This car looks good at first glance, at least in the ad profile. The idea of a 1971 Corvette with only two owners entices. Who were these people? A young man-about-town who owned the car from new until the mid-80s, then a collector with foresight to see that this generation of Vette would eventually be the favored collectible once everyone and their mother had a 70’s era Trans Am? Not quite, as we learn about this car care of tipster Mitchell G.

The truth is not so perfect. This is a two-owner car, but the first guy seems to have adulterated practically every part of the car. The ad does nothing but talk about what has been changed and what’s wrong with what is left. This starts off with, “Not the original 350 engine.” Then it dashes your hopes as it tries to drive home the point with, “The original engine is not available.” Follow that up with, “A lot has been rebuilt or replaced on the car.” What, exactly?

This might still your doubts a bit: “I knew the previous owner and he had it since it was new.” So why was it necessary to do so much work on a 64,000-mile car? And how many of those miles were put on before the original engine blew up? While we’re at it, it’s nice to know it’s not the original 350, but what’s under the hood—another 350? No specifics are offered (though the engine has a callout decal on the breather cover), and one should never assume in this type of case. Still, how far wrong can you go with a V8 and a 4-speed shift-it-yourself transmission? Imagine taking the factory T-tops out, cranking the key, and hearing the roar as you revel in the aqua-blue paint job. Are you sitting in a decent interior? Hard to say—the images don’t get there.

What’s that going to cost you? The ad here on craigslist suggests an asking number of $26,000. The car looks decent enough, though it’s hard to tell how good the paint is or what it might be covering up in the way of faulty fiberglass. Nor do you know how this New Brunswick, NJ car has fared on the underside, where Vettes, despite their “plastic” bodies, do rust in structural spots. The marketplace looks to be filled with similar cars in the $30s and higher, so this price is somewhat under average perhaps, but doesn’t it make you pine for the days not that long ago when you could buy these then-unloved Corvettes all day long for $15 grand?