In 1957 the average monthly rent in the US was $90 and a dozen eggs would set you back 28 cents, which was four cents more than a gallon of gas. At 24 cents a gallon, it would have cost you a whopping $3.84 to fill up the 16 gallon tank on your new 1957 Corvette, such as this one found here on Craigslist outside of Dayton, Ohio. This dusty and rusty C1 Corvette for sale was originally $3,465 when new, but is now listed for $47,000. it is a runner, but is it a stunner? I guess that depends on if you’re on #TeamPatina or #TeamRestore.
The 1957 Corvette was unchanged visually from the year prior, but Chevy did boost the cubic inches on the V8 from 265 to 283, which was the only engine for the year. While fuel injection became an option (a spendy one), this example is equipped with its original dual 4-barrel carbs, which are attached to its numbers-matching engine. The seller states the motor was gone through professionally after sitting from 1963 until about 12 to 15 years ago when they acquired it. If it truly went untouched for all those years, its easy to believe that the 27,000 miles on the clock are accurate. The original generator and starter are also equipped, but no word on the originality of the transmission, which appears to be a four speed; another first for the model year.
The interior seems to be all there, barely. Those big red seats sure do look like they’d make for a comfortable cruise though. And cruise is what this ‘Vette apparently does. The owner admits to holding back on the restoration, stating, “I just could not bring my self to restore it all the way. It is just to much fun the way it is. Anyone can find a restored car that you can’t drive but this car is impossible to replace.” It’s hard to argue with that logic, plus this surely gets a lot of love at any cruise night.
Priced on the low end of 1957 Corvette NADA Guides, this car could be a great start to a restoration, or, thanks to the redone brakes, suspension and fuel system, it could be driven as is. It all comes down to, are you on #TeamPatina or #TeamRestore?
