Just Out of 25 Year Storage: 1961 Corvette 283/245 h.p.
Yes, it was painted in the 1970’s. How did you know? I’m picturing this car at the 1975 World of Wheels Autorama with angel hair around the tires. You baby boomers know what I’m talking about. Looking past the cosmetics, this appears to be a good complete car and a really good restoration candidate. Thanks to our reader Andre for spotting this 1961 Corvette and sending us a tip. Located near Calgary, Alberta Canada, it is listed here on Kijiji for the sum of $50,000.
There is not a lot of information in the ad. It raises about as many questions as it answers. The car has a dual quad 245 h.p. engine but is it the original? It doesn’t say. How about the rest of the drivetrain? The topic isn’t addressed. The car obviously has custom wheels. Will the original wheels and hubcaps be included in the sale? Unknown. Interested parties will have to call to get those answers and more. The seller does inform us that there is only a soft top, no hard top will be included in the sale.
The good news about this car is the lack of body modifications. There are no fender flares to be found. However, I can’t see the rear of the car. Who knows what’s going on back there. It could have the ubiquitous six taillight treatment. I don’t know. The interior appears to be complete. The seat covers are custom and the shifter may be aftermarket. Both are easily rectified anomalies. The seller thinks the car could be made to run with a little effort. Wouldn’t it be cool to get decked out in 1970’s garb and drive this thing to cruise night?
Fortunately, the engine bay escaped the custom treatment. The valve covers, air cleaner, and the hard-to-find two-fours intake manifold all appear to be correct for a 245 h.p. engine. It’s neat to see the generator still in place. They’ve often been replaced with an alternator. There’s no ignition shielding in sight, however. What do the readers think? Is it worth the money? Do you like the vintage custom paint or would you wear a bag over your head if you had to drive it like this?
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Comments
Not my style but I hope it goes to someone that likes the look and keeps it the same. Very low kilometers and what looks like a tow bar attachment on the front. Someones old drag car? I would not need the paper bag driving this rig, but I would keep one in the glove box for a passenger if needed. I will check back to read the paper bag jokes!
The only haircut to have is the flattop with wings. A white T-shirt with Camels rolled up into the sleeve. And Ray Bans for shades.
The only way to drive this car as-is. Wish I had some hair on top.
Called a Princeton in my neighborhood…comb the sides back and crew cut on top. Cool…
Called a Hollywood where I grew up. Butch wax to keep the top rows straight, but enough about hair styles. I nominate this specially painted car as the first C-1 CLOWN CAR. Can you imagine it driven by ClairaBell or Bozo, or if your town’s parade is really cutting edge- KRUSTY!
I believe those brackets on front are for the chrome license plate holder.
It definitely looks like an old show car, not a race car. If the paint is salvageable and the undercarriage isn’t rusted then get it running and leave the rest as is. It represents a point in time when modified cars were the norm, that’s what you saw and were attracted to in magazines, at cruises, drive in’s and race tracks. If it’s restored to stock, it becomes just another restored old Corvette, without differentiation from any of the other restored Corvettes it’s parked next to it at the local show.
The price seems high, if and when it adjusts to the realities of the market I hope someone preserves, rather than restores it.
Thanks for posting a link to the car.
Steve R
I agree.
Last summer, I went to a big Corvette show (Bud brewery in Merrimack, NH) and there was a yellow C2 customized in the 70s that was untouched, custom fiberglass and all. I thought it looked great among all of the mega buck perfect C2s.
I still see a good share of C2s in non-show condition being driven and enjoyed. I love that.
Give it it’s dignity back.Paint it all red.
$50,000US or CDN? At $37,500 it could be a good deal.
The paint, however, is grotesque and an insult to our Northern Neighbors who are generally regarded as having better taste.
@ccrvtt, thanks for having our back… even during the ’70s I don’t think that paint would have been liked.
For a lot of us, it’s a lot deeper than that. My old friend,
Jack “Jocko” Bradshaw flew with the RCAF before he was grabbed by the USAF during WW-II. The only time(s)! he was shot down was when he was with the USAF. No offense to US sqdrns.
LaBatts fever forever!! Eh!?
I am No sports car fan Corvette or any other but whenever I see these I remember the 60s Tv Series “Route66” Just love that show I have complete dvds watch it time to time !
Looks like this one is all there. Paint job is a required taste. I would paint it again
Pete
$50K Is seller insane. It would require another $50K to get the body & paint done. 2 grand for tires; I don’t know what stock wheels are selling for, but probably at least $2 grand and IT DOES NOT RUN. You could buy a nice one even a restored one for that kind of money and you would not have to work day and night assembling it.
50 grand for body and paint? You must go places where they see a lawyer coming…..get real.
For the time being, I think I’d drive it the way it is. Later on… who knows. These paint schemes were showing up quite a bit in the late sixties and early seventies. Could be fun to make the Friday night cruise in it as is.
Its a Canadian listing on kijjijjii so Im sure its Canadian money.Makes it a better deal ,at least for you guys in the states.
