1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Big Block Amazing Condition

Overview

Up for sale is a beautiful 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe. It is an original big block, 4-speed car with lots of recent work done. It has been owned by the same person for the last fifteen years and in that time he has taken amazing care of the vehicle. The car was purchased by its current owner in 2001 and in that time he has driven the car every summer and done all of the necessary maintenance work and upgrades to make this one of the cleanest and nicest driving 1973 Corvettes around. The car will come with a folder full of receipts relating to exactly what has been done by our shop but we will do our best to describe most of the work in this ebay listing. All said and done these receipts total just shy of $115,000 invested in the car. Please realize that a lot of the work that is being counted in the total has been doubled up. For example the cars original 4-speed manual was rebuilt when it was first purchased, but a few years down the road the transmission was replaced with a 5-speed overdrive unit. But regardless, the investment in this car is substantial and you can tell just how well it has been taken care of the minute you drive it. Most of the vehicle’s systems all function exactly as intended; the two exception’s are the washer system currently does not squirt any fluid and the factory alarm does not operate. The headlights, wipers, heater etc. all work as they were intended to. The car is being sold by Western Corvette but is not owned by us, we are selling it for the owner of the car who happens to be a very good customer of ours. Please note that shipping will be the responsibility of the purchaser, but we will do our best to facilitate the transaction in any way that we can.

History

The 1973 Corvette is a collectible and interesting year because it was a one year only transition from the chrome bumpers of the 1968-1972 era to the plastic bumpers of the 1974-1982 Corvette’s. This is why the rear of the car looks like the earlier Corvette’s and the front is a foreshadow of what was to come with the later cars. This particular car is a fairly early production vehicle; it was around the 1200th car out of about 30,000 built that year. The VIN also verifies that this was an original big block LS4 car, one of only 4,412 built that year. It is also an original M21 4-speed Muncie car, one of only 3,704 in 1973.

Engine

This vehicle is an original big block car. The block is original to this specific car, with matching numbers and correct casting dates. The fact that it is still the original block in the car is great for both collectability and value. The rest of the engine has been gone through and rebuilt using only the best parts available. The end result is a correct appearing engine but with more power and driveability than these cars ever came from the factory with. The engine was rebuilt and upgraded in November 2006 with new rings, bearings, pistons, camshaft, intake manifold, headers and carburetor. A stock big block 1973 Corvette came from the factory with 275 horsepower and 390 ft. lbs of torque. Once the engine work on this car was completed it made 271 horsepower and 344 ft. lbs of torque to the rear wheels! If you account for parasitic loss of the drivetrain the engine numbers at the crankshaft are approximately 325 horsepower and 413 ft. lbs. of torque! Those numbers are more than enough to make this a fun and reliable sports car. A few things were done to achieve this power gain. The first was upgrading the pistons to a slightly higher compression ratio, the car now has a ratio of 9.6:1, which is still very streetable on pump gas but definitely helps boost power and efficiency. The camshaft was also upgraded to a new comp cams unit. The headers are ceramic coated Hooker Super Comp’s, these are widely recognized as some of the best headers available and you will never have to worry about rusting and corrosion. Of course when the engine work was completed the entire rotating assembly was blueprinted and balanced. As well, all new rings, bearings and gaskets were used. .The intake manifold is an aluminum unit from Edelbrock which was painted orange so that it retains its factory cast iron appearance. The radiator was also upgraded with a bigger all aluminum unit to aid in keeping the big block nice cool even on the hottest of days. In conclusion, the engine appears to be factory fresh and correct all the way down to paint color and ignition shielding. Lurking beneath that factory mask however, is a modernized and powerful engine which is way more capable and versatile than the factory engine ever was! Truly the best of both worlds. Also please note that the owner still has the factory intake manifold and air cleaner, and would gladly include them in the sale if the purchaser would like.

Transmission and Differential

The same story continues when we talk about transmission and differential, the best of the factory Corvette and the best of the modern aftermarket. The factory Corvette differential is still in the car, but was rebuilt in July 2011. The factory 4-speed Muncie transmission was replaced in February 2012 with a 5-speed overdrive unit from what is now Silver Sport Transmission. This transmission alone is one of the best things that can be done to these older Corvettes. This car can now comfortably cruise on the highway at 75mph and still be around 2,500rpm. This is way easier on engine parts and not to mention fuel economy! For those who are very observant you will notice that the shift pattern plate in the car still says the vehicle is a 4-speed. This is because the owner wanted the car to appear factory correct from the outside and inside. If the new owner would like, the 5-speed shift console plate can be included in the sale. Another upgrade is an aluminum flywheel and aftermarket clutch. The aluminum flywheel takes about 40 pounds out of the rotating mass of the engine and greatly improves throttle response.

Suspension and Chassis

In terms of suspension and chassis development these Corvette’s were way ahead of their time in the 60’s and 70’s. They came from the factory with 4-wheel disc brakes, independent rear suspension, as well as many other race inspired improvements which were unheard of for a factory car in those days. This specific vehicle retains all of its original chassis and suspension components but it has been rebuilt and upgraded with many brand new items in the last few years. All of the factory rubber bushings have been replaced with poly urethane, in order to stiffen and firm up the handling. The sway bars were also upgraded with some slightly thicker units which help the car corner much flatter than the car would have from the factory. All of the rotors, pads, calipers and even brake lines have been replaced with brand new units in order to be sure that brakes are up to modern standards and safe to be driven anywhere. All of the u-joints, ball joints and other components have been replaced and are in good shape.

Paint and Body

The paint on the car is in very good shape, it has a few minor rock chips and blemishes but all in all it shows very well and has a great shine to it. The car was completely stripped and painted about five years ago at a professional body shop. Since then however, the car has been driven and enjoyed. The removable T-tops function properly and can be taken off for a great wind in your hair driving experience.

Interior

This car was originally a standard interior vehicle but was upgraded to the deluxe interior in 2002. The difference between the two interior trim options was that the deluxe interior cars got softer carpet, leather seats, and nicer door panels. As mentioned, the interior in this car was upgraded in 2002. At that time the carpet, door panels, seats, and interior trim panels were all replaced with the new items from either Al Knoch or Corvette America. Although it was done 14 years ago, as you can see from the pictures, the interior is still in amazing shape! The current owner entered the car in many concours competitions and therefore took great care of the interior. There is an aftermarket stereo in the rear of the vehicle which the owner wanted because he drives the car quite a bit in the summer. It is a completely stand alone system though so it can be removed easily and without affecting the factory unit in any way. The stock radio is still in the dash and was never modified in any way for the aftermarket unit. All of the gauges work as they should, including the clock which has been upgraded with quartz internals.

Conclusion

All in all this is a great, solid, rust free car that can truly be driven anywhere. The current owner would regularly take this vehicle on 2,000mile plus road trips with no issues. The car is now to the point where it is largely worry free motoring. It is still a 44 year old vehicle and needs to be treated as such, but the good thing with this car however is you are starting with a largely problem free vehicle. Please feel free to call 403-255-2111 (ask for Jason or Lawrence) if you have any questions or concerns about the vehicle. Thanks for looking and happy bidding.