Oh Happy, happy, joy, joy!

[Barth]

Back in the 70s one of my best friends had a 1963 red convertible corvette.
It was parked in his backyard with no motor or transmission.
We would just sit in it and it felt like you were going 100 MPH
Had some minor body damage and was bought for $175
I told him if he ever wanted to sell it, give me the first option on the buy!
He sold it to someone else and never gave me a chance at it
I continue to hate him for that ...

[jeepster09]

Back in the 70's also, I worked in a muscle car performance shop and a guy offered me his 63 Split Window Corvette for $1500 and I passed on it. He was headed out to Nam and didn't want it just sitting in his back yard. My boss was one of the founders of the Tye Rods Hot Rod Club. It was Crosby's Garage, he was Jack Crosby.

https://www.ty-rods.org/

https://www.ty-rods.org/members.html

[AJBert]

Is that the 370hp LT-1? If so, great find for a fairly rare car! I bought a 72 Chev K20 about 8 years ago with plans of a frame off restomod that I should have already been driving for a few years. If I ever get may back squared away, and the wife loosening the purse strings, I'll be driving it in a year or two. That is a real nice looking 'vette and should be a fun resto. If you like car shows and don't mind travelling a bit, once you get it done, look up Cruisin' the Coast in Mississippi the first week of Oct. Most of the cars that participate are driven there, with just a few trailered in. Weeklong of festivities with quite of few car parades. Friendly folks all around and the local LEO's are very understanding of the cars the cars and the occasional "exhibition of acceleration" that happens from time to time. I used to be stationed down there and always looked forward to it every year. We still try to get down there every year, but usually make it every 2 or 3 years. Tried to make it this year, but didn't make it. Hopefully, we will be down there next year.

[kenemoore]

From what I found on line, the 1971 LT1 was rated at 330hp. 9.0 compression ratio. The base unit was 280hp, and the LS6 was 450 hp, 12.0 compression ratio. I'm sure with a little modern day add ons, you could get over 350hp on the LT1. Electronic ignition, throttle body fuel injection, tuned headers, etc...

[djd100]

Sweet!
The LT1 is probably the best engine option for all around driving.
The LS6 was too heavy in my opinion and I doubt it would run on today's pump gas.

Without a doubt, all iron BB's are heavy LOL!

Congrats @BirdsThaWord, fantastic score! You know that it'll be worth a mint when finished! A chrome bumper LT1 rag top equals big dinero $$$$$! Doesn't look that rough to me, does it include the original numbers matching drivetrain?

Good luck with the restoration! Are you going stock, or modernize like I did (mine was a used up drag car with a blown non-original 327 in it when I found her behind a local chassis fabricator's shop way back when, so she was missing her original engine, and she was just a base 270HP automatic anyway, i.e. nothing valuable like a 71 LT1 ragtop. I had just had my second knee surgery and wasn't sure I would ever be able to handle a clutch again, so an auto trans seems the way to go back in the 90's, though thankfully the knee is not a problem today. She was built to run with the Vipers and C4 ZR1's of the day, and pass CA Smog though thankfully she's exempt now in her old age. There's an easy to find 75HP awaiting with a cam change.

Love me those C3's, though sadly I'll be selling mine soon, gettin' too old and rarely drive her anymore "sniff". She's a 71 Coupe, 406/400 SB with 13* TFS Heads, Comp Cam, Headers, Steeroids R&P Power Steering, Vette Brakes Springs and Bars, Bilstein Shocks, Toy Shop built 89 Trans Am 700R4 OD Trans, 81 Wheels, 81 Seats, AC, PW/PB, everything rebuilt about 20K miles ago.

Here's she is...

[BirdsThaWord]

Sweet!
The LT1 is probably the best engine option for all around driving.
The LS6 was too heavy in my opinion and I doubt it would run on today's pump gas.

I had read similar.

[BirdsThaWord]

Beautiful car!

Thanks John!

[BirdsThaWord]

Nice that it's been stored in TX Bird, rather than somewhere like where I live. I don't see any rust on the underside, and it looks like he's already put stainless steel rotors on it? I think all of us wish we could have some of our favorite cars back. Me too, especially since I have more time on my hands to actually enjoy them now. Good luck with it, and keep us posted. Regularly! Just put a gun on the dash and post it in one of the "happiness" threads

Lol! (gun in dash pic). Yes, it looks to be pretty rust free. He says the birdcage is also in excellent condition. Yeah, kinda reliving my younger days, before the lil squirt came around needing to eat everything in sight and new shoes every other week I’ll definitely post up on here when I make some progress and when I get it on the road.

[BirdsThaWord]

Nice find and a fun project to keep you out of trouble.
My former longtime neighbor used to “collect” project Vettes like that.
His first was a 1969 that he rebuilt during the 1970s out of two wrecked cars - one had a crushed front end, the other had been rear ended.
He mated the two undamaged ends together and repainted it a beautiful yellow.
It had 44,000 on the clock the last time I saw it 30 years ago in Austin.
He restored several others over the years.
Before I moved away from Austin we helped him moved a completely disassembled 1958 Vette from a country barn to his home garage. Last I heard 10 years ago he had yet to put it together.

Thanks Army. Hopefully it will be as you say, keeping me out of trouble, npt getting me into it. Lol! Your friend sounds like a buddy of mine’s dad when I was a kid. He too would halve cars and splice them together. He was an incredible paint and body man, so they always came out looking amazing.mHope your buddy got that 58 going finally. What a beautiful year for the Vette’s!

[BirdsThaWord]

Back in the 70s one of my best friends had a 1963 red convertible corvette.
It was parked in his backyard with no motor or transmission.
We would just sit in it and it felt like you were going 100 MPH
Had some minor body damage and was bought for $175
I told him if he ever wanted to sell it, give me the first option on the buy!
He sold it to someone else and never gave me a chance at it
I continue to hate him for that ...

Dang it man! Not sure I could ever forget that one. The one that got away, for sure!!!