Say you woke up tomorrow with an original, but somewhat rough, 1962 Corvette in your garage. It runs and it is presentable, but definitely could use some refurbishment. What would you do with it? That is the question for whoever purchases this 1962 Chevrolet Corvette for sale on Craigslist in East Hartford, Connecticut. Would it be a good idea to start disassembling it and wearing out your credit card? Or is it a better plan to look it over, perform basic maintenance, throw a loaded suitcase in the trunk, and head west “Route 66″ style? With a $59,000 price tag, is this bleached white Corvette a chance to live your road trip dreams or a big white whale waiting for you to throw more cash into its maw? Thanks to T.J. for the tip on an early version of America’s sports car!
While a car-crazed America was well familiar with the Corvette after its Motorama debut and subsequent 1953 showroom debut, it was the TV show “Route 66” that cemented the idea in our heads that a Corvette was the perfect road trip car if that road trip needed a little adventure. Each week, audiences saw the real star of the show, a new Corvette, in different locations across America. Chevrolet provided new or updated Corvettes to the studio throughout the show’s 1960 through 1964 run for promotional purposes. While Chevrolet could have given the show any other convertible to work with, only a Corvette had the magic needed to make the show a success.
Those TV appearances also slowly prepared viewers for the Corvette’s future. By 1961, the car had a redesigned rear clip that foretold the coming all-new 1963 model. That rear clip still offered a lot of trunk room for two people if they wanted to take off for parts unknown. This publicity and the updated styling helped to keep sales up until the new car debuted. While the car was getting long in the tooth engineering and performance-wise, the still stunning good looks and the fact that no other domestic manufacturer produced such a vehicle made the Corvette a perennial dream car for many folks who were never able to afford one when they were young.
Even though “Route 66” went off the air 60 long years ago, the show and the Corvette road trip concept still resonates with a lot of people. This 1962 model may be the chance for some enthusiast to finally get their hands on a vehicle they have dreamed about for so long. The seller tells us that this running and driving Corvette still wears its original paint. That paint has become chalky and shows every bit of its age, but it is still believed to be a highly original car. On the positive, the car does come with new seat covers and carpet. These have already been installed and look a bit out of place when contrasted with the exterior. To add to the contrast, a new dash, top, and top pads are included and waiting for their installation.
We are told in the ad that the car comes equipped with a 327 cubic inch V-8, a four-speed, and a Positraction rear end. No specifics as to horsepower, gear ratios, or any of the other information that Corvette buyers crave are listed in the ad. This may be a mistake. Some Corvette restorers seek out unrestored cars for their projects with the idea that many of the parts the car left the factory with will still be there and have the correct numbers. The ad on this one reads just like any other old car ad. Corvettes of this vintage are anything but.
Of course, this car also appeals to people who want to enjoy a Corvette as a vintage sports car without guilt or worry. For them, it is preferable to have a running car that can be left outside the hardware store while running Saturday morning errands without worrying about a door ding. We may be far beyond that point when it comes to thievery and Corvettes, but one can dream. If you took it on a road trip, could you leave it outside the hotel at night without tempting the local miscreants? It is sad to even have to ask that question anymore, but Corvettes are often worth more as parts and this one is no exception.
What do you think? Would you restore this car to perfection or drive it as-is? Do you think a road trip in this car is a possibility without the high risk of theft? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
This is one of the most grossly over-priced and under-described Corvettes I’ve ever seen on this site. I can’t imagine anyone paying even half the “firm” price the seller is asking.
Rude, unrealistic sellers like this deserve all the rude comments that result from their ads. Rock hard pass with prejudice on this beater, but I do feel sorry for the car. For the seller… not so much.
I agree. The asking price is more than double what the car is worth in its current condition. Fully restored it isn’t like to sell for that much money.
Get it roadworthy then, restore to whatever level you can afford if you can get the price right.
Worried about theft while traveling with a vintage car? Take the wire from the distributor to the coil into the hotel with you.
