1974 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

This 1974 Chevrolet Corvette is the most clever of resto-mods, as it takes an affordable C3 'Vette and adds late-model tech like an L98 TPI motor, a 5-speed gearbox, and gorgeous ruby red paint that was the hallmark of the anniversary models. If you want great looks with performance to match, this 'Vette is an awesome choice.

The shape is familiar but we suspect you're going to find a lot of new stuff to love on this Corvette. The modern paint looks great on the vintage shape, and the gold highlights of the Anniversary Red make the crisp bodywork look especially well done. Fit and finish are excellent for a C3, with headlight doors that sit flush, good gaps all around, and doors that close with a reassuring solidity. They resisted the urge to update the look beyond the paint and instead focused on getting the basics right. Both front and rear end caps fit well and are the same color as the rest of the car, the stainless has been polished, and they kept the chrome rack on the rear deck to hold the T-tops when you're going alfresco. Heck, they even kept the 1974 split rear bumper, which was a one-year-only feature. The important thing is that this car is every bit as nice as it looks in photos.

Code 416 Saddle leather is how this one came from the factory and that's what it's wearing today, and the combination is just beautiful. The seats, carpets, door panels, and steering wheel were all renewed during the restoration but still look quite stock, which is this car's best feature: it doesn't look modified. It was also a factory 4-speed car, so swapping in a 5-speed manual transmission was a no-brainer and keeps the interior looking just like it should, although there's a new shift pattern on the console. You'll note a newer AM/FM/CD/iPod stereo with remote in the center of the stack and speakers behind the seats, but that's really the only visible modification. The A/C works like it should, it's got power windows, a tilt/telescope wheel, and pretty much delivers on the promises made by the C3 bodywork. New floor mats, snug-fitting T-tops, and a surprising lack of squeaks and rattles mean this is a car you could drive cross-country without a second thought.

The engine is a 350 cubic inch V8, better known as the L98 from a C4 Corvette and using Tuned Port Injection. Only the most reliable machine ever devised by man, the engine is torquey, smooth, and utterly reliable. It starts easily with a turn of the key, idles smoothly even when it's cold, and does all the other wonderful things that fuel injection promises. It also gets decent fuel economy with the 5-speed gearbox and despite the trick intake manifold, it's a neat fit in the C3 engine bay. In fact, it looks very OEM sitting there and all the power accessories work like they should. A throaty dual exhaust system still gives you the pure Corvette soundtrack and it's quite clean underneath with upgrades like a monoleaf rear spring to make it feel more agile. Standard Rally wheels keep the low-profile look and wear fat 235/60/15 Firestone radials at all four corners.

Like the looks of a C4 Corvette but the sleepy performance gets you down? This car is the answer. Call today!