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1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
The original owner just parted with this Corvette a few day ago. I am selling it as I got it, pre-shop price as we are too busy to get to it any time soon. I drove it and it drives like a 26,500 mile car should. A/C needs charge. Even the clock works. Has original rims. Original owner states only the front and rear bumpers have been painted. Very original car with original drive-train and other docs. Missing smog pump. Call for details. 630-377-1222 $26,500.00 [img]https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...ndow_sticker.j[/img] https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...ow_sticker.jpg |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Cool ride! So you're chargin' a buck a mile on the odometer! Is this a new pricing strategy Stefano? [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
Hey Eddie M. - CHECK THIS OUT! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif[/img] |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
What a great car! The Last Rat before the dark ages and it's great to see the auxiliary hardtop listed on the WS.
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Would the tranny be an M22?
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454/395 net tq
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...-34516-001.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...-34517-002.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics..._convert_4.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...-34518-004.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics..._convert_6.jpg |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Neat car Stefano.
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
I see the Window Sticker Zone / Dealer code of 61 - 166. Always looking for who 61-657 is for my Danny's Camaro!
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Looks like the guy traded in a 72 442
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Yes he did with a 455ci, which was not common in 1972.
Got the A/C charged and working just fine. Ready for a new home. |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
I am having flashbacks. I put headers and side pipes on a 74 454 four speed with AC back in 79.
Good luck with the sale. |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Very nice car with great paperwork and a great original engine stamp!
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Thanks guys.
Lynn sounds like you need this time capsule to bring you back to 1979. Offers / Trades? |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
What a beautiful car. I love the color. I see the GR70x15 tires on the paperwork. That meant it would have originally come with the infamous Firestone 500 exploding radials! Have you checked to see what's in the spare tire well, in case it still have one in there?
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Interesting.....I have not checked the spare or the top of the tank, yet.
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Give it a looksie, Stefano. There are some scary Vette stories of those Firestone 500 spare tires simply grenading in 1973-75 Corvette spare tire wells even with no air pressure in them. One recent one ripped the rear quarters and deck open. Eventually the defective belts give way and come apart like a giant ball of rubber bands snapping, only these are steel cable not rayon.
I don't mean to hijack, but go here and see one of my NOS tires ripping apart with no air in it three months ago. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbt...pics/539528/26 and here's one from a Corvette forum: http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...-recalled.html |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Interesting car, interesting history... taking me back 40 years. I sold Chevrolets next door to Marengo, in Rockford 1971-1974... was president of Northern Illinois Corvette Club one year... had friends with Corvettes from Marengo... ordered my girlfriend's 71 Camaro from that dealership in Marengo... bought a new Corvette in 1973 (with a 350)... and recently owned a 73 454 4 speed convertible. One of the reasons I bought it was because I realized how rare it was. Did the calculations of convertible, 454 and 4 speed for mine, and it was probably one of about 80 made in 73. We sold a lot of Corvettes at Lou Bachrodt, but I don't think I even saw one in our inventory with a 454 during that period. No one wanted a convertible, or a 4 speed, and especially not a 454. We were in the middle of an oil embargo. People were lined up at gas stations to get gas that was rationed. I moved from Illinois to Phoenix in March of 74... took me 3 days to make that trip because gas stations were only open limited hours during the day. Hard to imagine that anyone would have ever ordered that car... particularly with all the toys. That's probably one of the most expensive I ever saw in 73-74.
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
I get the 454 not being popular due to the reasons stated, but don't understand why the 4 speed and convertible would have fallen into that category as well. Anyone care to enlighten me?
