Charity donations come in all shapes and sizes, and this 1970 Corvette Stingray is a perfect example. It has been donated, and now the charity concerned is selling it in a No Reserve auction. While it would benefit from some cosmetic restoration work, it is a survivor that still wears its original blue plates. The Corvette is located in Orange, California, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding is sitting at $13,100, and the No Reserve status means that the vehicle is destined to head to a new home very soon.

The Stingray is finished in Corvette Bronze, and the seller believes that the paint is all original. I have examined the supplied photos carefully, and I can’t see any apparent signs of repaint work. Of course, a personal inspection might reveal things that the images don’t show. The paint is now faded, and it has quite a collection of marks, chips, and scratches. The buyer is probably going to want to treat the car to a repaint, but it doesn’t look like they will be spending heaps of money on fiberglass repairs. The panels look good, with no signs of any stress cracks or crazing. We don’t get any information on the state of the frame or birdcage, but a life spent in California will have given the Stingray a better than even chance of remaining rust-free. All of the trim and chrome is present, although there are a few pieces that show some damage. The most obvious is the front bumper, and this will need to be replaced if the next owner is seeking a high level of presentation. These are easy to find, and prices range between $400 and $550, depending on the quality. The vehicle features tinted glass, and this all appears to be in good condition.

The interior of the Corvette is of reasonable driver quality, but it is showing its age. The only aftermarket addition is a radio/cassette player, and as we have seen with previous Corvettes, the quality of the installation is not that great. I would be either searching for an original radio or purchasing an aftermarket trim to make the installation look a bit tidier. The dash and pad appear to be in good condition, but if I was going to sum up the state of the rest of the trim, the word “tired” springs to mind. The door trims have a few cracks and splits, while the Brown vinyl on the seats has some seam separations. There is also wear and tear showing on many of the plastic pieces. Some of these might be able to be revived, but I suspect that the shopping list might be pretty long if the buyer is searching for perfection. On the positive side, the vehicle does come equipped with air conditioning, power windows, and a tilt wheel.

Occupying the engine bay of the Corvette is the entry-level 350ci V8, which is hooked to a 3-speed automatic transmission. This engine should be producing 300hp and is capable of propelling the vehicle through the ¼ mile in a neat 15 seconds. It is here that we find some positive news because the seller believes that the 350 has received a recent rebuilt. He also indicates that the radiator and carburetor have come in for the same treatment. The Corvette sports a new distributor, and the upshot is a vehicle that runs well. The Corvette does drive, but it sounds like it will need some suspension work before it could be considered to be genuinely roadworthy. The seller suggests that new shocks and bushes is the starting point, but does indicate that there might also be some other items that will require attention.

On the surface, this 1970 Corvette Stingray shows a lot of promise. It does need some work, but the majority of the tasks could be tackled in a home workshop. That makes it a prime candidate for a family project. It seems that I am not the only person who feels this way, because there have already been 53 bids submitted on this classic. It will be interesting to see what the Corvette finally sells for, and if any of our readers like the car enough to join the bidding war.