From the (limited) pictures it appears to be all there. As others have said if it checks out properly I would drive it the way it is (minus Mickey on the hood) and enjoy the throw back. $37,500 US is not a bad deal.
Gonna need a paintjob, somebody scribbled all over it.
That is definitely a 70’s style paint job and custom touches that you would have seen on the show circuit. This car would get up and go with that dual quad set up. I would think that the way that paint has held up that this car was well cared for and is a diamond in the rough. If it’s numbers matching it’s a pretty good deal at that price. Get it running work out any mechanical issues and drive it as is for awhile. Hit the show and shine circuit for a while and I’m sure you will have lots of older custom car guys chatting you up continually. Look for the correct missing pieces and you will have a real gem to blast around in. If and when you restore it it will be a gorgeous car but you won’t be able to tear around in it not worrying about it being damaged.
Nah! I’d have to paint it…
It took a dual quad to get a measly 245hp out of a 283? Sure, I bet 245 was a big deal back then but a real dog considering what followed.
There were no cell phones back then either and look what followed, a factory dual quad ‘vette is still a big deal today.
the 245 hp was the low compression version, 270 for the high compression and 315 hp for the Fuel Injected. So this was the baby motor
Wonder how bad it would be to get it in to the U.S. ?
I love the paint,and would put loving hours,of light buffing/waxing in
to try to retain it,It looks great over all,I would detail,and drive..!
The hours just to mask/tape that design,make me cringe..!,..It was
once the “rage”to make your car unique,in all aspects,including wild paint,
and someone sure put some time into this,very cool,retro style,.
sooner or later,..it will all come back into style…!
this brings back a lot of memories… worked in Corvette rebuild shop in the late 60’s and early 70’s. We did more than a frew custom paint jobs. Had my ’55 in Clark Marshall’s show in Seattle more than once.. If you weren’t there you have no idea how nice this ‘vette was.. oh well, bash it all you want. I will just smile…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO7ZqnRwqnQ
With the mouse on the hood, it should stay just as it is…….. I think it’s pretty cool no matter if you like the paint or not….. Somehow I think that paint might be more special than we think……
dat vid’s too much daddy!
lmao!
Give it the essential once over with a set of Crager SS mags and fresh rubber!
What a surprise. I owned this car here in Nebraska almost 40 years ago and sold it to a classmate out in Denver. You can not like the paint if your a little tike but you would be surprised when what’s there is cleaned and buffed. I’ve had over 50 Corvettes in my life, mostly straight axles and this other then a Pennant Blue 54 I had is by far the showstopper of any of them. I know beyond a doubt that if you want a crowd around your car at a show, this is going away, the one. Take a good look at the panel painting as no two parts are the same. I always had people looking at it for 10 minutes at a time, a lot longer that a “lookielookie” would spend looking at a “regular” Corvette The Mickey Mouse on the hood is very subtle and after about the first 5 minutes you get used to it and after half an hour you love it. I’m 73, have had a real life and things like this is what has kept me alive. This Corvette would do well at any car show and as a easy challenge would show well in an art gallery with the canvas being one of America’s great cars. For those that would repaint or even touch this one ,go find another one to “practice” on….
Gotta love the reach of Barn Finds!
Well said clay
Thumbs Up Clay I like the paint and I like that this isn’t your average Vette. Did you have those same rims on the car when you had it or have those been changed over time?
Same all the way around. This Corvette with the dust off and a good “rub” is drop dead eye candy. I know what is an “eyeballer”, have had a slew of these and this one would have people come over and look at it if it was parked up on Mt. Everest. You’re right………..not your average Vette. Would show well at any show.
I love this vette
Clay, I would think you would want it back, you would certainly be able to tell just how much has been changed. I am guessing not much. I was born and raised in Denver and was very much in the car culture during that time, I am just a few years older than you. I don’t remember seeing the car, but we forget how common and cheap they were, and the paint wouldn’t have raised the eyebrows it does now. It would have just been a stock Vette that someone panel painted.
I rent 5 garages now(downsizing! lol) Ya, I would take it back in a heartbeat but I’m a Disabled Vietnam vet that Agent Orange has reared up and really bit in the butt and have real problems getting into my Alante’ and it and a couple Cutlass convertibles are going. Cheap is right. Lived up at Gunnison and first Corvette was a mint 65 coupe@ $1850 and second was an honest 68 L-88 @ $2200 in 73. Cheapest car I ever bought was a Bocar@200 bucks. Go price them now Quarter of a mil up .While I have everyone’s attention on here,when going thru Nebraska on I-80 stop off at Speedway Motors Headquarters and Museum in Lincoln. 155,000 packed square feet of the finest and eyeball the 53 Corvette in there,previously under my name but not as nice as it is now. I would say it’s one of the best in the world as I also gave the owner enough nos stuff to make a pickup sag………..Bill Smith was the best friend to the car culture and I’m glad to have been graced by his presence at times. Put on a Great Race event in our York city auditorium, Bill brought out some of his pedal cars and we had over 7,500 people go thru that night.(This is a town of 8,000. Won $5,000 for our city library for best overnight stop that year beating out Denver and Indianapolis. Fantastic show I could write a column about.
