Nothing says “Super Seventies” like a C3 (third-generation Corvette) with flared fenders. This rough black roller has barely been touched since its purported days as a New York City street racer. Now located in Somerset, Kentucky, the 1970 Chevrolet Corvette comes to market here on eBay with no motor or transmission. Six bidders have tested the waters, raising the tide beyond $6500 in the auction’s waning hours. The rough interior, crudely filled headlight openings, modified wheel arches, missing drivetrain, and lack of compelling details from the car’s past work against higher numbers, that might be good news for the non-collectors out there. The ideal buyer might fancy some drag racing of their own, or building an entry-level C3 with what looks like a solid metal beneath the fiberglass body.
Originally Donnybrooke Green with a green vinyl interior, the sporty Stingray picked up white seats at some point, a perfect contrast to the black paint outside, or Donnybrooke for that matter. An array of aftermarket gauges suggests some activity in the 1980s, but the seller reports lengthy periods of storage since then. The roll bar also points toward a return to drag racing, or some other far-from-stock possibilities.
Fat rear tires nicely fill the flared wheel openings, and no-nonsense steel wheels project the attitude of a low-budget brawler. Model year 1970 saw many V8s reach peak horsepower before emissions restrictions and a change from measuring horsepower in gross to net terms sent power ratings tumbling, albeit partially on paper only.
Wow; this could be so much worse! Aside from the giant void showing green grass beneath, the metal looks great! LS swap, anyone?
Leftover fuel components and 5 cent crimped connectors tell a tale of late nights and home-spun engineering, with the minimal effort required to get this beast back on the streets. Corvette newbies may gawk at the independent rear suspension and transverse leaf arrangement. Corvette brought IRS to the table for model year 1963, while Camaro owners waited another 40+ years, until 2010. Would you race, refurbish, or restore this flared ’70s Corvette?
Good project but believe me those are not 5 cent crimped connectors.
Would look good in Donkey Brook green.
Nope Not Donkey Green. Keep it Black.
I personally think that “Donkey Brook” is the best ’70 color.
Why the hood pins?
This Vette may have been drag raced, from the added hood pins and roll cage, or SCCA.
I’d return this Vette to racing glory, source an LS, a proper ring/pinion, track worthy wheels/tires, and hit the open track days around town, and have a blast!
👍🤓
Meh
She’s in pretty rough shape, but this vette is the perfect candidate for an LS/6 speed swap from a wrecked C5 or C6. That interior needs some serious elbow grease, though. If one had plenty of time and skill but not a lot of money, it might be worth a few thousand bucks.
If this Vette was in my garage. I would build a race 383 with M22 trans and 3.73 gears out back. I like the Black paint keep it just redo the paint again. Since the seats are white go white with the interior. The headlights finish sealing up the pop ups. Back in the 70’s I seen custom headlights under the bumper. It’s was cool looking. Clean up the rims. And make some money street racing in NY. 😄🇺🇸🐻🇺🇸
Like the drivetrain, great choices
I’d let someone else buy this car. And let them throw gobs of cash at it.
I can’t believe there was a time when people cut up Corvettes to go drag racing. $6500 and all the winner gets is a rough body with no engine or transmission. You would be money ahead to pay a little more for a nice daily driver.
I didn’t cut on it, but when bought new I modified a 1968 Vette to some degree; headers, threw the smog air pump in the trash, upgraded the ignition, wider wheels and tires, changed the tri-power to eliminate the vacuum advance (all three all the time), and a lot I don’t remember. I wrecked it 3 times, and blew the engine up twice.
Went street racing and made the payments. How was I to know it was a classic in the making, that it would take 30 years for new ones to match the performance?
I was at a NCRS meeting a while back and there was a very thorough presentation on correct emission controls. Most of the older attendees acknowledged quickly tossing the A.I.R. pumps back in the day. It seems “NCRS Correct, dated ” OEM pumps/valves/fittings are now highly sought after.
Some original early systems are selling for $4,000++…….. If we only knew…..
The NCRS founding in 1974 was the best thing that ever happened to the Corvette hobby. The 1979 L-82, 4-speed, FE-7 suspension I purchased from the original owner came with the complete AIR system and cat converter in cardboard boxes in the luggage area.
Restore…nah too much $ involved. Hotrod with drivetrain of choice..have a ball. I can see a 383/ Tremec swap suspension mods and having great drives in the N. Ga. mountains. Somebody get it,get it on the road and use it. There’s enough of ’em stashed away because the became to $$$ to chance driving. Wouldn’t be much body fixin’, mainly mechanical. Wide tires, sidepipes, big cam have fun owning and driving a ‘Vette….
Looks like a refurbish for fun to me
Ended:
Jan 19, 2023 18:47:55 PST
Winning bid:
US $7,000.00
[ 10 bids ]
454 and 4-speed
I’m sorry, did I miss the $4,500 of cash in the trunk that makes this thing worth $6,500?
I looked at a running 1979 15 years ago for $9,000 and decided it was too much for what it was. Classic cars and eggs… just for the 1 percenters now…
For some reason relisted?
Bloomington mold…..not gold. There was a 73 in of all places, the local pick-a-part yard a few months back. The car had an engine fire limited to just the underhood area. Tons of new stuff on this car, mint interior. I absorbed every mechanical part my 71 needed. Shop around many of these fall through the cracks and can be had for much less than overpriced beat parts cars.