The vintage Corvette world can be quite intimidating for first-time owners. There has always been a heavy emphasis on finding a car with matching numbers and desirable options to restore to National Corvette Restorers Society standards. The problem is that not every Corvette was a cherished heirloom passionately cared for and driven only to church on Sundays. Many Corvettes were driven hard and treated like sports cars. Who says that current owners of classic Corvettes have to treat them with kid gloves? The 1959 Corvette you see here for sale on eBay in Wylie, Texas may be the perfect start to the resto-mod of your dreams. With no engine or transmission and various other items in disarray, there is little hope of a full NCRS restoration for this red-and-white beast. Yet the damage and missing parts allow you complete absolution from the duty to restore the car to its original condition. It can be the foundation for the build you want not the garage queen everyone expects. How would you proceed if this Corvette took up residence in your garage? Is the $29,800 asking price out of line?
The ad on eBay for this 1959 Corvette has an exhaustive list of pictures, but very little is written about how the car got to this point. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that it has been stored inside since 1975 due to a heater box fire. It would be interesting to hear the readers’ thoughts in the comments on how such an event can happen. Could a long-term accumulation of vermin nests reach the point where an errant spark from a blower motor could set the whole thing ablaze? At any rate, we are further told the car no longer has a hood, top, or drivetrain. There is no reason given on why these parts are gone, but Corvette drivetrains were always desirable for swaps into other vehicles.
The ad tells us, “What you see in the photos is what comes with the car.” The seller’s photographs are exhaustive and well done compared to the usual ads we see. These pictures show a car that can be resurrected with a lot of folding money and sweat equity. To do it correctly would require removing the body from the frame and working from there on each part to see just what can be used and what needs to be tossed out. Corvette restorers are lucky in that most parts specific to these cars are being reproduced and sold through Corvette-specific vendors. More common drivetrain parts are available used and at reasonable prices. Even the body panels, which are as lumpy as a can of busted biscuits, can be replaced with little issue.
The condition of this car combined with the plethora of parts it needs combine to make an NCRS-level restoration a fool’s errand. There is too much missing and the condition of what is left is rough in many areas. On the positive side, there have been a whole lot of Chevrolet V-8s built since 1959, and you would have your choice of many different transmissions to bolt up to that powerplant. Just imagine this car fixed up to the point it looks like a stock Corvette with subtle modifications like the wheels and maybe a lowered stance. Under the hood could rumble the small block of your choice. Beef up the suspension and add a six-speed manual transmission and you’d have quite the runner.
At the end of the day, this rough car is still a 1959 Corvette in Roman Red with white coves. That makes for a powerfully beautiful Corvette even in its current condition. Once you get beyond the beauty of the design, there are a lot more positives about early Corvettes that most people overlook. Perhaps the most glaring point is that they are undervalued in comparison to similar sports cars of the period. The average C1 Corvette is an absolute bargain compared to the average 356 Porsche. They can also be worked on by normal humans, have a reliable drivetrain, and can be worked on at any repair shop in America. They are a car that is more than the sum of its parts. Even if some of those parts are a bit crispy.
If this Corvette were yours, how would you bring it back to road-ready condition? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
if you want a Corvette project, you gotta start somewhere! I would look at the frame on this before plunking down the green however. Also, I’m wondering if the mill and tranny were pulled because of an engine fire. There’s evidence of excessive heat in the car’s past.
It needs everything just to be a presentable driver. A good frame and a full original body might bring the cash that is asked.
Comments, on ebay say the car has been: “Stored inside since 1975 due to a heater box are fire. Clear Title. No Hood, No Top, No Drivetrain.”
It would be easier to start with a frame, and build from there…
If you’re building a restomod with an art Morrison frame then this is a great buy. If you’re trying to restore it and even break even on it it’s a losing battle.
Dang. There’s about $1500 worth of usable parts here. Unless there’s gold bullion in the trunk, he’s going to be keeping this one for a long time.
One that Dad wouldn’t let me buy was a stolen & stripped 1965 ‘Vette convertible that John Wolfe Chevrolet in Louisiana MO found in a St. Louis tow yard. They dropped a 283 2-bbl in it and found a rear end & transmission for it. Another guy bought it for $1250 and finished it out. Got to drive it a few times. Zero collector value, but still fun!
