Restorer bought a $3,500 Corvette from Craigslist but a surprise under the hood made for an easy fix
- A car restorer bought a $3,500 Corvette on Craigslist
- It didn’t run and so its previous owner left it parked for years
- However, it was a chapter and easier fix than anticipated
Published on Nov 30, 2024 at 3:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Nov 28, 2024 at 4:56 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A car enthusiast and restorer bought a $3,500 Chevrolet C3 Corvette on Craigslist that didn’t run – but it was hiding a carburetor surprise under the hood that made it an easy fix.
He labeled it the ‘Craigslist deal of all deals’ after rushing to Beverly Hills to beat other buyers to the deal.
The only information that he had was that the 1971 Corvette ‘wasn’t running right’.
Thankfully, when he took a look under the hood it turned out to be an easy fix.
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The Corvette carburetor problrm
The previous owner simply parked it up after the carburetor ‘messed up’ around seven or eight years ago.
However, its new owner, car restorer and content creator, Shawn Pilot, wasn’t phased.
The self-professed ‘wheeler-dealer’ at Gotham Garage on the Netflix hit series, Car Masters Rust to Riches, dove straight under the hood with the listing stating it ‘needs carburetor work’.
So rebuilding it is the first thing on his to-do list.
A similar Corvette designed as a tribute to Star Wars fetched a small fortune on eBay.
It was a simple fix
“This is a real common aftermarket carburetor,” he says with a sigh of relief.
“So it’s really easy and cheap to get a rebuild kit of it.”
The main problem was that the carburetor was dirty, which was down to the previous owner running the car without a fuel filter.
“All the dirt that was in the gas tank got pumped right into the carburetor,” he informs viewers.
“When you get dirt in the carburetor the valve can’t work properly.”
With the valve unable to stop the flow of fuel coming in, it flooded the float bowls and dumped fuel down the intake, killing the motor.
In other words, the answer is ‘a five-dollar fuel filter’, and the engine fires up.
Other than that, the car is in better condition than expected – unlike this 1968 model that was discovered in a barn after 40 years.
It has a straight body, no rust, and a mostly intact interior with no signs of accidents – rare for a 50-year-old vehicle.
After repairing the brakes, the test drive is a success with Pilot sharing plans to restore its original shade of Ontario Orange Metallic.
London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.
