Car Information
1973 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2-Door Coupe (C3)
| Year: | 1973 |
| Birthday: | January 3, 1973 |
| Exterior: | 980 Orange |
| Trim: | 418 Dark Saddle |
| Top: | T-top |
| Wheels: | GR70-15 Steel belted radials |
| Engine: | 350-cid V8-190hp |
| Trans: | Turbo 350 Trans. |
| Owners: | Doug & Jennifer VanDerWeide |
This Corvette went through a full body restoration in 2000, The drive train and undercarriage did not. After market Alpine CD/Stereo with remote, 6 x 9 rear speakers. All original glass, BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires. A full appraisal was performed in 2007, and was found at best, to be numbers matching. Motor is a 350 with a Turbo 350 Trans. Interior is all original, but has some normal wear. Overall the interior is in great condition. Engine runs strong with no apparent noises. Recent work-Power Steering Rack, Brakes all around, Rear Axle U-Joint, A/C converted to R-134a,
Undercarriage and engine bay are Not Detailed, but original to the vehicle.
CLICK HERE to print off a .pdf flyer on the Oranje Vette
About the 1973 Corvette
1973 started Corvette's transformation from muscle to touring sports car. A Chevrolet advertisement headlined: "We gave it radials, a quieter ride, guard beams and a nose job.” Indeed, redesigned body mounts and radial tires did improve Corvette's ride, and interior sound levels were reduced by 40%. The 1973 Chevrolet Corvette was the first “Rubber Bumper” Vette. The front chrome bumper was replaced with a federally mandated 5MPH bumper. It added 35 pounds to the car and changed it’s look significantly. This is the only year that a rubber front bumper and chrome rear bumper were used at the same time. A new side brace was added as well to increase safety. This was also the last year for the small spoiler at the back of the car. During production of the 1973 model year 4,000 serial numbers were skipped. VIN number 24,001 through 28,000 were never manufactured. The last 1973 Corvette's serial number ended with 34,464, although total production of the 1973 Corvette only totaled 30, 464 units. A new hood was introduced that featured cold air induction and removed the automatic panel that hid the windshield wipers. A vent in the hood by the windshield wipers provided cold outside air for the engine to ingest. The new ducts on the sides behind the front wheels were non-trimmed and consisted of just one large hole and somebody styling. 1973 was the first year for radial tires on a Corvette. Increase sound insulation was added to make the ride more comfortable. A new coolant recycling system recovered overheated coolant into a overflow container for cooling. This coolant was ten recycled back into the radiator. The rear window of the ’73 coupe was now fixed. It had been decided that taking out the window with the t-tops off caused too much turbulence in the cabin. Even there was no specific black exterior option it is thought that around 30 cars were painted black at the St. Louis assembly plant. 30,464 vets were built this year. [25,521 coupes, 4,943 convertibles]
Factory Pricing
| RPO | Option | Sales Price [$] | |
| 1YZ37 | Base Vet | 5,561.50 | |
| C60 | Air Condit. | 452.00 | |
| J50 | Power Brakes | 46.00 | |
| M40 | Turbo Hydra-Matic Automatic Transmission | 0.00 | |
| A85 | Shoulder Belts | 41.00 | |
| N40 | Power Steering | 113.00 | |
| Total | 6,213.50 |
Mechanicals
|
Feature |
Coupe |
|
Wheelbase |
98 inches (2.489 m) |
|
Overall length |
182.5 inches (4.636 m) |
|
Overall width |
69.0 inches (1.753 m) |
|
Overall height |
47.4 inches (1.204 m) |
|
Ground Clearance |
4.5 inches (11.4 cm) |
|
Front tread |
58.7 inches (1.491 m) |
|
Rear tread |
59.4 inches (1.509 m) |
|
Tires |
F70-15 |
|
Frame |
Full-length welded-steel ladder type with five cross members. Steel box sections, welded. |
|
Front suspension |
Independent, unequal-length A-arms, coil springs; tubular shocks and stabilizer bar |
|
Rear suspension |
Independent, trailing arms, toe links, transverse chromium-carbon steel leaf spring, tube shocks, and anti-roll bar |
|
Steering |
Saginaw recirculation ball, 17.6:1 ratio, 2.9 turns to lock, 39.0 turning circle |
|
Rear axle type |
Sprung differential, Hypoid gear |
|
Brakes |
Hydraulic, vented four wheel discs; 11.75-inch diameter, single calipers, optional power assist |
|
Swept area |
11.75" front and back |
|
Total swept area |
461 sq. in. |
|
Wheels |
8" wide slotted steel 15" 5-lug disc |
|
Standard rear axle ratio |
3.36:1 |
|
Optional rear axle ratio |
3.70:1, 3.08:1, 3.36:1, 3.55:1, 4.11:1 |
