If you're a habitual consumer of car magazines, you're no doubt familiar with the tale of the highly desirable classic automobile found socked away in a barn or storage unit, typically by a disinterested owner with no knowledge of the vehicle's pedigree or sense of its value. As the story goes, some savvy automotive speculator purchases the car for a mere fraction of its worth, painstakingly restores it to its former glory, and ultimately makes a moderate fortune on it through a no-reserve auction at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale.
The story of the "barn find" classic may be a moldy cliché at this point, but, like most overused literary devices, the trope has its basis in reality. And while the crop of hidden muscle-car treasure has been pretty well picked over at this point, that doesn't mean there aren't still a few jewels out there, just waiting to be unearthed.
As evidence, we present the LS4 '74 convertible you see here. The '74 model year marked the end of the line for both the topless C3 and the big-block-powered Corvette, potentially enough to make this cannily optioned shark a bona fide collectible, if not a full-blown dream machine. Of course, collectibility is inextricably linked with originality, and many a would-be restorer's hopes have been dashed by evidence of an ill-advised engine swap or other post-purchase modification. Would that be the case here?
Factory interior is in remarkably...
Factory interior is in remarkably good shape for its age. The lack of wear on the driver's seat seems to square with the low mileage indicated on the odometer.
Finding a '74 Vette equipped...
Finding a '74 Vette equipped with the N37 Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column isn't difficult. Locating one with a column that still works perfectly after 36 years can be.
Chevy was officially done...
Chevy was officially done bragging about horsepower numbers by 1974, choosing instead to highlight the LS4's dreadnought-class torque. Note the wood finish on the center console, part of the $158 Custom Interior Trim package.
Other Custom Interior exclusives...
Other Custom Interior exclusives included wood-grain paneling and carpeted lower surfaces for the doors. Again, the minimal wear in these areas appears to indicate a lightly driven vehicle.
A Delco AM-FM radio is hardly...
A Delco AM-FM radio is hardly a modern-day audiophile's dream, but it is original and, aside from the missing knobs, in decent condition.
Chevy relocated the alarm...
Chevy relocated the alarm activator to the driver-side fender in 1974. The lock cylinders on these mechanisms are notoriously failure prone, but the one on Lovell's car appears to work just fine.
Before we go any further, a little background. This car came to our attention through longtime friend of the magazine Greg Lovell, who owns and operates Seffner, Florida-based Corvette-tuning shop AntiVenom. Though Lovell's involvement with Vettes tends to focus primarily on their performance capabilities, his status as the local "Corvette guy" makes him a prime target any time someone needs to offload a restoration gone awry or a partially assembled project car.
In this case, the seller described the car as a '74 convertible with an original 454/four-speed drivetrain and only 46,000 original miles. Though he had planned to restore the Vette to as-new condition, he had recently been laid off and needed money to relocate to south Florida, where a new job awaited. His asking price of $1,800 seemed suspiciously low for a car equipped with such a desirable menu of options, but as a veteran of the classic-car trade, Lovell knew from experience that not every too-good-to-be-true deal truly is. When the seller's claims proved accurate, Lovell quickly made the deal, and his diverse collection of muscle machines welcomed its latest member.
Since the car is in fundamentally good shape, we thought we'd take the opportunity to walk you through some of the steps involved in verifying the originality of any third-generation Corvette. And since we're entertaining the idea of adding it to our project-car stable at some point, this article will also serve as an introduction of sorts. Follow along now as we take a closer look.
So what do you think we should do with this car? Restore to it as-delivered condition? Convert it into a straight-axle gasser? Push it off a cliff? Log on to www.vetteweb.com and let us know what you think.
After the LS4 threw a timing...
After the LS4 threw a timing chain, the previous owner removed it and the transmission in anticipation of a rebuild. Note that the factory radiator, brake master cylinder, and air-conditioning hardware remain in situ.
Located in the left doorjamb,...
Located in the left doorjamb, the factory date sticker shows the car's gross vehicle weight rating as well as its VIN. Using the latter, it's possible to verify the originality of the engine and transmission.
Speaking of original, when's...
Speaking of original, when's the last time you laid eyes on a real, 36-year-old factory distributor cap and wires? Bonus factoid: Packard Electric was absorbed by GM back in 1932.
The urethane bumpers on early...
The urethane bumpers on early midyears tend to deteriorate with age, and the ones on Lovell's car were no exception. Fortunately the Corvette aftermarket abounds with quality reproductions.
These slotted mags may look...
These slotted mags may look dated now, but they were considered the height of custom cool in the mid-to-late '70s. Somewhat surprisingly, the previous owner did not retain the factory Rally wheels.
"Astro Ventilation" script...
"Astro Ventilation" script is featured prominently on the factory side windows. It refers to the fresh-air-circulation system found on all '68-'75 Vettes.
Like most partially disassembled...
Like most partially disassembled project cars, the '74 came with a gallimaufry of original parts, including the intake manifold, the distributor, the cylinder heads, and much, much more.
Cast-iron LS4 heads flow well...
Cast-iron LS4 heads flow well but are limited by a wheezy 8.25:1 compression ratio. Boosting compression, opening up the exhaust tract, and adding cam timing can really enliven one of these torpid titans-if you're not performing a stock resto, that is.
According to the previous...
According to the previous owner, this cylinder block and M-21 Muncie four-speed were the original items. Since they were already out of the car, it was a simple matter to corroborate that claim.
Wiping away a little surface...
Wiping away a little surface grime, Lovell was able to locate a matching VIN stamp on the transmission as well as on the block. Originality verified.