Jeez, $30k for a crispy roller? Seems kinda pricey to me.
I’m at a stage in life when time is limited. Major projects are off the table for me. It would suit me better to purchase a turnkey that hasn’t been a pieced together patched welded Frankenstein. On the other hand I wouldn’t want a concourse trailer queen either.
If I only had a brain :) LOL
My wife’s thoughts, obviously.
I’ve been listing for one of this body style forever, but my pockets are VERY shallow and have big holes from family and life chewing on them.an older Buick V6 and a tyranny to match would make for a reliable and affordable daily driver. A replacement top, hard or soft would be my biggest concern. The rest my nephew and I could figure out. And yes, even Grumpa has unfulfilled dreams ! Just not cash to match. ; (
On a good note, the frame looks surprisingly good.
On a bad note, the car needs everything else.
The car needs a complete disassembly. When everything’s laid out on the floor one might decide the best course of action is to clean up what is there and have a true garage sale.
I’ve never heard of a heater box fire. Perhaps the blower motor overheated and caught fire?
This car is for a hale and hearty (add rich and somewhat crazy) DIY’er.
perfect model yrs: right dash board (the ‘binnacle’ instruments, R & L side ‘cove’), and rear deck (no duck’s a$$, no ‘fin tail lights’). Pretty much the sweet spot in yrs for me, just not sure on the grill. I might change out to a yr I like beddah). AND
no motor: affordable
THAT would get the blueflame w/3 YH side-drafts. Lub it ! This would B one of the cars (of that model) for this type of shenanigans (as I’d do ina vette). Nope, no “…an NCRS-level restoration…” -0- interest it that.
Final sacrilege? a 700-R (non-elec. auto w/OD) or best adapted auto/OD to the i6 mentioned. Just dont know cheb that well. But as modded, one I’d drive daily if not needing space for work use ina vehicle.
If it were mine, I would be torn between two directions for this one. Either a pro-touring style low fat tires tucked underneath, modern suspension and plenty of power under the hood. Or option two, no need for a hood, blown small block gasser style nostalgic drag racer style. Lookup clockwork orange, it’s a 1959 Corvette nostalgic style drag/show car.
You’re starting off on the wrong foot for either project with this thing.
Not saying it’s worth the money. Just the direction of the project. It is pretty complete, just needs a lot of rust repair and fiberglass work, so these are the options I would consider if it were in my garage. The worst of the fiberglass work is in the firewall area, and both options I mentioned would be just fine with a custom flat firewall. Now if I had to buy it, I wouldn’t pay anywhere near that asking price.
The last C1 I bought was a 1960 basket case. It did come with an engine and a trans that did not originally belong to it. I paid $500 for it.
This guy wants HOW MUCH?
Yet another overpriced hunkajunk brought to you by Dennis Collins.
Or you can make it a tribute to the vette in Hot Rods to Hell. Pretty incomplete piece though for the ask IMHO
Shove a Jaguar V12 in it.
Watch Corvette fanatics heads explode.
Maybe Mr Collins’ best bud Gas Monkey Man will stump up the ridiculous amount he’s asking, as I sure won’t!
And no one said; “that will buff right out?”
Click on the next item. Save your money.
Speaking of heater box fires! I have a 1985 F150 that sees occasional use. We live out in the desert where little critters will use anything for cover so the predators can’t get to them. One day, I’m driving the “old girl” in the winter to pick up something large. After driving for about 15 minutes with the heater blower going, I hear a loud squeal from the blower and the cab fills with smoke. I stop, open the windows and disconnect the the blower motor. (Can only be shut off completely by turning off the heat.) I continue on my way and realize the the smell was not plastic or “mechanical” in nature. But like dried leaves or twigs. Once home, I pull out the blower motor/ fan assembly, (thankfully easy to get to) and see that the box is full of twigs and leaves. Also twigs stuck between the fan cage and the mounting plate. It takes quite awhile to clean out the plenum and the fan got so hot that the motor dies not spin freely. So I install a new motor. Almost 1 year later it happens all over again in the same spot of driving. Only this time even more smoke! This is a beater truck (that I modified to be a dump truck) and doesn’t deserve a spot in the garage. But, I’m getting tired of “denesting” the heater box! So, yes, a heater box fire is very possible AND could very easily make flames especially if the boosted air is allowed to continue.
