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Classic Moves

Written by Emily Pogue | Photos by Jonathan Kruger

Like any Texas transplant looking to make a move to South Dakota, a secure, warm home with plenty of amenities is paramount on the list of things to find. Hailing originally from California, this 1969 Chevrolet Stingray Corvette convertible owned by David Kelly has found that safe, heated haven within the gated community of Big Time Storage Gateway Addition. And soon it will share the over 1,500-square-feet space with four more automobiles and a large collection of memorabilia.

Kelly, who lives in Sioux Falls, hasn’t always been a Corvette lover. His affinity was born with the purchase of a 1981 model that he purchased in 2017. Needing more work than he had planned for, he gave up that car – but not his affection for Corvettes.

Kelly bought the gorgeous orange 1969 Stingray convertible about a year ago from an online auction after a hopeful bid led him to a win. Originally manufactured in California where it was refurbished by a Corvette shop in 2013, the Stingray had been purchased by a gentleman from Texas for his wife. Upon discovering that the car was too much power for what she wanted, the previous owner stored the car in a garage in Bismarck, ND where it sat for a few years before Kelly found it. After jumping through a few hoops to guarantee he wasn’t being swindled, Kelly flew to North Dakota to pick up his new wheels and drive it home.

Once there, the car underwent a few transformations. While the interior door panels were cracked and needed replacing and the seats needed to be redone, most of the interior was original and in good shape. Though the carpet was in excellent shape and the gauges are all original, Kelly did replace the old AM/FM stereo with something more modern. And because

April 2020

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