1964 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

If a car that costs more than $50,000 can be a bargain, this 1964 Corvette is it. Beautifully restored, fitted with A/C and a 4-speed, and with a cackling L76 327/365 under the hood, what more could you want from your mid-year except a split rear window?

There's not much left that I can say about the Sting Ray that hasn't already been said, and since you're reading this, I'll assume that you really want to know about the car itself. Well, the original code 912 Silver Blue finish was stripped to bare fiberglass and rebuilt from there. The current color is perhaps a little closer to Satin Silver than Silver Blue, but there's no arguing that the C3s look awesome in metallic silver no matter what it's called. The fiberglass underneath is very good with all of the usual Corvette issues handled properly. Gaps are quite even all around, but not too perfect because that's just the sort of thing that judges like to look at during competition. All the brightwork was freshened, including the bumpers and ribbed rocker panel trim and even though the split window was gone, the glass in this '64 is in outstanding condition with few signs of age.

A fresh black interior was installed during the restoration and it still looks fantastic today. The color was changed from the original red to black, so that means all the important things are new, including the seat covers, door panels, carpets, and even the dash pad and center console. Beautiful gauges show crisp markings and tight spacing that looks very European, and the slender wood-rimmed wheel is perfect for your string-backed driving gloves. The unique vertical radio is a newer AM/FM piece and yes, this car does carry A/C. The chrome shifter for the 4-speed gearbox helps with the sleek monochromatic look and even the package area behind the seats is immaculately upholstered in correct bound carpets that fit right and look great.

The real reason this Corvette is so affordable, however, is under the hood. Where if it were a matching-numbers piece, the price would go up by thousands but the driving experience would be identical. While that doesn't make a lot of sense, the truth is that it's a 1962-vintage block that's been completely rebuilt to 1964 L76 specifications. With a solid cam, 4-barrel carburetor (the 1964 L76 was the first to use a Holley carb), and dual exhaust, it sounds nasty at idle and feels like it could pull forever. It also looks slick with sand-cast valve covers, a chrome air cleaner assembly, and just a splash of Chevy Orange engine paint visible underneath. A close-ratio 4-speed was the standard transmission choice with the high-winding L76, and it's a joy to run through the gears, particularly with a fresh dual exhaust system underneath. Disc brakes were still a year away, but the stopping power of the drums is more than adequate for the car's performance. And I, for one, appreciate that they kept the original steel wheels and hubcaps on this car instead of opting for reproduction knock-offs.

This Corvette comes with over $50,000 in restoration receipts from Mid-Cities Classics, so it's like buying the restoration and getting the car for free. If you can live without the split window and its 50% premium, this is a truly excellent car. Call today!