| My Rare 1969 Big Block Tri-Power Corvette is an unrestored survivor. At the time, the car has 62,492 original miles on the odometer. It has been in my family for just under twenty years. The car was originally sold in Kentucky, and my father bought it in Miami in or around 1989. I bought it from him seven years ago, when it had a little over 59,000 miles on it. This an extremely clean car that has been properly cared for and maintained. I have documentation on it dating back to the early 1970's. I have the original gas tank build sheet which is pictured and legible if you look closely at it. And I have the factory warranty booklet with Protect-O-Plate intact. This is a genuine Big Block Tri-Power Corvette. This car was ordered from Chevrolet with all of the most desirable options for 1969. It came Tuxedo Black with red interior. As you can see, this is a convertible body. The car still has the optional hard top, which is black with a red interior liner. The hard top is in excellent condition, inside and out. It has power brakes, manual windows, manual steering, (power steering and air-conditioning were not an available option with this engine), 4-speed transmission, 4.11:1 rear gear ratio. Of course, this Corvette has the L-71 option: 427 cubic-inch, 435 Horsepower Big Block engine with factory Tri-Power intake and solid lifter valvetrain. I had the car re-painted two summers ago. It has always been black, but it had several scratches from debris during Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The paint is striking. The all GM body is in excellent shape. Two of the fender lips had been cracked, prior to my owning it- and in regular fashion, but the repairs are unnoticeable and properly done. The convertible soft top was replaced four years ago. Prior to replacing it, this car had the original, white, GM soft top. The top was in great shape, but the rear window was coffee-colored. The interior is in great shape. I think the carpet is original. The driver's seat has a tear in the upholstry. I bought new seat upholstry, but have not found the time to have the seats re-done. The dash pad and center-console have no cracks in them. The fiber optics do work, but a couple of them are dim. There is no rust in the chassis, and the windshield frame is solid. The windshield and hard-top glass are both in good condition. Both pieces of glass have never been removed. The original stereo was missing from the car when I bought it, so I had the Alpine system installed with Boston Acoustics and JBL speakers. The stereo makes the car much more pleasant to drive. The exhaust is in great shape, the spare tire is in the carrier, the original jack is in the jack box. All of the wiring and vacuum harness components in the car are original. The headlights open & close evenly and quickly, and the windshield wiper door works properly. The wipers work on both speeds, but the windshield washers have not worked as for as long as I can remember. All four BF Goodrich tires are new. The brake calipers are stainless. All of the lights and blinkers work, and the interior courtesy lights work. The blower fan and defogger work. The engine runs great, and the valvetrain is properly adjusted and quiet. All three carburetors are correct and work properly. The engine has never overheated, even in hot Florida traffic. The steering box is tight. The suspension is firm, and the car goes down the road straight with my hands off the wheel. All of the steel and chrome are in good shape, and are original GM. I think one of the front bumper-ettes may be rusty near its bottom. The chrome on the valve covers is original. Three things that I know are not original for this Corvette are the Alpine stereo, the adjustable strut-rods on the rear suspension, and the points ignition. I do have the working transistorized ignition module and distributor that belong in the car. The harness for the transistor ignition is still in the car, as may be seen in the detailed photos. Other than these three things, this beautiful Corvette is largely unmolested. Colors from the trim plate. Motor suffix code is LR. September 12, 2008. |
