Being offered for sale is a very original 1970 Marlboro Maroon, with Black vinyl interior, LT1 Convertible, with 27,107 miles on the odometer. This is really an excellent car, properly sorted , and an absolute thrill to enthusiastically drive and thoroughly enjoy. The paint, interior and engine area are in very good condition. The underbody is original, solid, rust and damage free. Never off its original frame, this Corvette drives like only a low mileage factory mounted Corvette drives. Even with the top down, this convertible drives without shakes or rattles. The long time Corvette owner / restorer who is offering this LT1 for sale spent quite some time and traveled extensively to find this car. Real deal documented 1970 LT1 Corvettes, with their original drive train, body panels, Protect -O-Plate and Corvette Order Copy (Tank Sheet) are few and far between. This LT1 Corvette offers “head snapping” acceleration and precise and nimble cornering. Run through the gears, enjoy the full high performance Corvette driving experience and you’ll clearly understand why the 1970-72 LT1 Corvettes are considered to be among the best road handling sports cars ever produced.
There have been many great Corvettes built over the years; but, for those who share Zora Arkus Duntov’s vision of the Corvette as world class sports car, there is none better then the 1970 LT-1 Corvette. This is the Corvette which offers big block acceleration without compromising small block balance and handling prowess. With a high winding small block 350ci engine cranking out 370hp and 380ft lbs of torque and a 4-Speed manual transmission to run through the gears, the 1970 LT-1 can zoom all the way up to 6,500rpm, with power that will “throw you back in your seat” and take the corners with the best European sports cars.
The May 1970 Motor Trend magazine issue reported the results of a comparison test of the 1970 LT-1 vs. 1970 Porsche 911E and offered the following observations: “As expected, the Corvette, with more than double the horsepower and torque rating of the Porsche, out-accelerated its German adversary. With a quarter mile time of 14.36 seconds and 101.69 mph, the Vette easily out-distanced the smaller-engined Porsche’s 15.9 e.t. and 93.36 mph…Off the strip and onto the road course, this is where the Porsche should reign supreme. For years now the words Porsche and handling have been synonymous….Here is where we experienced the biggest surprise of the test. The Corvette was just as fast if not faster through the corners as the Porsche…There is but one word to describe the Corvette’s handling: superb. It corners quite flat and exudes a confidence–inspiring glued-to-the-road feel.” Thank you, Zora Arkus Duntov and company.
To achieve it’s legendary performance, the 1970 LT-1 used some of the best internal engine parts GM ever made. A solid lifter motor featuring a forged steel crankshaft, 4-bolt main block, 11:1 compression ratio, impact extruded pistons, high-lift camshaft, low restriction exhaust, aluminum intake manifold, 4-barrel 800 cfm Holley carburetor, and finned aluminum valve covers. Mated with the required Muncie 4-Speed, these mechanical gems produced sounds and a driving experience never to be experienced again in a production car. The ’70 LT-! marked the end of an era. It was the last solid lifter V8 produced by GM. It’s power rating and specific output were not exceeded by a domestic production V8 for another 20 years.
The exterior finish of this 1970 Marlboro Maroon LT1 convertible, would best be described as “high level driver.” The car does not present with a fresh showroom finish; however, this approximately 10 year old repaint is really quite good and does not detract at all from the overall appearance of the car. The car has its original date coded window glass, re-chromed bumpers, original T3 headlamps, original front grills, original front valance, and original restored egg crate side vents, which are all in excellent condition. The soft top is new, fits well and is dated.
The car’s interior is original and in very good condition. Only the carpeting has been replaced, with new ACC carpets. The dash pad, door panels (door pulls / hardware), seat covers / seat backs / seat belts, console side covers, sun visors and gages are all original and in excellent condition. All interior components are working, including the original clock, AM / FM radio, interior lights / instrument lights, and fiber optics. The dash wiring is original and intact, with no splices, cuts or repairs. The heater core has been replaced and the blower works at all 3 speeds. The original seat tracks have been restored.
The engine compartment is overwhelmingly original and in very good condition. Original components include the Aluminum Intake Manifold (Part # 3972110), Exhaust Manifolds (3872765 L / 3932461 R both date L109), Coil (272), Alternator (Part # 1100884 dated 9M17), Starter (Delco-Remy Part # 11088388 dated 0A15), Water Pump (Part # 3782608 dated L159), Fan / Fan Clutch (original - restored), Fan Shroud, Horn Relay, Master Cylinder ( new cap), Washer Fluid tank / cap/ hose, Radiator Hose / Clamps. There is a Holley 4555 car currently on the car; however, the original working Holley goes with the car. There is a NOS distributor on the car; the original distributor is available. The Radiator is a correct copper replacement radiator. The AIR system (Smog) is correct and properly dated. There is a NOS TI Amp on the car. The wiring under the hood is original, with no splices or cuts.
The chassis / underbody is in very good condition. The front springs are new (281/4” to top of wheel well lip), front sway bar has new bushings and new links, tie rods and links are new and correct, original brake calipers rebuilt, with SS sleeves, new steel brake lines, new parking brake cable, rear original leaf spring restored, with original spacers, the underbody fiberglass is in good condition, and the frame is rust free / undamaged and presents in excellent condition.
Not only is this 1970 Marlboro Maroon LT1 Corvette Convertible great looking and great driving Corvette, it is truly an investment grade collectible automobile: it’s 47 years old; an example of the first year LT1 option, with the highest horsepower rating and smallest production number of the legendary and collectible 3 year production of 1970,1971, and 1972 LT1 Corvettes; it’s of limited production ( only 1,287 LT1 Corvettes were built in 1970 out of a total 1970 Corvette production of 17,316 and approximately 1/3 or 425 were LT1 convertibles); its 370 hp was the optimum for factory production small block carbureted Corvettes from 1953 until the ZR1 Corvette was introduced in 1990.; and its authenticity is documented.
Here is a rare opportunity to acquire a very original 1970 LT1 Corvette convertible that has been painstakingly restored to original configuration and has been properly sorted to offer outstanding performance. A perfect candidate for NCRS or Bloomington judging, this 1970 LT1 Corvette convertible is without a doubt the Corvette to have, for open air high performance sports car driving pleasure. Only by seeing the car in person and taking it for a test drive can one appreciate the car being offering and see why it truly can be considered a rare find offered at a very fair market price.
The car is located in Nazareth, PA 18064. To schedule an opportunity to see this very special Corvette, please call Mark 609-306-1631 - 10am-8pm EST.
