The Story Of The Abandoned Corvette C3

• Dirty C3 Corvette seemingly left abandoned just three miles from Tom’s home
• Low Mileage: Just 35,000 miles on the odometer
• Acquired two years ago by the current owner

Tom began the video by introducing the stunning 1979 Corvette C3 in white and its owner Alan. The sports car had been purchased by Alan two years before the video as a project vehicle, and he had since carried out some work on it in his mission to get it back on the road. Impressively, Tom found that the Corvette had covered just under 35,000 miles in its life, a figure Alan was confident was legit.

Alan then revealed that the car had the base-level 350 ci L82 V8 motor which produced 195 hp. Tom later found though that after checking the vehicle on Hagerty’s valuation tool, it had the more powerful version of the engine, tuned to 225 hp.

Engine Specs

Source (Corvsport, UltimateSpecs)

Old C3 Corvette Still Needed Work To Get Back On The Road

Issues With The Barn Find C3 Chevrolet Corvette

• Unknown electrical issue continued to flatten battery
• Engine, transmission, and suspension needed work
• New carburetor and steering column already fitted
• Bodywork and interior in good condition

Alan shared that he had already completed some work to try and get the C3 back on the road. He had already installed a replacement carburetor as well as a new steering column. Though the engine still needed more attention to get it running again. The main issue remaining, however, is electrical in nature. There was a problem that continually drained the battery when the vehicle was sitting, making it difficult to keep going regularly.

The automatic gearbox also needed some work to get working to its full potential, while the suspension also needed some love. The bodywork of the vehicle was in good condition because it was made from fiberglass which is eary to repair, and doesn’t rot like traditional steel. The interior was also decent, its beautiful white and red interior needing just a bit of cleaning to shine.

While Alan said the Corvette wasn’t currently for sale and that he was keen to keep working on it for the foreseeable future, he didn’t rule out letting it go should he get a reasonable offer. Tom then found out that a 350 ci V8 C3 in the condition of Alan’s machine would currently be worth around $11,000. A concourse condition example could be worth upwards of $40,000.

C3 Chevrolet Corvette Pricing

(pricing data provided by classic.com and Hagerty)

Stumbling Across A Rare Twin-Cam Lotus Europa

Classic British Lotus Europa With A Cool Story

• Owned by a mechanic for over 40 years
• Won best in show in the first event it participated in
• Abandoned due to lack of time
• Plans to get it fully restored during retirement

Tom later traveled to a garage specializing in vehicle bodywork owned by a skilled fabricator called Dave. Dave turned out to be a huge fan of European-built cars and had a specific interest in British vehicles. He showed off the 1974 Lotus Europa that he owned since 1982, which he chased for around two years before that in his late teens.

The vehicle had heavy rear damage when he finally managed to purchase it. He then spent all his free time restoring it before taking it to car shows. Dave revealed that the Europa had managed to win best in show in the first-ever event he took it to in Virginia. Dave added that he is looking to fully restore his Europa when he begins to scale back his involvement in his business.

Lotus Europa Engine Specs

Source (Automobile Catalog)

Tom’s travels illustrate the wide variety of special machinery that could sit right under every gearhead’s nose just waiting to be purchased and restored to running condition. The C3 Corvette and the Europa have the potential to be head-turners when bought back to showroom condition. While it’ll be a challenge, their current owners have the motivation to achieve this lofty goal.

Sources:Corvsport, UltimateSpecs, classic.com, Automobile Catalog, and Hagerty