1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Four-Speed

Description

OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

“The ’73 Corvette is designed to make everyday driving a little more fun. And weekend trips a little more like vacations,” said Chevrolet in 1973. Thanks to continuous refinement and a greater emphasis on quality, “this 1973 Corvette is one of the best we’ve ever driven,” wrote Road & Track magazine.

Now it its sixth year, the third generation (C3) Corvette Stingray featured either a T-Top Coupe or Convertible model, the exterior design characterized by voluptuous fender flares and vacuum-operated pop-up headlights. It also delivered a completely redesigned interior with an aircraft-inspired instrument panel and the well-proven chassis components from the C2. For 1973, the familiar chrome front bumper was replaced with a body-colored urethane bumper cover to meet new government impact standards and is the only year with the “soft” nose and “hard” tail.

This 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe features the popular Mille Miglia Red paint over an upgraded Black leather interior. Powered by a rebuilt 350 cu-in V8 with M20 four-speed manual transmission, this ’73 T-Top Coupe continues to make everyday driving a little more fun.

Highlights

• Unique 1973-only look with urethane front bumper and chrome rear bumper

• Finished in factory-specified Mille Miglia Red over Black leather interior

• Powered by a rebuilt 350 cu-in V8 engine

• M20 four-speed manual transmission and 3.08:1 Positraction axle

• Air conditioning converted to R134 with VIR kit

• The chassis number (1Z37J3S407595) decodes as:

  • 1 – Chevrolet

  • Z – Corvette

  • 37 – Model (Corvette Coupe)

  • J – 350 cu-in L48 engine

  • 3 – 1973 model year

  • S – St. Louis, Missouri, assembly plant

  • 407595 – Serial number beginning with 400001

• The Body Tag decodes as:

  • D16 – Built 16 November 1972

  • Paint ­­– 976 Mille Miglia Red

  • Trim – 425 Dark Red vinyl (now Black leather)

Features

• Restoration and updates to this 1973 Corvette Coupe include:

  • Engine rebuilt with:

    • .030-over bore, new pistons, rings, and bearings

    • Valve job with surfaced heads and light port work

    • New cam, lifters, chain and sprockets, and roller tip rockers

    • New oil pump

    • Machine work by Channel City Engineering, Santa Barbara, California

    • Edelbrock dual-plane intake manifold

    • Carburetor rebuilt by Bel Air Ranch, Buellton, California

    • Relaced coil, cap and rotor, Pertronics unit, engine wiring harness, coolant recovery tank

    • Hedman headers, new 2.5 inch exhaust, new mufflers with square tips

    • NOS A/C compressor

    • New GM alternator and starter

  • Chassis rebuilt with:

    • New ball joints, A-Arm bushings, front springs

    • 330 lb (sport) tie rod ends

    • Power steering spool valve and all hoses

    • Reseal power steering actuator

    • 1-1/8 inch front sway bar

    • New rear wheel bearings, trailing arm bushings, all six U-Joints, parking brake shoes, calipers, pads, and brake hoses

    • 3/4 inch rear sway bar and bushings (Vette Brake Products)

    • Fiberglass rear spring, 300 pounds

    • Rebuilt differential

  • Body restoration included:

    • New paint and all emblems

    • Al Knoch interior kit with leather seat covers and new foam, door cards, dash pad, both consoles (main and parking brake), carpet kit, cubby hole lids and two inserts

    • Power window motors, glass hardware, all weather stripping, new windshield and seal

    • New ignition switch, turn signal switch, and light switch

    • All vacuum hoses replaced, heater core

    • New front fiberglass bumper

• Custom Autosound radio

• Tilt/Telescopic steering wheel

• Four-wheel independent suspension

• Four-wheel power disc brakes

• Steering wheel lock

• 15 inch steel wheels with chrome wheel rings

• Pop-up headlights

• Instrument cluster includes a tachometer, ammeter, oil pressure, sweep second rally clock, fuel gauge, mileage and trip odometer

• Rear chrome bumpers

• Driver’s side exterior rearview mirror

• Dual-speed windshield wipers

• Back-up lights

• Dual padded sun visors

• Bucket seats

• Shoulder harnesses

• Map pocket

• Power windows

• Headlamp-on reminder

• Center-fill fueling

Known Imperfections

• Minor paint flaw above passenger door handle

• Scrapes on underbody spare tire carrier

• Small transmission oil leak

• Paint chip repair on right door, rear window edge

• Small paint damage left front fender

• Small blemishes on both seat bottoms

• T-Tops rattle on rough roads

• Rear of headlight doors primed not painted

• Horn is inoperable

Included

• Original front license plate bracket

• Original corroded grille

• Two boxes of assorted interior trim, taillight lenses, and spare weather strip

Ownership History

This 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe was an original California blue plate car with the front license delete grille, last registered in 1980. The consignor has owned this Corvette since 2000. In May 2013, the right front fender was repaired, and the entire Corvette was professionally painted the original Mille Miglia Red. Other repairs and restoration work was completed over the years, and the Corvette was started for the first time in May 2024.