With all the news this week about the amazing new 2025 ZR1, how about taking a step back for a retro look at a ’61 barn find for sale on eBay right now.
The first-gen C1 was nearing the end of its 10-year run when this car was built, with ’61 marking the debut of the four round taillight look that some enthusiasts believe are the mark of the only “real” Corvettes ever made.
The owner of this car may have felt that way as he apparently had big plans for a major restoration when he bought it back in 2001. But while the restoration did start, the project eventually wound up stalling and it was parked in a dry garage, where it’s been for years.
Now, he’s decided to pass the torch to a new owner, and apparently there is a lot of interest as the high bid of the auction has already surpassed the reserve at $35,100 – with two days still to go.
Apparently a lot of folks agree with the seller’s claim that the car is “not a bad start if you are looking to restore a C1 to your own taste.”
Dancing to the beat of your own drum is probably a good idea because the car has already lost a lot of its original parts, including the 283 engine that’s been replaced with a non-running 327 from 1968 said to be missing some components, whatever that means, and a four-speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter.
Likewise, because the trim tag is missing, we don’t know the original color combo, though the seller suspects it might have been painted Honduras Maroon based on “some signs” of it discovered around the car.
That lack of originality means the new owner could go off in a million different directions, painting it the color of their dreams and installing a more modern drivetrain, for example.
Some mechanical updates have apparently already been done, including the rear suspension, and the undercarriage has been cleaned and repainted from the front wheels back. The work seems to have stalled when he reached the front suspension, but the new owner will get a box full of new parts to finish the job if desired.
The seller believes the car will provide a “very clean and honest base” as the project moves forward with fresh blood. Do you agree with that assessment?
Source:
eBay Motors via BarnFinds.com
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