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VIN E53F001119









   
Car Year: 1953
Car's approximate birthday: October 20, 1953
 
Owner: Ebay: corvettemike.com
City: Anaheim
State: California
Country: United States
 
Purchase date: Undefined
Status: Current Owner
 
State: Top Flight
 
Exterior: Polo White (100.00%)
Interior: Red (100.00%)
Softtop: Black (100.00%)
Wheels: Unknown
 
Delivery Dealer Zone: Unknown
Delivery Dealer Code: Unknown
 
Options: RPO Option Percentage
Sold [%]
Sales Price
[$]
  02934 Base Engine 235ci "Blue Flame" 150hp (150hp) 100.00% 3,498.00
  101A Heater 100.00% 91.40
  101B AM Radio 100.00% 145.15
  Total   100.000000000000000%
(300 Cars)
3,734.55
 
Factory job nr.: Unknown
Export Car: Non Export Car
 
Car history:
Once owned by Joe Hrudka of Mr. Gasket fame; MR. GASKET, a company which manufactures automobile accessories, was founded by Joseph F. Hrudka in 1965 to produce a new type of gasket he designed to withstand high temperatures. At the time, Hrudka and his brother Tom participated in the drag-racing circuit and hoped to make around $6,000 annually to fund their racing. By 1967 he sold $600,000 worth of gaskets and other auto parts and moved his operation from 4468 State Rd. to 4569 Spring Rd. With sales of $3 million and earnings of $375,000 in 1969, the company went public and Hrudka sold one-third of its equity for $2.7 million. When W. R. Grace & Co. acquired Mr. Gasket in Dec. 1971, Hrudka realized $6 million from his initial $5.00 investment. By 1972, the company relocated to 4566 Spring Rd., and by 1981, the company had 6 locations in the Brooklyn Hts. industrial park and employed 200 people in Cleveland, with another 300 working in plants in California and Mexico. However, when Mr. Gasket's business declined under Grace & Co.'s management, Hrudka bought it back for $4 million in Apr. 1981. He reinstated his former associates and acquired other auto-parts firms in order to boost annual sales and earnings.
Joe had the car restored by fanatical Joe Melickie of Country Corvettes at a price that probably exceeded the annual budget of Rhode Island. Kidding of course Joe. This 1953 Corvette is probably one of the finest know to exist in the WORLD. Thats a strong statement but with so many 99 point NCRS Top Flights at regional and National events it just doesnt get much better. I had the pleasure of purchasing this 53 American Icon at the Russo and Steele Auction in Monterey in the early turn of the 21st Century. I knew prior to acquiring this beautifully restored example of Americas first and only True Sports Car that I had a plan. My plan was to take this 53 and help celebrate Corvettes 50th Anniversary at the National Convention in Monterey in August 2002. To prepare the car for early Chapter and Regional judgings, I had my second senior restorer of 20 plus years, Chad Hales, carefully disassemble to repair and fine tune just about every mechanical component of the drive train. This process went on for months. First judged in early 2001 by myself the car scored beautifully. See Top Flight Certificates included. After a couple more tweaks and tunes and a road trip of local highways and byways I knew my sidekick and I were ready to embark on the National Convention and eat up the highest award tally ever for a 53 Corvette, at least in my stable that is. When I walked away with the blue ribbon and the 99.1 score card I was truly a happy camper. Now the fun begins, our entire convention of Corvettes were invited to Laguna Seca to cruise around the track as never before ever done; a complete evolution of the 50 years of Corvettes side by side at speed taking in every turn including the Famous Corkscrew. My red 67 435 Coupe was also in the parade piloted by Chris Piscitello of Dallas, TX. Does it get any better than this, Chris asked?
Now to top off this, if you possibly could, my 53 Corvette was the only car invited to the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park, San Diego to showcase, on a rising turntable, the technologically advanced components of the 50s in America. For a month the car sat proudly turning 360 degrees 24 hours a day to viewers from around the globe. What a site to behold! It was at that exact setting that the new owners, also from the San Diego area, stood before me. Chuck & Amy Spielman, avid car collectors of all 30s, 40s, 50s and up to present day supercars, had their eye on #119 for quite some time now. It was hard to see her go but I knew Chuck and Amy would provide her a beautiful setting and equally gorgeous siblings to keep her company. And oh what siblings!! Their museum is open to the public by appointment only and Im sure they would love to see any car buff as they travel through the San Diego area. Later during their ownership they decided to sell by auction their beautiful 1953 Corvette through the Barrett-Jackson auction house in Scottsdale AZ. The car brought a commanding price and the new owner, a telephone bidder was elated as the hammer fell and the phone disconnected. Another proud new owner and more NCRS Top Flight Certificates to add the collection Bill Shenk another Southern Californian, saw himself smiling behind the wheel of this super rare and superb example of the first run of Corvettes ever made. History in the making is whats its referred to when a privileged few can say they owned one of the first 1953 Corvettes. Some facts from The Idaho Corvette Page; The first time the public saw Harley J. Earl's "Dream car", the Corvette, was in January 1953 at the Motorama display at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. On June 30, 1953 the Corvette went into full production (each car was built by hand) at the GM facility in Flint, Michigan, where 300 Corvettes were built that year. All 1953 Corvettes were white with a red interior, all had Powerglide automatic transmissions mated to 150 HP, six cylinder engines with three carburetors and dual exhaust. This is the rarest Corvette. Of the 300 built, 255 are accounted for today. Due to a shortage of wheel covers, the first 25 cars were delivered with the standard Chevrolet "baby moon" passenger car wheel cover. All of the 1953 production were convertibles with black canvas tops, and the following options.
Options: Base Corvette Convertible, Heater, AM Radio.
Serial Numbers: E53001001 through E53F001300, Base Engine: 235ci 150hp.
Last 1953 Corvette Built December 1953. $349,900. July 7, 2010.

Corvette Mike was advertising this car. The ad reads: "The finest museum quality restoration in the world, former Mr. Gasket car on display for the 50th anniversary. NFS". According to Ron Anderson, the asking price is $165,000 and it has over $200,000 in receipts.

9-16-2002: From Corvette Mike's web site: The '53 was judged a 98.3, Top Flight at the NCRS Regional Laughlin, NV, and a 99.1 at the N.C.R.S. Petersen Museum meet and won 1st place American Post War at the Beverly Hills Classics for Charity IX car show.

 
For Sale: No

Number of visits on this page by other users: 2004

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