One Family Owned 1957 Chevrolet Corvette
This 1957 Chevrolet Corvette has been enjoyed by the same family ever since it was new, with the early history including taking the buyer and his wife to Daytona Beach for their honeymoon. Decades later, the son drove it in 1992 during homecoming at his alma mater, The University of Georgia, and he also just recently inherited the two-seater. It’s always a plus to be able to trace the steps of any vehicle back to the beginning, and while this one’s now a project, it’s probably worth checking out if you’re in the market for a C1 to restore. The car is in Atlanta, Georgia, the same city where it was purchased new, and can be found here on eBay, where the buy-it-now price has been set at $48,000.
Venetian Red is said to be the factory color, with this one undergoing one respray in 1985 when a fender received a minor repair. While the finish may be a bit dusty now and the chrome not as shiny as it was back in ’57, the exterior still looks pretty decent overall, and I’m wondering if just a thorough clean-up outside might reveal an appearance that may be good enough for a driver. Another option is to go ahead and get the panels ready for another fresh coat of paint, but I might have to focus on getting this one running again and just enjoy driving it around as-is for a while.
Seven years in, the original 283 was swapped out in favor of a 327, which has since been pulled out for an overhaul. The seller says he doesn’t have the time to complete the rebuild, so the next owner will be faced with the decision of whether to continue on this route or source another 283 to put back under the hood. The factory automatic was also changed to a 4-speed manual, and unfortunately, neither the born-with engine nor transmission was kept.
Some good news is the condition of the interior, which looks far younger than its age of 67 years. As nice as this one looks inside and the fact that the car’s still in its hometown, I’m curious if the mileage listing of 33,167 might be actual. The undercarriage appears very solid as well, making this one seem like a strong candidate for restoration. It’s also a possibility that the seller may be negotiable on his price, as there’s the opportunity to make an offer for consideration. All things considered, what’s a fair price to pay for this 1957 Chevrolet Corvette?
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Comments
Interesting: The ad says “the factory automatic” was swapped for a four speed. This is the first time I have heard of a 57 Vette with an automatic. If this car really did come originally with a Powerglide I would definitely put it back like that. Would also be nice to track down the “matching numbers” parts. I’d love to have this car but old age will force me to pass on it.
Not bad for under $50K.
VIN plate has been tinkered with. May be an issue.
I had restored a barn find ’57 to decent “driver” condition a few years ago. My car was a “nothing matching”, basket case, and came with a fresh (uninstalled) 283 and 4-spd. This car is a lot nicer than what I started with, and may make a decent project. The VIN tags on ’57s were attached with 2 Phillips screws near the door hinge. This one is in the right spot, but the screws have obviously been replaced. The best way to verify the VIN is to check the secondary VIN, stamped on the frame. The secondary VIN can be challenging to find, and see clearly due to location (top of frame), and is usually covered by rust/paint.
Same here Russell, at 62 myself, my restoring days are growing near if not done. The last one took 4 years, and I am seeing retirement on the horizon and downsizing, Always wanted a 55 through 62 model. Back in the early 80’s, there was a 62 convertible in someone’s front yard for sale with a numbers matching 327 (first year offered) 4 speed, red and white, solid, great interior with some primer and all the chrome was good, all piled in front of the car. he was asking $6,000 for it. My wife told me I was nuts and tossed the idea out the window. I haven’t been married to her since 87 and my beautiful 2nd wife and me own two C3’s and a C8!
Almost impossible to keep a car that long in one family. Seller, deserves a bonus for this!
Spend 70k resoring to keep it in the garage or patch it up and really enjoy it ! I know what my choice would be but i already have 3 topless cars to enjoy on nice warm sunny days …
YOLO
I can hardly believe no comments about the tv show Route 66. It was my favorite show back then.
God Bless America