This 1962 Corvette Looks Like New After Its First Wash in 30 Years

There are mouse droppings under the seats, in the trunk, and on the engine.

By: Anthony Alaniz

Jun 16, 2024 at 12:00pm ET

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The Chevrolet Corvette you can buy today is nothing like the first-generation model. The car has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the early 1950s, but the original remains an icon and we hate to see it left to collect dust—like the example above. Thankfully, a thorough wash and detail help restore the sports car to its near-original glory.

It had been sitting for 30 years, collecting dust and critter droppings. It spent 20 of them in a barn and another 10 in a warehouse. However, unlike some forgotten vehicles, this one was well taken care of before being put away. While it is filthy, including the interior, the seats are stellar and lack tears or rips. There is also no major exterior damage.

It looks dirty, not warn, although there is a ton of mouse poop everywhere. It’s underneath the seats, in the engine compartment, on the engine, and in the trunk. Mice made makeshift homes, too, stuffing debris into crevices, and the car is covered in dirty animal prints ranging from rat to raccoon.

What do you think?

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The seats are stained, but they look new after the cleaning, with the inserts going from a dingy gray back to black. The carpet presented a challenge due to its foam backing and thick fibers, which trapped a ton of debris, but the pieces look pristine going back into the Chevy.

The car’s odometer reads just 11,282 miles, with a sticker from 1987 noting it had been driven 10,985 miles at the time, about two years before the owner parked it for good, and its condition reflects that. The seats look new, the paint still shines with some love, and the cabin looks like a pleasant place to spend a Saturday afternoon—once thoroughly disinfected.