We’re not used to seeing barn finds as nice as this 1954 Corvette.
Usually, they’re coated with multiple layers of dust and grime, with cracks in the fiberglass and tears in the seat covers after having been neglected for decades.
But that’s not the case with this ’54 that has been in the same family for close to half a century, undergoing a frame-off restoration in the ’80s, winning some awards, and then spending 20 years in storage.
Now it’s up for sale on eBay out of Merritt Island, Florida some four years after the owner inherited this second-year Corvette from his father.
We’ve always had a soft spot in our hearts for ’54 Corvettes because my ninth-grade homeroom teacher, Mr. Wages, had an unrestored example sitting under his carport. Never did find out what happened to that car, but hopefully, it’s been restored sometime over the past 47 years!
Most people probably think of Polo White over red interior when they think of C1 Corvettes, which was the only color combination available in 1953. By their sophomore year, though, Corvettes were also available in a wider range of additional colors, including Sportsman Red, Black, and Pennant Blue.
We love the color combination of this car, Pennant Blue over tan interior.
The seller says his father purchased this Corvette in the early 1970s but now it’s time to pass the torch to another family. He explains that since inheriting the car, “it has just sat since – I don’t have the time or energy to get it back on the road.”
Based on photos that show a straight body with excellent paint and a like-new interior, it appears that cosmetically, this Corvette wouldn’t need much work all these years later. However, the seller does admit some mechanical problems, but they sound like they shouldn’t be too hard to repair.
“Engine does turn over when a test battery is hooked,” he says in the ad. “Fuel is very old and brake pedal goes to the floor – going to need a mechanical refresh.”
Speaking of the powertrain, the seller says he’s been asked if it’s a numbers-matching car. “I had always been told by my dad that it was, but I had never checked it,” he explains about the 150 horsepower Blue Flame six-cylinder engine with triple carbs residing under the hood.
“Here are the numbers I see just behind the distributor. It’s not super clear so I may have a letter or number mixed up – 076984 F54YG – Based on my research it seems about right – the F54YG is correct for the year – prior to 1960 they did not put the serial number on the engines.”
The auction ends at 4:44 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, and so far 31 bids have pushed the highest offer to $47,600. We have to believe it’s worth much more than that, if the condition is indeed as nice as it appears in the photos. So how about it, are you ready to add a Pennant Blue ’54 to your stable?
Source:
eBay via barnfinds.com
Related:
[STOLEN] Owner Searching for Rare 1954 Corvette Stolen From Orlando Suburb in December
This Custom 1954 Corvette is Ready for the Spotlight at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale
Anonymously Donated 1954 ‘Entombed’ Corvette Joins the National Corvette Museum’s Collection
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REAL NICE CAR, GREAT COLOR COMBINATION, I’D LOVE TO OWN IT BUT I HAVE THAT DREADED CONDITION OF FUNDZALOW !
This car has probably been hit in the front at some time. They replaced the nose with a piece that didn’t have the holes for the front emblem. That’s why the emblem is so high and out of position on this car. Looks like someone just “eyeballed” it and their guess was way off.
Otherwise, it’s a nice car! Below is one with the emblem in the correct position.
https://www.cruisinclassicsinc.com/1954-chevrolet-corvette-c-658.htm
Funny the seller doesn’t have “the time or energy” to get it back on the road or to even have a Corvette expert check it out. Like cars I’ve looked at that didn’t run, “Runs great, just needs a starter solenoid”.
Regarding 1954 Corvettes the Black Book states that 4 were painted black at the
factory and passing thru many states & car shows a black 54 will show up and owner claims that he has an original one ? Since there isn`t any color codes is
there another way to find out if it is a true black car ?
@don veselenak
No, there isn’t. And because of that, I would never attach any extra value to the value of a C1 due to its color. Even “original” paperwork isn’t reliable since so many people are faking paperwork and even the aging process of the paper to make it look old now. It’s a damn shame but that’s the world we live in now.
There were 3640 Corvettes produced in 1954. The poster showing the specifications of the car indicate the serial number is 3726? It appears to be a late 1954 production model.
@Gary
It’s true there were only 3640 Corvettes made in 1954. The last four serial numbers of this car are 3726 but it was not the 3726th car made. The first car that year E54S001001, not 000001. Essentially, the first car was number 1001. So to determine what order a car was off the line you simply deduct 1000 from the last 4 digits and in this case that means this is car #2726 off the line. And that would mean the last ’54 produced was #4640. The 1953, 54, 55 & 56 Corvettes followed this protocol. In 1957, it changed so the last six digits of a VIN were 100001, essentially meaning the first car was #0001.
I’ve never heard the reason for this but I believe it was to make it look like they were making more Corvettes than they actually were since it was a new, unproven model.
As a side note, I once owned 1955 Corvette #541 of 700 cars. But its complete VIN was VE55S001541. To the uninitiated, it would appear this was the 1541st car but as I said you had to deduct 1000 from the serial number portion of the VIN for a ’55 also making my car the 541st ’55 made. And it couldn’t be the 1541st car because the total production for ’55 was 700.
I’m a real numbers guy and I find VINs fascinating. They are a car’s birth certificate.
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