‘70 T-top 454 Coupe Survivor
Numbers-matching, 454 engine, Turbo Hydramatic transmission
This very original third-year C3 has recently had extensive servicing after spending four decades in storage and is now a turnkey survivor with its original big-block engine under the hood. It’s in Springfield, Vermont for $44,995 and the seller claims that the 70,000 mile odometer reading is accurate, and although there’s no mention of verifying documentation, this car’s history makes the claim plausible.
The ‘70 model year introduced subtle fender flares to protect the lower body panels from chips. The original buyer chose a Donnybrooke Green exterior that was one of the rarer colors selected that year. Although the paint has some minor chips and marks, no stress cracks are evident in the body panels, and the exterior looks to be in generally good condition from the provided photos. Pictures of the undercarriage show no significant rust or corrosion.
The description in the listing seems to imply that this is an unrestored survivor. The problem-prone vacuum-actuated headlamps and wiper panel apparently work, and the trim and glass actually look pretty good. I’ve always loved Rally wheels, which have been retained on this car, and new tires have also been mounted on these wheels.
The original purchaser selected Saddle vinyl for the interior which I think goes very well with the green exterior. My ‘67 big-block convertible had a similar color scheme: Goodwood Green exterior and Saddle leather interior. For 1970, the Saddle interior color was one of four colors available with the Donnybrooke Green exterior.
One especially nice feature is the factory air conditioning, which the seller claims blows ice-cold. The overall presentation is quite positive, with no major upholstery flaws and no signs of carpet fading that often occurs with age. A previous owner installed a Pioneer radio/cassette player to replace the factory radio. Although the finish in that area doesn’t match the rest of the interior, adaptors are cheap, easy to install, and fitting one would make a significant difference to the appearance.
The LS5 454 cubic inch engine was apparently a popular choice among buyers in 1970. Over one quarter of buyers selected this 390 horsepower engine. The original buyer of this particular car chose a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. Many enthusiasts consider 1970 as the high point of C3 production because it was the last year of high-compression engines. I had a blue ‘70 convertible with the 350 cu. in. / 350 horsepower engine and I was quite satisfied with the power and performance.
The seller confirms that this Corvette is numbers-matching, and that $5,000 was spent on making it a turnkey proposition that runs and drives well. If someone is looking for a clean survivor with plenty of power, this C3 could be of interest. This was an era when the C3 was at the height of its power, and the cars with big-block engines were the top performers.
Here is a link to the Craigslist ad:
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/d/boston-1970-chevrolet-corvette-454/7835061721.html
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