Wayne, I had a similar problem in my ’70 Corvette. Every time I turned on the HVAC fan, it smelled terrible, When I had the dash apart, I inspected and cleaned every vent tube, but yet the smell never went away. It wasn’t until I removed the fan housing (not a simple task, and done from the engine bay) did I discover the source. Instead of sticks and leaves, it was completely filled with pink insulation that had soaked in all of the pest excrement.
So, even keeping the car parked in a garage is no guarantee that it won’t make a good rodent home.
Yuk! When working at a Ford dealership in the mid-’80s a Taurus came in with the blower fan not operating. There was an electrical issue. (I don’t remember a fuse or relay) I happened to be walking by when the tech had just did the replacement and he said “jump in and turn on the A/C high blower”. So I obliged him and was instantly covered in Kibles and Bits!
But the worst story of vermin in a vehicle happened to me about 4 years ago. We had a neighbor friend that had just lost her husband and was moving across country ti live by her daughter. She was too old to make the drive herself, but wanted her Prius and her Pug. (They don’t allow Pugs on airplanes as they have breathing issues. My wife offered us to bring out the car and dog. Two days before we are to meet at the airport she said that it looked like there was a,mouse in the car. So I bought a new cabin filter and a two cans of disinfectant spray. We met them at the airport I changed out the filter which indeed had a nest on it and used both cans of spray into the ducts. She left us with the dog and the car and we went home. The car was packed to the gills and had no room for our stuff. So my wife decided to “repack” the car. While she was emptying put the car I noticed that the dash cover was covered in .mouse turds. I tossed it into the trash. Then I noticed that the very nice sheep skin seat covers were also covered. Those went into the trash also. As did the floor mats for the same reason. While the wise is unloading and looking for space she finds three nests. The one in the spare tire has young mice in it. The trash can is getting full. I spot a nest by the big battery behind the back seat. The only way to get to it is to remove the back seat. So I remove all the seats, remove the nest and scrub the carpets and seats. While everything is drying I go to the rear of the car to see how the wife is doing and a mouse runs across the back of the car. I happened to have the lug wrench in my hand and I nail the mouse. Once everything has dried I reinstall the seats and just as she is loading the last item another mouse runs across the back and disappears to where I can’t get to it. So I set five mouse traps in the car overnight. We get up early to head out and we had caught 1 mouse. Feeling confident we head east from Nevada heading to Tennessee. The first two days go by without a hitch. The third morning it is raining and we open the doors and the stench is unbelievable. Here we are in the .middle of Missouri with a dog and stinking car. So we head out with all the windows down in the rain. It rains all the way to Tennessee where we had decided to meet my cousin. Because of the dog, we have to stay at less than premium motels. We get up in the morning and it still is raining. We go out to the car and there are five cats circling around the car in the rain! We try to get in the car while two of the cats also try to enter. We head over to where we are to drop off the car and my wife opens the glove box to see a .mouse staring at her. I slso notice that the lights in the headliner for the visor vanity mirrors are full of mouse turds. They are waiting for us. (We had been keeping them advised as to our mouse issue.) They send us their truck to make a dash over to see another cousin and they set down the mouse “sticker paper” once they unload the car. That night they catch seven mice. I noticed under the hood when checking the oil that there had been chewing of the high tension wiring to the electric motor. After we leave to go home. There insurance company had them take the car to a body shop to be exterminated. When the headliner is removed, they find seven “full, occupied ” nests. And they find more wiring damaged. They total the car! We drive 1,800 miles to deliver the dog so that they can total the car. Go ahead and try to top that story! NO FUN!
Wow, just wow. My mind can’t even comprehend that stench!
I purchased a one owner 1972 Pontiac grand prix from an estate that had been stored for years. Upon the prepurchase inspection I noticed a shredded bag of hersey kisses in the glove box and the ubiquitous stench from rodents. We got the car running and on the return trip mice started running across the dash under the dash and one ran up my pant leg. I cut it off by the knee kicking frantically while swerving all over the road until I was able to pull over. My friend thought the steering linkage had broken. We searched and couldn’t find mice anywhere. You haven’t smelled anything until you experience toasted mouse turds on a car engine.
Buy a beauty for $60 k and drive it!