1963 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

Just the highlights on this spectacular 1963 Corvette: matching-numbers fuel injected L84 327/360 HP, 4-speed manual transmission, and it's correct Riverside Red. If you've been looking for an investment-grade Corvette, this car is a very smart choice.

Red is a passionate color, and there aren't many guys more passionate about their hardware than Corvette owners. It's fitting that this car's Riverside Red finish is correct, because nothing looks as good as a mid-year roadster in sizzling bright red. You want attention, you'll get it in this fiberglass ragtop, but you'll be too busy grinning like an escaped convict to notice. Fit and finish were very well done several years ago and it still looks spectacular; we don't use words like "perfect" and "flawless" but this car comes pretty darned close. Even up close, you'll notice that all the little stuff is right: the headlights fit flush, the door gaps are even, and the pleat that surrounds the body is almost sharp enough to give you a paper cut. C2s don't have a lot of chrome, but everything on this car was professionally refinished, including the bumpers and those ribbed rocker panel moldings that are the coolest thing this side of, well, side pipes. And quite honestly, there's nothing that looks as cool on a '63 'Vette as that little badge on the front fender: Fuel Injection.

It also features a contrasting standard black interior (uninterestingly listed as STD on the trim tag), which is how it came from the factory. It's all new of course, with fresh seat covers, new carpets and door panels, and an expertly refinished center console. Corvette engineers gave you a full array of gauges, all of which have been expertly restored in this car, including the 160 MPH speedometer and correct 6500 RPM redline tach (lesser models had 5500 RPM redlines). This one also includes the unique Corvette vertical radio, fresh carpeted floor mats, and a stout shifter atop the 4-speed manual gearbox. For regular use, there's a nice-fitting white convertible top, but the car also includes its original, date-code-correct hardtop which has been painted to match.

Thanks to revisions in the cam, heads, and valvetrain, not to mention more displacement, the L84 generated well over the "one horsepower per cubic inch" that made the fuelie such an icon. Rebuilt during the restoration, and it runs beautifully today, with a cackling exhaust note and the symphony of mechanical lifters on the high-lift cam. All the correct details are there, too, from the chrome air cleaner and ignition shield, to the finned valve covers. All the numbers line up correctly, including the date-code-correct Rochester fuel injection system that's original to the car. Ram's horn exhaust manifolds dump into a reproduction dual exhaust system, and as long as you're looking around under there, note the clean floors and rugged underpinnings, which make this a fantastic driver that won't cause you to lose your hair over its perfection. Knock-offs were off the menu for '63, but they're not incorrect as many cars were ordered with them and the factory just wasn't able to supply them. Wrapped in 215/70/15 whitewall radials, it has a suitably period look that rides and handles great, even today.

Only 2610 fuel-injected cars were built in '63. Today, matching numbers, a high-performance engine, and a great color combination make this a very special 'Vette indeed, and if a car at this price can be considered a bargain, this is it. Call today!