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
The last year for the GM convertible was 1975... probably because they just couldn't sell them anymore. Ralph Nader had demonized them so bad for being unsafe in a rollover accident that everyone was afraid of them. That's probably why the coupe (t-top) came along late in 1968. I bought a 69 coupe and hated the t-top... so I then ordered a 70 LT-1 convertible... and had a hell of a time getting rid of it, just because it was a convertible... so when I ordered my 73, it was an L48 350 4 speed coupe (still fun to drive and 20+MPG). By 1973, the horsepower era was winding down... partly because leaded gas was about to be outlawed... so in 71 they lowered the compression ratios, so they could run on unleaded gas, and thus the horsepower ratings were less. The insurance companies had decided to gouge everyone that bought anything that even resembled a performance vehicle, so if you bought a 4 speed, your insurance rates went up significantly. I'm convinced the auto manufacturers changed the horsepower ratings from gross to net in 1972, just to make it look like they had less performance... for insurance rating purposes. Like I said above, I was selling Chevrolets during this period, and I ordered many of the fun cars for the dealership I worked for. I remember purposely ordering a bunch of 74 Camaros with a 350 2 barrel and 3 speed transmission (floor mounted)... which avoided the performance rating by the insurance companies... and which most anyone could then modify into whatever they wanted :-)
At the beginning of the 73 model year, the gas crisis hadn't hit yet, so it was still ok to order a 454 or 4 speed in a Corvette. Obviously when the oil embargo started, all we could sell were Vegas... LOL Another unusual thing that happened in 1973, which no one seems to remember today, is that the 73 Corvette had lots of new things that everyone wanted... cowl induction, radial tires, larger rubber body mounts (and yes they really did make them ride and handle a lot better and have way fewer rattles) and we finally got a rubber front bumper like the GTO :-) And actually the 73 454 had 5HP more than that "steel bumper" 72 :-) But this caused a HUGE demand for the 73 Corvette. If you wanted one, you were going to pay MSRP and even a dealer pack on top of that, in many cases. Small dealers that didn't sell many Corvettes were selling them to larger Chevrolet dealers for $500 over invoice. So to make even more profit, dealers were loading them up with every option available. So now if you go look for a used 73 or 74 Corvette, you're going to find mostly 350 automatic coupes loaded with options. Even the 454s are usually automatics. And obviously 74 was the last year for a 454... for all these reasons. From 1976 to the 90s, most of what you'll find in Corvettes are automatic coupes with all the options. |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Now that's what I call answering a question :)
Many thanks for helping out a newbie. |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Welcome Jim and thanks for your first hand perspective.
Lou Bachrodt Chevrolet in Rockford was very involved with performance cars, Corvettes and even some very significant Supercars. Bachrodt sold one of the 1966 Yenko Stingers as well as two 1967 Yenko 427 Camaros with one being the very first Yenko Super Camaro built. Todd Ocide was very instrumental with the performance and Corvette orders. He even received one of just a few COPO orders (I believe) 1966 L88 Corvettes for his road racing exploits and was sponsored by the dealership. As a Kid I remember the gas rationing and waiting in line with my parents to get gas. This Corvette marks the end of an era, the last 454, the last real dual exhaust and last year prior to catalytic converters. The only power rating is the torque. The only car more powerful was the SD 455. Ironically 1974s tend to find me. Based on what was happening at the time from a historical perspective, it's amazing that any were built. I had what is believed to be the very last 440 magnum car, a Mr Norms 440 1974 Charger, the last conversion car built at Nickey Chevrolet a 1974 L88, this car and a couple of Super Duty TAs. |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Hey Stephano, please photoshop out that guy's SS number on the title.
Nice car! -bob |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
SOLD.
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Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: black69</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hey Stephano, please photoshop out that guy's SS number on the title.
Nice car! -bob</div></div> Good job! |
Re: 1974 Corvette Convertible 4 speed 454
Small world Stefano. I met Todd Oseid several times, but by the time I started working at LB I think he had started some kind of performance car dealership in Madison... but his brother Rob was my manager off and on, and was quite the character. I'd never heard those stories about Todd and the COPOs... but then I don't think I ever encountered the term COPO till sometime in the 90s. As salesmen we were allowed to choose our demos, but there was seldom anything fun to pick from, so they said here's some order forms, order what you'd like. When those ended up selling quickly, I ended up ordering most of the fun stuff... so I had lots more to pick from after that. If I'd known there was a process for ordering something that wasn't on the preprinted order forms, things could have gotten exciting :-)
When the gas crisis came along, if you weren't selling Datsuns and Toyotas, you weren't making any money, so I decided it was time to make a major change and moved from Illinois to Arizona. Suddenly I had access to those old fun steel cars again, but rust is still my main concern when I look at old cars for sale. It sounds like you've had a really fun career. |
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