The Chevrolet Corvette is perhaps one of the most sought-after sports cars in the U.S. and the world. With a history that spans close to 70 years, its reputation crosses into the race track thanks to its impressive and extensive racing career. Dennis Collins, a prevalent barn finder, discovered a 1962 Corvette that hadn’t moved an inch since 1970.
The 1962 Chevrolet Corvette (C1) is the first generation of the Corvette sports car. It debuted in 1953 and ran through to 1962. This generation is also known as the “solid-axle” generation because the independent rear suspension did not appear until the second generation of the Stingray in 1963.
Collins got wind of a rare classic Corvette in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that needed rescuing. It belonged to a military man, who was also the second car owner. He parked it for a while after starting a family and always had hopes of restoring it.
“The paperwork that I went through that you sent me, it looks like it could have been sitting here as long as 1970,” Collins said.
It had the original numbers matching engine, and Collins was happy it came with cast aluminum valve covers. The code on the engine had ‘RD’ inscribed, meaning it wasn’t the base model C1 engine but the 300 hp (304 ps) stroker version of the model. The base model C1 Corvette engine had the ‘RC’ marking and made 250 hp (253 ps).
It still had the original radiator, overflow tank, and ignition shielding, which Collins thinks is fantastic since they are difficult components of this era car to source.
The C1 Corvette’s history is quite interesting as well. Its debut was rushed, as the automaker wanted to capitalize on the public's reaction to the concept car. As a result, they fell short of the market expectations leading to floppy sales.
Chevrolet nearly canceled the production program but later decided to make improvements on the second generation. Consequently, the 1963 Corvette didn’t come with a trunk and included a rear suspension.
Collins' barn find was in a desolate condition despite having an untampered engine bay, so it will need a ton of restoration work to get it back to its original form.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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