Dennis Collins has rescued plenty of old Corvettes, but his latest find came with a restoration that had already been underway for nearly four decades. The 1964 Corvette coupe was sitting partially assembled inside a Michigan pole barn, surrounded by boxes of parts waiting to go back on the car.
The previous owner bought the Corvette in 1974 and eventually began a body-off restoration around 1987. Work progressed far enough to refurbish the chassis and install replacement components, yet the project never reached the finish line.
What caught Collins’ attention was the color combination. The Corvette wears Saddle Tan outside with a matching Saddle interior, a combination he doesn’t encounter particularly often.
There was another surprise underneath the fiberglass body. This isn’t a high-horsepower, four-speed C2, but rather a relatively basic 250-hp Corvette with a two-speed Powerglide automatic.
The Restoration Started Nearly 40 Years Ago
The Corvette hadn’t simply been parked and forgotten. Its body had previously been removed from the frame, while the chassis was stripped and painted before receiving new bushings and brake components.
Many of the parts needed to finish the car were still stored around the barn. Collins and his crew searched through boxes and even the rafters, where components including the complete spare-tire assembly had been stored.
The car also came with a useful piece of its history. Its original 1964 Michigan registration was discovered inside the glovebox, having somehow survived despite the seller saying three mice had previously emerged from the compartment.
It’s A 250-HP Powerglide Car
Under the hood is the base 327-cubic-inch V8, rated at 250 horsepower. Collins used the tachometer and previously checked engine numbers to help confirm the lower-output specification.
The Powerglide makes the Corvette less performance-oriented than the four-speed cars enthusiasts typically chase. Chevrolet built 22,229 Corvettes for 1964, with 2,480 reportedly receiving the two-speed automatic.
Equipment is similarly sparse. The car lacks power steering, power brakes, and factory air conditioning, making its specification relatively simple even by 1964 standards.
The Saddle-On-Saddle Combination Makes It Interesting
Collins said Saddle Tan represented roughly 7.9 percent of 1964 Corvette production across coupes and convertibles. Once the matching Saddle interior and Powerglide are considered, he estimated only a few hundred cars may have been configured similarly.
One feature probably wasn’t installed at the factory. The Corvette has chambered side exhausts with period-correct C2 components, although Collins believes somebody added them later because factory side pipes weren’t a normal 1964 production option.
He’s keeping them anyway. Collins thinks the pipes suit the car and plans to pair them with knockoff-style wheels, while retaining the 250-hp engine and Powerglide.
Collins Plans To Finish What The Previous Owner Started
Despite decades of inactivity and a pile of loose parts, Collins believes the Corvette is worth completing. His plan also includes adding air conditioning, making the finished car easier to enjoy without radically changing its character.
The restoration won’t happen overnight, but this Corvette has already waited roughly four decades for somebody to finish the job. Collins expects to have an update within roughly 60 to 90 days, finally giving this Saddle-on-Saddle C2 another chance to return to the road.