Corvettes for Sale: 1969 Corvette Coupe with Original 427/390 V8

Auctions on eBay don’t always include an in-depth analysis of the car by a qualified expert.

It’s a breath of fresh air to find this 1969 Riverside Gold Corvette coupe being auctioned off by Thunder Valley Classic Cars in Minnesota. The owner of the business, Mike, says they have done more than 45 complete frame-off restorations on C2 and C3 Corvettes since opening in 1984, along with plenty of repair and maintenance work with numerous NCRS and Top Flight awards for customer cars and his own.

Having that kind of experience behind the assessment of this second-year C3 Stingray makes his extensive assessment of the car more valid.

“This car would be a perfect candidate for a frame-off restoration,” Mike says, “or could use an engine rebuild, some miscellaneous drivetrain work, some basic fluid maintenance, and a good cleanup and be driven as is.”

That original drivetrain, by the way, includes the highly desirable 427/390 horsepower L36 V8 hooked to a four-speed manual transmission, with all original parts other than the passenger side cylinder head that he believes to have been replaced at some point.

This car – which shows 79,104 miles on the odometer – has had only two owners over the past 54 years, with the second owner buying it in the mid-1970s. Options include power steering, power brakes, AM/FM radio, and tilt-tele steering wheel.

It’s “never been messed with and has had very little work done to it over the years and never been worked on by the wrong people,” Mike asserts. “It even has the original air pump on the engine, which you never see. It’s all there.”

Mike points out that the engine has a slight leak with coolant entering from the driver’s side rear intake gasket, but he doesn’t believe it’s coming from something as serious as a cracked block or heads.

“It does run and drive,” he says, “but the engine is not good enough to drive it for long periods, just for moving the car when needed. When taken for a short drive down the road, the transmission, differential, suspension, and other moving parts seem to actually work pretty well yet.”

The car is said to be “very solid underneath” with all original body panels, though Mike says it appears to have suffered “a very minor hit on the left rear bumper at some point in the past, resulting in a 6-8 inch crack in the fiberglass above the driver’s side rear valance. You have to lay on your back to even see the crack, and it could be easily fixed with no panel replacement. Other than that, it is a no-hit body.”

Mike believes the original paint is still on the car and says he can provide more information about the engine, transmission, differential identification numbers and also has more photos available and access to hoist the car in the air for further inspection.

So far, 12 bids have been placed on this vintage Corvette, climbing to $26,100 with the auction closing on Monday afternoon.

“All-original Corvettes in this condition are very tough to find these days,” Mike says, “especially for a 1969. This is a very solid car that would be a great restoration project for someone to take on.”

Source:
eBay Motors via BarnFinds.com

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