Filed under: Sports/GTs, Chevrolet
YARD FIND: 1954 Hardtop Corvette
Hemmings reader Joel says when he first heard about the 1954 Corvette sitting in a pine grove for 45 years, he figured he'd find a fiberglass shell sitting atop the rusted remnants of a frame. He thought the early Vette might at least make a nice street rod.
But when he finally saw the car way up in the Colorado Smokies, he was stunned. Not only did the car still have its original hardtop, but the frame was rust free and the "original painted frame stamp from the factory is still on the frame and very much legible," Joel tells Hemmings Auto Blogs.
The story is that the car's second owner drove the Corvette to a friend's house in 1963 to have the seats re-covered. He replaced the driver's seat with a wooden Pepsi box and drove home where he parked it beneath the pine trees until Joel pulled it out.
Now Joel has a conundrum. After getting the car running again, he's totally ruled out street rod, but doesn't know what to do with the car. Frame off? Survivor-car preservation? Currently, Hemmings readers are unanimously recommending the preservation route, arguing there are already too many half-million-dollar frame off restos out there.
We've all dreamed about this happening to us, so how would you advise Joel?
[Source: Hemmings Auto Blogs]
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Luis 6:38PM (11/01/2008)
Definetly
Survivor-car preservation.
Oh and please don't drive it over to a Barret-Jackson auction, please, don't sell it.
Reply
Domestic 6.0 7:26PM (11/01/2008)
Damn those old cars are strong as nails !!! USA BABY
letstakeawalk 9:11PM (11/01/2008)
I agree. There are enough over-restored cars to go around, but when you find one in original condition - even the patina of neglect - there's a simple refreshing honesty with the car. Make it drivable, make it safe, but keep that original paint!
andre lavoie 6:40PM (11/01/2008)
im jealous. i would definitely recommend restoring this one. pardon my ignorance, but i didn't know there were hard top corvettes back then, i thought they were all convertibles.
Reply
GOT 12:23AM (11/02/2008)
It's a removable hardtop. The non-convertible version was a fast-back concept (and I think it was called the Corvair).
P.V. 6:41PM (11/01/2008)
That is SWEET.
Preserve it, don't sell it, please!
Reply
Shipey 6:47PM (11/01/2008)
There's no doubt what I'd do: Straight-axle gasser.
Reply
casey 6:52PM (11/01/2008)
to andre: it is a convertible with the optional lift off hardtop.
it really depends on the serial number. if it's extremely low for '54, and ttytt, there were very few made in the first place so it most likely is, i would do a sympathetic restoration, as little as possible to keep it in decent shape. there is nothing like an original to show how it was done.
Reply
andre lavoie 8:47PM (11/01/2008)
ok thanks that cleared things up
Torrent 6:52PM (11/01/2008)
I'd totally buy that...
no really.
Reply
Harrison 7:31PM (11/01/2008)
Fix it up so at least it runs and won't crumble to the ground at low speeds.
Reply
TyWright 7:35PM (11/01/2008)
I reckon Jay Leno would say leave it as close to original as possible. Jay loves them as-is oldies!
Reply
JayP 7:48PM (11/01/2008)
I think Jay would put a ZR1 LS9 under the hood and have Coker custom build a set of 15" wide whitewall tires to keep it a sleeper.
TyWright 11:45PM (11/01/2008)
OK, you're probably right!
I've just seen him at Pebble Beach with his originals and he seems pretty into em.
Lad 7:57PM (11/01/2008)
I watched a Barret-Jackson auction the other day and I was amazed at how much money the auction house makes by selling speculation dreams to suckers. They are good at creating the next speculation bubble.
Take it on as a DIY restoration project; the cost of many of these projects is the cost of someone else's labor. Otherwise, sell it for a profit, if you don't have the time. "One man's dream car is another man's transportation appliance."
Reply
peyay 7:59PM (11/01/2008)
i would totaly do the opposite of what gay leno would do do a rb26dett engine swap and drift it
Reply
Russell 12:57PM (11/02/2008)
What's gay is the sound coming out of your mouth and sound of exhaust from your rb26dett.
dstew 8:08PM (11/01/2008)
needs to much work, scrap it! sell it for the fiberglas and some craft shop can use the pine cones stuck to the frame.
i'm an idiot
Reply
joe 8:27PM (11/01/2008)
leave it as is. too cool
Reply
dukeisduke 8:29PM (11/01/2008)
Survivor would be nice as long as the body is fixed and painted. Restore as little as possible.
Reply