1971 Chevrolet Corvette Base Coupe 2-Door 5.7L

Description for Chevrolet Corvette 1971

The Details:1971 Chevrolet Corvette350 c. i. small block with A/C4sp M-21 Manual2. 73:1 Posi RearReady to drive or modify!Probably one of the longest running. highest mileage Corvettes out there and still running strong (or at least that I have seen). Over 500. 00 documented miles. This car had one owner from 1972 until 2013 when I purchased it a little over a year ago. I bought the car as a weekend driver with hopes of making it a resto-mod project over time. but a recent job change and move have squashed those plans. This car is now in the NY tri-state area and has a clear title. CA buyers will be able to keep the original CA license plate from 1972. For all other buyers. I keep the plate. This Corvette was born as a blue interior/exterior automatic base coupe. The previous owner changed it over to a manual transmission in the 1970s and installed the Western Wheels knock-offs which were popular upgrades at the time. 2. 73:1 gears were installed for better highway mileage and cruising. In 1983 the car was changed over to red and it has been repainted since. The interior was also changed over to red at the time and the seats were recovered in red leather. The engine has been rebuilt several times and the current motor in the car is the numbers matching block but with some upgraded internals for durability. The most recent rebuild was less than 50K miles ago in June 2009. Most every major system works on this car to include the A/C. All vacuum operated accessories work. although some of the fiber optic lights in the cabin are getting dim. with a couple visible at night only (others are ok). Even the clock works. although the internals have been upgraded with a quartz movement. There are a few blemishes to the exterior body work. the worst being the bubbling of paint on the hood due to a A/C leak in the past per the previous owner. A/C was fixed. hood was not. Other blemishes include a few minor chips. some of which are depicted in the pictures. There is a small oil leak which leaves a few drops on the ground after a long drive which I have not had the time to track down. but it is not to the level that I have ever had to add oil. Since I purchased it. I started to work on the interior. replacing many of the aging and cracked plastic parts. to include the dash. Over $2000 in parts were installed. To tone down the red interior. these parts were replaced with black components to create a two tone look. There are still some interior parts with cracks such as the T-top interior covers. The door panels also have some cracks. although they were painted with interior paint to clean them up. The radio was upgraded with a Retro Sound Zuma radio which carries the classic look with modern features and external audio hook-ups. The dash speakers were replaced at the time of the dash replacement with Polk speakers. It still sounds like a radio from the 1970's but it is now ready to accept an amp and modern rear speakers for some nice sound. along with audio connections to add external digital inputs such as an iPod or satellite receiver. The tires were replaced when I purchased the car with Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R radial giving it an aggressive look and keeping the wide profile with the original 15" wheels. Since moving. the car has been driven sparsely. mainly to keep the fluids moving and battery charged. It is started and driven at least once every 2-3 weeks. Included with the sale is the original owners manual and all the records I have. To preserve the confidentiality of the prior owner. these records are scanned onto digital media with the prior owner information removed. What it is and what it's notSo what is this car? It is a great driver that needs nothing if you just want to cruise on the weekends and enjoy a classic for what it is. It is a well maintained classic with over 40 years of maintenance records showing loving care for a car that was driven regularly and used for what it is. It is also a great candidate for some modern performance upgrades if that is what you are looking for. What this car is not is a show winning candidate. It has its minor cosmetic flaws and a base coupe with no special options has no historical significance so restoring to a level of provenance makes no sense. The fact that it does not wear the factory colors and factory transmission will not win you any NCRS awards and might get some Vette snobs to turn up their nose. However. this is still a chrome bumper car which will always hold its value and get some looks for those in the know and those that know nothing. Additional DisclaimersThis is a 40 year old car. I've tried to describe what I can. but there might be items that I missed or that I am not aware of. This is an AS-IS sale. If you are in the tri-state area and want to see the car. please contact me. Same goes if you want more specific information or pictures. I'm not desperate for a sale so be reasonable with your offers and keep those annoying low ball offers to yourself. Buyer is responsible for all shipping charges and coordination with shipper. Shipper must be able to work within a reasonable schedule (I'm not a dealer and I have a day job) but I will be as flexible as possible.