1969 Corvette with rare engine found in New Jersey after ‘very long time’
- This 1969 Chevrolet Corvette was parked up for a ‘very long time’
- The car has a rare 427 cubic-inch L89 V8 engine
- The Corvette is decent overall shape
Published on Aug 29, 2024 at 2:41 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 29, 2024 at 4:07 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
A 1969 Chevrolet Corvette that was parked up in storage for a ‘very long time’ has a rare engine under the hood.
The Corvette was launched back in 1953 and serves as Chevrolet’s ‘halo car’.
In the decades since its launch, the Corvette has run through eight generations, with the third-gen – known as the C3 – being the longest-running to carry the nameplate.
C3s were produced from 1968 to 1982, with the earlier examples being more sought after than the later ones.
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The Chevrolet Corvette has a rare engine under the hood
It’s not unusual for vintage Corvettes to resurface after years – sometimes decades – in storage.
We’ve previously seen this great condition 1977 example, which had surprisingly low mileage, and this 1959 Corvette that vanished for a whopping 50 years.
It’s unclear how long the 1969 Corvette has been off the road, but according to seller billybills2, the Vette has been ‘off road and in storage a very long time’.
He goes on to say the car is in need of a ‘body off, nut, bolt restoration’ to return it to its former glory.
Under the hood? Well, that’s where things get interesting.
The C3 was offered with either small-block or big-block V8 engines.
The original owner of this LeMans Blue beauty opted for the big-block 427 cubic-inch L89 V8 engine that was only available in 1968 and 1969 – making it somewhat of a rarity.
According to Auto Evolution, just 390 of the 39,000 Corvettes C3 produced that year had the L89, meaning the car is in the 1%.
The C3 is in pretty decent shape overall
Outwardly, the Corvette seems to be in pretty good shape. It still has its original LeMans Blue paint job, the original top and the seller says he has an ‘original’ hood for the car.
The bodywork is in need of a clean and there’s some weathering that would need taking care of but nothing you wouldn’t expect from a car of its age, right?
The interior is a similar story; there’s some wear and tear and it really needs a clean and spruce up, but it wouldn’t be too difficult a job for someone who knew what they were doing.
Still, it would make an excellent little restoration project for the right buyer – and wouldn’t it be great to see this back on the road one day?
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
