Photo: YouTube/Dennis Collins
The distance between Hollywood, California, and Wayne, Michigan, is 2,266.6 miles (that’s 3,647.7 kilometers), and there’s a 1966 Corvette Stingray that’s made the trip twice, before being parked for good. And that’s only half the story: In the same garage where the second-generation sports car has slept since the early ’70s sits another Corvette: a 1973 C3 that’s been untouched since 1976. Wait, did I tell you about the 1949 DeSoto that was parked right among the ‘Vettes 48 years ago?
How many of you have owned a Chevrolet Corvette? Leave a comment below. How many of you have owned one since you bought it — don’t be shy; stand up. And how many of you haven’t touched one since 1976? Raise your hand. And finally, how many of you have a pair of Chevy sports cars that were purchased new, last driven almost half a century ago, and are in original condition?
Okay, there actually is such an owner—the nice lady who is selling her beloved three-car collection to Dennis Collins, the classic car salvage man who is on the hunt for Corvettes this year. The trio is located in Wayne, Michigan. They consist of a 1966 Corvette that belonged to a man, a 1973 Corvette that was his wife’s car, and a 1949 DeSoto that they bought in Hollywood, California, in 1971.
Oddly enough, the cars were parked in a garage in 1976, the same garage they are now being taken out of, and have never been touched since. Why? That is a mystery to us too, and the woman did not share the secret with the YouTuber.
Photo: YouTube/Dennis Collins
But that doesn’t mean much now – what’s important is that the Corvettes remain in their original condition and their numbers match. Let’s start with the ‘66 – a nice 327/350 example with 9,750 miles (15,691 km) on the odometer.
That’s about four times the distance by road between Wayne, Michigan, and Hollywood, California. The landmarks are important, because this Corvette made two round trips between the two points before it was left to collect dust and take up space in the garage.
One of the owner’s friends—the one who tipped Dennis off to the cars’ existence—says the only things not done by the factory are the oil (which was changed by the original buyer) and “probably” some fan belts. The numbers match: The 327-cubic-inch (5.4-liter) is what Chevrolet put in the Corvette in 1966.
Photo: YouTube/Dennis Collins
However, it’s not the base 300 hp (304 PS) engine, but the beefier small-block, rated at 350 hp and 360 lb-ft (355 PS, 488 Nm) with a high-performance camshaft, hydraulic valve lifters, and 11.0:1 compression. It was one of four engine options offered in the Corvette for 1966 – the other two were the newly introduced big-blocks.
In 1966, Chevrolet retired the 396-cubic-inch V8 (up from the 6.5-liter that had been launched the year before) and replaced it with a pair of 427-big-inch (seven-liter) behemoths making 390 horsepower and 425 horsepower, respectively. Why anyone would buy a brand-new 1966 Chevrolet Corvette, drive it across America a few times, and then park it with fewer than 10,000 miles on the odometer is anyone’s guess.
My best guess is that the couple drove to Hollywood in the sports car to buy the 1949 DeSoto in 1971, and then left the Corvette alone for a while. But a few years later, history repeats itself when they buy another Corvette – a 1973 model.
Photo: YouTube/Dennis Collins
Unlike the ’66, this C3 got off to a better start – apparently – as it shows 38,726 miles / 62,323 km. In an eerie coincidence, this Corvette was also purchased in California, so I assume the couple jumped in their ’66, took another road trip to the West Coast, and came back with “Her” ‘Vette. This 1973 Corvette hails from the early Malaise and sports the famous 350 cubic-inch V8, the 5.7-liter icon that is probably synonymous with “Chevy small-block.”
For some reason the YouTuber claims this car has the 270hp V8 version, but according to official Chevrolet literature from the time, a 1973 Corvette came with either a 190hp or 250hp configuration. Note that these were “as installed,” as opposed to the pre-1971 gross ratings. Oddly enough, this Corvette was also garage-sold with the DeSoto and 1966 sports car after just three years.
The Chrysler is the odd one out in this garage, not only because it was purchased in 1971 when it was already an old car (22 years old at the time), but also because it has 5,929 miles on the odometer (9,542 km) and is in very good condition. The underside is a big surprise, even for a car from California, the frame rails, floorboards, exhaust and such are in excellent condition.
The Club Coupe (two-door) is powered by a 236.7 cubic inch (3,878.8 CC) L-head six-cylinder engine, giving the driver 112 horses to play with. Why change the Chevy family to “Mopar” and then back to “Chevy”? It would probably make for a cool story, but even better is that these three cars are coming back to life.
