"475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

[Mike E.]

Ebay lists a 475-mile 62 Corvette (4520074051)
How many things can you find wrong with this car? Lister says hoses, belts, tires, filters changed. In addition I find:
-(My favorite) a decal for cleaning the oil filler cap (which was never used on 62, and besides, a 340-horse car has a closed (non-breather) cap!
-clamps on both hoses from the expansion tank have the wrong clamps and are the wrong style hoes
-accelerator ground strap is to the wrong bolt on the intake
-the generator appears to have a restamped tag--but even if it is original, it has been repainted, because the wiring attaching nuts, the oil caps, and the capacitor attaching nut all should be natural finish.
-shielding top bolt is incorrect--should be dished head
-female hood latches are perfect--no factory overspray, yet fiberglass right up to them is perfectly painted black
-the tach red line is badly faded (this car has seen plenty of sun) yet the dash and paint are "perfect"
-the top radiator mount bracket, on the backside of the radiator support, has washers to hold the studs in place--it should have a thin plate that goes across the two studs
-the radiator has many things that are incorrect--it isn't an original Harrison radiator (and the tag is not restamped correctly, either)
-motor mount bolts are way too long
-fuel line from pump to carb is incorrectly bent
-heat tube from exhaust manifold to carb is about as bogus as I've seen in a while
-coil bracket bolt that clamps it together to hold the coil is incorrect
-the hardtop picture--I can't find the right hand bracket that goes to the immediate rear of the door onto the body
-the description of the stamped pad --he "thinks" he can see the "S" stamped there---factor stamped the "S" on the frame stamping--should be a "2" on the pad because the first digit is the year

So--I spent too much time looking at that listing--what do the rest of you guys, who have a life, see?
Shall we have a contest to see how many things are non-factory? Or did the guys on the line just have a really bad day putting faded tachs and other things on this car?

[Tracy C.]

[Brian M.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

From what I see it looks like the trunk mat is a repro (too shiney) I'd like to see the bottom side.

[Mike E.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

Oops--
I forgot the 58-60 front bumperette brackets, because the bumperettes sit too far from the grille.

[Richard E.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

Mike - Good eyes! I might also ask:

Isn't the Generator Tag also upside down(Should be read from the driver's side)
I couldn't see any clean air hose to the top of the air horn.
I thought the accelerator retun spring for a 340 was white-and the long attach bracket was attached to the very front intake bolt over the therm hsg.
I thought the oil filler cap for the 340 was chrome as well.
Also on the radiator tag - when did they change from screwed on tags to the foil stick ons (61?-early 62?)
Very hard to tell from the angle of the camera, but you can see the wide space in the grille that appears above the cross bar, potentially upside down installation?
Temp sender wire should be blue (could be a bad picture?)

Would like to see more pictures of gages, radio, carpet, etc. Way too many obvious things to fit a 475 mile car, like rusty/worn bolt on generator bracket.

Regards, Dick

[Roy B.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

Mike you need a hobby

[Richard E.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

OOPS-Mean to say the accel return spring bracket installed on the front intake manifold bolt where the X-tank strap ties (not the thermo hsg). Sorry...

[Charles P.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

How about the Eckler boxes on the shelf behind the car. Seriously though I'd be willing to wager that the car was restored sometime about 1992 and the odometer was reset. The new owner purchased it sometime after that and has held fast to the notion of original miles. I have seen at least a few times where cars change hands in the classic car market. The story that the new owner was told is passed on the the new buyer (more or less) and so on and so on (like the old Jhirimack tell 2 people commercial). I once went to a car show and saw a car I once owned. The car had changed hands at least 2 more times and at least 10 years had passed. The story about the car had morphed to the point where the guy who had started the resoration (me) had died tragically etc etc. Another example, and I know this has happened to everyone here, is when you go to see a "excellent original" car for sale somewhere and have to listen to someone drone on about a car that is neither excellent or original, knowing you are being fed kool aid. Knowledge is power.

[Chas Kingston]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

Back in 1970, with the help of a couple of friends, I "upgraded" a '69 350/350 to SHP specs out of the parts book. It was a very recognizable car -- a gold coupe w/ wrinkle-black door edges and a rear spring that was weaker on one side. MANY years later, when I was at a Corvette shop, I was offered that car for sale as an extremely rare, one of 16 produced, '69 LT-1. I corrected the guy, in front of the shop owner and several customers. He then insisted that it was a factory-original. I told him that it was a conversion, 'cause I had converted it myself. I then mentioned the wrinkle-black door edges. He was quite disappointed that his "extremely rare" car was commonplace.

I was mean, then, too.

Ol' Geezer

[Warren F.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

I had a similar experience, ran into a guy at a Vette Magic event that was telling me about a purchase of 3 Corvettes several years ago that contained 2 LS-6 cars. He then went on to describe the cars and their particular features and how they have been stored away since purchased many years ago.

It turned out to be my two Corvettes that I made into LS-6 clones, because at the time, I couldn't afford the REAL McCoy.

[Dick W.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

Like the story going around down here. '62 never been cranked with 0 miles. Well, the drive train is 0 miles. Correct dated fuelie engine with new T-10, and new rear axle. Bought in 1962 to install in Jag. Found in a garage (this is true. I know the parties involved in the part of the senario). They found a wrong motor fuelie body, radio and heater delete parts, started a body off, one of the partners dies, other buys his estate out. Bring me boxes, and boxes, and boxes, and more boxes of parts to assemble. They had reset speedo to 0 and now you know the rest of the story.

Brand new car in a lot of peoples eyes. Urban legend

[Chas Kingston]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

I had a real LS-6 back in '74. Bought it from a guy whose wife was making him give it up 'cuz it was attracting too many women. I didn't know what the car was until I was showing it off to my wrench -- he spotted the aluminum heads. It might really have been a ZR-2, 'cuz it had the M-22, double-disc clutch and big brakes, too. The guy had bought it from Nickey (with the backwards K), which also checks.

I had a terrible time selling that gas eater, during the OPEC fuel embargo. And, I had to drive that beast morning and night on the Chicago expressways, which was not much fun. Sure would like to have it back, now, though.

Ol' Geezer

[Warren F.]

Re: "475 mile original" ebay 1962 contest

I know what you mean!! I just love this beast of mine. Will never part with it. I looked at buying the ZR-2 that was at Bloomington last year pretty hard, I went to $175,000, but backed off.