It isn’t clear just how long this 1973 Corvette Convertible had been sitting in a garage before being listed for sale, but it is out of that garage and is ready to head off to a new home. It is an attractive looking car that will need a little bit of mechanical refreshing before it is ready to hit the road again, but the effort could be well worthwhile. Located in Dade City, Florida, the Corvette is listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has currently reached $9,073 in a No Reserve auction.
The Corvette is finished in its original Silver color and comes with both a soft-top and a correctly-painted factory hardtop. The soft-top has deteriorated quite markedly, so a replacement will need to be sourced. The paint on the car generally looks quite good, although there are some small bubbles visible in a couple of spots. The car has undergone at least a partial repaint at some point in the past, as I have been able to spot overspray in some locations which would not have occurred in the factory.
The owner provides a number of photos of the Corvette’s underside, and while there is surface corrosion present, there are no indications of major rust problems. There is evidence of some previous repairs having been performed to the rear section of the floor on the driver’s side, so I’d want to give that area a pretty thorough check.
I have spent a fair amount of time examining the impressive array of photos that the owner provides, and this one jumped out at me. I might be wrong on this, but it looks like there might be some rust developing in the birdcage on the passenger side. If I’m wrong about that, I will happily put up my hand. However, it is something that I would be checking pretty carefully.
The black leather interior of the Corvette generally presents quite well, although the carpet is looking faded. The back of the driver’s seat is also chafed where it has been rubbing against the bulkhead, but this can only be seen when you tilt the seat forward. If the ultimate fate of this Corvette is to be a car that is driven and enjoyed immediately, then the interior is quite serviceable as it stands. However, there are enough little marks, missing screws, and loose threads that might drive the perfectionists mad. As well as there being a Kenwood radio/cassette player fitted to the car, the Corvette was originally fitted with air conditioning. The compressor is now missing, so a replacement would need to be sourced if the next owner wants to have a cool breeze in their face.
Under the hood of the Corvette is the original 350ci V8, producing 190hp. Shifting duties fall to a 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic transmission, while the Corvette also gets power steering. It isn’t clear how long the Corvette had been sitting in its garage, but it is now up and running. At the bottom of this article is a video showing the engine running, and the car moving under its own power. The engine sounds really crisp and clean. Even though the car does run. It will need some work before it is fit to hit the road again. It has brakes…well, sort of. The owner says that the brakes will stop the car, but only when the pedal is pushed all the way to the floor. It sounds like a thorough check will be on the agenda to ensure that the car is safe.
This Corvette is an attractive looking car, and on appearance alone, shows a lot of promise. There are a couple of aspects of the car that I am unsure about, and I would probably want to give the car a thorough personal inspection before I was willing to lay down my money. What do you think?
Personally I’ve never been a fan of the mismatched look of the rubber bumper, chrome bumper 73 Corvette, but this might be a decent car for someone, if it can be had close to the $10k opening bid. My biggest concern with this car would be rust.
Inside the doors it looks like the cowl and lower a-pillars are showing signs of serious rust. If so, this is a major problem since it costs $1500 and up, depending on how bad it is, to repair correctly (not including paint). Looking at the surface rust on the seat supports, rear compartment hinges, top frame, etc, this car must have spent a lot of time in a damp location, though the frame appears to be solid. This may be why the seller’s calling it a “project car”, though $10K is big money for a 73 project car.
GB, I agree with everything you said. If everything checked out it, but…it looks like a dimple on the rear by the taillights, a couple cracks around the bumper brackets, body putty around the front marker lights, the nose does not fit well (even worse than from the factory) and the hood doesn’t fit at all…just for starters. The rust inside is indicative of a life in Florida. Hopefully, there is not a mildew smell.
To me, this is another one of those cars that you buy and think…well, I should put on a new top…I should buy the panel for the back to get rid of the extra speakers…oh, well, now the rest of the carpet looks crappy…just a couple bucks to redo the driver door panel…couple more bucks for a weather strip kit…
Pretty soon the chassis is here and the body is there and it’s big bucks time.
Hood fitment or lack of is due to the aftermarket air breather sitting too high for it to close properly.
Needs a luggage rack and 4 speed.
Luggage racks destroy the looks of these cars. I own a 73 silver coupe 4 speed. I paid $10.000 for it from second owner of 30 years. Perfect frame and bird cage. Bird cage rust very easy to check. Remove both luck panels. Only one screw. You can see the body mounts. If they are junk, pass. That means the windshield frame is rotted. I love my car. New front suspension. New radiator and exhaust and I drive it as much as I can. To the comment about rubber nose and chrome rear, it is a one year only design.
Depends on your point of view.I owned a ’70 convertible from ’85 to ’17 and loved the luggage rack – both looks and usefulness. When I first got it, we would go camping in that car. That rack came in handy!
I agree with the rack, look good and very useful. The General should have made one for the T-Tops also!
Ended:Oct 23, 2019 , 9:20PM
Winning bid:US $12,700.00
[ 45 bids ]