Looky What I Found....

[Rolling_Thunder]

OK - maybe not pro-touring but i think you guys would appreciate this...


it is a 1955 Corvette.... one of 325 made that year in white (second lowest production year for Corvette (700 total) and first year for a V8).... this car has the 265ci V8 with optional powerglide transmission.....

Car was driven 24253.3 miles... car still had original spark plugs, plug wires, belts, wiring, # matching engine, transmission, and even has the factory battery....

Again - not a pro touring car but my friend's grandmother has it parked in her garage under a bunch of boxes....

THE BEST PART! my friend's grandfather purchased it new... I found the original ownership papers, invoices, sales papers, ect in his office (he passed away last year and the car was heired to his wife) Story is he drove the car until 1963 and then parked it.... been sitting there sinse... literally has not seen the light of day in over 40 years....

so... i'll be trying to buy it....

[72NovaSS]

nice find!

anyone got a hose!?!?

[TonyL]

good. god.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/12/th_jon_heder_napoleon_dynamite_intervi-1.jpg

LUCKY!

[MrQuick]

sweet catch, i'd take out a loan and make sure you buy it.

[rocketrod]

Great find and you have all the sales invoices/documentation...doesn't get much better than that.

[Restomod]

Only on Cali!!!!!!!! Just dont piss this lady off..what ever you do!!!

[bookends]

we're not friends anymore for like 10 minutes! great find though, good luck with the purchase

[Bob Johnson]

OK - maybe not pro-touring but i think you guys would appreciate this...


it is a 1955 Corvette.... one of 325 made that year in white (second lowest production year for Corvette (700 total) and first year for a V8).... this car has the 265ci V8 with optional powerglide transmission.....

Car was driven 24253.3 miles... car still had original spark plugs, plug wires, belts, wiring, # matching engine, transmission, and even has the factory battery....

Again - not a pro touring car but my friend's grandmother has it parked in her garage under a bunch of boxes....

THE BEST PART! my friend's grandfather purchased it new... I found the original ownership papers, invoices, sales papers, ect in his office (he passed away last year and the car was heired to his wife) Story is he drove the car until 1963 and then parked it.... been sitting there sinse... literally has not seen the light of day in over 40 years....

so... i'll be trying to buy it....
buy it....make tons of pix just where it sits with all the boxes on it, around it, covered, uncovered, current owner with it etc. Take it to auction just like it sits...not cleaned up or anything..I've seen it done at Monterey and people just eat that barn find crap up...it'll bring a lot more than you would think..

[ProdigyCustoms]

If it gets beyond your means, don't be affraid to ask for help. I am sure one of us here would make sure it gets bought!

My number is four zero seven 832 1752

[colt zantop]

yup..what frank said...lmk if you dont or cant buy it...if the price is right..

[Bill Howell]

I will pay finders fee if you pass on it.
Great find, more pictures please.

[dropit69]

holy crap !! what a find..ill help out too if you need it..kind alike the gsx that is near me sitting in barn been trying to buy it for a while..

[BA.]

wow. that's a classic treasure if I ever saw one.

sweet find. Good luck on the purchase.

[Bob Johnson]

screw these rookies....lol...come see the man..I can get it handled...moneywise and selling wise..no turnip trucks around here...I know how this stuff works...

[Restomod]

NO what ever you do dont sell it,you will NEVER get a chance like this again. Now if it turns out to be to rich for you hey a finders fee may be in order to you from someone who can.

[shooter1951]

That's the original "CALIFORNIA DREAMIN"!!

Shooter :6gears:

[Nine Ball]

Stories like this always amaze me. It is crazy what people just put away for 50+ years and never mess with.

[John McIntire]

wow! that is awesome! Its like opening a time capsule!

[shmoov69]

Ummm, nobody has told you yet, but you suck!!:jawdrop:

Just don't let it pass. You will kick yourself for years if you do!

[novanutcase]

Ummm, nobody has told you yet, but you suck!!:jawdrop:

Just don't let it pass. You will kick yourself for years if you do!


Don't listen to any of these guys! There all just trying to snow you! I live in So Cal so what I can do is take it off your hands. That thing will be a rust bucket and a money pit and you'll never get your money out of it. :evil: :naughty:

[Rolling_Thunder]

the thing is the old lady is a little.... "off"... she doesnt want anyone to know she owns it... the only reason i saw it was my friend snuck me in to look at it while grams was out for the weekend.... so more pictures are not possible right this second.... but I know for a fact it is not going anywhere.... as noone knows about it... so... i'll definately be haggling in the near future.

[MrQuick]

"SLAP" what are you waiting for?? You better grab it or get in a holding pattern before we ..I mean these guys get wind of it. Where is it and i'll make sure it stays safe till you are ready.

You know to mentioned it I did see some real bad body rot on that right front quarter.

[abodyjoe]

she doesnt want anyone to know she owns it...


can't blame her there.. people would bother her non stop if people knew it was there..

that is incredible that cars like that are still around..

[Bob Johnson]

no putting a deal like this in a holding pattern...do it now or it will go away....that car is worth way more than she realizes I guarantee you..jump now or you'll be sorry is my opinion...

[paul67]

does your friend have no interest in the car , ie sentimental ? cause that why she might not want to sell it ,or that no one knows its there.

[Bill Howell]

I did see some real bad body rot on that right front quarter.

Right front quarter????
I think you are bluffing Vince......lol
Body rot on a vette that has been inside.....menotthinkso....

It would be front FENDER anyway, right......:moon:

$$$$$$ burning a hole in my pocket......:smoke:

[ProdigyCustoms]

I want to Pro Tour it!

[BonzoHansen]

:lol: Look at the old school ride catchin' the PT eyeballs. :) Frank is the 1st person to express a desire to cut it up (post #27!), no less!

[Rolling_Thunder]

does your friend have no interest in the car , ie sentimental ? cause that why she might not want to sell it ,or that no one knows its there.

well the grandmother has alot of sentimental attachment - so im not going to push too hard... this way she wont get pissed off and say "i'll never sell it to you!" --- so noone knows about it... been sitting for 40+ years... i doubt its going anywhere.... plus none of you know where it is :fingersx:

[Kenova]

You know to mentioned it I did see some real bad body rot on that right front quarter.

:geek: Yep, yep, I see it. It's a great big friggin' rust bubble!:lmao: :lmao:
Ken

[67SSDan]

I want to Pro Tour it!

That's funny. As soon as I read the original post I was thinking "it may not be pro-touring... but it could be!", but was certain someone had already said it...

[Bill Howell]

I want to Pro Tour it! OK I call BS. I know Frank too good, he is just trying to get a rise out of someone.
As much as he likes cutting cars, no way even he would cut a 55 Vette up.:here!:

[malihoochie]

insert popcorn eating smilie here

[Bill Howell]

I have a question for the vette experts, what is the cable coming off the back of the generator? Is that how they drove the tach back then? I have never seen that before.

[malihoochie]

That is the cable for the tach drive. Back then, that is how it was done - and if the belts were not properly tightened the tach would read "off". Btw I am no expert - but "shine" now and then.
:thankyou:

[Bow Tie 67]

It's like knowing the winning lottery numbers, but you can't play with them, just yet. CHA! CHING!!

I would like to write " For Sale " in the dust and then drive it through the bloomington gold show next year.

[BRIAN]

What is it with that body style Vette that everybody stores them away? Wasn't there a time capsule one stored in a brick vault? There was also a similar deal I beleive on EBAY.


I say let it stay were it is. Everybody is trying to do the old rob the old lady deal. How about make her a fair offer of assisting her in selling it and taking a percentage based on it's selling price.


If not give me her address and I will head over there with a Perry Como CD and a bottle of JD. Hey, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

[Bob Johnson]

OK I call BS. I know Frank too good, he is just trying to get a rise out of someone.
As much as he likes cutting cars, no way even he would cut a 55 Vette up.:here!:
Rob Saboury has done it before..a 53 Vette of all things among others

[JoshStratton]

I hope she knows/figures out what she has. I hate to see old people get taken advantage of, especially with the costs of medical premiums these days.

If she is anything like my grandmother, she is probably scouring the internet getting an idea what reserve to use at Barrett-Jackson.

[Dayton]

Please provide me with this grandmothers tele # so i can stab you in the back and buy it out from underneath you.

[boodlefoof]

I wouldn't pro-tour it... I'd sell that bad boy to finance my next two car projects!

[Charley Lillard]

What a great car. It looks very untouched under the hood. That looks like a car that the purists would kill just to get a chance to look it over closely and make notes. Very hard to find cars that are left alone for 50 years. It probably shouldn't have a thing touched except maybe coat the metal with some Boeshield. Cool car...If it ever comes up for sale I would like to have a shot at it.

[Bob Johnson]

What a great car. It looks very untouched under the hood. That looks like a car that the purists would kill just to get a chance to look it over closely and make notes. Very hard to find cars that are left alone for 50 years. It probably shouldn't have a thing touched except maybe coat the metal with some Boeshield. Cool car...If it ever comes up for sale I would like to have a shot at it.
go back by your pool and eat some crumpets and drink some hot tea or mint juleps...I was here first...

[CRCRFT78]

Ok I know most of us look at it like we just found one of Willy Wonkas golden tickets but lets think about this for a minute. Think of what your car means to you and then try and think what this car means to her. What about just offering to help her clean it up and take her for a ride. Imagine the look on her face to see her sitting shotgun reminiscing about her husband as you take her for a cruise on a nice day. Yeah it sounds corny to some of you but think about it. Often times many of us come across cars that just rot away because the owner won't sell or won't drive and they sit. Why not help her get it back on the road. Does it always have to be about getting over on someone. Not that those are your intentions. I wouldn't mine owning it myself. But one day some of us will be that person.

