| Comments: | There is nothing quite like driving this beautiful '57 Vette
A Classic, California Car
Black with Silver Scoops
Red Interior
4 Speed
Original Hard & Soft Tops
Carburated 283 Small Block V-8
71,000 Miles
One of only 6,339 ever made, + only 2,189 in black (http://www.vettefacts.com/C1/1957.aspx)
Ready for Hot August Nights! This is a fully restored, beautiful driver--not a trailer queen. It's ready to go. I just drove it from Tahoe to San Francisco (about 200 miles).
Recent Restoration Including:
1. Interior: New carpets, rebuilt/re-covered seats and door panels.
2. Paint: A showroom quality paint job. Windshield, trim, etc. were taken off to make the new paint seamless. The paint has a few very minor imperfections, namely the split marks on the dash (pictured), but basically still looks new.
3. Soft top: The original soft top frame was rebuilt/straightened, and the cover replaced.
4. Chrome: Bumpers, tail light surrounds, trim, etc. was all re-chromed.
5. Rebuilt carburetor.
The car has been very well cared for. Same local owner for the last 25 years who always garaged AND covered it in California, away from the ocean. (I am a friend of the owner + am listing the car for him. I have helped maintain it over the years.) He bought it for $25K from a private party in Stockton in '84. We don't know the car's history before then, but we think it's an original California car. We can't verify the miles are orig., but we've put about 4K on it in 25 yrs.
Car is almost all original, but we modified a few things, mostly in the interest of safety: --Installed front disc brakes --Updated the front suspension + sway bars --Lap belts (were these original?) --Hurst shift linkage, which I think Chevy started using in '58 anyway Also, the previous owner rebuilt (or replaced) the motor. He said it is still the original block, but the numbers are illegible, so we don't know for sure. All the engine components (air cleaner, spark shroud, valve covers, carb, etc.) all seem to be original. We should have the original front drums + shoes, shift linkage, and possibly front suspension, which will go with the car if I can find them.
This is a beautiful driver, not necessarily a Concourse show car, though I suppose it could be.
The '57 Vette is not only timeless and invigorating, it is a great investment. Barrett-Jackson found that during the 10 years between Q1 '98 and Q1 '08, classic cars increased in value by a compound annual growth rate of 16%. During the same period, gold grew by 11% and the S&P 500 by 4%, & that was before the market crashed in Nov of '08. In this economy a classic car can be a great place to put your money. The cost of ownership is low, & the car pays you dividends every time you drive it. Do people give you thumbs up and take pictures when you take your 401K down the highway? http://classiccars.about.com/b/2008/10/15/barrett-jackson-says-collector-cars-beat-the-stock-market.htm
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