This 1970 Corvette Convertible is less of a barn find than a driveway find. It has been sitting in the weather since 1988, and it will represent a significant restoration project for its next owner. However, it is a complete classic that is missing no major components. Adding to its temptation is the seller’s decision to offer it for sale with No Reserve. If you find this an intriguing proposition, you will find the Corvette located in Rochester, New York, and listed for sale here on eBay. Solid bidding has pushed the price to $10,600, and with No Reserve to consider, a new home for this classic is mere days away.
In its glory days, this Corvette Convertible would have been a car that turned heads. Sadly, those days are well behind it. Its Donnybrook Green paint has deteriorated markedly, and the buyer will face the prospect of stripping this car back to bare fiberglass if they are to achieve a high level of finish. The fiberglass itself doesn’t look too bad, with no significant flaws or cracks in evidence. The news isn’t so good when we delve below the surface. The owner indicates that the frame has substantial rust, and he feels that the best solution to this would be to undertake a complete frame replacement. That means that the buyer is facing the prospect of stripping this classic down to the last nut and bolt. The white soft-top appears to have some slight tears, and the rear window is badly clouded. This is another item that will probably be on the shopping list for the next owner. The trim and chrome appear to be suitable for restoration, while there are no issues with the tinted glass.
If this Corvette has one crumb of good news, it is that it is a numbers-matching classic. The engine bay houses a 350ci V8 that pumped out 300hp in its prime. With a four-speed manual transmission bolted to the back of this V8, the Corvette would have stormed the ¼ mile in an impressive 14.7 seconds. Once again, those days are long behind this classic. It has been parked in its current location since 1988, and I believe that this was when this motor last fired a shot in anger. The owner says that the 350 turns freely, but he has not attempted to coax it back to life. These Chevrolet small-blocks are renowned for their longevity, so a complete fuel system clean and some essential maintenance could potentially see this beauty cough into life once again. However, I think that the buyer will probably need to be prepared to add the expense of a rebuild to the cost of this restoration. Many perishable items like hoses and belts will also need to go on a reasonably long shopping list before this car could be classed as roadworthy.
The Corvette’s interior is complete and unmolested. Nobody has sought to add any aftermarket components, with items like the original AM/FM radio remaining intact. However, the buyer will be facing some major work to whip this aspect of the Convertible into shape. The dash and pad appear to be in good condition, while the same is true of the door trims. My greatest concern is the state of the carpet. It looks like it has been pretty wet at some point, suggesting that considerable moisture has found its way inside the car over the past few decades. If that’s the case, it probably smells pretty swampy in there. It also raises the question of whether moisture has damaged the seat foam or any other perishable items. The buyer will probably be best served in securing an interior trim kit to return everything to a presentable state. That could add a considerable cost to the restoration of this classic, but I see this as unavoidable. There are alternatives that could be worth the buyer considering. If they show some patience, they may be able to locate all of the parts via an online site like eBay, cutting considerably into the cost of returning this interior to its former glory.
Returning this Corvette Convertible to an immaculate statey will not be something that the next owner achieves in a mere weekend. It represents a significant restoration project, and the buyer will need to dismantle the vehicle to the last nut-and-bolt. That may discourage some people, but it hasn’t stopped this classic already attracting an impressive twenty-one bids at the time of writing. With what you see and know, is this a project that you would be willing to tackle? Or is this Corvette beyond your skills and budget?
1990 “Hey, that green Vette convertible sitting in your driveway doesn’t look like it has moved in a while.” “Yup”.
1995 “Hey, that green Vette convertible still sitting in your driveway, aren’t you gonna drive it?” “Yup”.
2000 “Hey, that green Vette convertible still sitting in your driveway aren’t you gonna get it runnin?” “Yup”
2010 “Hey, that green Vette convertible rotting in your driveway aren’t you ever gonna get it runnin?” “Yup”
2020 “Hey, that green Vette convertible is still rotting in your driveway. Are you crazy?” “Yup”
2021 “Hey, that green Vette convertible rotting in your driveway, what’s up with that?” “It’s worth a fortune, I put it on Ebay, and I know what I have”.
Sounds like a believable timeline 370zzp said above. Hillarious, sad and true at the same time… 1970 was the last true year of high performance and this appears to be a decent prospect. The fact that there is no reserve will at least show a market value/reference. A shame that it took so long for the seller to realize it had to go…
If this sat in the driveway for most of my lifetime I wonder what took precedence in the garage?
Probably old bikes and boxes of old clothes.
Another car set up for off roading… Like the man said, expensive project.
I like these cars, especially verts, but base motor, no a/c, no tilt, no tele, std interior, and maybe no pwr steering keeps the excitement level kinda low.
It’s a great learning experience project, if it’s for free.
The bid right now is $12K, IMO it’s worth about 1/4-1/3 of that for the condition it’s in and the cost of repairing the damage done to this car. So, when is a numbers matching car not a numbers matching car? When the frame is replaced IMO it’s no longer numbers matching as something major has been changed. There are aftermarket frames available out there, but most are going to cost a pretty penny and obviously won’t be the same as the original.
My 2 cents
It’s funny there is a green convertible corvette in my neighborhood that’s been sitting there since at long as I lived here .I live in the east suburbs of Pittsburgh so it can’t be the same car or can it
Go look at one in Condition 1 or 2 first. Now start adding up restoration cost.
The owner is a fool. You could afford the car but not storage?
Frame rust isn’t the big problem. The rust in the windshield frame/birdcage is where the real work lies.
I would take the 12 G’s and use it as a down payment on a frame on restored driver… 30 to 40 grand will get you a very nice driver quality 70 roadster. This car is going to cost way more than that to become a roadworthy weekend coffee run car…. What in hell are these people thinking bidding 12 plus for a basic model rotted wreck that the owner himself says it needs a new frame…
In the condition that its in the poor thing is worth about 10k it would need someone that could do a lot of the work themselves .
Whoever left this car in the driveway 33 years needs a kick in the butt.
What old beach guy said. Most people have no idea how bad windshield posts rot on these cars. This why I never run a garden hose on my 50 year old Corvette. These cars were built terribly and rust BADLY, especially convertibles. This is a restomod project at best. No option car as well.
I’ve always thought whitewalls on a Corvette looked goofy.
Ended:Dec 03, 2021 , 7:30PM
Winning bid:
US $11,000.00
[ 22 bids ]