Autohunter Spotlight: 1979 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Custom Coupe

Remember the television sitcom “Home Improvement” that was featured on the ABC network from 1991 through 1999? Tim Allen played Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, a character who was frequently quoted as saying that his tools and equipment needed “MORE POWER!” Would Tim have been satisfied with a 521-horsepower Corvette? Featured on AutoHunter is a C3 that has no shortage of power, even for Tim Taylor: a 1979 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Custom Coupe listed by a dealer in Canby, Oregon. The auction will end on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. (MST).

It only takes a quick glance at this Corvette to see that it means business when it comes to performance. The engine is the predominant feature of the build – towering out of the nose in all its chromed-out glory. A spec list gives us some insight as to the nuts and bolts that bring it all together: The 355ci V8 is supercharged using a “Big Al’s” Roots-style supercharger, and features include dual Holley 750cfm carburetors, Iron Eagle Dart heads, a BDS blower, Hooker long-tube headers, and plenty of shiny dress-up bits. It’s a work of art. Power is fed to the rear tires via a robust Muncie M22 four-speed manual transmission and a 12-bolt Positraction rear end.

For 1979, Corvettes reached unprecedented sales heights, with over 50,000 units finding new owners. One of the drivers for that was a longer list of standard equipment. One ad said, “This year, Corvette engineers and designers continue to refine one of the world’s impressively responsive cars, blending styling and engineering to give you touring comfort and driver convenience. New flatter-folding bucket seats endow Corvette with a more practical carrying capacity. New dual-snorkel air induction air cleaner, new anti-theft steering column ignition lock, and standard Delco AM/FM radio help to make it one of the world’s well-equipped cars.”

The selling dealer says that this hopped-up Vette has been driven fewer than 500 miles on the new engine. It’s a car that would be equally suited for the street or the strip … especially considering how race-ready it is. (The interior has a tubular roll cage, and the meaty Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro rear tires do a solid job of channeling all 521 horses to the pavement.)

It’s been over 25 years since Tim Taylor made his characteristic grunt and asked for MORE POWER – but we are confident that if he saw, heard, and drove this muscular C3 Corvette, he’d probably just nod his head and smile.

The auction for this 1979 Chevrolet Corvette Custom Coupe ends Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. (MST).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery