When it comes to barn finds, most classic cars ended up in long-term storage simply because they crashed, they broke down, or their owners couldn’t drive them anymore. Some, however, were parked for safekeeping. But this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette has an entirely different story to tell.
Because it was hidden in a barn after a police chase. It happened sometime in the late 1970s and the Corvette hasn’t seen daylight until November 2022. Yup, it spent at least 43 years in hiding. And no, this story is not just an urban legend, but the tale of a teenager with Corvette fever and a heavy foot.
His name is Mike and he purchased the car in 1974 from a used car dealer. Living in a small community, he soon became known as “Big Block Mike,” the guy who owned the coolest and meanest car around. Mike also liked to spin the rear tires of his Corvette quite often and, as a result, he needed to change the rubber often too.
One tire change didn’t go as planned due to a sloppy mechanic and the left rear tire came loose while Mike was driving the car. The incident resulted in a crash and a ripped quarter panel.
Mike replaced the panel but because the insurance company wouldn’t pay to have it repainted, he ended up with a red Corvette with a black quarter panel. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for the Corvette to attract unwanted attention from the police.
For some reason, Mike decided to run away from the cops. He outran police vehicles twice but had to hide the car to avoid being arrested. He eventually repainted the quarter panel but he got hit by a Corvair during a quick run to the parts store and decided to park it for good.
Come 2022, and the Corvette finally came out of storage, mostly because the barn it was kept in was falling apart after decades of neglect. The car was moved to a safer building but it’s unclear if it will be restored and put back on the road anytime soon.
But even so, it’s still good news for a big-block Corvette from the golden era. Especially since it also has a cool story to tell.
I have no idea how original this Vette is, but third-generation 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 cars are hard to find nowadays. That’s because the said engine was only offered in 1968 and 1969. It was quite powerful, too, generating 390 to 435 horsepower depending on specs. Chevrolet also dropped a 427 V8 good for 460 horsepower in the Corvette ZL1 in 1969, but that’s a different story for another time.
Meanwhile, watch this derelict sports car come out of storage after more than 40 years in the video below.
