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Here's where all those old 'Vettes are

These vintage Corvette are the real McCoy with two old Vancouver friends owning 14 examples

Alyn Edwards
Feb 20, 2021  •  April 21, 2021  •  3 minute read  •  Join the conversation
Corvette enthusiast Bob McCoy with the show winning 1954 model he restored from the ground up.
Corvette enthusiast Bob McCoy with the show winning 1954 model he restored from the ground up. Photo by Alyn Edwards

If you wonder where all the early Corvettes have gone, meet Ron Anthony and Bob McCoy. They have been friends for more than 50 years as both men were in the forklift business in Vancouver. They also shared a common interest in vintage Corvettes and have 14 early models between them. And each owns a rare 1954 model.

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A visit to Bob McCoy’s Fraser Valley home shop reveals the freshly restored Pennant Blue 1954 Corvette that has won top awards every time it has been shown. As well, there is one 1956 model, four 1957 Corvettes including one with factory fuel injection and another with dual four-barrel carburetors, a fuel injected 1964 coupe and a 1965 roadster with almost every option.

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Ron Anthony’s home garage in Surrey holds six Corvettes including the 1954 model, three 1957 models including a well-known California drag race car, a 1961 that is currently under restoration and a 1962 Corvette. Ron has owned his 1954 model for 44 years. He bought it from a company called Movie World that rented cars to the film industry in Los Angeles. A previous owner had replaced the original six-cylinder engine with a 1953 Cadillac V8 running through an early Ford floor shift transmission. The car is otherwise original including the four wheel covers wrapped in yellowing paper stored in the trunk. Ron has plans to restore the car that was number 259 of the 3,640 Corvette examples built in the 1954 model year. He will retain the Cadillac engine.

Bob McCoy’s journey with his 1954 Corvette is much different. He paid $15,000 for the car shell at the 2015 Corvette swap meet at Puyallup, Washington. The car was missing a lot of the rare parts it was built with. But Bob saw an opportunity to bring the car back to original showroom condition. It would be an expensive restoration.

“It was pretty well picked clean,” McCoy says of his purchase. “I had to hunt down all the parts to restore the car.”

The four original wheel covers were US$800. Each. The convertible top assembly was $1,500. The original seats were $4,500. The most expensive item to buy was a set of original clip-in side windows. It cost $6,200.

Story continues below
  1. Ron Anthony with the 1954 Corvette he bought as a Los Angeles movie car 44 years ago.
    Ron Anthony with the 1954 Corvette he bought as a Los Angeles movie car 44 years ago. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  2. Ron and the rearend of the '54.
    Ron and the rearend of the '54. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  3. Bob McCoy’s rare pair of 1957 Corvettes: the black car features dual four-barrel carburation and the red car has factory fuel injection.
    Bob McCoy’s rare pair of 1957 Corvettes: the black car features dual four-barrel carburation and the red car has factory fuel injection. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  4. Dual four-barrel carburetion boosts the horsepower on Bob McCoy’s restored black 1957 Corvette.
    Dual four-barrel carburetion boosts the horsepower on Bob McCoy’s restored black 1957 Corvette. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  5. Rochester fuel injection in Bob McCoy’s restored 1957 Corvette is a rare option.
    Rochester fuel injection in Bob McCoy’s restored 1957 Corvette is a rare option. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  6. The 1954 Corvette restored by Bob McCoy after buying it as just a body shell six years ago.
    The 1954 Corvette restored by Bob McCoy after buying it as just a body shell six years ago. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  7. The wire mesh headlight protectors were a hallmark design feature on the first Corvettes.
    The wire mesh headlight protectors were a hallmark design feature on the first Corvettes. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  8. The aggressive front of Bob McCoy’s restored 1954 Corvette would become a hallmark design feature.
    The aggressive front of Bob McCoy’s restored 1954 Corvette would become a hallmark design feature. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  9. Some of Bob McCoy’s Corvette collection stored away for the winter.
    Some of Bob McCoy’s Corvette collection stored away for the winter. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  10. Ron Anthony’s 1954 Corvette could easily be made road ready although it was last driven in 1977.
    Ron Anthony’s 1954 Corvette could easily be made road ready although it was last driven in 1977. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  11. This 1957 Corvette race car is regularly campaigned at the Mission drag strip by 81-year-old Bob McCoy.
    This 1957 Corvette race car is regularly campaigned at the Mission drag strip by 81-year-old Bob McCoy. Photo by Submitted
  12. The 1964 Corvette coupe featuring a fuel injected V8 engine makes it a fierce competitor.
    The 1964 Corvette coupe featuring a fuel injected V8 engine makes it a fierce competitor. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  13. This 1956 Corvette with all options including power top and windows waits for restoration.
    This 1956 Corvette with all options including power top and windows waits for restoration. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  14. Bob McCoy’s stunning 1957 Corvette with factory fuel injection offered as an industry first.
    Bob McCoy’s stunning 1957 Corvette with factory fuel injection offered as an industry first. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  15. This 1957 Corvette owned by Vancouver-area enthusiast Ron Anthony is waiting to be restored.
    This 1957 Corvette owned by Vancouver-area enthusiast Ron Anthony is waiting to be restored. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  16. The license plate on Ron Anthony’s 1954 shows the last time it was driven on the road was 1977.
    The license plate on Ron Anthony’s 1954 shows the last time it was driven on the road was 1977. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  17. This Corvette race car is one of three 1957 models owned by Vancouver-area enthusiast Ron Anthony.
    This Corvette race car is one of three 1957 models owned by Vancouver-area enthusiast Ron Anthony. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  18. This rare 1956 Plymouth Fury is currently being restored by Bob McCoy.
    This rare 1956 Plymouth Fury is currently being restored by Bob McCoy. Photo by Alyn Edwards

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McCoy did all the restoration work himself except for the bodywork and paint. The results are spectacular with the 66-year-old sports car representing the second year of Corvette production.

It has been 60 years since McCoy bought his first Corvette. He traded a fistful of money and the 1956 Plymouth Fury that he purchased at Dominion Vancouver Motors in 1959 for his honeymoon tour of California for a four-year-old 1957 Corvette. The car was all white with a red interior. It had factory fuel injection and all other options including power windows and a power top.

That set off a lifelong love affair with America’s sports car – the Corvette.

McCoy has now put aside the three Corvettes he wants to restore including a fully optioned 1956 model and two 1957 Corvettes. He spends every day working in his shop restoring a rare high performance 1956 Plymouth Fury, much like the honeymoon car he bought more than 60 years ago.

Once that project is finished, the 81-year-old enthusiast will get back to work on his fleet of Corvettes.

Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and partner in Peak Communicators, a Vancouver-based public relations company. aedwards@peakco.com

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