A 1969 Corvette L36 427/390-hp Stingray has surfaced in San Jose, not as a survivor, not as a project, but as the end result of a five-year obsession carried out with NCRS-level discipline.
The seller lists it on Craigslist for $59,427, a number that feels almost mischievous considering what’s hiding behind it: more than $80,000 in parts, a similar mountain of labor, and a restoration so meticulous it earned invitations to the Los Altos Corvette Spectacular Legends exhibit and the Hillsborough Concours.
The chrome bumper coupe has logged just 4,400 miles since its 2016 rebirth — all of them dry, all of them careful. The owner says it’s never seen rain, never even been washed, just detailed like a museum piece and tucked back into the garage.
The L36 427 under the hood was rebuilt by Bob Gromm of Gromm Racing Heads, a name that carries weight among people who know what a properly built big block should sound like. Inside the engine:
• Eagle rotating assembly
• Mahle pistons
• Clevite bearings
• Clay Smith cam
• Hydraulic roller lifters and rockers
It looks stock. It absolutely does not behave that way and sounds like a beast, the seller says.
Backing it is an M21 Muncie 4 speed and a 3.08 rear, with the rare N14 side mount exhaust — a 10 month-only option in 1969 — turning every start-up into a neighborhood event.
The interior is a full reproduction in color correct tan vinyl, laid over Dynamat insulation. The Vintage Air air conditioning blows cold. The fiberglass body is straight enough to shame cars half its age. Every system was rebuilt. Every nut and bolt was parkerized. The chassis and birdcage needed only surface rust cleanup. The car still wears its original California black plate and comes with a thick binder of receipts and restoration photos.
The seller calls it a Hagerty #2, valued at $72,800, and he’s probably right.
The listing has already stirred up the peanut gallery:
Curvette:
“Very reasonable price… This is why you buy one already restored, let the other guy spend the money.”
JoeBob:
“After spending $80k for parts… I’m surprised the seller is leaving at least $13k on the table.”
Bigred drifted into nostalgia:
“My brother paid less than 6k for his new ’70 454/390. He should have kept it.”
And Russell Smith delivered the collector’s gospel:
“Buy the best one you can afford… restoring a rough one will cost MUCH more than you think.”
This isn’t a flip. It’s not a quick shine-and-sell. It’s a five year, body off, every bolt-counts resurrection being offered at a number that feels like a favor to the next owner.
Someone in San Jose is about to get a car that’s been restored with the kind of discipline most people only talk about. And for once, the price doesn’t match the effort, thanks to the seller’s downsizing and subsequent lack of garage space
Source:
Craigslist.org via BarnFinds.com
Related:
Corvettes for Sale: No Reserve 1982 Corvette Garage Find on eBay
Corvettes for Sale: Own-Owner 3K-Mile 2011 Corvette Grand Sport Convertible
Corvettes for Sale: Turbo-Jet 427ci 1968 Corvette Offered on Craigslist
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Beautiful!
It’s a gorgeous car many would love to have. That being said, it makes no sense to invest that kind of money and time in restoring a car unless you are doing it for yourself and plan to keep it and enjoy it. You are never going to get your money and time back by selling it.
No doubt it was a labor of love. Now the buyer get’s the benefit. If I didn’t have 4 kids, I would be all over this.
Definitely very nice.
Winner winner chicken dinner! Every nut and bolt was parkerized. What does that even mean lol?
she’s a beauty;
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