1971 Chevrolet Corvette

Convertible Convertible

454 / 365 HP

Manual

194677S709626

Clear

Gasoline

First time offered to the public! 1971 Chevrolet Corvette 454 Convertible previously owned by Mr. Dale Earnhardt Jr!! It has been in a private collection since being purchased from Mr. Earnhardt and JR Motorsports in 2003. It is out of the personal collection of Mr. Buck of Bill Buck Chevrolet. It is being offered by Bill Buck Chevrolet. I am Ben Lewis and have been with Bill Buck Chevrolet for 15 years and have experience with collector vehicles and am familiar with this car. Mr. Buck had many friends the the world of auto racing and was lucky enough to be offered this car in 2003 when Mr. Earnhardt Jr. decided to sell it. It was never offered to the public and has been in his collection since. The car is accompanied by copies of the title (showing JR Motorsports as the seller), a North Carolina registration for the car, a letter of appreciation from Mr. Buck for the opportunity to own the car, the original check made out to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a signed copy of an ESPN color print taken from a commercial showing Dale Jr. watching SportsCenter with this car on a lift in the background. This was Dale Jr.'s car! The car itself is what I would describe as a nice "Driver" quality 71 Corvette. I have inspected the numbers and will provide the details below. To the best of my knowledge, we have not altered the car other than new tires and regular maintenance since purchasing it in March 2003. From what I can decode and see, it is an original 454/365HP 4 speed convertible with A/C. The engine compartment is nice, clean and well presented. The interior is driver quality, mostly original and all gauges seem to work along with the A/C. The top is in great condition. The paint is shiny and presents well for driver quality. Body fit and gaps are not perfect as you can in the photos. I can see where the car probably had a luggage rack and the holes were filled under the paint. It is not noticable in the sunlight but evident on close inspection. The passenger side "eggcrate" grill is lose and missing a screw. The tires are new and were just recently replaced. The chrome trim is in average condition with some pitting and looks to be original to the car. Wheels are excellent with brand new BF Goodrich tires all around. It should be no surprise that Mr. Earnhardt's car has a strong drivetrain. I am not aware of how the motor is built, but the car sounds and runs awesome with a nice "lumpy" idle and strong acceleration. It drive's solid and shifts well. I noticed that shifting the car into reverse physically moves the console trim plate. I don't know what kind of shifter is installed or how that might be adjusted. From driving this car, I feel that it needs to be tuned by somebody that can set the timing and adjust the carb for optimal power and drivability. In fact, that is the type of owner this car really needs. It has no major issues that I can see and all of the pieces are there and it just needs some fine tuning, adjusting, polishing and finishing. It is a car you can get in today and drive and enjoy. Its always a draw at car shows and is a blast to drive. It is not a frame-off show vehicle and we are not representing it as such. Mr. Buck kept it in the same condition that it came from Dale Jr.'s garage. He admired Dale Jr. for driving and enjoying the car and not storing it away. As for numbers: Here is what I was able to find. These are all to the best of my ability. I am not an expert on Corvette stampings and numbers. I've provided photos wherever possible. The engine stamping on the front pad is difficult to read and I am certain that I cannot see everything that is there but was able to see the last 3 of the VIN and what appears to be a CPH code. Engine Casting Number: 3963512 (codes out to a 454) Date Code on Back of Block: L28 70 (I am not sure what this indicates) Front Engine Pad: I can see the 626 (matches the VIN) and what I believe to be a CPH (Suffix for 454/365 manual trans) Transmission: P1T16A (P=muncie, 1=1971 model, T=December, 16=16th Day, A=Wide Ratio) Transmission Casting: 3925661 Transmission Stamping: C115109626 Trim Tag: Paint: 912 = Sunflower Yellow Trim: 400 = Black Standard Vinyl The odometer currently shows 84,542 miles and I cannot verify if its correct. We will sell it assuming the mileage as "Exempt" which is typical for vehicles over 10 years of age in Florida. The car is available for inspection at Bill Buck Chevrolet in Venice, Florida. Please contact me to make arrangements as the car is stored on our showroom. There is a very reasonable reserve set, but please don't ask. I intend to let the auction run to completion and will sell it to the highest bidder once that reserve is met. I have included honest, real pictures of the car for you to review. If you want specific photos, please email me and I will provide them to the best of my ability. I am available at 941-493-5000 and ask for Ben. You can also email me at blewis@billbuckchevrolet.com. The car is sold AS-IS and shipping will be the responsibility of the buyer. Thank you and good luck!