Big Block, Wrong Numbers: 1969 Corvette Convertible
In the Corvette world, numbers are everything. Nearly every part on Corvettes has a number stamped on it that corresponds to a particular production date. Corvette experts determine the value of vintage Corvettes based on the condition and the number of original parts. Does all of this matter if you want a Corvette to drive and enjoy? Take a look at this 1969 Corvette convertible for sale on eBay in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. With bidding at $22,100, and a Buy It Now price of $40,000, what is the correct value of this non-matching numbers drop top?
If we didn’t all enjoy cars, we wouldn’t be on Barn Finds right now. However, there is a certain point where cars are considered not just on the amount of fun they deliver. They are seen as an investment. Corvettes are a case in point. Early Corvettes were driven and enjoyed for the most part. With that also comes wrecked, stolen, and beaten upon with no mercy. More than one Corvette is out there with a VIN that it didn’t leave St. Louis or Bowling Green with and there are even more that sent a connecting rod out the side of their original engine block.
So here we are decades later trying to restore cars that will never be as they left the showroom floor. There are cheats to this, such as re-stamping engine blocks and reproducing parts stamps. This has been a real problem in Corvette circles since Zora was still in charge. People want their cars to be perfect for many reasons. This perfection has ramifications on the show field and at the auction house. Money will test people’s honesty severely.
So why should anyone play this game on a mass-produced car? Only those well-versed in the National Corvette Restorer’s Society Technical Information Manual and Judging Guide will know the difference if a part number is off by a few digits anyway. If you restore a car and make it look like it just left the showroom floor, shouldn’t that be enough?
The 1969 Corvette convertible you see here presents a compelling argument for numbers not mattering much. What options this car left the assembly line with is a mystery to readers of the ad. The seller simply states that it is a non-numbers matching blue convertible with a white top and a 427 cubic inch big block V-8 under the hood. The seller has owned it for five years and describes the car as original. It is also used for weekend drives, so the assumption is that it runs and drives fine.
A look at the pictures reveals a very nice Corvette that seems to be local show ready. With a 427 outfitted with the proper valve covers and air cleaner assembly, it does look like an all-original car. We can also see that it is a four-speed with a Hurst shifter, power brakes, maybe power steering, a leather interior, and side pipes. What the car had on the window sticker is a mystery. What it has now makes for a very appealing and fun driver.
Cars like this will always retain their value to a certain point. More value is added when the seller discloses exactly what the car left the factory with in terms of options so buyers can decide if returning the car to its original condition is an option. There are enough Corvettes out there to give everyone what they want. What we lack is information. The buyer can decide for themselves what is important.
Do you feel that “numbers matching” has become too much of a factor in Corvette pricing? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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Comments
Non-matching and original is a clashing oxymorn.
Put a small cap HEI tach drive distributor in it along with the shielding and it looks good under the hood. I like this one because you can have a little fun with it and not worry about trashing an original engine. Great colors, side pipes, I like it, but there is little information about the car from the seller.
The number game is the best thing to ever happen to folks who actually like cars. Let deep pockets pay whatever they want for a matching car; enjoy the discount for the non-matching, unoriginal mutt that you will actually enjoy owning and driving. I was hoping that the NFT nonsense would extend to pictures of cars so the actual cars that take up space would no longer be valued and dumped on the market while folks spent their money on pictures of virtual cars. But alas…
Nice car, but jacking up the rear to accommodate too wide rear wheels does nothing for handling on a Corvette.
Bragging rights, some people need to brag so …
This car is beautiful and i need to drive not brag …
The only reason I want a #’s car especially if it’s a rare desirable car is for resale down the road if I ever have to or want to sell for any reason as they’ll always bring more $.That’s why I did when I bought my 68 z24 427car it was an investment that I could enjoy. I like non #’s cars too as long as they’re priced accordingly. This one if it is all gone thru and solid and needs nothing seems priced still a little high imo from others I’ve seen what they sold for.
As a guys once said to me when I asked if it was numbers matching… “No but the seat of the pants experience is exactly the same”.
Has this got a later LT1 hood stripe on it? I don’t remember that on any big block hood.
Know Matching #s big deal most people today don’t care about that so many classic have been modified trans motors air etc.
Numbers matching or not, no excuse for publishing only 6 pictures in an EBay ad.
Apparently, 14 different bidders think it is enough to place a bid.
Good luck with that!
Unless your into concours or trailer queens i could see the importance of numbers matching on corvettes.but then i guess it could come down to asking yourself”do i want a numbers matching car i might be scared to drive for fear of being involved in a wreck or something you can get out there and drive like you stole it on occasion because it was less money as well.i love c3 vettes and would of owned one.but im over 6ft 2 and dont fit well in them.no leg or head room,and in a convertible the top of my head is above the roof line and have to scrunch down in a hardtop.
You might want to rethink that. I’m 6/2, as well, and I fit in my 71 LT1 coupe just fine. It’s a pleasure to drive as long as I don’t try to do 80 with it’s 4.11 gear.
For me really i found trans ams a little more roomy for my liking and they are 2nd in handling next to the corvettes
Me too…but I have 36 inch legs and I either use a tele column or I put a smaller steering wheel on it and get another turn signal lever and cut it down to size.
The only person that could not fit comfortably in my ’70 Vette was 6’5″ and we think he may have been able to if it came with a tilt / telescopic wheel.
I then had him sit in my Mini Cooper and he had head and legroom to spare.
The T&T column does make a difference.
Sure, an NCRS judge would be able to pick this car apart. Yes those are LT-1 stripes on the hood and by the way the hood is a reproduction big block hood. You can also see that the W/S wiper door has been removed. Yeah? So what! This car is gorgeous! The paint looks great in the photos, the interior looks fresh, those chrome side pipe covers are very expensive, this is a VERY nice car and as value. I admit, I would love to see more photos, especially of the under side. Not numbers matching? This is very important for resale, but if you can buy this car at the right price, you’ll have many smiles per mile. What do you think is the right price? $40K may not be out of line, but only after a close inspection, it may be worth the money.
I’m down with you on that true speak! Many happy miles dog!!!