Original 427: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette

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Sometimes the line that divides a classic car that has been restored from one that has been refurbished can be quite blurred. I don’t believe that this is the case with this 1967 Chevrolet Corvette. However, it will be interesting to hear what our readers feel about this vehicle. Regardless of which camp you fall into, there is no arguing the fact that this is a stunning looking car. I have to say thank you to Barn Finder Pat L for referring the Corvette to us. It is located in Penn Valley, California, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. You can drive it away today by handing the owner $79,500.

Okay, so here we go. The Corvette rolled off the production line in St. Louis, Missouri, wearing Goodwood Green paint. The vehicle spent some time on display at Klassix Auto Museum in Florida, and it is believed that it was Klassix that chose to undertake a color change. It remained part of the museum’s collection until it closed in 2003. The collection was auctioned off at that point, and the current owner purchased it from a consignment dealer in 2011. It still presents exceptionally well, with only a few minor flaws. There is a stress crack near the left-hand headlight, along with a few small paint chips. Otherwise, it is hard to fault the vehicle’s presentation. It isn’t just skin-deep, because the photos that the owner supplies also shows a spotlessly clean underside. The trim and chrome continue the flawless theme, while the addition of reproduction aluminum wheels and a side exhaust add to the Corvette’s muscular presence. The original owner ordered the Corvette with tinted glass, and apart from some minor chips in the windshield, this also appears to be in good condition.

There’s nothing as great as a big V8, and that is precisely what we find hiding under the hood of the Corvette. What we have here is the L68 version of the mighty 427ci V8, which was good for 400hp. This was a figure that many considered to be conservative, but that is one point that I will leave for others to debate. Originally, this would have been backed by a 4-speed manual transmission, but this is the point where we must note another upgrade. The 4-speed is gone, and in its place, we find an LGT-700 5-speed manual unit. In its original guise, the Corvette would have been capable of demolishing the ¼ mile in 13.7 seconds. There is a possibility that the new transmission and a revised rear end could shave something off that figure. I believe that the engine is numbers-matching, but once again, it has received some changes. The car was laid low by camshaft issues in 2014, so the owner chose to address these problems by fitting a Crane roller cam and lifters. He also substituted a set of Edelbrock Performer aluminum heads at the same time, along with a Petronics Ignition. Those upgrades have the potential to bump power output even further, making this a pretty potent package. The Tri-Power setup is mostly original, although the center carb has been replaced. The original unit is included in the sale. It isn’t clear what the issue was with the carburetor, but given the fact that the other two have been successfully rebuilt, you would have to think that the problem was significant. While all of the other mechanical upgrades were being performed, the Corvette also received a new aluminum radiator. The result is a classic that drives well and keeps its cool, even on the hottest days.

The interior of the Corvette didn’t escape the attention of Klassix. It originally featured Black and White vinyl trim but has been retrimmed in Red leather. The presentation is hard to fault, and this is an interior that needs nothing. Thankfully, nobody has chopped things up to fit an aftermarket stereo, with the original AM/FM radio still sitting in its rightful place. However, it is an interior that does come nicely equipped. As well as tinted glass, the next owner will be kept cool by ice-cold air conditioning. Add power windows and a telescopic wheel, and this looks like it would be a pleasant place to spend some time enjoying the ride and turning some heads.

If this 1967 Corvette was a completely original, numbers-matching classic, then its value could quite easily push into six-figure territory. It doesn’t meet those criteria, but it is still a stunning looking car. There is a genuine possibility that it will offer some measurable performance improvements over those which it possessed when it was new. That means that if you are searching for a potent and eye-catching classic, then this has the potential to be on your shopping list. I will be interested to see whether our readers feel that the changes that have been made to the Corvette are appropriate. I will be even more curious to know whether any of our readers love this car enough to follow up with the seller.

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Comments

  1. Nevadahalfrack NevadahalfrackMember

    Purists may have a conniption fit but IMHO this is a great period style “refurbishment”. It again brings up the individual appreciation of what someone sees whether on their palette or when they drive.
    Tastefully redone ride, but selling it on CRAIGSLIST? I find that a bit odd for the sale of something like this.

    Like 16
    • Steve R

      It’s about eye balls and for all it’s faults Craigslist is an effective way to put a car in front of a large audience. It doesn’t matter if the car is expensive, rare and/or unique cars get shared. There is no geographic boundaries to a search and the costs, dollar wise is minimal. If a seller is willing to deal with the BS associated with posting a car on that platform they could do worse.

      Steve R

      Like 13
  2. RayT

    Seems to me the majority of the modifications are pretty much what an enthusiast owner (NOT investor) might do over the years, though I personally prefer the Goodwood Green paint and probably would have kept it.

    For me, the ask is a little high — wonder if he’d come down if you let him keep the non-original vanity plate? — but this is the kind of car you could rack up some serious miles with and, if you kept up with the cosmetics and service, probably come out pretty well on the other end.

