Vehicle Description
1976 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
By 1976, the United States economy was on the mend from the
1973-1975 global economic recession. The recession, which had been
caused in part by the 1973 oil crisis, had caused gas prices to
soar which, in turn, had made automotive manufacturers begin
re-evaluating the types of vehicles they were manufacturing. Over
540,000 third generation Corvettes were built between 1968 and 1982
making the C3 generation the most produced Corvette ever and the
most popular for the collector.
This would be the last year, since its 1968 inception where a C3
generation car would have the Stingray moniker on its body.
Maintaining the classic Stingray shape, although much smoother
styling with its undulating hood, and rounded rear, this
consignment presents itself in a nice pearl white paint job, with a
matching numbers engine needing some repair, a rebuilt
transmission, and a whole lot of tribute to the good old US of A
and our wonderful veterans.
Exterior
Very nice pearl white metallic coats the fiberglass on this
curvaceous example shows with just a few flaws in the form of
inclusions and touch ups. The iconic Stingray "gills" if you will,
vent cool air into the engine bay from directly south of the front
wheel wells. Brite work is minimal but in good condition. Stainless
covers are on the side pipes on both rockers and add a nice
highlight to the undulating body. Red and white pinstripes race
over the arches of both the front and rear wheel wells and flow
nicely with the flame decals licking back from the well known
corvette coves and bald eagle/flag decals adorning the hood.
Polished and slotted standard 15" Corvette wheels are on all 4
corners and are wrapped in newer BF Goodrich rubber. We note the
rear window tucked well into the flying buttress B-pillars has been
sealed with a form of white caulking. New mirrored glass roof
panels are seen on top and can be removed to form an open "T"
top.
Interior
Firethorn Red buckets in leather lead the way to the freshly redone
interior and with just a few small wrinkles appear to barely have
been sat in. Door panels showing also as new have wood applique in
the middle and Firethorn Red on the bottoms along with dressy
chrome for the window cranks and door actuators. A red center
console with optional padded armrest races between the seats and
houses the gearshift, climate controls and an ashtray within a faux
carbon fiber surround. As we move upon to the center of the dash,
we note several round gauges keeping track of essential functions,
and all in working condition with some hazing on the clear lenses.
FIrethorn Red plastic houses the dual round deep dish gauges behind
the thick rimmed steering wheel and present in very clean
condition. New red carpet abounds and in the storage area behind
the seats we note the storage bag for the T-tops and an aftermarket
speaker box.
Drivetrain
The 350ci V8 which is numbers matching has a 4-barrel carburetor on
top. The rebuilt and numbers matching TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission is attached to the back and sends power to a 3.08
Positraction rear axle. For a visual kick, chrome valve covers,
chromed master cylinder cap, alternator and chrome Chevrolet air
cleaner are adorning this engine. The real star of the show is the
intricate American flag, bald eagle, and Statue of Liberty motif
covering the underside of the hood.
Undercarriage
Underneath we see the original frame with areas of surface rust,
prior repair, and very invasive rust and cracking particularly on
the driver's side behind the front suspension. This rust and
breakage of the frame makes us question the structural soundness
under here. Dual exhaust and sidepipes have been added, and 4-wheel
power disc brakes are present. An independent coil spring front
suspension is on and for the rear we note a fully independent
suspension with a transverse leaf spring. During our tour
underneath we also saw some prior repairs to the flooring and
severe invasive rust in the lower sections of the radiator support.
We note new half shafts on the rear axle to keep things turning
smoothly.
Drive-Ability
It's not every day you can get into your favorite design version of
the Corvette, and it's bathed in pearl white...a beautiful color if
I do say so myself. Upon firing the car up we noted a very distinct
miss in the engine along with what sounded like a spun bearing so
our test drive came to an abrupt halt.
Very '70's and very patriotic for this sharklike creation from the
design pens at Chevrolet and our consignor. Questionable structural
integrity of the frame and some mechanical damage to the engine
prevent any driving of this car presently but in this day and age
with a catalog and a checkbook anything is fixable.
VIN DECODE
1Z37L6S442807
1-Chevrolet
Z-Corvette
37-Coupe
L-350ci V8 4bbl L48 180hp
6-1976
S-St. Louis, MO Assy Plant
442807-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
L16-July 16th Build
TRIM 692-Dark Brown Leather
PAINT 64L-Light Buckskin
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
