1953 Corvette #148 on EBAY

[Rob]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...d=1,1&item=4607806019&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT

 

[Erik S. Klein]

Wow. That's pretty impressive for a car stored 35+ years!

I wish I had the cash. . .

 

[paul67]

With respect, it looks like a junked car, with what-ever historical value.

 

[Erik S. Klein]

With respect, it looks like a junked car, with what-ever historical value.

Certainly now, but it's got so many of the original parts that it's a real diamond in the rough.

Purchase price plus about $50K +/- in resto work and this is a $500K+ car, more likely than not.

 

[Loren Smith]

Looks like it had one shill bid.

 

[saopm]

I think I saw that car at Carlisle. It was definitely rough. Too bad I forgot how much he was asking then.

 

[JJS]

Certainly now, but it's got so many of the original parts that it's a real diamond in the rough.

Purchase price plus about $50K +/- in resto work and this is a $500K+ car, more likely than not.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[BarryK]

Purchase price plus about $50K +/- in resto work and this is a $500K+ car, more likely than not.

hmmmm, I'd like to know what quality restoration shop would bring this back to the condition it should be restored to for only $50k. This is a '53 - special problems and issues for early cars like this even if most of the parts are really there.
I may be off base here but I'd guess you are looking at double that amount to get this into NCRS or show condition.

 

[Loren Smith]

53s are going for $500,000? I would think $200K would be the upper end for one, unless it is a very early car (like 003).

 

[JJS]

That's the thing, even if it cost you $200K, you could still make a fortune. I hope I don't sound like I have that kind of money. Otherwise, it'd be in my garage (soon to be)!

 

[JJS]

53s are going for $500,000? I would think $200K would be the upper end for one, unless it is a very early car (like 003).

Didn't 003 go for 1 mil at BJ?

 

[paul67]

I retract my statement. Someone with big $s can restore to make big $s. I guess that is the way it is these days.

 

[53 Blue Flame]

1953 #148

Even though it looks awful, it is extremely original, right down to the brake linings. The original drive train and body. They all look bad in this condition but the frame is nice and very little pieces are missing. Once they are stripped to "ground zero" they're all the same.
Really, an easy car to restore for around $30k in parts plus labor. This car would bring $500k, judged and properly restored, in my opinion. I speak from experience.

By the way, two years go it was for sale for 90k. It's now for sale at $175k.
90k was a bargain, looking back today. Today's premium is tomorrow's bargain, pertaining to 53's. For how long???? Who knows but it's a fun ride.

 

[vettecityman53]

That car is owned by Jerry Brewster of Bastrop, Louisiana. He has owned that car, literally, forever. He bought it, I believe, in the mid-1960's and it was non-running then. He was an avid Corvette collector from then on. He was a member of the Classic Corvette Club and the Vintage Corvette Club or America. He was active in selling and parting out cars for years. He advertised in Motor Trend (when they actually had ads), Hot Rod, and Hemmings (when Corvettes were only in the Chevrolet section), among other places. He advertised three 1953's for years...maybe decades! He had this one, #117, and one other (whose # escapes me). #117 was a title with an early 1954 body and frame and an old Louisiana tag (of course now it's a top flight car.....LOL). The unknown number car had a really good body, but was missing the drive train, and a host of other valuable parts. #148, was just the opposite, highly original in terms of drivetrain and parts, but its body was beat to death and then customized. I remember his ads well in the early 1980's for all three of these cars...he advertised them for sale or trade or whatever. I mean trade for whatever....he offered to trade for gold, stocks, other cars, I remember his list of what he would trade for was borderline hillarious. Later, he advertised that the three were going to be in some kind of movie...and that their value would go up accordingly.....these ads appeared for years. I knew several people who tried to buy the two better cars as a pair with the intention of making one good car out of them, but no one could ever manage to buy them up. Finally, the title/body car went to Bill Beard in Alabany, Georgia and the unknown number car sold quietly. Jerry kept #148, thinking it was the best of all of them, which he probably was right.

The body on #148 is a complete dog!!! Every corner of it has been hit and poorly repaired. The damage is quite extensive. To make matters worse, every bonding seam hidden under the chrome has been ground off. The grill surround has also been altered, and well as the bumper supports in the center rear. I don't think that anyone could ever restore this body to true original form. They may build areas up with cloth and resin, but the body will never be a top quality, original body.

Now for the sale....I don't think that this car will ever sell. He has always been above the market value for this car and will probably continue to do so. Jerry has always owned it and he probably always will.....it is an interesting combination of conditions...highly original in one way, but terribly poor in others. I don't think I have ever seen a 1953 equal to it.....so much damage to such an original car.

Many 1953's are coming out of the closet now or have done so in the past few years. Most of these are incomplete cars, poor bodies, missing drivetrains, ex-racers, etc. Many of these have been restored with reproduction parts and fake drivetrain and body parts. These are the ones selling for top dollar now, mostly to unsuspecting buyers (#'s103 and 285 are the first to come to mind). Many, and I mean many, more have been resurrected by very knowledgeable restorers who know the tricks in building up a 1953 from fake and non-original parts. I see a need for older people who have been around and know the truth about these cars to try to make their knowledge and database known...both to help future buyers, and to help preserve the truth about these cars. There are many 1953's that have been preserved through the years, yet many more that are complete rebuilt, fake dogs!!! For preservation of these cars, I wish this information could be made public so everyone could know the truth about each car and its true history and condition.

 

[53 Blue Flame]

#148

I agree with everything you are saying about the cars and Jerry's attachment to the cars. It will be hard to buy the car. I too, have seen the car. While it does look absolutely awful, I feel that the body can be brought up to snuff. Not that any of these bad bodies are a "snap" to smooth out. It's tedious work and it takes time to do it right. Sometimes, you just have to take them down to the floorpan and bring them back to perfection, using correct panels, which are not easy to find, but it can be done. Jerry's car can be done without taking it down that far. This is kind of my area of expertise.

I went to Bill Beard's place in Albany, back in 1991, while living in Tifton, GA. I saw one of the cars he had. I don't know which one it was though.

It'll be interesting to see how long it stays in Jerry's hands.

 

[Rob]

Very interesting. I've been watching the periodic appearance of this Corvette on Ebay and I've wondered why it hasn't been sold, or seems to be unpopular.

I'm in the process of updating the 1953 Registry here on the site, and will be adding the information and comments from others to the listing for this car.

-Rob

 

[53 Blue Flame]

Jerry will have a hard time letting it go. He's had it since 1969 when he drove it from TX to LA. It keps getting valuable and he doesn't mind raising the price accordingly. Someone will just have to catch him on the right day, if they're lucky.

 

[Rob]

Jerry will have a hard time letting it go. He's had it since 1969 when he drove it from TX to LA. It keps getting valuable and he doesn't mind raising the price accordingly. Someone will just have to catch him on the right day, if they're lucky.

Well, I just want to say thanks for joining the Corvette Action Center and sharing the information and views that you have.

The information and views are a great asset to the forums and the site overall.

I'm proud to say, that to the best of my knowledge, we're the only Corvette site in existence with a 1953 Registry that actively seeks out and updates the information on these cars.

I may not always be timely in my updates to the Registry, but eventually, I get 'em done!

 

[53 Blue Flame]

Glad to be here!