1973 Chevrolet Corvette

1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe To meet federal safety standards, the 1973 Corvette sports a new mug with a body color urethane bumper cover. The cover adds 35 pounds to the car's weight and is able to withstand impacts of up to 5 mph without causing damage to the lights or safety features. Catalytic converters are added, and output of the entry level 5.7 liter V-8 falls to 165 horsepower, although a 205-hp option is available for those in search of more grunt. Car and Driver, Complete History of the Chevrolet Corvette. For consignment, a 1973 Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a title verified 88,753 actual miles. This example has a numbers matching drivetrain and has been owned by our consignor for 11 years. This car has a coat of two stage red paint, side pipes, and Corvette wheels from a later model. Exterior Sinuous lines are a trademark of the Corvette and the C3 probably does it as well as any, here bathed in glossy Mille Miglia Red paint. Our car sits a bit upright on 15-inch aluminum slot wheels and 225/70R15 tires. Big side pipes traverse the rocker panels with a finned exterior that leads to a chrome tip. The fantastic flying buttresses lead to a flat deck lid that meets the integrated spoiler in back which frames the iconic quad tail light and split rear bumper configuration. Up front, the grille has been extended with inclusions of the center section, and the Corvette's naturally cowled hood included vents at the base of the windshield. Fiberglass, emblems, and paint are decent on the car with some imperfections noted as some hazing on the bumper chrome, various checks in the paint, bubbling, chips, cracks, and a spot of curb rash. Interior Ergonomic and geometric, the door panels show well in black vinyl and plastic with complete and clean hardware. The black vinyl seats also present very nicely and the three spoke steering wheel frames what appears to be a simple instrument cluster with two dials for speed and RPM's, but turning to the center stack reveals a series of smaller gauges for engine operations and of course a clock. It presents well with the typical scratches in the black paint that appears on the faceplate. An AM/FM radio then takes its place, then vent controls on the center console followed by the Hurst shifter and again, slight patina is noted on the cover plates, consistent with most C3's we see, including some wear on the stat plate. Corvette rubber mats cover black loop carpet in very nice shape and the material and quality cover the rear cargo area as well. Drivetrain Under the hood, we have the numbers matching 350ci L48 V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor and 190 horsepower in what we'd call driver quality esthetic condition. It is mated to the numbers matching Muncie M20 4-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear axle with 3.36 gears and Positraction. Undercarriage Driver quality here as well with surface rust, a film of oil on the bottom of the engine, grease on the knuckles, and some flaking rust on the underside flange. There's an area of torn fiberglass and some oil around the rear axle. As noted, the dual exhaust runs through side pipes and power disc brakes are found at all four wheels. Suspension consists of coil springs up front and the Vette's complex rear independent, race inspired suspension that includes tubular axle drive shafts, transverse strut rods, torque control arms, and a transverse leaf spring. Drive-Ability This clean and comfortable Vette checks all the boxes as the original 350 fires up and the side pipes make the announcement. The slightly raked stance on this version enhances visibility over the long nose and the car handles well, stops quickly, and provides an exhilarating ride that always feels a bit faster than the speedometer indicates. The cherry on top of this bright red Vette is that all functions operate as they should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot