1 of 2 Convertible ZR2's for sale

[Mr. Cricket]

If you have a million $$ burning a hole in your pocket

There's rumours of one of these in a collection in Sheffield..

Imagine finding one in a barn and the old dear just wants 'that old car' gone

1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2 Convertible | S127 | Indy 2022 | Mecum Auctions

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Anyone here??

1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2 Convertible For Sale At Auction - Mecum Auctions

View the 1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2 Convertible for sale at Indy 2022 in Indianapolis, IN as S127.

www.mecum.com

 

[Roscobbc]

If you have a million $$ burning a hole in your pocket

There's rumours of one of these in a collection in Sheffield..

Imagine finding one in a barn and the old dear just wants 'that old car' gone

1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2 Convertible | S127 | Indy 2022 | Mecum Auctions

View attachment 16785

I heard that story some years back - American Car dealer, Spurr Classic Cars. Recall speaking with the owner perhaps 20 years or so ago, probably just after I bought the Vette and was looking for a 69/70 428 or '71 429 Mustang to replace the one I sold (which would be rare enough) a few years prior. I seem to recall getting in conversation with the dealer about his car collection. He may have had something rare and Ford powered (can't remember) but when I mentioned my '68 he spoke about the ZR2 he owned (which he said was worth 'BIG,BIG' money) - he never went into any further detail and TBH we've all heard the BS that so many car people spout off that I dismissed it as just that.....BS. No reason even now to think otherwise. But you never know do you. Kinda reminds me perhaps of some 30 or 40 years ago outrepping. I was always on the lookout for interesting Yanks parked-up in domestic drives and would frequently knock on doors to enquire if they were for sale. Managed to buy some interesting cars that way. Anyway I had just finished a couple of calls in Leighton Buzzard and returning homewards on the B440 towards Dunstable and Luton via Whipsnade (where there were a couple of other customers to see) intending to link up with the A5183 and perhaps stop at the Harley dealers (then on the old A5 - long gone now!). A long time ago now and much of the road network has changed but on the road just out of Leighton was a Ministry of Transport Lorry depot (where presumably they tested and weighed HGV's), a little futher down the road, perhaps a mile or two on the right hand side was a farm, set well back from the road that always had a few interesting cars outside, often old 1950/60's yanks. I would stop here perhaps once or twice a year, see if there was anything of interest (or affordable) and have a chat with the owner. I remember he called himself Chick. Not too sure whether that was a shorted variation of his surname perhaps.....anyway he was a chatty, pleasant old boy and working out of these ramshackle barns, wearing a filthy faded blue bib 'n' braces you could almost imagine yourself out in rural USA. One day when I called he was in one of the barns and calling me in pointed to what seemed to be an early/mid 50's Studebaker Champion or Hawk although it looked kinda different somehow. The car was looking very sorry for itself, covered with dust and seemed surpringly low to the ground (and rather like some of those customs I would leer at in American magazines like Hot Rod and Car Craft from the late 50's and eary 60's.
Chick then told me that this was actually a Barris custom Studebaker. It certainly had a roof chop and was lowered over the chassis. Can't remember too much more than the fact that the rear wings had been extended by perhaps a foot or eighteen inches, looking kinda Cadillac'ish and far more extreme than the car George Barris is pictured against below. I would have been looking at this car in the mid 80's. The car looked as though it hadn't been used for many years prior with surface rust breaking through the paint work and where the body had been shopped, extended and welded. Today it is called 'patina'.As usual when out repping I was wearing a suit and couldn't risk getting in the car or touching it being so filthy. Chick never put a price on the car, simply saying it was 'priceless'. And I guess had this really been a Barris car then would be talking potential 6 figure sums.............
Always wondered if this story was true (about it being a legendary Barris car) and what ever happene to it.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Good stuff Ross. The rumoured owner of the ZR2 in Sheffield is / was a car dealer and also in his collection supposedly two ultra low miles Lambo Miuras??

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Stone the freakin' crows it looks like the rumour was true after all and a SWC as well to boot

Corvette ZR2 advice - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

C3 General - Corvette ZR2 advice - Hey I don't know if anyone can advise? My Father-in-law was a classic car dealer and enthusiast but sadly passed away last month. Over his life he had 15-20000 cars pass through his hands including many classic American cars as this was his passion - although...

www.corvetteforum.com

 

[Nassau65]

You never know where something rare is tucked away. Probably best to ship it back to the US, and consign it to one of the large auction houses. Their the ones that attract the BIG players.
You only need 2 or 3 of the big collectors after it and hey, your in the money

 

[Mr. Cricket]

You never know where something rare is tucked away. Probably best to ship it back to the US, and consign it to one of the large auction houses. Their the ones that attract the BIG players.
You only need 2 or 3 of the big collectors after it and hey, your in the money

yeah, I've suggested as much to him already

 

[Nassau65]

Yep, it’s a no brainer. The corvette is a home grown icon, and demand for the rare stuff is booming. I’m sure any of the auction companies would gladly welcome it. Gives the auction house bragging rights as well.

 

[Nassau65]

They could always contact people like “corvette Mike” vieto. He’s bound to have customers waiting for the rare cars.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Yep, it’s a no brainer. The corvette is a home grown icon, and demand for the rare stuff is booming. I’m sure any of the auction companies would gladly welcome it. Gives the auction house bragging rights as well.

When I bought my red LT-1 out of a collection in NY I got quite a bit of stick on the CF.

 

[Roscobbc]

I think we all need to sit back and perhaps wait until the 'family' post-up further information like engine and vin no's. Not putting a damper on things but 'stories' about rare cars are often handed down over many years and can be more legend that fact.
Shame they didn't make contact with CCCUK or NCRS UK who might have helped provide some answers.
This is post on CF - Corvette ZR2 advice - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion
Strange perhaps given the huge coverage of the US's CF forum that this topic was posted only 5 hours ago and we've only seen 2 replies................and the USA is probably only just waking up......but still?

 

[Mr. Cricket]

I think we all need to sit back and perhaps wait until the 'family' post-up further information like engine and vin no's. Not putting a damper on things but 'stories' about rare cars are often handed down over many years and can be more legend that fact.
Shame they didn't make contact with CCCUK or NCRS UK who might have helped provide some answers.
This is post on CF - Corvette ZR2 advice - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion
Strange perhaps given the huge coverage of the US's CF forum that this topic was posted only 5 hours ago and we've only seen 2 replies................and the USA is probably only just waking up......but still?

From what I can see there's three Corvettes. I've asked him to consider offering them to CCCUK members first. They do storage too so not all the cars are thiers

 

[Nassau65]

If they have any sense they will already know they may be sitting on quite a valuable car, and I’m quite sure they do. They will seek professional advice to get the car verified for what it really is, then decide accordingly. You mentioned they also have two Miura’s, that’s a ton of money sitting there.

 

[Corvette ZR2]

Hey all

Yeah the rumours are partly true

Sorry I didn't know about the UK forum, I was just searching for info on Corvettes and the other one came up first.

There are just the 2 Corvettes, the split window and what we believe is a ZR2. Everything in the docsy father-in-law kept suggests it's definitely a ZR2, but we will definitely need to get it verified. Not sure how, so any recommendations welcome.

It would also be amazing to open the split window up to CCCUK members, it's not been advertised anywhere externally yet, I passed Mr Cricket what I believe is the sale price is, although I need to confirm it with the lead mechanic as I may have pulled that price out my rear end!!!

Thanks for all the advice too, my father in law was a huge enthusiast of American classics and the ZR2 was his pride and joy. He's owned many Corvettes through the years.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

As I said 'over there' there's every chance the ZR2 will go 'home' if it checks out. Very few, if any Corvette collectors in the UK would fork out what it may be worth being 1/20. It will all come down to what is still origional especially the special order motor.

 

[Nassau65]

Well said. The first thing to sort out is what exactly do you have. If it indeed is a ZR2 and can be confirmed as such, does it still contain its original components. What is its overall condition. What value could it achieve in that condition. Remember , top dollar is for top cars. If it needs restoration, those costs need to be accounted for.
The market for such a vehicle is definitely in the USA. Serious collectors would welcome such an addition to their collection. The UK is definitely not the place to sell it. After all , the seller wants maximum return on the car, and quite righty so.
Just looked up the production figures for the ZR2, 10 coupes, 2 convertibles.

 

[Corvette ZR2]

Well said. The first thing to sort out is what exactly do you have. If it indeed is a ZR2 and can be confirmed as such, does it still contain its original components. What is its overall condition. What value could it achieve in that condition. Remember , top dollar is for top cars. If it needs restoration, those costs need to be accounted for.
The market for such a vehicle is definitely in the USA. Serious collectors would welcome such an addition to their collection. The UK is definitely not the place to sell it. After all , the seller wants maximum return on the car, and quite righty so.
Just looked up the production figures for the ZR2, 10 coupes, 2 convertibles.

Yeah, but strangely enough they have found 3 convertibles. Jim Wallace sent me this when I was speaking to him about the LS6 survey - of the 188 total built we have about 75 in the survey, 50 coupes, 25 convertibles, of the 75, 5 are ZR-2"s, 3 of which are convertibles. It's quite a lot of work to get in the survey, so it doesn't surprise me that quite a few are missing.

 

[Nassau65]

On something possibly as rare as this, it’s going to need its authenticity verified 110 %. By people in the know, and are known in the Corvette community. Now, wether people in the UK are qualified to do this I don’t know, and would their findings be acceptable to the US corvette guys. On something this rare and possibly expensive buyers will want provenance/guarantees it is what it claims to be. Either way it will probably have to go across the pond to get sorted and sold, but big money is possibly at the end of the journey.

 

[Roscobbc]

Its an interesting fact that with some of the rarer and obviously more expensive collectors cars when 'counted' there are often a few more 'showing' than records indicate have been made.......I'll leave that for others to conclude whether the 'records' are correct - or - some extremely good clones are out there on the market.....

 

[Nassau65]

Its an interesting fact that with some of the rarer and obviously more expensive collectors cars when 'counted' there are often a few more 'showing' than records indicate have been made.......I'll leave that for others to conclude whether the 'records' are correct - or - some extremely good clones are out there on the market.....

Totally agree. There are more 1967 427/435 cars about nowadays than Chevrolet actually built. Work that one out.