If this car does not personify the 1970s ISCA show scene in one fell swoop we’re not sure what else does. Unearthed after decades of sitting in a garage, the car is in need of a full restoration (rescue?!) and the major question centers around whether you would put it back to being the factory 454, four speed, 1971 Corvette in gray that rolled out of the factory or if you would restore it into its show condition that reportedly garnered it more than 70 “wins” during its career. The car is doubly interesting because it has a Baldwin-Motion nose on it. We do not think it is a Baldwin-Motion car and the seller makes no such claims but the side pipes and nose certainly give it that feeling. The engine is dressed in similar fashion but we’re not sure those guys ever plugged dual quads on stuff.
We can see the gold and green paint job being a hit these days, but the mural painted stuff we would ditch and the interior…wow, we would clean the inside of the car with a flame thrower. It is the height of 1970s gaudiness in there and we can only imagine how it smells after all these years. If we could get a dollar or more per button that is stitched onto the inside of this thing, we’d make a few hundred bucks for sure. The embroidered desert scene behind the seats must have taken hours but there’s no way we would hold onto that in this day and age. In fact, we would probably put the interior back to 100% stock and keep the wild exterior looks of the car.
With the 454 and the four speed, you know it can move out. Since the engine has to come out anyway to be gone through we’d throw aluminum heads on it and crank up the cam/compression ferocity some. After that you’d have a car that people would freak out over for the nostalgic looks it threw off.
Do any BangShifters remember seeing this car at a World of Wheels or Autorama event back in your childhood? By the sounds of the description it was one of the heavy hitters on the ISCA circuit. How would you built it, given the chance?
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Ah the paint is all f’d up too. Dont know if it would be worth taking it back to the 70s. Just restore but leave the Cragers and side pipes.
I remember seeing this car in magazines. Personally, I think it is hideous-looking, and I’d rather have it back to semi-stock appearance. But wouldn’t it be cheaper just to buy another ’71 Corvette already like that?
Mother of god….its….its…beautiful….*sniff*
I would fix the paint and have fun at the cruise scene. Picture perfect 70’s vibe.
Set it on fire and collect the insurance money.
I was liking it until I got to the interior? Cool 66 GTO tail lights. I drive it
Restore it? It’s an LS5 4 speed. In the condition that Vette is in you would lose your shirt trying to restore it. You can buy a older restored car (2 to 3 years old) in condition 2 for less than $45,000. It will cost you double that to restore this Vette.
Just sell it off as is and hope the old saying applies . . . “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”
Restore her gotta be crazy ..there can be only one original at the end of the day ..jus saying I’m a Mopar guy but this old girl deserves better..454/4 speed..gotta be sweet
Yeah, restore it, because nobody’s ever done that with a Corvette before.
Geez….
This thing’s a time capsule, clean it up, do just what’s needed to make it safe and drive the SOB!
I wish I knew how to post a pic! I have a 69 survivor I have had since 80. I bet my car was customized after seeing this car. The similarities are scary!
Third gen Vettes were made for side pipes like that, I prefer flat black ones though. I’d keep the body mods and give it a solid color, less kitchy interior.
Restore?? Uh…NO! Let me find some angelflights, a big comb for my back pocket, and a Journey 8 track tape. I’d run that thing right down to the skating rink and wait for all the babe’s to check it out. Hey disco, can you hear me callin?? Absolutely LOVE it. East Coast version of Corvette Summer. As an interior guy myself…I would lightly change it. Only lightly. Peace.
Oh lord, that is a lot of crushed velvet.
If we forget the mistakes of our past we are doomed to repeat them in the future. Someone restore this back to its show car glory. I would love to see it.
i give you 100 dollars in american money
I toured the circuit with the previous owner and it was a show stopper back then and won many awards