Thanks for the car and serving Clay! Lost a buddy last year from agent O. Sounds like you lived things right after Nam. I will put you in my prayer book stud. Take care, Mike.
I had heard about that museum, but did not know exactly where it was. I will have to check that out.
Thanks
like the ’61 & below (till ’56?) due the the rear end style.
Clay, is that painted in laquer? Perhaps it will need a light sand and more clear sprayed on it?
To be honest, I can’t remember. The guy I sold it to talked to the guy that painted it up in Frisco, Colorado years ago.All I can say is if the paint is “brought back” it will surprise you the depth of interest it gets. I could put 10 61s out on an open field with this sitting amongst them and it would be interesting to film watching the crowd react……….(would be a fun way to judge) I guarantee there was hundreds of hours that went into that paint job. Trunk is the same way as the rest of the car……….(I bought the car that way)
Laquer paint, was pretty decent condition in early 70’s, motor was from ss nova- shpe , double hump heads, 780 Holley double pumper, independent air bags on each corner, could lower independently for cornering conditions, 2 time scca modified classic championship car ,electric fuel pump, m22 trans,supposedly 11 sec car in nebr altitude when in drag race setup. I never dyno- it but seemed way more than 350 hp shpe when I got it . Really strong at denver altitude. Guy I sold it to was a frontier airlines mechanic. Last time l saw it , approx. 1990 it had a 283 motor supposedly ,
without the headers. 11 ” clutch before I sold. He was going to restore it. Glad to see it again. The paint scheme the motor sound the 1961 would really attract attention and offers. Was originally bilt by a guy in Omaha.
Wonder if a person could find some of the older pictures of this car when it was freshly painted? Back in its heyday so to speak. Was it painted to race or for show?
I am an NCRS judge and I restored my own 1960 and took it to the Duntov level, so I have nothing against restorations. At this point, though, when I’m not judging, I am not paying a lot of attention to the rows and rows of restored cars. As the song went, they’re all made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same. I look for cars that are out of the ordinary. There are so few cars left that stand out, the few that are left should be left as they are.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. You’ve experienced more then I have in Corvette circles but you give great insight. I have experienced how this car turns heads and when viewed in “real time” it will hold itself well for getting attention. I truly feel this would make a great exhibit in an art gallery. The rear area is as great as the rest of the car.
I would definitely repaint it to original. Put stock wheels and caps on it and drive it around making believe I was Martin Milner in route 66.
Read what the NRS judge said above…………truer words never spoken. Drive this for a year then decide. I know what would happen…..from experience.car stands out…….there’s a hundred Martin Milners out there. By the way……who is Martin Milner?
What??!!!?? Who’s Martin Milner ?? “1-ADAM12, 1-ADAM12, 211 IN PROGRESS, MISSION AND VINE , POSSIBLE SHOTS FIRED, 1-ADAM12, HANDLE CODE 3″….. May “PETE MALLOY”/ “TOD STILES” Rest in peace !
I guess if your a certain age (Too young to have seen it /too old to remember), or never watched either “Route 66” or “Adam-12”, his name would have no meaning. But for us “kids” who watched Adam-12 and “Emergency!”, that set the careers we would follow ….In my case , I was a Firefighter from age 17 to 52, lots of Volunteer time and 20 plus years paid …… Fun shows, also “77 Sunset strip” , even though I only remember those from reruns, route 66 too….just a bit before my formative TV watching years.
I think I was one of the first to comment on this thread that “That car” was special! I think it’s a great paint job !
I was pullin’ your leg. Watched Route 66 first hand and liked it although it had shallow plots. If you saw this Corvette in person , washed and cleaned up I think you wouldn’t think about a reshot. You could always repaint later and be like everyone else but who wants to be like everyone else. To be truthful I enjoyed the attention when I owned it and what other reason do you buy a Corvette for, especially a straight-axle…………….
LOL…Back at comment #25 I said
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO7ZqnRwqnQ
“With the mouse on the hood, it should stay just as it is…….. I think it’s pretty cool no matter if you like the paint or not….. Somehow I think that paint might be more special than we think……”
I wouldn’t paint it …… not if the paint is still good …it has too much character.
So right you are………….in living color!
I was fortunate enough to go take a look at this beauty last week and spoke with the current owner. I can only say that it would be very tempting to keep the paint as is, it looks pretty cool in person. Shined up it would hard to justify painting over it. But, to each his own. I would just shine it up and enjoy!
JohnnyD..Thanks for the back shot. Can you believe people would repaint this? lol
I am quite familiar with this car and its paint job. If the new owner wants a history he can reach me @ [email protected]. Today is 1/4/2020 so it might be too late to reach the new owner.
I would like to talk to past owner, Clay Bryant.
Anyone know where this car is or if it would be available
Lee