[Charley Lillard]

Calm down Bob...we don't want you getting too excited before Barrett-Jackson.
CRCRFT78...When I think back ....she wanted to keep the car secret and here is her Grandsons buddy posting pics of it on the internet. Yes it would be neat to make it run as long as it could be done while preserving it. I'm sure there are both here that would like to get it cheap and those that would pay her a fair price. Tough deal that probably should have remained her secret.

[Boulder69]

Paws and claws! :enguard:

I agree with Charlie that this never should have been posted. This is an elderly lady who has her reasons for keeping the car secret - and that should have been respected in my opinion based on my values. Not to say I'm better than anyone else or anything, this is just the way I am, wuss-ful or not.

Cool time capsule bro, but let the lady have the privacy you indicated she wanted. Ask the mods to dump the thread, and let the car sit until the time is right.

One word: Karma.

[Bob Johnson]

Calm down Bob...we don't want you getting too excited before Barrett-Jackson.
CRCRFT78...When I think back ....she wanted to keep the car secret and here is her Grandsons buddy posting pics of it on the internet. Yes it would be neat to make it run as long as it could be done while preserving it. I'm sure there are both here that would like to get it cheap and those that would pay her a fair price. Tough deal that probably should have remained her secret.
I don't know her financial position...The car isn't doing anyone any good sitting in that garage covered up. She would be better off with a pocketfull of money than that car sitting there. Problem with getting old, you lose lots of friends. I always recommend their widows that they get rid of the cars. Their husbands wouldn't want it sitting there going down the drain. I would definitely want my wife to dispose of all my crap and let someone enjoy it...I presume you would do the same unless someone in your family wanted to enjoy it. I was just poking fun at you...I'm sure I'll get all the excitement I need at BJ. Bring your checkbook...The Cuda would look right at home amongst all that high dollar iron you have in your car building.

[CRCRFT78]

Depending on her situation she might not need the pocketful of money. It doesn't do the car any good to sit there but that is up to her. Unfortunately the cats out of the bag and now its on the internet. I just hope for her sake any further information doesn't get out about the car. Word travels fast on the internet & I would hate to think of all the enthusiasts beating a path to Socal in hopes of locating it. I agree with Bob, when I go I hope she sells all my cars unless the kids want to enjoy them.

[Craig Brumley]

I don't think anyone here recognizes the significance of this find. Fewer 53's were built, but they all went to celebrities and CEOs in the industry, most of them are still around with fully documented histories. The 54's were way over produced, so when the 55 production year rolled around, many were still on the lots, unsold; thus the low production numbers for the 55's. To find an original, one owner, un-restored, low mileage, V8 car with docs back to purchase?!

This may be a $1M+ car!

Somebody needs to protect this family's interests, before somebody steels it out from under them for a zillionth of what it's really worth.

[Simbad68]

Priceless!!

[Bill Howell]

Geez Guys!!
Someone posts a cool picture of a cool garage find and all of a sudden everyone is a crook and the poster broke some cardinal rule??????????
I went to school a while back, what is a $1M divided by 1 zillion? lol

It would be a world record for that car to bring 1M, to say the least! Maybe $100,000 if everything was documented etc. MAYBE??

Anyway, I would rather see the car go to someone that enjoyed it, whether that was a family member or collector, than to just sit in a garage, risk being destroyed by fire, earth quake, or some other natural disaster. The car certainly has some value, but lets not get carried away. I venture to say if the owner was offered $50k or so she would probably think about it. May not sell it that day, or may not sell for that price, but she would have to think about having that much money in the bank rather than the old car sitting in a garage. Then maybe she would get someone to check the actual value. What I would hate to see happen is someone offer her $10K then someone else say No, worth more, I will give you 20K. If I knew where it was at, and talked to some of the family, I would not be ashamed to start the ball rolling.

[smack_talker]

This type of deal is the hardest to close. If your not careful you will spook her. Good Luck. I am with Bill...I would rather see the car go to someone who will use it rather than see it go to a pile of crap.

[JoshStratton]

Geez Guys!!
Someone posts a cool picture of a cool garage find and all of a sudden everyone is a crook and the poster broke some cardinal rule??????????

Sorry Bill. I didnt mean to start a lynching. I think it just hit a nerve with everyone because when you hear these stories, no one ever talks about what happens to the seller. It is just a new angle on the story. We have reality TV to blame for it. :smoke:

Of course I am not a Corvette fan so I can seperate myself from it easily. Now if that was a '55 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, I might have to fly out and go door-to-door until I found it. :twothumbs

Oh, and nothing against Rolling_Thunder either. It's a really cool find! It gives hope that these things still exist out there.

[rocketman]

If she knows what it's worth,thats a million dollar ride restored those C-1's are worth there weight in gold.good luck on it,they make some great street rods

[[email protected]]

if i didn't give my left testical to sleep with carmen electra i would possibly give it for this car.

[Restomod]

Just my .02 but if you know its there SOMEONE else does to!!!!!! If the car can be bought you better $$$ up and get it before its gone! If it cant, keep your mouth shut as to where its at. Stuff like that has the tendancy to "disappear" when the owner is not home.