    Like 16
  3. Bob Mck

    Is it really worth that kind of money?

    Like 3
  4. Classic Steel

    Devalued and abused with engine mods and trans mods along with paint color.

    If the intention was to loose 20-50 thousand with changes then its a success.

    Its now a mid 60 grand car…

    To repaint its ten grand ….the heads are impossible to find and trans if not saved…

    Sad since block survived

    Like 14
    • Tom Bell

      Classic Steel, your comments are right on point–well said.

      Like 1
    • Steve R

      This Corvette is a perfect example of a car that has had smart modifications performed if you want to drive it. Does the world really need one more perfectly restored Vette parked among a sea of restored Corvettes at any given car show? It may be somewhat overpriced, but it will be fun to take out for a spin, especially with the AC and 5spd.

      Steve R

      Like 20
      • Camaro guy

        Well said Steve my thoughts exactly there are enough museum pieces out there now why buy a nice car and sit and look at it where’s the fun in that the person that buy’s this is someone who would have bought a stock Vette and done pretty much the same mods as this one has but now they don’t have to already done i did the very same thing with my Camaro it was modified buy the previous owner and most of it i would have done anyway so it saved me a lot of work and expense just my 2cents well maybe 4

        Like 5
  5. Joe Haska

    I am with Nevadahalfrack 100 %. This car would be perfect for me, I love it ,not because it has original air in the tires, and the battery acid hasn’t been changed since new. I love it because I could drive it, probably like I stoled it. The price, if I had been born rich instead of good looking , I could care less.

    Like 5
  6. steve

    Everything he did made this car better IMO.

    Like 14
  7. joeinthousandoaks

    Cool car but not for that money. I am looking for one. but want it original

    Like 4
  8. Tony Primo

    One of the great paradoxes of owning an original muscle car is seeing how much work they were to drive and maintain properly. This car has aluminum heads to deal with today’s crappy gas. It has a roller cam to eliminate setting the valve lash every month and it has an extra gear in the transmission to reduce rpm at highway speeds. So how did the seller actually ruin the car?

    Like 31
  9. Ed Jennings

    They made a better driver. Spoiled the collector value. Just depends on what you want. I think the price is a bit steep for a driver. If it didn’t need body work and a paint job the $80K Might not be too unreasonable. If it were NCRS style restored, it would be another $40-50K.

    Like 8
  10. Howard A Howard AMember

    Going out on a limb here, but I have to say, the ’67, 427 coupe was the nicest Corvette ever!

    Like 17
  11. Bing

    I agree with Howard A. I have a handful of collector cars including a C 1. I have owned a couple other vetted as well. I license and drive all my cars. I acquire them, love on them and drive them… I don’t enter shows, I don’t have a collection of cheap trophies cluttering up my shop. This is a great car, and bought at this price and just held and driven sanely the new owner will come out on the other end with a nice return on his $. Not a big return, a nice return..

    Like 8
  12. dogwater

    Nice car its worth the 80k step up or step back nit pickers, someone will buy it that as the money to burn have fun…….

    Like 0
  13. Vince H

    We had one at our dealership in the mid 70s. What a blast to drive. The 427 really laid you back in the seat. The price may be just a little high with the mods. Yes Howard I would have to put it at the top or really close to it. Some of the late models are really good to. Just don’t have the class of the 67.

    Like 4
  14. ACZ

    Most changes are reasonable except the color change. There are too many red Corvettes in the world already. The rest of the changes are ones I could have easily talked myself into. Maybe not the roller cam because the 400 hp used the same hydraulic cam as the 390 hp. It had good idle and performance characteristics. The rest of the changes make it enjoyable. Just never get rid of the original parts and you won’t effect the price that much.

    Like 3
  15. Wayne Meyer

    Old Fogey perspective so no hard feelings if you disagree. I started getting into cars when I was about 10 years old (1960). I loved the old stuff and bought a 1938 Chevy 2-dr sedan when I was 17 because it was cheap and different. I bought many other old cars as daily drivers and enjoyed them all. I didn’t know what “numbers matching”, “CCCA classic”, “Bloomington Gold” “1 of 14 known to exist” or other descriptive terms meant until I was in my 30’s (slow learner) but at that point things changed. I sought cars that were unique and met the demanding criteria of others. I bought cars based at least in part on what the next guy might pay. None of them were daily drivers because God forbid I get in an accident and their value plummets. The fun of the hobby was partially replaced by the need to make a good investment. If you’re still with me, here’s my advice to anyone considering this gorgeous 67 Corvette: Do you like timeless body style? The killer red/red color scheme? The sweet music a 427 makes? The driveability of a car with performance updates? Will you drive the hell out of it just for fun? Are you buying it for you and not the next guy? Can you get it for your price? Remember, the car doesn’t know it’s been modified. If you didn’t know, would you still be happy to own it? If so, you’re my kind of hobbyist.

