1976 was, in so many ways, a great year for Corvette. After the record set in 1969, everybody believed the sun had set over the Vette’s appetite for skyrocketing sales.
The energy crisis that happened early in the decade clearly didn’t help, so nobody believed Chevrolet would ever be able to beat its previous sales record.
And yet, it happened. 1976 witnessed total Corvette sales of 46,558 units, up from 38,762 cars in 1969 when the convertible accounted for nearly 43 percent of the shipments.
One of these record-breaking Vettes is right here, breathing fresh air once again after no less than 20 years in storage. Its original owner passed away, so the car was left abandoned in a barn until it was discovered by eBay seller pmcycle.
The car comes in the same condition as two decades ago, obviously with the added rust. Unsurprisingly, the floors have already been invaded, so they’d require patches before getting the car back on the road. However, the owner says the frame looks solid, so the Vette has the proper bones for a full restoration.
Under the hood, the 350 (5.7-liter) engine is paired with an automatic transmission and ran when parked. Its current condition is a little unclear, as the seller says it does spin and has compression, but nobody knows if it starts. Given it was in working condition 20 years ago, the V8 should theoretically still be able to put the wheels in motion, especially given it already shows signs of life.
Everything is there, and if you’ve been in the restoration business for more than a week, you probably know how important this is. Of course, it doesn’t also mean that all parts are in tip-top shape and can be used on the restored Corvette, but this car has never served as a donor for other projects. It was unlucky, as it ended up locked in a barn after the owner passed.
Unsurprisingly, the car has already attracted so much attention on eBay, where the auction is underway. The bidding includes no less than 36 offers at the time of writing, and given no reserve is in place, the highest bidder will take the car home. Right now, the top offer is a little over $3,000, but given the auction will end in one day, I expect the rest of the bidders to increase their offers at the very last minute.
The car is currently located in New Jersey, and this is where you should be able to give it a closer look in person. However, with the auction ending soon, there’s no time to do this anymore, so inspect the photos closely and decide if the car is worth your money.