It's tough (sob), but I have to sell it

[Hib Halverson]

At first I was going to sel it (sob), but I changed my mind

Forum members-

Several months ago, I decided to sell my 71 Big-Block hot rod. I've owned the car for 31 years and done just about every mod on it myself.

Some of you may know this as the "Big-Block from Hell" project car which was in Vette Magazine for six years from 1989 to 1996, but I've always called the car just "Yellow Thunder".

Why would I think of selling something so dear to me? Well...chalk it up to a toxic combination of: the Great Recession forcing me to sell some assets for cash, that my Wife and I need some of that green for a home remodel we are just about to complete and that this remodeled home has less space to park Vettes. I took a hard look at our "fleet" of four and decided this was the one to go.

See the ad here on the CAC at:
71 Big-Block hot rod--former magazine project car -

For the best photos of the car see:
YT Corvette

But then...I couldn't sell it. I even dropped the price and still it didn't sell. Had a lot of lookers--only two of them serious--but no buyers.

So I decided to hang on to the car for another year or so. In that time, I'm continuing to work on it. My big deal in the last few weeks is recalibrating the car's 850 Holley after I put a wide-band O2 sensor in the car. The data from the Auto-Meter Wide Band Air/Fuel Ratio Monitor is so much better than what I was getting from a narrow-band O2 I had in the car before that I've found some areas were retuning improves performance, drivability and gas mileage.

I also recovered the seats. Fixed a small trans leak. Fixed small leaks at the header collectors.

What's next?

I dunno....maybe new soft trim in the interior or maybe an engine freshen-up.

In any event, old YT, is off sale and back on the road.

 

[gmjunkie]

Damn,If I'd owned and modded that car for 31 years,Damned if I could sell it!!

Just couldn't do it!!

 

[Hib Halverson]

Damn,If I'd owned and modded that car for 31 years,Damned if I could sell it!!

Just couldn't do it!!

I won't kid ya...it was a very tough decision, but we all have our crosses to bear.

 

[Mac]

My sympathies, Hib. It's never easy to let a good one go...

-Mac

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Hope it goes to a good home that appreciates it as the great car it is. I enjoyed reading the magazine articles back when you were building it. Still have the one where you were grilling some late night tube steaks. :cool

 

[catbert]

Great car! You'll miss it, I'm sure.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Hope it goes to a good home that appreciates it as the great car it is. I enjoyed reading the magazine articles back when you were building it. Still have the one where you were grilling some late night tube steaks. :cool

That was a great trip.

My Wife, the Fairest Sandra the Red, sure doesn't remember it that way, however.

The point of using that trip in the project was to validate the changes we'd made to the cooling system. I figured--perhaps with some short-sightedness--that going to Phoenix in a Big-Block Vette in the middle of August would certainly test a cooling system.

Uh...it did.

Needless to say, even with the temps pushing 120 deg on the run across the desert, at highway speeds and loads, the stuff we did to the car's cooling was overkill. We never saw temps over 190 on the road and 210 in traffic.

As for the humans in the car, that was a different story. A no-air car on a daytime trip to Phoenix in the summer was brutal. We stopped twice to pour water over ourselves. We stopped several more times to buy Gatoraid. Windows down or up, it was hot....freakin' hot, hot, hot.

My Wife will never go on a "project car cooling trip", again, that's for sure.

Several times since then, the cooling mods proved valuable. There was a time, when I still belonged to the Pomona Valley Corvette Association, where I did 4th of July Parades in that car with some local dignitary riding on the halo bar. This event was always held in Ontario, CA, which can get pretty hot on July afternoons (say low 100s) and required driving at 0-5 mph for about an hour. I did that twice in "Ole YT" and never saw over 205 degrees on the temp gauge.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

As for the humans in the car, that was a different story. A no-air car on a daytime trip to Phoenix in the summer was brutal. We stopped twice to pour water over ourselves. We stopped several more times to buy Gatoraid. Windows down or up, it was hot....freakin' hot, hot, hot.

