[VIDEO] Dennis Collins Rescues a 1964 Corvette Coupe in Michigan

Oct 6, 2026

176

[VIDEO] Dennis Collins Rescues a 1964 Corvette Coupe in Michigan

Dennis Collins has rescued plenty of Corvettes over the years, but his latest Coffee Walk adventure took him to Michigan for something a little different.

“This is not a barn find. It’s not an under-the-barn find. It’s a pole barn find,” Collins joked as he went searching for a partially restored 1964 Corvette coupe that had apparently been apart for decades.

What he found was a Saddle Tan-on-Saddle Tan midyear Corvette with a Powerglide automatic, a 250-horsepower engine and a restoration that had been started but never finished.

And plenty of parts.

The Corvette’s body had been removed from the frame during the restoration, with new bushings and brakes installed. The previous owner and his brother had also cleaned up the chassis, but the project eventually stalled, leaving the Corvette and its components scattered around the pole barn.

There was also an unexpected treasure trove of documentation.

Paperwork discovered in the glove box included an old Michigan registration that matched the car’s title, along with records indicating the Corvette had been purchased by its longtime owner in 1974. Parts receipts dated to 1981 were also found.

Remarkably, the documents survived despite three mice reportedly calling the glove box home at one point. No word on whether they were blind.

Collins quickly determined that the Corvette was originally a relatively basic model — a 250-horsepower car with a Powerglide automatic and without power steering, power brakes or air conditioning.

The Saddle Tan color, however, makes it considerably more interesting.

Collins said only about 7.9 percent of 1964 Corvettes were painted that color. Combined with the matching Saddle interior and Powerglide — Collins said only about 1,500 automatic Corvettes were built that year (Corvette Black Book says 2,480) — he believes the combination makes the car relatively rare. (Ironically, it’s the second Saddle Tan coupe he’s rescued this year, and the video includes a driving clip of that finished ’63 looking stunning on the road.)

Then there are the side pipes.

The Corvette has what Collins identified as a correct early-style chambered side-exhaust system and covers, but he doubts the car left the factory with them. He believes someone went to considerable trouble to gather the correct components and add them later.

Collins has no intention of taking them off.

“I believe this was just a base coupe in a cool color combination — Saddle and Saddle — and somebody added the side exhaust, which is the coolest thing on the planet,” he said.

The project also came with boxes of parts, including pieces Collins initially feared might have gone missing over the years. At one point, the guys even discovered the spare-tire assembly among the collection.

But anyone thinking the Corvette is almost ready for the road shouldn’t be fooled by appearances.

“It looks like it’s almost done,” Collins said. “Trust me, it is not almost done. This is a lot to contend with still. It won’t be a month of Sundays to finish this, but … it’ll take a while.”

Still, Collins already has a vision for it.

Rather than changing the drivetrain, he plans to retain the Powerglide, keep the side exhaust, add knockoff-style wheels and install air conditioning.

“There was a big point in time that the automatics were not desirable,” Collins said. “That has changed.”

He also praised the Powerglide as a strong transmission that drives well.

Collins expects the restoration to take some time, but Coffee Walk viewers shouldn’t have to wait forever to see the finished product. He estimated the crew could provide an update in roughly 60 to 90 days.

For now, the old ’64 is headed out of the Michigan pole barn with its restoration finally back on track.

And if Collins’ plan comes together, this long-dormant Saddle Tan Corvette should eventually emerge looking considerably different than the collection of car parts he just hauled home.