Barn Find C1 Corvette is a Dream Come True
True Corvette enthusiasts dream of barn finds the way Garfield dreams of lasagna. Check out the 1954 Corvette that just turned up in a barn in North Georgia.
1. Tom Cotter - Barn Finder
If you dream of rare barn finds, then Tom Cotter has your dream job. He is always on the lookout for the best barn finds for his Hagerty Insurance sponsored show. In the latest episode of "Barn Find Hunter," Cotter finds the mother of all Corvette barn finds - a Blue Flame Six powered 1954 C1 Corvette.
2. Mother of All Corvettes
Tom Cotter had already met car hoarder Dean in an earlier episode in South Carolina and seen his Edsel station wagon, but he was still blown away by the quality and quality of cars stashed in North Georgia. Among the various rare cars stashed in the woods, sheds, carports, and barn at Dean's place was a 1954 Chevrolet C1 Corvette sitting in a dusty, dirty open-sided shed. Finding any C1 Corvette is a treasure regardless, however, this one is much more valuable as a rare, matching numbers, six cylinder powered 1954 example. Little more than 3600 Corvettes were built that second year, adding to the 300 cars produced in 1953.
3. Condition - Not Bad
This rare barn find, although it may look rough with all of the dirt, dust, and unpleasant scenery around it, is actually in good condition. At first sight, it may seem the hood and the windshield are missing, but they are stored right next to the valuable classic, along with the original hub caps, making this car "all there." Because all of the original parts are there, and it would only take a week to put back together and clean to officially be considered "good" for valuation.
4. 1954 C1 Corvette Specs
Of course, the Corvette debuted as a show car in 1953, and 300 of them were quickly produced that year. 1954 marked the second year of the Corvette's production, and 3,640 more were produced that year. Every C1 Corvette was equipped with the Blue-Flame straight-six motor, breathing through three side draft carburetors,and exhausting through a split cast iron six into two manifold. The motor developed 155-horsepower, which doesn't seem like much now, but was reasonable compared to common four cylinder sports cars, and just a bit weaker than a Jaguar. The real weak link was the Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission, which lent refinement, but was responsible for the lackluster 11.2 second 0-60 time.
5. Value
It is no secret the second year of a rare, legendary car like the Corvette is extremely valuable. According to Tom and Hagerty, this exact spec car in pristine condition is worth upwards of $140,000. This particular barn find is nowhere near pristine condition, they never are, however, in rough condition with a wet tarp over it, it is still worth approximately $44,000. Hagerty values a 1954 Corvette at $67,000 complete, running, and in "good"condition, which this one could be with a little work and some luck. The owner of this Corvette knows what he has, however, and he is not ready to let go of it. Watch the video though, because he has other cars, and will gladly sell for reasonable prices.
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