I have a confession to make: I like Corvettes, but I’ve never considered myself a “Corvette guy.” However, I’m starting to think that I just may be one. The other guys in my office tease me about how I’m always writing AutoHunter Spotlight or Pick of the Day pieces about Vettes. Why wouldn’t I? They’re automotive Americana, relatively accessible, attractive, and powerful. Well, guess what: I’m writing about yet another Corvette. This time around, I’m shining the AutoHunter Spotlight on an LT1-powered 1970 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible.
Most of the same reasoning I laid out above applies here. Just look at this restoration. It’s a ’70 Stingray, so it has a chrome bumper at each end. And those curves! Then there’s the paint. Marlboro Maroon not only looks great on the Stingray’s peaked fenders and pronounced haunches, but it also goes well with the Saddle leather interior and makes the white convertible top that much more vivid.
Of course, the engine is a big part of this C3’s appeal. All V8s are cool to a certain extant, but what’s under the hood of this Corvette is a little different. Chevrolet offered three Turbo-Fire 350ci V8s for 1970 with different levels of output. The numbers-matching LT1 under the hood of this car was the top small-block available and equipped with an aluminum intake manifold, an upgraded camshaft, solid lifters, and a special exhaust system, according to Chevy. As the most potent 350, it was factory-rated at 370 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. A Muncie M21 four-speed manual enables the LT1 to light up the rear Firestone Wide Ovals.
This Stingray drop-top also has an impressive history. As an LT1 car, it’s one of only 1,287 Corvettes made for 1970 with that engine. I’m not the only person this Corvette wowed—it’s an NCRS (National Corvette Restorers Society) Top Flight Award winner, meaning it scored 94 percent or more of the 4,500 available points during judging. It also won Best of Show at the 2023 Lake Mirror Classic in Lakeland, Florida.
If you are ready to make this special fiberglass sports car yours, now’s the time to bid because the auction for this 1970 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible LT1 ends on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. (PDT).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery