A Corvette with 454 power and a 4-speed is rare, but there is one for sale right now in California.
By 1971, power figures were beginning to drop, but the C3 Corvette with the 454-cubic inch big block was still one of the baddest American performance cars on the street. Big block Corvettes were far rarer than the small block-powered counterparts and at a modern car show, few things draw more attention than flipping open the hood of your fiberglass-bodied, 454-powered Chevy sports car.
To many people, a Corvette with a 454 big block and a 4-speed manual transmission is a dream car, but for someone who has $40,000 to spend on a new-to-them classic car – that dream could become a reality.
1971 big block
In 1971, the Chevrolet Corvette was offered with four engine options – a 270-horsepower 350 small block, a 330-horsepower 350 small block, a 365-horsepower 454 big block and the LS6 425-horsepower big block. Since the listing on Craigslist doesn’t mention this being an LS6 car, we are going to assume that it is the less potent version, but it is still a gorgeous big block Corvette.
Most importantly, this is a numbers-matching Corvette, so it is a factory 454, 4-speed car, making it one of the more collection C3 Corvette models. Thanks to a full restoration, the paint and chrome are spotless, with Wilwood front and rear brakes tucked behind the chrome Cragar wheels giving the car a slightly more modern look, while still preserving the stock looks of this flawless classic Corvette.
Upgrades
The engine of this C3 Corvette has been fitted with a set of aftermarket valve covers, an aluminum radiator, a high volume water pump and twin electric fans in addition to the standard flex fan. With these changes, this car should be a great summer cruiser and when you hit a car show, there is a good chance that you will take home a trophy.
This car is currently available for sale in Monterey, California, with a listed price of $39,500. Considering that it is a beautifully restored, numbers matching big block car, that price seems pretty reasonable.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
