Vehicle Description
1974 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
The arrival of the 1974 Chevy Corvette occurred during an abysmal
period in automotive history. The period in question actually began
in October 1973 when OAPEC, (the Arab members of OPEC) plus Egypt,
Syria, and Tunisia proclaimed an oil embargo against the United
States. Long lines for gas sprung up nationwide, and the era of the
large engine muscle car was coming to an end. Instead of pure
power, companies focused on conveniences, and smooth ride, and this
year Corvette is exemplary of the times.
For consignment, the beneficiary of a performance minded redux with
a dash of custom touches added in for good measure. A 540ci stroker
V8 was installed along with custom fuel injection, some serious
suspension parts were updated, a color change to a more exciting
Pearl Yellow from the original Bright Yellow, and custom bodywork
make it hard to pass by this Cleveland Autorama and Detroit
Autorama 1st in class winner.
Exterior
One has to love the design on this curvaceous Corvette. From its
sting ray-esque nose, flared fenders, low slung panels, blacked out
rocker, and rounded off rear this is definitely my favorite
Corvette design, right next to the 63 split window. All this
fiberglass is bathed in Pearl Yellow applied by Roman Chariot of
Cleveland, OH and it is a respray that presents very well with
little to no flaws. Up front, the center section of a C4 Corvette
hood has been meticulously molded into the factory forward hinged
hood and we note a later model rear bumper has been installed and
has a small integrated rear spoiler both of which have been molded
into the clean undulating body creating a fully seamless look. The
hood has the added bling of black striping reminiscent of the
Baldwin Motion striping of yore. All window trimmings have been
blacked out and 2006 badging has been added. Removable roof panels
offer up the option of some open-air motoring. 18-inch ZO6 style
wheels are on as well as staggered width performance rated
radials.
Interior
A sea of black leather buckets, (courtesy of a 1982 Corvette),
carpet, dash, and door panels, with just a few areas of added
woodgrain make up the fully redone interior. VDO gauges now occupy
the deeply sunk in round cluster and front the 3 spoke wood rimmed
steering wheel, center of dash, and even A/C installed in the
console controlled by horizontal wheels for temperature...modern!
The 6-speed manual transmission shifter is here as well. As the
dash rises up from the console our eyes are drawn to the Kenwood
AM/FM/Cassette stereo and sprinkling of more VDO gauges that would
look right at home in the cockpit of a Boeing 737. A pop of the
roof panels and you can experience open air motoring pleasure. A
new dash pad is noted as is all new weatherstripping. In back,
clean black carpeting covers the extra storage area behind the
seats and a trio of storage compartments are noted. Overall, the
interior is very nice and is definitely a showstopper.
Drivetrain
Lifting the custom hood we are met with near perfection in the form
of a consignor-stated 540ci big block Chevrolet. This big mill
started as a Bill Mitchell Merlin IV block and has been fitted with
a forged crank, forged rods and Manley 10.0:1 forged pistons.
Topping things off are Canfield rectangle port aluminum heads and a
Weiand Team G intake manifold that has been modified for port fuel
injection along with a 1000cfm throttle body with Holley fuel
injection management. Feeding the copious amounts of air to the
throttle body is more trick custom work to the underside of the
hood allowing for true cowl induction to be in effect. All hoses
are either stainless tube or braided, plus a polished Evens water
pump is on. Lighting the fire is a Holley dual sync distributor
with a hidden coil and keeping it all cool is a Griffin aluminum
radiator with a custom-made shroud for the Spall electric fans. At
first glance one would not know they are peering at a much larger
cubic inch engine. A Tremec T56 6-speed manual is bolted on the
back and sends power back to a rear axle weighing in at a 3.55
ratio.
Undercarriage
Having the spare tire removed affords us a good view of the sumped
fuel tank and rear frame rails. They are solid, rust free and
painted black and are part of the custom tube frame from the Street
Shop. The condition follows suit throughout the rest of the frame
with not even a hint of surface rust showing through. We note C4
suspension, which is an independent style with unequal length
control arms and transverse leaf springs, for both front and rear.
All urethane bushings are noted for the suspension and a Mustang
power steering rack is on. Hydroboost power assist is on for the C5
front disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors and for the rear
we note C4 disc brakes with more drilled and slotted rotors. Custom
made headers with electric cutouts feed down to stainless dual
exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers that help to create a deep
thundering melodious tune.
Drive-Ability
I never pass up a chance to drive a mid 70's curvy Corvette so I
donned my driving gloves and off I went. The car started quickly
and the idle was music to my ears. Power was more than adequate
thanks to the stroker V8, the transmission shifted smoothly and
with new suspension bushings and upgraded suspension the handling
was like a new car and then some. All functions were operating
properly at the time of our drive and we enjoyed ourselves so much
with the T-tops removed and the AC on we took an unprecedented 2nd
and 3rd lap around our fabled asphalt.
A restification if you will, retaining almost all of its exterior
styling and looking just fab the whole time. A great black interior
with a new dash pad and weather seals make for a comfortable rattle
free interior. Add in a rust-free undercarriage and a souped up V8
and you have a package that will not only impress your neighbors
but will draw the attention of the local John Q. Law. I know, I
know...License and registration....
VIN DECODE
1Z37J4S417930
1-Chevrolet
Z-Corvette
37-2 Door Coupe
J-350ci V8 4bbl L48
4-1974
S-St. Louis, MO Assy Plant
417930-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
C15-October 15th 1973 Build
TRIM 404-Black Leather
PAINT 56L-Bright Yellow
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.
