1957 Corvette Barn Find Has Us Stunned

With just 27,000 miles on the odometer, this Corvette barn find spent over half a century hidden from view.

The two most magical words in the collector car hobby are “barn find.” Those two simple words add an air of mystery and secrecy to an otherwise ordinary restoration project. It makes everyone involved feel a bit less like a greasy mechanic and a bit more like Indiana Jones.

Unfortunately, that appeal has made the phrase lose its luster over the past few years. That tends to happen any time a word or phrase gets overused. However, you’d be hard-pressed to disagree that this 1957 Corvette that we found on Craigslist in Tipp City, Ohio, is anything but a bona fide barn find.

According to the ad, this Corvette barn find shows just 27,000 miles on the odometer after it went into long-term storage in 1963. It languished for decades before the seller bought it and subjected it to a full mechanical restoration.

1957 Corvettes had several engine options, all based around the 283 cubic-inch small block V8. The car seen here does not have Zora Arkus-Duntov‘s pioneering fuel injection system; instead, it features two four-barrel carburetors and a factory rating of 245 horsepower.

The seller advises that the engine, carburetors, starter, and generator are all original to the car. However, a “local Corvette expert” performed a careful restoration on them as well as reconditioned or replaced the brakes, suspension, fuel lines, and tank. As a result, the car likely drives much better than it looks.

The tired-looking, dusty interior and flaking paint hearken back to this reborn C1’s status as a genuine barn find. In the seller’s words, “I just could not bring my self to restore it all the way. It is just too much fun the way it is. Anyone can find a restored car that you can’t drive, but this car is impossible to replace.”

There’s another phrase that is popular in classic car circles — “It’s only original once.” This car is living, running, driving proof of that. The seller is looking for $49,000 for his one-of-a-kind Corvette. If you were to bring it home, would you finish the restoration, or leave it as-is? Let us know in our forum or on Facebook.

Photos: Craigslist

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