1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster

1954 Corvette Convertible - 1 of 3,640 Made - Same Owner Since 1984 - 235ci/155hp Blue Flame 6 Cylinder - Restoration Completed in January of 2019 - Engine Overhauled in...

1954 Corvette Convertible -

1 of 3,640 Made - Same Owner Since 1984 - 235ci/155hp Blue Flame 6 Cylinder - Restoration Completed in January of 2019 - Engine Overhauled in November of 2019 - Complete Casting Number List - Collector Grade Corvette

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After the initial purchase of this car in 1984, our client spent years restoring this beautiful C1 Corvette. It was an on again, off again project through the years, and now that the project is complete, the car is gorgeous. Piles of receipts and letters of correspondence shows the diligence and hours spent by our client to find the correct parts, and communicate with people who would understand exactly what he needed. A list of engine component casting/stamping numbers was created to help document how period correct the car is. The final product of the restoration is an eye catching, collector grade car that is finished in Sportsman Red over a red interior and sporting a tan top.

Under the hood is a “Blue Flame” 235ci Inline-6 with three Carter Side Draft Carburetors mounted on the driver's side of the engine. A 2-speed PowerGlide transmission handles gear selection. An interesting fact about the transmission is that the PowerGlide was offered as an “option” on the '54 model year Corvettes, although there was not another transmission offered. Just some marketing trickery on the part of GM Marketing folks to keep the car's base price lower. Since the engine rebuild which was completed in November of 2019, the car has only clicked over about a mile. The engine sound isn't quite like a 427ci V8 found in some of the later Corvettes, but it does have an aggressive exhaust note, especially for a mid-50's car. There has to be some justification for a sports car that has an engine with a name like “Blue Flame”.

At first glance, there is a lot of red going on - Sportsman Red over red interior. White stitch on the door panels and seats, and white trim along the doors and center of the dashboard provide some visual relief from all the red. The scalloped dashboard is very simple with a number of gauges that one would expect to see in a sports car - after all GM called the C1 Vette the “First All-American sports car”. Fit and finish of the interior is great, the details are all there. Clear gauges, two tone steering wheel with chrome horn ring, and ivory colored knobs - including the iconic spherical door release switches, are just a few highlights of the classy interior.

Thanks to input from Harley Earl, C1 Corvettes have curves throughout compared to the C2's harder lines. The exterior of this car shows very well. Chrome bumpers and grille look great, all metal trim and badges are straight and true, all lights and lenses look great, even the wheel covers are in great condition. The Sportsman Red chosen for this car's exterior hugs the curves and provides a contrast to the chrome trim, making it look like jewelry. Speaking of chrome, the front end of this car is especially pleasing to the eyes - curvy fenders, chrome headlight trim, and small bumpers mounted on either side of the big chrome grille that seems as though it is smiling at you.

Hours and hours were spent over a number of years in order for this first generation Corvette to look as nice as it does. This is a collector grade C1, finished in an eye catching color with all the details. The car has not been NCRS judged since the recent restoration. With this numbers matching car, it will definitely get high marks and the new owner can have that done in their name.
The final product is easy on the eyes and is sure to continue to be a valuable car for years to come. It is after all the first All-American Sports Car. Be sure to check out all the photos and video on our main website: Garage Kept Motors. Call if interested or e-mail with any questions. Thank you for looking.

VIN Decode:
E - Model Year Range: 1953-1957
54 - Model Year: 1954
S - Assembly Plant: St.Louis, Missouri
003407 - Sequential Production Number