The owner of this 1965 Corvette Convertible states that it has a genuine 19,121 miles showing on its odometer. Some people might not be inclined to believe this claim, but when you consider that the car has been parked and inactive since 1972, that’s when the claim starts to look far more conceivable. It now needs someone who is prepared to undertake a journey that will return the Corvette to active duty once again. The Corvette is located in Lake George, New York, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $28,100, and with the reserve now met, there is a chance that this classic is about to get a new lease on life.

This is a car that is, in my opinion, surrounded with a certain air of mystery. For instance, it originally rolled off the production line finished in Nassau Blue, which is a very attractive color. In fact, it was the most popular in the 1965 range by a very long way, with 6,022 Corvettes wearing that particular Blue. The next most popular shade was Glenn Green, with 3,782 examples built. At some point, someone has decided to treat the vehicle to a color change in a much darker shade of Blue. Was this done because someone simply didn’t like Nassau Blue, or was it just so that they could have something a bit different due to that more common color? Regardless of why this was done, someone looks like they will need to repeat the process at some point. The paint is peeling off in veritable sheets around the car, and if it is to be returned to its former glory, then it will require a complete paint strip to ensure that any fresh paint has a good foundation to bond to. The owner refers to the Corvette as being a solid candidate for restoration, which I would take as an indication that there are no issues with the frame. As you will see as we work through the photos, I do feel that this area of the car could potentially have at least a partial coating of surface corrosion that might need to be addressed. The vast majority of the chrome is present, and it does look like it would restore okay, while the glass looks like it is also quite good.

The interior of the Corvette is finished in a combination of Medium Blue and White vinyl, and when it was new, it must have looked pretty impressive against the Nassau Blue paint. This is a bit of a weird one, because while the White vinyl looks like it is in good condition, what can be seen of the Medium Blue carpet looks like it is dirty, and possibly even rotten in spots. Apart from the carpet, the rest of the interior could be considered to be acceptable if the next owner is merely seeking to return it to a driver-standard vehicle. There are a few components from the doors such as the grab handles and those for the vent windows, that are missing. Overall, there is nothing major required inside the Corvette, apart from the carpet. The rest of the work is going to revolve around the little detail items that if attended to, should really make the interior shine. Now we get to that moment where we start to see those first indications that I was talking about when I mentioned the possibility of corrosion on the Corvette’s frame. Take a look at some of the components on the console. There are a few items that look pretty sad, and these would tend to indicate that the storage location that the vehicle has occupied for the past 48-years may have been somewhat less than ideal. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

If the corroded items inside the Corvette were the tip of the iceberg, opening the hood reveals a little bit of what could potentially be below the surface. There are a lot of components in the engine bay that carry some pretty significant surface corrosion. The most obvious of these is the air cleaner, although there is also plenty visible on the intake, the radiator and its shroud, the fan, and virtually every bracket in the engine bay. What we also find is the fact that the Corvette is said to be a numbers-matching car, with the L76 version of the mighty 327ci V8 that was capable of pumping out 300hp when the car rolled off the production line. This is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission, and at its peak, this combination would have allowed the Corvette to storm through the ¼ mile in 14.6 seconds. The owner says that the 327 does not currently run, but he also doesn’t indicate whether it turns freely. If it does turn, then it might not take a lot of work to get it to fire into life once again. However, it is also possible that a rebuild might need to go onto the “to do” list due to how long everything has been sitting.

This 1965 Corvette Convertible is a car that would seem to have a fair amount of potential as a project car. I will temper my enthusiasm by saying that there are some indications that there could be some corrosion issues that will need to be addressed if the car is going to maintain its long-term structural integrity. If the frame does have significant corrosion, then not addressing it immediately could potentially be an expensive mistake at some point in the future. It is one of those cars that also demands a personal inspection. But if it does check-out as being okay, then it really will be a great restoration project.