CrossedUp

... who in their right mind would do this sort of thing? Why not find a project car to restomod instead? Maybe I'm just an old geezer full of hogwash, but I totally do not get this. Someone please explain.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/pts/5887042949.html
"We are selling a complete rolling chassis off a 1966 chevrolet corvette. It has a matching numbers drivetrain 350 4 speed. The corvette was an ncrs winner and is pristine. The owner is building the car into a pro touring ls3 with a custom chassis."

65silververt

There was a guy on here not too long ago selling the matching numbers fuelie engine and chassis from his 63 split window. I don't get it either. I always use non matching cars when I build restomods. There are plenty of them out there and it just would not sit right with me to separate a car from it's original drivetrain.

midyear

I have seen quite a few projects just like this, reason why?? ease of build. Buy an already nice car, swap the chassis and running gear, and car is almost done. sell off the unused parts to recoup some of the cost, and you have a restomod for cheaper than you could probably buy one done.

Mikado463

"matching numbers '350' .......in a '66" .......yeah , right ! ......

69ttop502

Excellent point!

Roger Walling

Matching numbers are fine ...if you live in a fantasy land. The price of them are driven by the fictitious value that they have.

It is just like diamonds, they are quite useless in fact, but because one company has a monopoly on them they can set the price anywhere they like.

Both of them come with bragging rights for those that think that they have something special.

Frankie the Fink

This particular car's original claims notwithstanding there are a cadre of well-heeled, youngish, professional-career, buyers that don't give two craps about your funky carbureated, vibrating points regulator, antiquated ignition system, marginal exhaust, hard-to-stop, turd-for-a-sound-system, high maintenance original cars...but they love the body style. They'll pay prodigious sums for what they want. They could care less if that requires resurrecting a basket case or dismantling a survivor car.

That's from the buyer's side, from the restorers side they can build a restomod that'll fetch $140K+ at auction and clear maybe $50K versus restoring an original car and be underwater-to-flush investment-wise. (Unless it is some rare car with racing heritage or other desired provenance.)

So, if you park your emotions, and look at the buyers market and economics the light bulb will go on...

My 93% Regional Second Flight, base motor, split window might, on a good day with prevailing winds, bring $95K at auction. Restomod it for $80K, and you have a car that may well bring $210K+. Sell off the original drivetrain, wheels, tire tub, etc. for $15K-$20K (maybe more) and do the math on the bottom line.

A split window restomod at Mecum Kissimmee last year went for $190K and would have gone for more if the owner had gotten along a bit better with the Mecum folks (long story there)...

This is an increasing trend folks...and 'project cars' with good bones that make economic sense to restomod are not nearly as prolific as some think....so more and more original cars will go 'under the axe'.

I'm not crazy about it either but completely understand the trend.

CrossedUp

Thanks Frankie. Illuminating but, kind of depressing IMO.

midyear

looks like a 350 (hp) engine. at least to me from the visual cues (intake/valve covers.)

Railroadman

All the other stuff aside, assuming the owner is keeping the body and title, "numbers matching" on the chassis is worthless. You can't title it under the VIN on the frame, so whatever you do wind up doing with it will not be "numbers matching".

Swept57

This is fairly common from what I have seen. On the upside I have seen a number of complete restored or really nice running chassis for sale for decent money. These can save a lot of time and money for guys with project cars. And it is not like there is a shortage of restored/original Corvettes. In 50 years, I'm guessing very few will care either way.

61 Roadster

This reminds me of a nice 61 that was parted out recently...
Personal rant; I find this trend offensive and I'm under 50. It strikes me as somewhat similar to dynamiting historic sites to make way for a casino.
They always have a rationale for their actions, but after the dust settles and the casino falls out of fashion, the folly is plain to anyone that the monument is lost for all time.

Why can't these "well heeled buyers" take the conversion route with a C5 or later model? There are several companies who offer kits or conversions if you just can't stand driving a real Corvette.

(Post Edit) Restomods are fine IMO if the donor was a basket case, salvage, NOM or other such car; no offense meant to any here!

jerrybramlett

There is no accounting for taste. Some have it; most do not.

GTOguy

This is, indeed the trend. Happening all the time on the GTO forum, too. Purely due to arrogance. Hell, it's happening in the SF Bay Area with HOUSES: young, arrogant, and wealthy folks with no sense of history or craftsmanship are buying beautiful 1920's gems and tearing them down to build big ugly McMansions on the lot. The amount of GTO's getting 'resto-modded' by the under 50 set is alarming....And they'll be just as interesting as all those easter-egg pro stock cars built in the '80's and '90's later on down the line. It's sad.

Root2812

I'm in the under 50 group and I love numbers matching original cars. I would never even change the color on my vette because it's correct. If it didn't have the original engine I may consider changing it some. I can say I am doing a resto mod too. My 1950 Chevy truck is so common that original has little value, especially when it was 50mph tops with a tail wind and rode like a lumber wagon. I am resto modding it to make it drivable and fun. It too had the original motor. I can't say why I was able to draw the line on that one but I didn't destroy a rare or valuable item either.

I reply to GTO guy because I'm also building a 67 GTO convertible. My dad bought it after an engine fire in 1984. The cars original motor was burned and scrapped since the car had little value at the time. Fast forward to last year, we decided to start on it. It had past collision damage, no drive train, and a fair amount of rust. There was no way to realistically save this car to be correct. We repaired the body and aren't sure what motor it will get. It might be a Pontiac 400 or an LS, this is the kind of car that should be resto modded.

DZAUTO

I totally and completely understand and agree with both sides of the issues. BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT, I personally do not like to see a pristine, matching car become extensively modified. ALTHOUGH, the folks with more money than brains will do as they wish with their loose spending money.
I suppose I sorta fall into the category of doing a restomod to the 56, even though I did try to retain a semblance originality. When I got the car in 73, the original 265 and tranny were long gone. It had a tired (flat cam) 327, Muncie, 4.11 posi, custom interior in it. FORTUNATELY, all the gauges, clock, radio and ***** were correct 56 variety.
We did the equivalent of a frame off, put an Al Knoch interior in it (except it's red/black), SB400 w/modified FI, kept the Muncie, replaced the 4.11 with a 3.08, upgraded the suspension to 60-62, and added (home made) HD brakes and wider wheels.
The body and trim are all 56, the chassis/frame is the matching 56. Turning is stiff when stopped or going slow, braking is better than stock 56, handling is typical 56----------------but it flies like an Apache arrow! And I can tow a little trailer or a boat with it.

desertpilgrim

Please forward the owner's name and address. Still looking for investors for my ocean marina in Wikieup, AZ. Sounds like a probable...

ChattanoogaJSB

There's blue overspray everywhere on that frame and on the core support. Not exactly a 100 pt car.

ejboyd5

Is it possible that the ad was placed by some troll simply to see what sort of response could be provoked? If so, it worked.

pop23235

Frankie is absolutely spot on. This has always been the trend. Some years back (when a C2 was just a used car and C1 was mildly interesting) the trend among streetrodders was to pick a perfectly totally restored "antique". You got the best body possible. Maybe it cost $50K. Once streetrodded, it could bring 3 times that.

Only way for the "origanalists" to look at this is it make ours just that much more rare.