With that wire removed, I think they would just flatbed it away. Just watched a video of Leno driving a Cobra Daytona Coupe replica. he says he never drives anywhere, that would require leaving his car outside overnight. Drives them, but always ends up back at the house.
On his boat, my dad used to remove that wire and replace it with a piece of rubber tubing.
The manual transmission is anti theft as well. But like it says below, they could just trailer it. That requires some ambition though that most lazy thieves don’t have.
$59k??, another dreamer. Like the car, has a lots of potential but is way over priced. One more example of the collector car world gone mad. Will this ever end?
I think I could find a NICE example for that kind of money. Good luck!
In 2016 I bought a genuine barn-find ’66 427, 4-spd Corvette that had been parked since the owner blew up the 427 in 1976. The car was painted white, and the body was in very similar condition to the car for sale here. I began a full frame-off restoration, sourcing a correct ’66 427 block, and had it rebuilt to original specs. The interior was saveable too, with a nice patina. I planned to have the paint and body done by a Corvette specialist that was supposed to be finishing my ’71 454 4-spd. After a series of delays and excuses on the ’71 job, I was getting very frustrated. My wife suggested putting the ’66 body back on the car as-is. I thought she was nuts…. She said “every-one loves barn-finds, it will be fun, you can always paint it later.” After a few more weeks of typical body-shop BS, I prepped/painted the underbody myself, then reassembled the car with the faded/peeling paint. I registered it with licence plates that say “AS FOUND”, and began driving it. That was 8 years ago. We have had more fun with that car than any of our shiny ones. We have got a number of awards, typically crowd favourite, for Not painting it. We love exploring the back-roads, and it is a car we can drive anywhere without worry. It was so much fun, I have since rebuilt a ’57.,’64, and ’65 in similar style.
BTW, we finally got the ’71 back, and it was really nice. Too nice to drive without worry, and it was sold about a year later.
As for the car for sale here, I would finish the dash/interior, go over the drivetrain, but leave the body as-is. This car would be a quick, and easy project, and tons of fun to drive.
I must say that I do consider the asking price to be too high. I suspect that the owner is trying to recover what he has into it. There are many Corvette projects available , especially C1s that can cost far more to restore than they will be worth. This is one of them. I suspect the owner has come to the realization this will cost way more to paint and finish.There are many better C1s for sale for the same, or less money than this one.
As a ‘Vette guy Cam, I’m sure you know not only are purchase prices way too high, but parts prices are ridiculous! I’ve got a 91 that needs a driver’s door panel. Costs the same as a complete interior…carpet, seats, door panels..for my 65 Mustang.
If you pay the asking price for this car you have already fed the whale.
B u r p!
Whey!! I not the only one who thinks this thing is alot over priced. Considering the price of parts the car should go for 10k.
Geezer Story: Bought an almost identical car to this one…White, Red interior, 327/340hp for a dollar a pound…$3200.00. Of course it was 1973! Wife was taking me to airport to be out of town for a couple of weeks. We already had a 65 ‘Vette, and saw it on stand at used car lot as “Special of the Week”. Told her to stop on the way home and take a look at it. When I got back to town it was sitting in my driveway. Said “Oh, goodie”, got the keys to take it for a spin. I’m a big guy (6’5″, 240 at the time). Discovered my head hit the top and my legs wouldn’t go under the steering wheel! So, for the last 51 years, it’s been my Wife’s car! By the way, 340/360hp 327s are a pain in the butt ’cause they’ve got solid lifters that require frequent attention.
