Barn finds are cool – not just because of the classic and often rare cars found, but also with the interesting stories the cars have in store. In this case with a 1968 Chevy Corvette C3, the story that began with buying a dream car ended after a run-in with the authorities.
The discovery of the Corvette barn is made by dump life on YouTube, who was invited to witness the relocation of the aging sports car to northern Alabama. This isn’t the first time these folks have seen the classic C3; they introduced the coupe five years ago. According to the channel, the establishment that housed the car was in danger of collapsing, hence the need to move the dilapidated vehicle.
While the 1968 Corvette 427 was a special car in its own right, this specific red convertible had a story to tell that ties into why it ended up in storage.
According to the story obtained by dump lifepresumably from owner Mike or otherwise known as “Big Block Mike”, the story began in 1974.
As a high school teenager with Corvette fever, Mike worked part-time at an S&H Green Stamp store near a dealership specializing in Corvette sales. After negotiations and $2,900, Mike purchased a C3 Cabriolet, equipped with a big-block 7.0-liter V8.
Used for fun and transportation, Big Block Mike gained a lot of street cred during this time, mostly because he owned the fastest car in town. This fame reached the police, leading to a car chase that went horribly wrong for law enforcement (allegedly).
Mike had to lay low and hide the car from the cops, which wasn’t easy as it’s a high profile car in the city with a mismatched black rear panel due to a mechanical accident. This led Big Block Mike to store the ‘Vette in the garage and it was stuck there for over four decades.
The restoration of the 1968 Corvette 427 is currently underway, so there’s a good chance we’ll see Mike behind the wheel of his famous car again.
Barn finds are cool – not just because of the classic and often rare cars found, but also with the interesting stories the cars have in store. In this case with a 1968 Chevy Corvette C3, the story that began with buying a dream car ended after a run-in with the authorities.
The discovery of the Corvette barn is made by dump life on YouTube, who was invited to witness the relocation of the aging sports car to northern Alabama. This isn’t the first time these folks have seen the classic C3; they introduced the coupe five years ago. According to the channel, the establishment that housed the car was in danger of collapsing, hence the need to move the dilapidated vehicle.
While the 1968 Corvette 427 was a special car in its own right, this specific red convertible had a story to tell that ties into why it ended up in storage.
According to the story obtained by dump lifepresumably from owner Mike or otherwise known as “Big Block Mike”, the story began in 1974.
As a high school teenager with Corvette fever, Mike worked part-time at an S&H Green Stamp store near a dealership specializing in Corvette sales. After negotiations and $2,900, Mike purchased a C3 Cabriolet, equipped with a big-block 7.0-liter V8.
Used for fun and transportation, Big Block Mike gained a lot of street cred during this time, mostly because he owned the fastest car in town. This fame reached the police, leading to a car chase that went horribly wrong for law enforcement (allegedly).
Mike had to lay low and hide the car from the cops, which wasn’t easy as it’s a high profile car in the city with a mismatched black rear panel due to a mechanical accident. This led Big Block Mike to store the ‘Vette in the garage and it was stuck there for over four decades.
The restoration of the 1968 Corvette 427 is currently underway, so there’s a good chance we’ll see Mike behind the wheel of his famous car again.