    Like 12
    • 427Turbojet 427TurbojetMember

      In my opinion, when you start worrying about matching numbers and 100% originally, you lose a lot of the fun of having an old car. Now you worry about driving it- what if you were to drop a valve and ruin an original cylinder head or block? What if someone broke one of your date coded rear view mirrors? Pretty soon you leave it home in the garage. I have several interesting old cars that are fun just to drive, go have lunch, drive to the parts store, etc. My 66 Corvette is FAR from perfect but I don’t worry if one of the neighbor kids wants to sit in it. I take it to local shows and if I park in a row of perfectly restored Corvettes I’ll guarantee I’ll have more people looking at it and more people just wanting to talk about their cars or their Grandpa’s or uncle’s old car. Sure the money would be nice but if matching numbers are what’s important to you, maybe you’re on the wrong site.

      Like 8
  16. R.Lee

    Having grown up in the 60’s and 70’s in St.Louis with so many car and truck factories probably 2nd to the Big D, was like candy every day on the street drags.
    Hall Street, South Lindbergh, many more that I have forgotten to the ages.

    Having the Corvette Factory here many were built by employees of Chevrolet, my friend Ray Cole for one, and built to whatever combination that THEY wanted and got the very best work from their fellow employees.

    So when you received your car in a few months the car was in a state of never ending speed contests. Speed parts to be the fastest on any givin weekend. So when I see any performance inspired car I know that either the car IS original and been in a garage since new, OR has been “leaned on” the fenders, replacing whatever parts that gave you the edge. If you were smart you kept the parts to throw in the trunk when you sold the car.

    Or guy’s bought the useless parts and shelved them knowing one day if the car was still around that the 427 855 date coded Holley would be worth north of 1500 clams. Call me, for sale. Anyway guy’s have the original parts in garages, barns on shelves waiting for the right car and buyer to put the cars back together. My point being that most cars have been used and if the car has been “restored” then the finding of the original date coded parts has been done as best as possible and that is what they call original. RIGGGGHHHHT

    What ever that has been altered to the ride to the satisfaction of the owner is his or her car. Nobody else’s car is like theirs. That is what makes it yours. Even if it is those N50’s that you fit on your Monte, you have changed the car thinking that you will return it back to original one day. Then the day never comes and the car is sold, N50’s still on the car, and the Turbine Two wheels with snow tires were left on my other car as the new owner did not care to have them.

    Looking at the Red Corvette the way it is, well it suits the guy that owns it and the next guy will make it his also. I would of kept the GM Code 983 Goodwood Green because that was the born on color. And I would have altered it also but kept the original parts or find the parts to make it “whole” which is possible but unlikely.

    To each their own, but once a car is altered it is unlikely that it will ever be the same.

    Like 2
  17. TimM

    It doesn’t get any better than this!! Well maybe a 6 speed!! Haha!! It’s a driver and the owner has it set up the way he wants it!! Most people here can respect that and I do to!! Having that extra gear when some punk pulls up beside you on the interstate and you shift that gear and disappear!!!! It can always be put back but it’s more fun when it’s not!!!

    Like 2
  18. PRA4SNW

    It all boils down to what you are looking for. For me, I wanted the experience of driving an original, unmolested, unmodified Corvette, so that’s what I bought.

    I never felt the need to modify it, even if that meant it wasn’t the fastest, best handling car around. My daily driver would suit that need just fine.

    Bottom line, as mentioned here, is to drive and enjoy them.

    And, before the big time auctions were closed down, the big bucks were going to resto-modded C2s, so that particular model had turned a corner from garage queens to ones that would get driven.

    Like 1
  19. George Mattar

    NCRS guys won’t dig this car and while I keep my Corvettes totally stock, it has eyeball appeal. Here is the deal. All my friends with 67s never drive them fearing some uninsured illegal punk will plow into it. Truth be told, all the mods this owner did, make this car much more enjoyable to drive than my neighbors 67 with 4.11 gears and side exhaust. I’m in that car 10 minutes at 75 mph and screaming to get out. At least the seller isn’t full of BS representing the car as a matching numbers trailer queen.

    Like 1
  20. jokacz

    Is it worth the asking price? Of course not, none of these old fossils are. All the mods make sense, this car is a high mileage driver, not a trailer queen. My only question is, what is the point of the passenger side side view mirror? It’s ugly and the driver can’t see it anyway.

    Like 0
  21. Vince H

    You must not drive on the freeways. It is much needed and aids in backing up.

    Like 2
  22. JoeNYWF64

    So these are “knock off” (the hub) wheels?
    Only year with rectangular backup lites?
    Why not mount the gas filler lower or behind the lic plate? – mayb for styling?
    Power main windows & crank vent windows seems like an odd combo.

    Like 0
    • jokacz

      No, these are “Boltons” (lol) knock offs were illegal that year. They even removed the spinners from replacement hubcaps for earlier C-2’s. Vette’s had the fastest power windows on the planet, full size motors for tiny panes of glass.

      Like 0

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