Lol!…Now that’s a wife fellas. To get the car and have it waiting for ya, but seems like it was her’s from the get go. 😆
I’m in a similar situation. I have a 62 Corvette. It was my father’s car. In 1975 he and I drove it from Los Angeles to Tulsa, OK. We spent one night somewhere. Nobody paid any attention to it. It was just an old car. My dad passed in 84. always thought my dad would leave it to me, but he did not. I bought it from my stepmother and drove it back to LA. At the first stop for gas, somebody wanted to buy it from me. I drove straight through. Never spent the night anywhere. Took it once to Santa Barbara, and parked it in a friend’s driveway, but didn’t spend the night. Took it once to Lake Arrowhead. We removed the hard top and drove it around the lake. We were to go waterskiing, but the boat had a dead battery. So I put the battery from the Corvette into the boat. I haven’t driven it in 30 plus years. Hope to get it out of a shop this month or next. I would take it to a restaurant, only if I could see the car. I can’t imagine doing a road trip in it anymore. Do those Hot Rod magazine runs provide security?
My 62 road trip story. I couldn’t fit in the one we had because the top was too low and steering wheel was in the way of my legs. Wife bought me a smaller diameter steering wheel so I could drive it with the top down. She talked me into driving on leave from Navy from Norfolk to Upstate New York for vacation…weather was supposed to be good so top could stay down. After a week or so we decided to head back south, since we’d heard there was a hurricane coming up the East Coast. Started raining just about the time we headed south, damn near broke my neck with top up when we hit a bump. We decided to spend the night in Olean NY. About 3am there was a knock on the motel room door…it was a State Trooper! He said “If you wanna get out of town, you’d better leave now, ’cause all the roads but one are closed due to flooding, and it won’t be open long!” Only time I ever swiped anything from a motel, I took all the towels from the room to cram under the back edge of the top because if leaked like a sieve! Had to go west almost to Pittsburgh to find a road south toward Norfolk. Don’t think I’ve driven her car a half dozen times since.
Road trip. If you part it we will find you.
no way is worth what he wants for it because you looking at 50 thousand or more to restore it
I owned two (2) like this. $ 28K top price to offer. 6 months at 40 hours a week and another $26K will make this a nice car, no show queen but a fun driver. Call me when you Really want to sell.
Where can you get skilled labor for $6.00 an hour?
Henry Davis, I can’t even get the 8 year old neighbor kid to pick up sticks for me at that price.
In many parts of California, it now costs $20 an hour for the kid who salts your fries at McDonald’s.
A car needing virtually a complete restoration for the price of one already restored. 20K easy in body and paint, never mind engine work, finish interior, moldings, rubber etc. You almost always end up upside down on restorations but at 59K it would take a complete dinglebatt to purchase this.
This guy must be sniffing Glue?
Owner is either “selling at wife’s direction” or has watched BJ auctions too many times. Hope it’s the first cause he can always divorce her.
Another fisherman trolling the water for suckers.
I’ve bought 3 cars in my lifetime (1 a Corvette) where the price was advertised as “FIRM” and I paid them less than their “FIRM” price. If you like the car and it’s easy for you to get to, then go ahead and check it out and offer him what you think it’s really worth. Either he gets insulted (and really who GAF) or he comes to see Jesus and the reality that he can’t recover what he’s peed away in never ending restoration costs and you get the car and your price.
He doesn’t want to sell the car…….
Stacey you are probably right. His wife is nagging him to sell that old junk car that “you” are not going to do anything with. He relents and puts a price on it. Hoping no one comes through.
No one has answered Jeff’s question. I believe it to be a 340 HP version based on its cast valve covers. Of course, they could have cpme ftom another car. Would have to look underneath to see if it had the 8 qt. oil pan, and make surei it doesn’t have power steering (which could not be ordered with 340hp engine option). I don’t see a PS belt in either engine pic.
John, this ’62 has the wrong distributor, intake manifold, water pump pulley, and tach red-line to have come with a solid-lifter engine from the factory.
The largest Corvette oil pan installed in ’62 held 5 quarts. One more quart was held in the filter canister, making an engine total of 6 quarts.
Power steering wasn’t offered with any Corvette engine in ’62.
Whew! Thanks! Thought I was losing it, I’d never heard of C1 with power steering or an 8qt pan.
Someone will buy this for the seller’s price, restomod it, and sell it at BJ and MAKE money.