favorite color combinations on this generation of Vettes. I’d definitely get period correct white walls on it for sure and keep the wheel covers. This looks like it would be a great solid driver once you get the motor and running gear sorted out. Since its not numbers matching anymore, I’d keep the 350 with the Powerglide it had, or an overdrive GM trans and drive the wheels off of it and enjoy it.
Price is up to 27k now as a I write this, and if someone is lucky enough to get it for below 50k, it might be a good deal. See if the engine it has can be revived, if not then another 350 and reassembly will get you a nice C1.
It may be just the angle the picture was taken at, but the valve covers appear to have offset hold down screws which would indicate early 283 heads. Probably wouldn’t make any difference since the motor isn’t exactly a strong selling point for this car. The current bid doesn’t seem too out of line, but only time will tell where it goes.
@ oldrodder , I thought so too regarding the valve covers , that raised the question in my mind as to what motor this Corvette actually has, other than a small block Chevy & which automatic trans also ? A smart bidder will probably investigate first.
Is that a crack in the frame
All I can think of is this is a perfect candidate to drop an LS motor in it. It’s already not original and only needs mechanical stuff at this point. Get it cheap enough and resto it out.
The screws that hold the valve covers in place appear to offset.
Hard to be certain in the photos but it looks that way.
If true then the heads, at least, would not be from a 350 but rather from a very early small block.
Oh man, BUYER BEWARE! I wish I could make that an even larger font and flashing.
I will just leave this here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A7pvgQgnRs
Thank you for the clip, this explains a lot.
Steve R
The video was interesting, but such a knowledgeable Corvette guy should have caught most of those flaws just by looking at the photos. The car also came from Miami, Florida; if you are trying to avoid rust, that is not where you want to buy from. This is a good example of why you always want to do your due diligence before purchasing any car online. Always request more photos and look at them all closely. Then, have an independent party look at the car in person if you cannot. This is the only way you will not be disappointed when an old car arrives.
The buyer, who put the video on his YouTube channel so far has accumulated over 300,000 views about this car. He’s probably made more from his videos than he spent on the car. I’d be surprised if he hadn’t heard about this dealer and knew what he was likely to get before he bought it.
Steve R
I’m a firm believer in utilizing lemon squad to go look at any car you are serious about buying especially if you’re not able to look at it in person. It might cost you a couple hundred dollars but it saves you in the long run.
FYI, the ad for the Corvette that is the subject of the video above is still in the completed section of the sellers listings for anyone that interested in seeing if the sellers description aligned with the cars true condition.
I quick look at most of the older Corvette’s show 3, including the one featured today, which are currently listed that have freshly rattle canned long blocks dropped into place. Their completed listings show a handful of others. Read the sellers listings, they use a lot of open ended language designed to protect themselves if customers aren’t happy with what they bought.
Steve R
Jesse,
I agree with your assessment, and that is why I started my post with “Buyer Beware”
This type of seller preys on the unknowledgeable EBay car buyer looking for their dream Corvette project, and then uses his vague descriptions to wiggle out of any complaints that could be brought, as Steve R mentioned.
This seller is well known on Corvette Forums, where there are stories of buyers who got taken in by his “lipstick on an absolute pig” tactics.
I would hate for a BF member to get duped by this guy, and although most of us are pretty savvy car people, it could happen.