Seventy thousand dollars can buy you a lot of Corvette. You can get a 2017 Stingray, which starts at $55,450, then add a ton of options to it. The 2017 Grand Sport has a higher MSRP of $65,450, but that still leaves some room for extras. For 70 grand, you can also get a classic Corvette, such as this beautifully restored 1971 convertible.
It was given a new lease on life back in 2014 with a variety of NOS and refurbished original parts, according to its current owners, RK Motors Charlotte. This St. Louis C3’s body was coated with gleamingly smooth Mulsanne Blue paint. A fresh white vinyl top caps off a correct Dark Blue vinyl interior that features “correct optional power steering,” “fade-free side panels,” and “a crack-free dash.” Unfortunately, there’s no AC, so it would be hard to feel as cool as this car would make you look.
Under the hood, there’s the C3’s original 330-horsepower LT1. That pushes its power through a Muncie four-speed manual gearbox, fresh 215/70R15 Multi-Mile Matrix Tourer rubber, and a posi-traction rear end with 3.55 gears. All eight cylinders speak in their raspy, metallic growl through a dual-exhaust system.
When it’s time to bring this curvy boulevard cruiser to a stop, power disc brakes are ready to clamp into action and keep the car above them from needing to be restored again.
In addition to all of the fresh hardware mentioned above and a long list of other parts, this C3 also comes with a great deal of original documentation. RK has this ‘Vette’s original shipping report, window sticker, Protect-O-Plate, and owner’s manual.
There’s a lot more than that to this 74,000-mile classic, though. It’s all in the following RK Charlotte Motors link. Whether all of that is worth as much as $69,900 – and passing up a modern Corvette with 130 more horsepower and airbags – is up to you.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
