Corvettes on Craigslist: Numbers-Matching 1957 Corvette Needs Someone to Finish the Restoration

5
15115

Corvettes on Craigslist: Numbers-Matching 1957 Corvette Needs Someone to Finish the Restoration


Would you be reluctant to drive a perfectly restored C1 Corvette, afraid some other driver was going to run into you or a rock might fly up and chip the paint on the front end?

Well, here’s a solution for you, Mr. Worry Wart.

The owner of this ultra-low mileage 1957 Corvette, located in Tipp City, Ohio, says the car runs and drives “great” after he had the original motor professionally redone by a local Corvette expert.

Corvettes on Craigslist: Numbers-Matching 1957 Corvette Needs Someone to Finish the Restoration


He bought the car 12 or 15 years ago and points out that it had just been sitting since 1963 so those 27,000 miles on the odometer are for real!

This Corvette retains its matching-numbers 283/245 horsepower engine with the original dual 4-barrel carburetors and 3-speed transmission, along with the generator and starter from when it left the St. Louis factory. The brakes, suspension, fuel cell, and fuel lines have all been replaced, however.

But at that point, all the work pretty much ground to a halt and the good times began, the current owner says.

“I just could not bring myself to restore it all the way – it is just too much fun the way it is,” he says in a craigslist ad posted in the Dayton, Ohio area.

Corvettes on Craigslist: Numbers-Matching 1957 Corvette Needs Someone to Finish the Restoration


Many enthusiasts, including this writer, know the feeling. My own 1970 Impala – which my dad bought new on June 2, 1970 – has been restored to better than factory condition – and now I’m afraid to drive it.

As the seller of this ’57 put it, “anyone can find a restored car that you can’t drive, but this car is impossible to replace.”

Corvettes on Craigslist: Numbers-Matching 1957 Corvette Needs Someone to Finish the Restoration


Now he’s selling one of his “toys” to buy a place on Norris Lake for his family. He’s asking $47,000 but would consider a trade for a Jeep Wrangler, 4×4 truck, or a late model Mustang or Camaro convertible with a six-speed transmission or property in the Troy Tipp area.

So what would your next step be if you bought this Corvette? New paint job and interior to make it like new? Or just enjoy it the way it is so you don’t have to be paranoid about getting a scratch on the paint every time you take it out of the garage?

Corvettes on Craigslist: Numbers-Matching 1957 Corvette Needs Someone to Finish the Restoration


There are pros and cons to both sides, but personally I think I might just clear coat the body, add some Cragar mags to spice up the exterior, and go out and have some fun cruising.


Source:
Dayton.Craigslist.com

Related:
Corvettes for Sale: Full Scale 1957 Corvette Display Model on Casters
The Best Corvettes of the 1950s: No.1 – The 1957 Corvette
[VIDEO] Man Shares Experience of Owning a 1957 Corvette Fuelie for 47 Years

 



-

5 COMMENTS

  1. First thing I’d do is square the body away then paint it black, do the interior in a saddle tan, put a 4 speed in
    it . And providing the rest of the car is road worthy I would drive it enjoyably.

  2. The first thing it needs is a good inspection of the birdcage and frame for rust. Numbers matching is great if the structure is good, worthless if not.

  3. There is no such thing as a matching numbers 1957 corvette. Chevrolet did not stamp blocks, trans, etc. until 1961.

Comments are closed.