Select year:

 










 










Todays birthday cars:
72 years old
E54S003301
E54S003316
E54S003318
E54S003321
70 years old
E56S002762
66 years old
00867S108224
00867S108229
00867S108231
65 years old
10867S109073
64 years old
20867S112104
20867S112142
20867S112143
20867S112145

VIN E56S003317















































   
Car Year: 1956
Car's approximate birthday: July 6, 1956
 
Owner: Harwood Motors, Ltd
City: Macedonia
State: Ohio
Country: United States
 
Purchase date: Undefined
Status: Current Owner
 
Nickname: E56S003317
State: Top Flight
 
Exterior: Venetian Red (30.08%)
Interior: Red (74.42%)
Coves: Shoreline Beige
Softtop: Beige (25.81%)
Wheels: Red (45.43%)
 
Delivery Dealer Zone: Unknown
Delivery Dealer Code: Unknown
 
Options: RPO Option Percentage
Sold [%]
Sales Price
[$]
  02934 Base Corvette (2x4 225hp) 100.00% 3,120.00
  101 Heater 100.00% 123.65
  102 AM Radio 78.37% 198.90
  107 Parking Brake Alarm 77.44% 5.40
  108 Courtesy Lights 80.04% 8.65
  109 Windshield Washers 81.19% 11.85
  290 Whitewall Tires 6.70x15 100.00% 32.30
  419 Auxiliary Hardtop 59.88% 215.20
  426 Power Windows 15.78% 64.60
  440 Two Tone Paint 36.31% 19.40
  469 265ci 225hp Engine 2 4bbl Carbs 88.55% 172.20
  473 Power Operated Folding Top 77.36% 107.60
  Total   0.023556592921233%
(1 Cars)
4,079.75
 
Factory job nr.: Unknown
Export Car: Non Export Car
Other details: Mileage: 87123
 
Car history:
Posted 03/28/2020

The best Corvettes get everything right: specification, pedigree, documentation,
awards, and this stunning 1956 Chevrolet Corvette nails it in every single category.
Here is the short version: one of 3467 built, loaded with every single option
you could get except the high-lift cam, known ownership history from new, and
a heavily documented body-off restoration good enough to win NCRS Top Flight
awards at the national level. You simply will not find a better one.

This Corvette was originally purchased by Clarence Kennedy and he checked all
but two of the options on the list:

Heater
AM signal-seeking radio
Parking brake alarm
Courtesy lights
Windshield washers
6.70-15 whitewall tires
Auxiliary hardtop
Power windows
Two-tone exterior paint
225 horsepower 265 cubic inch V8 with two 4-barrel carbs
Power convertible top

The two options he did not select? Powerglide automatic transmission and the
race-only high-lift cam (RPO 449). He also specified Venetian Red with a beige
cove insert (it is not and never has been white) with a red interior, which was
by far the most popular combination in 1956. Oddly enough, Mr. Kennedy only
kept the car for two years, selling it in 1958 to Charles Goodwin of Plaistow,
New Hampshire on July 21, 1958 for $2500 (we have the bill of sale and 1958
New Hampshire vehicle permit). Mr. Goodwin seemed to like the Corvette quite
a bit and the documentation suggests that it was still in his possession in 1968.
At some point it was sold to a Corvette Dealer in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, and
ultimately to its most recent owner in 1986.

During those 35 years of ownership, the car was restored twice: once in the
early 1990s where it was simply repainted and the engine rebuilt; and then a
second, comprehensive restoration in 2017 that transformed it into the award-
winning car it is today. The bodywork was completely stripped to bare fiberglass
and refinished in two-stage urethane that makes the original Venetian Red paint
look incredibly deep and shiny. It is a bit orange, but the contrast with the
beige side cove is just gorgeous. It is a very sophisticated look. Fit and finish
are surely better than new, but the guys doing the work knew that perfection is
not a good idea if you are going to compete at the highest levels, so it is not
perfect. It is merely Corvette perfect. The doors open and close easily, the trunk
latches down easily, and you can close the hood with a gentle push. The chrome
was all refinished to show standards and all new emblems and lenses were installed.

The interior was also restored to as-new condition. The textured vinyl seats,
low-nap carpet, and ornate door panels are just as they were in 1956, and you
can see most of the options here: power windows, AM radio, and the courtesy
lights, all of which are fully operational. The dashboard is largely the same as
1955, painted in the same beige as the side coves, and all the gauges work as
they should, including the clock and the unique total revolutions counter on the
tach. A 3-speed manual was standard equipment (there were no 4-speeds in
1956) and it is reasonably crisp and clutch action is light. The driving position
is very much old-school performance, with a big wheel right in your chest so
you can do the maneuvering with your shoulders rather than your arms. The
radio pulls in stations loud and clear and broadcasts through the single speaker
in front of the passenger. Tan canvas was optional for the convertible top,
which is technically power actuated, although the system does need the driver
to release the latches and the deck lid to allow it to stow itself underneath.
There is also a fully restored matching hardtop, complete with textured headliner
that is the same as the seat upholstery. The surprisingly spacious trunk has a
correct rubber mat and there is a full sized spare stowed underneath.

RPO 469 was a 265 cubic inch V8 with two 4-barrel carburetors making 225
horsepower a fairly robust figure for 1956. The engine was rebuilt during the
1990s restoration and with very little use there was no need for a second rebuilt,
just new gaskets and fresh paint to make it look correct under the hood.
Finned valve covers were standard equipment, as were the miniature louvered
air cleaners which were like smaller versions of the single 4-barrel unit. It carries
a correct aluminum intake manifold and correct cast iron exhaust manifolds, which
show just the right amount of Chevrolet Orange engine enamel overspray. Correct
ignition shielding, a generator with built-in tachometer drive, new wiring, correct
hoses and clamps, and all the other little things that make for a show-winner are
there. It starts easily and idles well, and on the road there is plenty of punch at
any speed which is what owning a Corvette is all about, right?

Underneath, the frame was sandblasted bare and repainted satin black and even
the factory stencils were replicated on the outer frame rail. The 3-speed manual
transmission shifts crisply, and with 3.70 gears, this roadster is quick even in
todays world of 700+ horsepower Corvettes. Everything is rebuilt, including brakes,
suspension, and steering, and details are exact, including a reproduction A/C oil
filter and the heat shields that protect the fiberglass floors from exhaust heat.
Correct spiral shocks are in place out back, along with the original canvas check
straps on the axle, which are a little brittle but still in place. It is surprisingly tight
and supple, totally dispelling the rumor that Corvettes are rattle-traps, and the
exhaust bark is worth the price of admission all by itself. Steel wheels carry
attractive spinner hubcaps and correctly-sized 6.70-15 BF Goodrich Silvertown
wide whitewall tires.

This car includes a substantial file full of receipts, invoices, ownership documents,
and owners manual. Awards that accompany the car include both a regional
NCRS Top Flight award and a national NCRS Top Flight award earned at the
national meet in Lake Placid, NY.

Like I said, this Corvette gets everything right. It is correct, it is beautiful, it is
documented, and it is ready to enjoy at almost any level. The investment in the
restoration was considerably more than the asking price, and the 1956 Corvettes
are among the rarest of Chevrolets plastic fantastic.
 
For Sale: No

Number of visits on this page by other users: 83

This site is sponsored by: