Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible

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Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible


Boy, does this 1971 Corvette LT1 bring back memories.

Someone is going to have a lot of fun in this high-powered C3 Corvette if they have enough money to do the job right.

Probably the only Corvette I ever owned that was really a true classic was an orange 1971 LT1 coupe that I ended up trading for a 2005 convertible to get a better road cruiser when I changed jobs and had to travel on I-75 a lot.

Fortunately, mine had been restored and really was a pleasure to drive, though I was a little weak on the four-speed transmission shifts and wound up burning up the clutch!

I still remember my wife asking me what “Astro Ventilation” was, and I said, “it means get ready to sweat a lot because this baby doesn’t have AC.” It was best enjoyed in the early morning cool temperatures of summer.

Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible


Now, someone else has a chance to own a 1971 LT1 convertible, though based on the photos , it needs a lot of work. The bid on eBay in West Creek, New Jersey has climbed to $8,950, with no reserve, which leaves plenty of room for restoration.

One of the problems with my own LT1 was that I didn’t have the pedigree. I was able to trace it back a couple of previous owners, but because I didn’t have “papers” proving the amount of work done, it was never worth as much as some LT1s are – though my car looked like new and had undergone a pretty good restoration. My advice is to always make sure you get the records, or don’t pay as much for the car.

Maybe this one does have a better history behind it as the seller notes that it was parked in the late 1980s where the owner took out the half shafts and started to take apart the car. It never came out of the garage again until the current owner bought it.

Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible


The car has numbers-matching drivetrain, he says, and the motor is not frozen and spins freely. “do have pulleys, manifolds, full exhaust system for it,” he adds, but notes that it is missing the air cleaner.

In 1970, the LT1 Corvette was fast and light with 370 horsepower, the second most powerful engine offered and lighter than the 390 horsepower 454. By 1971, however, government regulations dropped that horsepower figure to 330, but I can tell you from personal experience it still produced a lot of torque and was a pleasure to drive 40 years after leaving St. Louis.

Hopefully, someone will bring this one back to its original glory. It would be a shame to lose another original LT1.

Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible
Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible
Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible Corvettes on eBay: Garage Find 1971 Corvette LT1 Convertible


Source:
eBay via barnfinds.com

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