Chevrolet’s Corvette began as a distinctly American sports car to one-up the British cars that filled enthusiasts’ driveways and dreams in the post-war era. Seeing this 1954 Chevolet Corvette with fat Cragars and a dual-quad tunnel-ram jacked through the hood might have caused sports car fans of the ’50s a sudden seizure. This specimen in Astoria, New York comes to market with five pictures, no story, minimal description, and no respect here on eBay. Described as “Ideal for Restoration or Resto-Mod,” the ’70s-style C1 can be yours for $36,500. Thanks to reader Russell G. for spotting this castaway Corvette. I’m no Corvette authority, but I’d wager that asking price would be a stretch even if the car came with documentation that Marilyn Monroe lost her virtue on the hood.
The Weiand HI-RAM intake manifold topped Chevy’s small-block V8 engines for decades, boosting high-RPM performance on naturally aspirated engines and obligating hood surgery to put those dual four-barrel carburetors in the wind. The “bird-catcher” intake (turned backwards in this case) makes the cherry on top of this performance sundae. Other than “non-running,” we have no information on this engine, so assume the worst. Fun fact: red carburetors add 5 HP, 10 when combined with fuzzy dice.
The world’s first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body, Corvette freed Chevy designers to create shapes and forms that would be difficult or impossible to create with conventional stamped metal panels. Space-age fancy made the ‘Vette veritable a road-going rocketship, in styling that is. The 150 HP inline six-cylinder matched up well against the Brits, but hardly approached escape velocity like later Corvettes. Thanks to VoloCars for some details.
The interior looks surprisingly normal based on the left-for-dead exterior. At $6500, you’d have nothing to lose simply getting it running and driving it around, but the extra $30,000 dictates grander plans.
While the Cragar S/S makes nearly any car look mean, this particular application, bulbous raised-white letter tires protruding beyond the wheel openings, invites a “laugh or cry” response in the 21st century. Praise the four winds as the DIY Flared Wheel Arch Fairy spared this classic a tragic visit. Joking aside, we hope this fiberglass beauty hits the road again in whatever form or fashion brings the new owner joy. Any plan for running and driving beats idle years and unrealized dreams. We’d love to see how this Corvette’s next chapter gets written. How would you rebuild this hopped-up American sports car?
For that sort of price, you’d at least want something that you can drive home, wouldn’t you?
It’s already ”rodded” so someone might as well finish the job
Ed Zactly
This thing is an abomination
Maybe it’s “the Abomination of Desolation” they tried to teach me about in Sunday school.
I agree. This Vette needs to be restored.
Description says red with black interior. The only black I see is the passenger seat. Shame how much they want for how far gone it is. I will take the motor for $500.00 for my 77 Pontiac astre wagon. Would be a hoot.
Somebody with more DOLLARS than SENSE will buy it ….no worries…..
Scientists have spent years studying the air currents around a specific location in Astoria, NY that appear to suck money out of people’s wallets.
26K would be completely out of the question, as much work this car will require JUST to make a respectable street rod!
Smelling salts anyone? Okay, relax folks, yes, it is rather unbelievable, one of the most sought after cars was turned into this,( backward hood scoop?) but hello, newsflash, in the late 60s, this was just a hunk of junk behind some gas station. Donor this, and donor that, made an affordable hot rod. Its value was non-existent. I knew a guy that had a ’58, did the same thing. It’s an okay find, in that, restorable examples simply don’t exist, except as seen in this altered form, and someone will redo it cost no object, merely because it’s a ’54 Vette, and that, apparently, is what is wanted. Being old school myself, I think it’s really cool.
I could tell you first hand how Marilyn Monroe lost her virtue … but I’m too much of a gentleman. Having said that, this rolling eyesore should result in criminal charges …
What a total waste of a neat car. I really liked the 53-54 Vettes, but to cut a hole in the hood… big raspberry on that!!!
And then to top it off, asking that kind of money for this….. what were these people thinking???
The last thing I saw like this was in my cat’s litter box.
Who could do this? A Frankenstein!
Even a resto rod would be too costly, much less a complete restoration.
A period rodded Corvette would be fun to have at 12k or less for me, but at this $$$ forget about it.
In the 60s we hot rodded old cars because we wanted to go fast and we did not have money to buy a fast car. A junk yard offered me a 54 vet for almost Free because there wasn’t much Metal in it. I would of stuffed a V8 into it and been a Legend in my Town for awhile. Sounds like you guys were born with money and don’t remember working for $1.25 an hour!
Hate to burst your bubble Paul, but I grew up in the 40s and we were extremely poor, and lived in substandard housing until I was place in an orphanage. When I graduated, I had no place to go until that Fall when I had an academic scholarship to college. I scraped for the next 5 years to finish my 3 majors.
And then, to top that off, I taught high school math for 9 years, and my beginning salary that first year… a huge $6000 a year… no money in this corner until I got my MBA and left teaching… AND LOL… I didn’t get my first car until after I graduated college. did I hear a couple of “pop pops” of your balloon that just disappeared???
In the 40’s when most went into the US Military. My dad did and ended up in Pearl Harbor on Dec 7,41 and then was shipped to the Ardennes Forest.
People of that era had a rough and tough life.
@TheOldRanger
We were so poor growing up, when the burglars broke into our house, they left money.
We were so poor growing up, when a cyclone hit my single mum’s house, it did $20,000 of improvements.
We were so poor, we ate cereal with a fork to save milk
We were so poor, my mum waved a popsicle stick around and called it air conditioning
We were so poor, my jacko-lantern had better dental work than I did.
We were so poor, we hung our toilet paper out to dry
Was it this ’54 Vette?
I’ll tow it away for $275.
If cars could talk, I would love to listen to life stories of this vette…
Are there no scrap yards in Astoria?
No they’re in Flushing. LoL
When I was in High School in the late 70’s, I would have loved to have had this, and would have been proud to drive it. But, alas, I had my lowly ’70 Camaro, 307, 3-speed……., did I mention M50 rear tires!
I Like It…. Lots of potential there
This would be a fantastic project. Only spoiled by the greed of those trying to grind big money out of what should be a $500 car.
I did say “should”.
Rolling Probable cause.
Instead of critisizing the ask just make an offer. Disinterested negative BS isn’t relevant or necessary. Why complain about the price of something you have no interest in buying?? Just read it, shake yer head, and move on!
PK strikes again.
Thanks, Dad, I needed that bracing up.
Now get out there and win one for the Gipper!!!!
LS1 it and run it as is. LS1 is the holy grail of them all.
$ 3,650 maybe!
Very Interesting, if cars could talk? Would like to hear the history from new on this vette!