Classic Car Collector Gets A Mouthful From His Mechanic After Breaking A 1962 Chevrolet Corvette

Key Takeaways

• Hoover bought a cheap 1962 Chevy Corvette that quickly broke down due to a burnout mishap but is in good condition overall.
• The Corvette had several broken parts, including a blown differential and leaking brakes, but was ultimately repaired successfully.
• Despite mechanical issues, the Corvette is valued at $60,000 and Hoover paid only $45,000 – a potentially good investment opportunity.

Tyler Hoover of Hoovies Garage on YouTube has some interesting vehicles in his collection. Now, he has bought what he claims is the cheapest original 1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1 in the U.S. – but it’s surely not among the rarest Chevy Corvettes ever made.

In typical Hoovie fashion, he then promptly broke it on one of his first drives. This is something his mechanic, “The Car Wizard,” who had previously also shown us how to not get scammed by a mechanic, wasn’t too happy about. Hoovie says it broke down for the dumbest reason, which lives up to Hoover’s mantra that his channel is “the dumbest automotive channel in all of YouTube.”

UPDATE: 2024/03/21 14:38 EST BY OLAKUNLE BALOGUN

We’ve updated this post with more information about Tyler Hoover’s classic Corvette. We included the car parts that got damaged, the performance stats of the Corvette, and the current worth of the classic Corvette in the used market.

The performance stat and current value of the 1962 Corvette were sourced from ZeroTo60Times and Hagerty, respectively.

Why Hoover Bought His 1962 Corvette

1962 Chevrolet Corvette Specs

Hoover believes he effectively stole the car, due to its price and great condition. It does look good in its Roman red paint with all the chrome gleaming and the red wheels with the chrome hubcaps, elements that remind us of our supercharged 1962 Chevrolet Corvette restomod. However, he opens the video with the car on a tow truck as he says he “drove it like he stole it.” This is hardly an ideal start to life with one of the most collectible and desirable sports cars in the United States.

For the base model, the 1962 Corvette is powered by a 327 cubic inch V8 mated to a 3-speed manual transmission, sending out 250 horsepower. Using the base V8 engine, the 1962 Corvette can go from rest to 60 mph in 7 seconds, and it’s capable of a top speed of 142 mph.

How Hoover Broke His Classic C1 Corvette

Broken Parts Found On Hoover’s Corvette

• Blown differential
• Engine leaks
• Leaky brakes
• Rusted exhaust
• Leaking transmission
• Blown shocks

Hoover says he tried to do a burnout in the C1 Chevrolet Corvette, which led to a big failure of something that he says could be either the transmission, driveshaft, or differential. However, Hoover is still happy about his purchase. Despite the mechanical issues, it’s in brilliant condition. Upon taking the Corvette to his mechanic, the “Car Wizard,” Hoover is then berated for doing a burnout in such a valuable car – one of the vintage American cars that are true collector’s gems. The Wizard is no stranger to seeing Hoover do donuts or burnouts in his cars, only for it to end in disaster. The diagnosis of the Corvette reveals that the differential in the C1 is now broken.

Also, upon further examination, the Wizard discovered several other parts of Hoover’s 1962 Corvette that needed extra care or complete replacement. Some of these parts and the damage include blown shocks, a leak in the exhaust due to rust, leaky brakes, and an oil leak was also found on the engine.

Hoover Gets The Corvette Back Onto The Road

Cool Features We Found On This Classic Chevrolet Corvette

• Removable hardtop
• Dashboard-mounted rearview mirror
• Passenger dash grab handle
• Fiberglass body

Thankfully, Hoover is able to show us what it is like to drive this beautiful Corvette. With the repairs to the car, the Corvette certainly has some get-up-and-go, and the Wizard is quite impressed. Hoover says he paid $45,000, which is a good price for such a classic Corvette. The interior is in very good condition, and Hoover is also impressed with the comfort of the C1 Corvette, too. Luckily, he is now forbidden from doing another burnout by the Car Wizard. This is likely for the best, especially for Hoovie’s wallet.

Current Worth Of The 1962 Chevrolet Corvette

Pricing

With just a little over 14,500 units of the model produced, the 1962 Corvette can be classified as a rare classic sports car. Hoover believes he got his classic Corvette for a steal, but there are several other cheap sports cars available for vintage car collectors in the used car market. Notably, back in the day, the base 1962 Chevrolet Corvette was sold for an original MSRP of $4,038. Several decades later, Hoover said he got this clean and well-maintained example for $45,000.

However, using Hagerty valuation tool, a well-conditioned example of the 1962 Chevrolet Corvette is worth $60,000. Therefore, going by Hagerty’s valuation, Hoover could make a good profit if he decided to list his 1962 Corvette for sale.

Source: Hoovies Garage, Hagerty, ZeroTo60Times