Yup. We did the NCRS road tour to Galveston TX in 2001(?) from Montreal in my non-AC coupe. Round trip was over 5,000 miles all told in the middle of summer. Sitting in grid locked traffic in well over 100* temps is a test of just about everything. One of the guys from the Louisiana chapter gave us a pair of clip on pressurized misting spray bottles that sort of acted like swamp coolers which helped tremendously. Nonetheless, we consumed almost as much bottled water as the car did gas.

Worst part was some of the other cars (with AC of course) calling us up on the CB and asking 'hot enough for you?'

 

[White75]

After 31 years I would have a hard time selling, especially with memories like those.
Good luck with the sale, hopefully she'll find a good home. Such a beautiful ride deserves it.

 

[Vette79]

Forum members-

I've decided to sell my 71 Big-Block hot rod. I've owned the car for 31 years and done just about every mod on it myself.

Some of you may know this as the "Big-Block from Hell" project car which was in Vette Magazine for six years from 1989 to 1996, but I've always called the car just "Yellow Thunder".

Why am I selling something so dear to me? Well...chalk it up to a toxic combination of: the Great Recession forcing me to sell some assets for cash, that my Wife and I need some of that green for a home remodel we are just about to complete and that this remodeled home has less space to park Vettes. I took a hard look at our "fleet" of four and decided this was the one to go.

See the ad here on the CAC at:
71 Big-Block hot rod--former magazine project car -

Or see my ad on Craig's List at:
1971 Corvette Big Block hot rod

For the best photos of the car see:
LT Corvette

Really love the color combo, Hib. Great looking Vette! Someone is sure to purchase a well rounded and functional BB. Sorry to see it go from the family. Good luck with your endeavors...

 

[6 Shooter]

WOW - Great L@@king Vette, I hope you get what the Beast is worth!

Hib - Thanks for the high rez shots of this awesome Vette! ​

​

1971 Corvette Coupe for sale - Magazine Project Car Big Block

 

[Hib Halverson]

You're welcome, but actually those are big images at low res for your wallpaper. Feel free to give that stuff to others who want YT wallpaper images.

Because they're 96 ppi and pretty compressed they'd make pretty crappy enlargements for wall art but they do ok on a monitor the size you have.

 

[6 Shooter]

Here they are for all to enjoy!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/cyal8tr/Hot%20Rods%20Rule/1971SunflowerYellowCorvetteCoupe-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/cyal8tr/Hot%20Rods%20Rule/1971SunflowerYellowCorvetteCoupe-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/cyal8tr/Hot%20Rods%20Rule/1971SunflowerYellowCorvetteCoupe-3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/cyal8tr/Hot%20Rods%20Rule/1971SunflowerYellowCorvetteCoupe-4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/cyal8tr/Hot%20Rods%20Rule/1971SunflowerYellowCorvetteCoupe-5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/cyal8tr/Hot%20Rods%20Rule/1971SunflowerYellowCorvetteCoupe-6.jpg

​

 

[GerryLP]

Wow! That is one Beast indeed.

I think that the price is very fair as well. What better than to purchase a sportscar to which everything has been done.

Watch out for the craig-list effect. It tends to draw some rotten folks out of the woodworks. ;squint:ad

I feel for your situation and the hard decision you had to make. We're with you in support.

GerryLP:cool

 

[RVDECHI]

Beautifull Beast

You might want to bring it to the Plastic Fantastic show here in San Diego on Sunday the 16th. Probabaly get some good interest there. If I had room in my garage I sure would be tempted.

Good Luck,

 

[Gry Ghst]

Wow!!!I have the room but I do not have the Cash.Good luck selling that Beast.

 

[KANE]

Wow Hib- what a car!

:eek

Certainly is a deal for that price. Good luck- I'm sure the next owner will LOVE it.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Thanks for the suggestion but I'm back in KY covering the C4 Gathering for Corvette Enthusiast. I'm aware of that show and I know a number of L.A. area Corvetters who go every year. It's a great event.

 

[Luigi]

If I may. The craigslist post has been pulled, so what was the asking price for the amazing beast?

 

[Hib Halverson]

If I may. The craigslist post has been pulled, so what was the asking price for the amazing beast?

I didn't see the above for quite a while, but the ad is back on Craig's List and the price has been reduced to 25,995.