1973 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

If you like your Corvettes with chrome bumpers, matching-numbers, and an unusual color, perhaps this 1973 Sting Ray is waiting for you to take it home. With a numbers-matching LS4 big block, a 4-speed manual gearbox, and that beautiful blue-green finish, this is one fantastic C3.

Subtle but menacing, this car looks great, both hammering down the road as well as sitting still where you can get a good look at it. GM offered all the traditional colors in 1973, even though the names weren't all that interesting, with this one called simply, "Blue-Green Metallic." That's the car's original color, by the way, and we have to say that the more we look at it, the more we like it. The paint matches equally nice fiberglass work, and there's no evidence that this 'Vette has ever been abused. Gaps are good, the surfaces are smooth, and the whole thing fits together extremely well, with none of the rattles or looseness you commonly find in Corvettes that have been ridden hard and put away wet. The chrome rear bumper, which was a favorite styling element for Sting Ray fans, is beautifully finished, along with the urethane front bumper and stainless rocker panel moldings. This is one of those cars where the more you look, the more you'll find to like about it.

The trim tag says this one originally carried code 404 black leather, and that's what is in it today. Handsome black seat covers, surprisingly plush carpets, and matching black door panels have a fantastic high-quality look with just enough "breaking-in" to add an inviting sense of comfort. The odometer shows 50,556, which is an actual reading, suggesting that this Corvette has always been someone's toy and not a daily driver. The gauges are all original and fully functional, and there's a factory AM/FM stereo fitted in the center stack, just ahead of the controls for the factory A/C and the 4-speed shifter. It also includes a tilt/telescope steering column, power windows, and power steering and brakes, making it a performance car that also feels quite luxurious. The storage area behind the seats is sized for a few bags on an overnight trip or to hold the removable T-tops, which seal up very well, by the way.

The LS4 454 cubic inch V8 was rated at a fairly stout (by 1973 standards anyway) 275 horsepower and 385 pounds of torque, but those numbers were now measured under the SAE net standard, which slashed figures across the board, but not performance. This is the original, numbers-matching engine and retains all of its stock equipment including the ram-air air cleaner that was part of the LS4's upgrades. There's Chevy Orange paint on the block, a big 4-barrel carburetor, and a stock ignition system with proper shielding, so it runs and looks right. The aforementioned Muncie 4-speed manual transmission is the engine's travelling partner, and the sucker sounds fantastic through the dual exhaust with proper mufflers and rectangular tips. Showing signs of careful maintenance and clean living, the chassis is quite original and solid, showing no signs of distress or neglect and quite a few new components. Correct Rally wheels wear 235/70/15 white-letter radials that have a lot of life left in them.

This is the last of the chrome-bumper Sting Rays with no needs, gorgeous paint, and wonderful road manners. The big V8 is a great combination of performance and good road manners and the price is certainly right. Call today!