Rare 1966 'Big Tank' Corvette up for auction in Pasco County
HUDSON, Fla. - If you love cars, maybe you’ve heard the term "Barn Find." It means a special car that’s found preserved in a barn or sometimes a garage. It’s as though the car had been in a time capsule, often for decades.
It’s exactly what FOX 13 found when the door opened to a garage in Hudson. It was a 1966 Corvette Stingray, but not just any ‘66 Corvette. It’s a "Tanker" or "Big Tank."
Chevrolet produced them between 1963 and 1967 so that the Corvette could compete in long endurance races. The cars were built with massive 36-gallon, fiberglass gas tanks that stretched from the rear bumper to the back of the driver and passenger seats.
Only a handful of the cars were produced – a much smaller handful still exist.
"It probably wasn’t going to win any safety awards," said Corvette enthusiast Dale Graham. "But, it was a great-running car – 427 cubic inches, 425 horsepower."
The Corvette found in the Hudson garage belonged to John Cockin who passed away in April. His wife Peggy said she remembered many good times with the special Vette.
"I remember when we drove back and forth from Pinellas County, where we grew up, to USF, where we went to college," Peggy said.
John was a car guy, and when he passed away, Peggy was left with John’s collection of interesting project cars, but none more rare than the 1966 Big Tank Corvette.
It will be auctioned on Saturday December 2, along with John’s other cars and collectibles. From our research online, the Big Tank could fetch as much as a good-sized house.
Peggy said she hopes the right person gets the car.
"It would do both John and I great pleasure to know that someone else has dreams and someone else is able to accomplish that. They’ll love it," she smiled.
For more information, visit www.harrisauctionsllc.com.