StingrayLust

Yeah, this probably belongs in the C1 section, but I'm always on the C3 forum.

Recently I was out of town for a company training class. Some of the guys in the class know I have a '71 C3 that I've worked on. I then found out that a guy in the class has a '98 convertible. I talk to him a bit and he says that his uncle has an early 60's C1 out at the farm and asks if I want to go see it. I'm not about to say no, so we went at lunch. He told me that his uncle, now around 60, had dreams of restoring it with his son, but nothing has been done for decades. So my friend says he's trying to get his uncle to sell it to him.

He tells me it used to sit in the dirt up to the frame for years before they moved it. I'm pretty sure that almost anything metal on the car needs to be replaced. I only had my lousy phone camera with me so I took a few pics in the cramped enclosure.

Anyways this is probably as close to a true barn find that I'll ever be on, felt like Wayne Carini for a bit trouncing through weeds and small trees growing outside the barn. Here's a few pics:

AGVI

That poor car needs to be saved.

briankeery

There should be a law against that.

oldsarge

Going to need lots of love and lots of money to bring that one back to life.

71scgc

Put it on a C4 chassis

SpartyGW

That's horrible. If that car sat in dirt that long the frame is probably junk. That car will cost a fortune to restore.

keithinspace

What a travesty. One look at the IMMENSE amount of rust in the headlight socket tells the story...probably beyond saving. Real shame.

mrvette

Parts car.....CASE CLOSED!!!!!


OR for maybe 2 grand, a nice hotrod basis.....

Quil

SRIII chassis and a LS3, for the win.

80Baby

If the frame is decent I say "Go for it!" But that may be a pipe dream. Looking at those pictures makes me feel like there was a death in the family.

62corvette

Looks like a 62 based on the rear fender line and the imprint left by the front emblem.

markids77

I say go for it whatever shape it's in! Parts are available, and if you shop intelligently, and have no set finish date you can make that a dream ride. Yes it will still cost quite a lot, but it will be exactly what you envision and I for one would love to have a crack at somrthing like that. I will never be able to afford a "done" C1 or C2 so I can only hope to be so lucky as to find such a starting point.

desue

What a shame. Brings tears to my eyes.

chstitans42

Just wait guys, in about 30 years people will be posting how they find c3s in barns like this, in similar conditions and then going and restoring them. At one point, even this car was deemed worthless.

With that being said, there are almost none of these left, I would try to buy it just to say that I owned one. My wife would think I was crazy though!

I would like to see pics of the interior and engine bay

71scgc

Got a tip on a '56 about 1.5hrs from me. Been sitting for many years according to tipper. Said woman won't sell.
$$ talks...

SuperBuickGuy

At some point, people will realize just how many of these cars are still out there.... and how much it costs to restore it. I looked at a C1 this weekend that was done, perfectly and listed at $77,000. Talked to the owner, and he was not firm on his price (the "please make me an offer" said 10x was a clue). That car, would cost more to redo - However, there's someone out there with Corvette lust in their eyes that will look at that car and say "oh, it just needs...." and then will be listing it in 15 years done, for 50k. Or for 20k
this one is for sale a couple hours away from me on Craigslist Seattle

capevettes

Pretty neat. Looks like a 61. They are still out there. There are 2 of these I just found less than 5 miles from my house. It takes alot of time and money to get them back from the dead.

AzMotorhead

What about that mid-year in the back??

MCMLXI

~Stingray

I want to one of these so bad its not funny. But I don't want to restore it to original. I want to take the looks of it, and put a modern engine and transmission in. You won't know the difference unless you open the hood or have driven one before.