by YouTuber Auto Archaeology regularly posts videos of some fascinating barn finds and junkyard discoveries on his channel. One of his latest videos shows off a 1960 Chevrolet C1 Corvette, found in a barn after over 50 years of gathering dust. The video goes into a good bit of detail about the Corvette and shows it gets some much-needed TLC to reveal its full glory.
Auto Archaeology has looked at many fascinating vehicles on his channel, with some in better condition than others. This Corvette is able to get itself a new lease of life after over half a century hidden away and in obscurity.
The 1960 Chevrolet Corvette Was Covered In Dust
The car sat in a barn in Michigan, along with quite a few other vehicles. While the Corvette dusty, it is in excellent condition with the chrome still shining and the paintwork holding up well. It comes complete with its 283 ci engine, and two-speed Power Glide transmission. The whitewall on the wheels has faded, but it is still noticeable, although when we check out the wheels there is a lot of rust hidden in the arches. The Corvette’s interior is in great condition, as the leather has survived well.
There is some dirt and fading, but it’s a complete interior with the dashboard trimmings still present. The chrome is still preserved inside too, and the steering wheel still has its leather wrapping. The license plates for the Corvette say 1973, and that is possibly the final year that this car was on the road. The YouTuber’s friend is helping the owner of the Corvette to give it some TLC and put it back together, with the aim of it going back on the road once more.
via Auto Archaeology YouTube Channel
The YouTuber gives us a very good look underneath the wheel arches and there is a lot of rust hiding under them. Even though this car has been inside a garage for over five decades. Hopefully, the rust has not eaten into the bodywork and caused too much damage, as this is a cool and rare survivor. It is also a time capsule, preserved near enough in the state it was in when the owner parked it. The biggest problem looks to be curing the rust issues that have plagued it. The rust could have been much worse, if the Corvette was parked outside exposed to the elements.
The Corvette’s Post Restoration Story
Towards the end of the video, the YouTuber shows us some more images of the Corvette and gives us an update on the Chevrolet. The car went through a full, in-depth restoration, and it now looks resplendent in its new colors. The tires have their whitewall back again, and the center caps are gleaming in chrome. The drop-down roof has also had repairs done to it, and the owner of the Corvette has given the sports car a full repaint.
The Corvette now has a white paint scheme, with some red to compliment it and really let it pop out. It actually went through a few owners and auctions, before ending up in Indiana and going through this big restoration. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been an update on the Corvette since then. But the YouTuber said that if anyone has information on the car from recent weeks, then get in touch. The latest understanding, though, is that the Corvette is road-worthy again and out and about, so fingers crossed it is looked after for many years.
via Mecum Auctions
The 1960 Corvette is of course from the very first, C1, generation of the sports car. These have become some of the rarest examples of the Corvette in history and sell for big money at auctions. The most expensive to ever sell was at a Barrett-Jackson auction in March 2021. This C1 Corvette sold for an eye-watering $825,000, highlighting the desirability of the car. Four powertrains were available for the C1 Corvette. The entry-level engine was a 3.9-liter Blue Flame inline-six. But three V8 motors from 4.3-liters to 5.4-liters were also made available. Classic.com lists the average sales price for the Corvette at $109,326 and the most recent example sold for $190,000.
Auto Archaeology Has Uncovered A Wide Range Of Cars
Plymouth Superbird 426 Engine Specs
Manufacturer
Chrysler
Production Years
1964-1971
Configuration
Naturally Aspirated V8
Displacement
7.0-liter (Hemi 426)
Power
425 Hp
Torque
490 lb-ft
Fuel
Gas
Notable Applications
1970 Monteverdi Hai 450,1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
This Chevrolet Corvette is not the first car that Auto Archaeology has discovered. Earlier in 2023, the YouTuber found a giant collection of Plymouth Superbirds and Ford Super Torino Talaldega’s sat inside a storage facility. Unlike some of his barn finds, the prospects for a lot of these barn finds looked good with some either restored or on their way to becoming restored. Some would become spare donors for other cars.
Both cars have their origins in NASCAR, with the Superbird the most famous of the two. The Superbird was part of the “aero car” generation of NASCAR. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ford was cleaning up the competition in the series, and Chrysler, which owned Dodge and Plymouth, needed to fight back. The recently shut-down missile division at Chrysler came to its aid. In the barn were also examples of the Dodge Charger Daytona, and a former Mercury Redstone engineer created the nosecone for the Charger. Plymouth would follow suit with their Superbird, with the Plymouth version creating more downforce than the Dodge. Fearing the speeds the cars would get up to, NASCAR would modify the rules to force them out of the series from 1971 onwards.
An Enthusiast Brought This Collection Of Aero Cars Together
This particular collection of NASCAR legends belonged to an enthusiast who gained a lot of love for aero cars when interning at Holman Moody in 1969. A lot of these cars came from barns all around America, with some also coming from dealerships and back lots and junkyards. The owner recently passed away, but his family decided to continue with his legacy. A Dodge Daytona is nearly fully restored, and a Superbird is next in line for such treatment.
Source: Auto Archaeology YouTube Channel
