1963 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

The 1963 Corvette coupe is one of those rare exceptions to the rule that if the top goes down, the price goes up. Any car guy with a pulse is secretly wishing for a split-window coupe in their Christmas stocking this year, and this gorgeous Riverside Red 327/340 4-speed is just the thing to make even a grown man dance in the streets Christmas morning.

Yeah, the Sting Ray was a slam-dunk; 50 years of Corvette fans have pretty much proven that. Imagine you're walking down the street in late 1962, and this thing is idling at a red light. Twin pipes burbling, paint glistening, and that astounding shape making you stop in your tracks and just stare until it disappears over the horizon. That's what the split-window coupe is all about. And if you have one, you need to restore it right, because thereпїЅs just too much history here to do it half-hearted. So while this one was purchased in 2004 from the original owner who had already restored it once, it received an updated restoration in 2008, which included new paint thatпїЅs about a mile deep and hot enough to light a cigarette. The fiberglass is in top-notch condition with crisp details, sharp lines, and no signs of stress in the usual locations. All the chrome was stripped and dipped, the stainless was polished, and the result is a car thatпїЅs ready to compete.

The '63 Corvette interior was every bit as ground-breaking as the bodywork, although it tends to get lost in the commotion. New black seat covers have been fitted to the original buckets, and the twin-cockpit design is something that's still echoing in today's C6. A full array of gauges keep a comprehensive eye on the engine, and their bright stainless faces and slender needles are miniature works of art. The Muncie 4-speed shifter falls easily to hand, just inches away from the 3-spoke steering wheel thatпїЅs very European in its design. An upgraded radio offers AM/FM/cassette capability with a 10-disc CD changer stashed out of sight, but retains the unique vertical orientation, and new speakers ensure it sounds great.

During that 2008 restoration, a 1964 327 was fully built to original specs. That means you can drive this one without worries, and nobody will ever know the difference! Gorgeous finned valve covers and that unique air cleaner lid give it an authentic look, although the bright chrome alternator suggests that trophies were not the primary mission here. The ram's horn exhaust manifolds have been coated to look great, and correct blue-stripe hoses, tower clamps, and chrome ignition shield are exactly right. Underneath, it's ultra-clean with a snarling exhaust system that gives this potent small block a serious bark. The rear end offers a limited-slip differential, and the new all-independent suspension definitely lives up to the billing. Classic spinner hubcaps look slick and are framed by a set of 205/75/15 whitewall radials.

Fast, and exceptionally pretty, don't let this split-window become the ghost of Christmas Past, call today!