1971 Chevrolet Corvette

Coupe

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

194371S117904

Gasoline

You are bidding on a 1971 Corvette T-Top Coupe. This is a mostly complete, very solid but non-running project car. It features the base model 350/270hp 4bbl V8 with a Turbo 400 automatic transmission. This car's options include, power steering, air conditioning, tilt steering and an AM-FM radio. Although the car is non-running, it does have a clean and clear Michigan title. The Story: We purchased this car a couple of years ago as a restoration project. This formerly beautiful Vette was involved in a bit of an incident. The previous owner had been playing with the carburetion and timing and decided to take the car out for a test drive. Unfortunately, he pushed the car too hard and blew the motor. The number 3 connecting rod broke and tried to exit through the oil pan. This sprayed hot oil all over the new Hooker headers and the engine caught fire. The fire was quickly put out, but not before it burned off the hood and the top of the front fenders. The previous owner received a settlement from his insurance company and retained ownership of the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, we bought the car directly from him. Since the car never went to salvage, the title is clean and clear. After we got the car, we proceeded to cut the burnt front clip from the car. We also pulled the engine and trans to assess the damage. The radiator cradle, bumper brackets and misc. hardware from the front clip were sandblasted and powdercoated to keep them protected. We then found a nice, clean, solid front clip and set it on the car. The front clip is not installed or attached. It fits very well but will still need some minor trimming before it is ready to be bonded in place. That was more than 5 years ago. We haven't touched the car since. My brother and I have decided that we both have too many projects and something must go. If you have been looking for a vintage Chrome Bumper Corvette but couldn't afford one, here is your chance to own a great car at a great price. We will be starting this car with a low opening bid and No Reserve! The high bidder wins it so bid early and bid often. The Condition: Before the fire, this was a very nice driver condition Corvette. The odometer shows 38,884 miles. I assume this is 138,884 miles but I have no proof either way. The interior is completely original and it shows like a nice used car. The seats have no big rips or tears and the door panels are nice. The carpet is even decent with the exception that it smells like old car and smoke. The top of the dash has some warping from heat and will need to be replaced but with some cleaning, the rest of the interior could be used as-is for a driver quality car. The windshield is heat damaged and will need to be replaced, but the door glass and removable rear window are in good shape. There is heat damage from the fire on the firewall/cowl and I expect all the under dash wiring is crispy. Don't be surprised if you need to replace most of the electrical components under the dash. There appears to be no previous accident damage so the body is perfect from the doors back. The front clip was blocked and sanded on the parts car before it was removed. Once it is bonded back to the car, the front clip is almost ready for paint. It looks like the car has had one repaint in the original color and the paint is in pretty good shape. It should be a decent base for a total blue repaint, or you can strip the back of the car and paint it any color you like. The frame is straight and solid with no damage from fire or accident. The frame has light surface rust but there is no heavy scale or pitting and there are absolutely no holes. This Corvette did not come to Michigan until 1999 and it has spend the previous 7 years in my dry storage so rust is not an issue. Mechanically, the car will need to be rebuilt from the cowl forward. All of the wiring and vacuum lines were toasted and the upper control arm bushings melted. Expect to replace all the front end, brake lines, fuel lines and power steering components. The engine block and intake are original but the heads are wrong. The fire was not hot enough to damage the top of the engine, but all the wiring and plastic components melted. I've had the heads off and the pistons and cylinders are in good shape with little wear. Aside from the obvious broken #3 connecting rod, the original short block does not appear to be damaged and I'm sure it is rebuildable. The oil pan was peppered with holes and is unusable. I have pictures of the damage, but I can't find the pan now. It might have been thrown away. If I find it, you are welcome to it. The transmission does not appear to be original, but it is the correct Turbo 400. I don't think it was damaged in the fire, but I would rebuild it anyway while it is out. This Corvette was equipped with air conditioning from the factory, but some of the components were removed before the fire. I have the compressor but I don't know if I have all the brackets. I also do not have a radiator or A/C condenser. Add that to the fact that the hoses were burned off and I don't know if the A/C is easily repairable. I do have a lots of extra parts that will be included in this auction. Some of the parts were with the car when we purchased it, some are parts we have collected for this car and some are leftovers from a previous Corvette we restored. Look closely at the pictures and you will see the great grab bag of stuff you will get. I have many more detailed pictures that I can't display in this ad. If you would like to see additional pictures or if you would like to see any specific details, please feel free to ask and I will e-mail them to you. The Numbers: For those of you who like numbers, here is everything I can find. VIN: 194371S117904 This translates as: 1 Chevrolet 9 Corvette 4 V8 engine 37 2 dr. HT 1 1971 model year S built in St. Louis 117904 car #17,904 built out of a total of 21,801 1971 Corvettes produced Trim Tag: Chevrolet J25 Trim Paint 412 979 This translates as a Bridgehampton Blue car with Dark Blue Vinyl interior built May 25th 1971 Engine Block: casting number: GM3970010 (350 V8) casting date: E 8 1 (May 8, 1971) stamping number: C11S117904 V0510CJK (350/270hp 4bbl automatic V8 for Corvette with serial number ending 117904) Intake Manifold: casting number: 3973469 (270 hp cast iron V8) casting date: E 6 1 (May 6, 1971) Carburetor: 7041202 HO DG 7041 1971 202 49 state Chevy Automatic trans HO Dated August 1970 Heads: casting number: 3998920 (1972-1974 350 V8) casting dates: H 30 2 and J 01 2 (Aug 30, 1972 and Oct 1, 1972) Transmission: TURBO HYDRA-MATIC F 216 M 85 FM 1814 I'm not sure on these codes, but I believe this is a 1985 vintage Turbo 400. There is no VIN stamped so this was probably a new replacement trans. Buyer Terms and Conditions: This Corvette is located at my house in Monroe, Michigan right off I-75 just north of the Michigan/Ohio border. Bidders are welcome to inspect the car during the auction. Just e-mail me to schedule an appointment. This Corvette is sold as-is, where is. Once it leaves my garage it is yours so make sure it is what you want. I would prefer local pick-up and I would be happy to help load this on your trailer. Or.....I might be able to deliver it within a reasonable distance for gas money. Please e-mail me to make special arrangements BEFORE the auction is over. If you absolutely have to have this car and you need to ship it, YOU must make all the arrangements. I will meet your trucking company at my house but I will not take any responsibility or make any of the arrangements. And it goes without saying the car must be paid for IN FULL before I will allow a shipper to pick up the car. Again, please feel free to ask questions BEFORE bidding. I expect a $250 non-refundable deposit to be paid within 48 hours of the auction end and the balance to be paid for within 1 week of the auction end. Pick-up should be arranged within 2 weeks, but I might be able to store the car a bit longer if it is paid in full and you ask me nicely ahead of time. I accept PayPal and bank checks. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any additional questions. Good Luck! On Jun-05-10 at 16:56:27 PDT, seller added the following information: Saturday June 5, 2010: I have had several requests for pictures of the engine and the extra parts. I'm sorry it took so long to respond but work and weather kept me from getting any good pictures until this weekend. I just posted 5 additional pictures of the engine and parts. If anybody would like additional pictures, please feel free to let me know and I will e-mail them to you. Thanks for your bids and Good Luck!