It’s not uncommon for classic cars to spend decades in storage. Some of them are locked up in barns when they break down, while others are parked for restoration but end up rotting away. This 1960 Chevrolet Corvette was parked into a storage unit sometime in the 1970s and spent at least 50 years sitting in the dark. Now it’s looking for a new life, one that hopefully sees it stretching its wheels on the road.
There’s no word as to why this first-gen Vette was retired from the road and parked into a “commercial space” for five decades, but we do know that it hasn’t seen the light of day from the early 1970s until a few years ago, when the seller inherited it from his uncle. Since then, it’s been parked uncovered in a private garage.
Given all those years of sitting around, the Corvette looks pretty darn good inside and out. The classic red paint with white accents has soldiered on quite well and there isn’t much rust to talk about. The hard-top has not been removed yet so the condition of the soft-top underneath is unknown, but it could still be in good condition.
The trunk lid is missing in these photos, but the seller says it’s included with the sale. It has been removed for repair that has yet to happen, so that’s something to consider.
As far as the cabin goes, everything seems to be where it should. It includes all the original parts, there are no missing trim elements, and the upholstery looks like it could be revived with a solid cleaning. The floor carpets might need to be replaced, but that’s an easy job compared to fixing cracks in the dashboard and the seats that usually come with old cars.
When it comes to fire power, there’s good news and not-so-good news. The good news is that the seller still has the matching-numbers 4.6-liter V8 engine. The bad news is that it’s not in the car. Apparently the mill has been removed before the Corvette was parked in the 1970s. While it’s included in the sale, it’s partially disassembled and its condition is difficult to asses from the blurry photos.
The space between the front wheels is now occupied by a larger, 5.4-liter V8. While Chevrolet did offer such a small-block on the first-gen Corvette, the swap was done at least 10 years after the car rolled off the assembly line and there’s no word if the mill was sourced from a Corvette or a different Chevy nameplate. The replacement V8 doesn’t work, so it’s probably the perfect time to put the 283 unit back for a proper restoration.