In many ways, the 1973 Stingray is a unique Corvette.
It is, for example, the only C3 to come with a chrome rear bumper and a urethane molded front bumper as Chevy was answering the federal mandate for 5 mph bumpers in a two-stage process. The ’74, of course, is the first Corvette with rubber bumpers front and rear.
Legendary Corvette designer Larry Shinoda considered the ’73 to be one of his all-time favorites because he thought its long-snout, abrupt rear came the closest to meeting the original designer’s intent for the Mako-inspired C3s.
The owner of this orange ’73 started restoration but then his plans changed. Now it’s up for sale at no reserve on eBay, and the current bid has reached $8,300 with four days of action still to come.
The biggest concern a potential buyer might have about this car is that it has not run or been started for the past year, hence the listing as a non-running project, but the guy who’s listing this for the actual owner points out that the motor does spin over when a battery is hooked up to it and the car does roll and steer easily when pushed. We’re not told any other details about the engine, but if appearances matter, it does appear to be a nice-looking example of a small-block 350, at least cosmetically. Perhaps it could be up and running again with very little effort, though we’re certainly no mechanic!
While the paint looks nice in some of the 159 photos provided with the listing, the seller does show close-ups of minor scratches, blemishes, nicks, and chips in an effort to be as transparent as possible.
Despite those imperfections, I don’t know if the car would be worth repainting since it looks sharp enough for a daily driver as is, though that opinion might change with an in-person examination. The underbody also shows very little rust, so that’s always a good sign.
There’s no question that the black interior is in nice condition, with door panels, seat covers, and dash showing minimal signs of wear. The carpet could stand replacing as there are some small holes in the rear storage compartment.
Some 30,464 Corvettes wound up rolling out of the St. Louis factory during the 1971 model year, with the majority (25,521) being T-top coupes. How many are still around? Who knows, but as the seller points out, “these ’73 Vettes are getting harder to find and are starting to climb in price so don’t miss out!”
One interesting tidbit about the ’73 Vette, according to Mike Antonick’s Black Book, is that 4,000 serial numbers – #24,001 to #28,000 – were never built.
Source:
eBay Motors
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Nice looking car, although that frame rust-through in front of the left rear wheel might be a bit of a concern.
My 74 needed a patch in the frame in front of the rear wheels but this one looks like the frame is completely gone. New frame or use as a parts car.
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