Though recognizable as a C2 or second-generation ‘Vette, this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette took a hard stylistic tangent at one point in its life, becoming radically and deliberately different from its original design. Offered here on eBay and located in Annandale, Minnesota, this heavily modified Sting Ray could be yours for the “Buy It Now” price of $8,500 or best offer.
My wife would say this interior is “a hot mess.” Reproduction part vendors sell nearly everything to reconstruct a stock 1963 Corvette interior, which you can see any Saturday at a car show. However, this car’s interior likely deviated as far from stock as the exterior — in unique and creative ways. It will be difficult to imagine or recreate what upgrades and changes graced this cockpit, but most drag cars feature stripped, functional interiors with anything non-essential removed to save weight. Following this concept would simplify and cheapen a theme-accurate restoration. Identifiable items of interest include a fat side-pipe, headers, and either zoomies or part of the custom fender-exiting exhaust (see below). 
For 1963 only, Corvettes came with this “split-window coupe” arrangement, a vertical support between two compound-curved rear window panels. This custom ‘Vette features a very non-original rear end. Note the extreme undercut below the belt-line? It looks like custom-laid fiberglass with inset trapezoidal tail lights instead of the signature round tail lights on the stock Corvette.
The engine compartment presents few obstructions to the imagination of the buyer. A gasser style solid axle in place of the long-gone Corvette suspension gives this ’63 a reverse rake and drag-friendly weight transfer. A 1967 Chevrolet 327 engine block and a “loose” transmission come with the car. Some assembly required.
Side pipes are nothing unusual on a Corvette but these radical fender-exiting four-into-one pipes are something else. Corvette experts please comment but lets assume the world hasn’t reached the point where every ’63 split-window coupe must be restored to factory. In my opinion, anyone buying this car with the idea of putting it back to factory should have their head examined. This custom drag ‘Vette deserves a period restoration preserving and celebrating the customized bodywork. The more history you can learn about this car the better. Pick a year, say 1976, and make this machine the hottest ’63 custom Corvette with parts available no later than the target year. Mismatched “fatties” and “skinnies?” Yeah, man. Raised white letters? Ubetcha. Fuzzy dice… well maybe. Considering what you see here, is it worth $8500? What is your “Best Offer?”
Proof that drugs are ruining this country.
I was going to add new term to the word basket case…..what a mess there
Keep in mind there’s a large segment of the population that requires drugs to see the world the way you do.
Just how things were done in the day.
French Lake junk yard where this beast resides.
My 80 y.o. uncle’s home away from home for his “projects” for 50+ years.
This is at French Lake Salvage Yard. Anyone in the upper Midwest (pre internet) who was into old cars went there, along with Windy Hill Salvage Yard, for parts. these guys didn’t crush many and knew where everything was without the use of computers. For me going to French Lake and Windy Hill was better than Disneyland.
Very interesting stuff in the background of the photos on Ebay. That Corvette has got to have a good story behind it.
That’s rad! Not quite sure I’m buying the drag car component of the story though..unless it was a background car. Note the frenched antennas in the passenger door and the lowered roofline. Lots of rust, too… the frame is likely to be toast. Might be a bit of a stretch for the asking price, but if the frame (with VIN) is salvageable, that would be a heck of a project to resurrect.
With the skills I have with Fiberglass I would love to have a crack at it. The trick would to keep the most of the 63 original design with a moderation of the new design. The metal is rusted beyond repair and must be replaced.
$8500 is a lot of money just to cut out the split window plug………
I would have liked to have seen it when the customizing was completed just to get an idea what the aim was. I’m thinking it was done as an feature car for ISCA type shows.
let me get this straight fl. plates, new york title and cars in minn.OK ——- no
It qualifies for frequent flyer miles.
Somebody should be shot for destroying a beautiful car.
There would be a lot of wounded people on this site.
One mans junk is another mans treasure, some one will see potential in this piece of $h!t, and all the power to him. This car is restoreable but at what cost and how long would it take to bring back. If I owned and was going to take it on I would forget about going for original but rather a custom hot rod instead. I’d lose that goofy front suspension so you actually would be able to take a corner, and go back to something that was closer to stock ( lots of after market parts out there ) this car needs to go to a SKILLED do it your selfer that is willing to take it on and has a fairly big budget. Unfortunately this will never be a stock trailer queen ever again, and it would be crazy to want to try JMHO.
I can see what the customized was trying for, and I bet this car was too cool for school back in the day. Would love to have it “restored” to its customized condition.
Totally bitchin’. With only a vague reference to “movie car” in the listing, but with nothing in IMCDb.org, I wonder if was ever completed. Something this radical would have been noticed.
I like it. Worse has been brought back to life.
Some of those burned cars might be easier to fix…
Have fun sourcing a replacement for that windshield! Lots of rust looks like a serious understatement.
I’d love to see pics of it in its heyday. Looking at the present-day pics I have a hard time imagining this as a real racer. Show car, maybe?
I had one similar to this back in the mid-60s. Mine was smaller, of course, having come from an AMT plastic model kit. Mine was better looking. It cost $1.99 at the hobby shop.
It looks very much like the Barris Asteroid. Look that one up to see where they were trying to go here. George was instrumental in many custom movie cars and may have built this to simulate his beloved creation. Or somebody loved his so much they couldn’t resist copying it.
More like the Baris Hemi-Roid
One seller’s $8500 treasure is another man’s junker.
Considering back in ’75 I saw one pulled out of a swamp and sold for $3500 at a police auction in Charleston, SC, this ain’t half bad….. Now as for the other half….
It’s more of a custom or show car than race car. The seller never tried to call it a race car, just that it was in an unknown drag racing themed movie.
Someone somewhere will have period pictures of the car. It may not have been to everyone’s taste, but I bet it stood out in a crowd and was a head turner in its day.
Steve R
Grand Sport Coupe like plus the additions…yep wounder if it ever got finished ?
MAD MAX THUNDER CAR! Drop in a MONSTER engine, a HUGE blower, some mirrored glass, and some MASSIVE flame throwers coming out the exhaust! I could have a BLAST transforming this car! People with weak bladders BEWARE!
oh, good god I’d have fun with this Vette, how ’bout a 377 inch small block w/hilborn injection, a clutchflite transmission, chrome wheelie bars, 15×12 Cragers on the rear and skinnies on the front, chrome that front axle, and the rear suspension, a Wild metal flake paint job w/candy stripes and scallops. And of course and diamond pleated velvet interior!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The front fenders have a similar shape as a ’70 Torino,,,
Yep, it’s a drag car alright. As in dragged (drugged?) out of a lake.
I could go with the body mods but that interior, or lack of puts me off. If it had some real history it might be worth the price….maybe.
Most seem very critical but it could be rebuilt with all the aftermarket sources that are available. Anything can be rebuilt. Time and money…time and money…
What a mess
Sold for:US $8,500.00
Something happened, relisted. http://www.ebay.com/itm/202059721516?ul_noapp=true