There will always be those moments in life where we need to make decisions. Some of those would seem insignificant, while others will require careful consideration before we make a commitment. That is the case with this 1965 Corvette Convertible. This classic is ready to be enjoyed as-is by its next owner, or they could choose to treat this potent beast to a spot of restoration work. Regardless of which path they decide to follow, they will be working from a solid foundation. If you finish reading this article and decide that you’re up for the challenge, you will find it located in Glendale, Arizona, and listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the listing to open at $36,500, but there have been no bids at the time of writing. It appears that this is a No Reserve auction, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there is some action pretty soon.
There are plenty of visual indications that this Corvette is not 100% original. These include the wheels, the side exhaust, and the 1967 “427” hood. As we will see, those are the tip of the iceberg with this classic. The Rally Red paint is pretty cooked, which suggests that it has been exposed to plenty of the brutal UV rays that can be part and parcel of a life spent in a location like Arizona. If the buyer is seeking a perfect presentation, they may need to strip away some of the existing Red before contemplating a repaint. The wheel openings have been radiused to accommodate the larger wheel and tire combination, which I hate to see on a classic of this type. Addressing that problem will probably fall to a fiberglass specialist, and they could potentially tackle any further panel problems at the same time. While the Arizona climate has exacted a high toll on the paint, it has allowed the frame and birdcage to remain perfectly preserved. That means that while the panels require work, there will be no structural issues for the buyer to consider. The Corvette comes with a factory hardtop, although there is no soft-top. A few trim pieces are missing, but the glass appears to be in excellent condition.
When we turn our attention to the Corvette’s interior, it does look significantly better than the exterior. It is by no means perfect, but if the buyer seeks a “survivor” appearance, it seems to be up for the challenge. The carpet is heavily faded, the door trims exhibit some deterioration, and it looks like there are a couple of small tears on the seats. That last issue could potentially be addressed by a competent upholsterer, although the buyer will probably invest in a new carpet set and a pair of door trims to lift things to the next level. The dash is presentable, and there have been no aftermarket additions. The Corvette still houses its factory radio, while the original owner’s decision to spend an additional $43.05 on a telescopic wheel should allow most people to find a comfortable driving position.
Lifting the Corvette’s hood reveals a real mystery. The owner indicates that the car features a 396ci big-block V8 and a 4-speed manual transmission, so there’s nothing out of the ordinary so far. However, he lists the power output as 325hp, which doesn’t gel with the 1965 model year. That means that either the engine isn’t original, or he has made a “typo” error in the listing. The 396 that found its way into the engine bay pumped out 425hp, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he hit the wrong keys on his computer. If that’s the case, this brute should be capable of devouring the ¼ mile in around 13.7 seconds, which is fast no matter how you look at it. The owner has treated the engine to stainless steel headers and side exhaust, although it isn’t clear whether he performed any further performance enhancements. He says that the car runs and drives, and the only issue that he notes is a small one with the headers. He includes the parts to address this, so the buyer won’t be spending any money on that part of the restoration. The engine produces no odd noises or smoke, and with the recent installation of new tires and a new battery, it seems that the buyer could enjoy the Corvette immediately while they consider which path they wish to follow with any restoration work.
As a project car, this 1965 Corvette Convertible shows some promise. It is a shame that someone has attacked the body because returning the fiberglass to a pristine state will consume a few dollars. It seems that nobody has been brave enough to commit to this project car because there have been no bids. However, there are currently 134 people watching the listing. Do you think one of them will make their move soon, or are you tempted to beat them to the punch?
Like the car just like it is except for the need of good paint job. This is real fun in the sun.. with the hard top on to keep from cooking your brain pan.
I’d drive it as-is just to piss off the Corvette purists! The only change for me would be to paint the wheels back to the correct argent silver and lose the center caps.
Lose the luggage rack, then drive it like you stole it.
Agree. Luggage rack is awful. Who does this to a 65 Corvette?
Me, I put one on my 65 51 years ago so we could use in on vacations after I got home from Vietnam. Had two boys that laid down in the back of the coupe ,on in the recess and one one the shelf. The swing axles put them to sleep in 10 minutes and got in almost 450 miles before they woke up.We all enjoyed one another and the car at the same time. It was that or a 59 retractable. Don’t tell me how risky it was as that was a no pampering time. Where I had just came from was risky. The car is now in Omaha, 750 miles away from where I sold it up in the mountains of Colorado.
It would take a lot of money to un-screw this vette. Otherwise it’s a great body style once the body shop corrects the stupid wheel openings.
No one has made their move or been brave enough to commit ? Maybe because this car is a textbook lesson in how to ruin a corvette, with those radiused wheel wells. But if the past 12 months gave me an extra 600 a week on my unemployment check I could see springing 35 grand …how about you?
Possibly an original red/red small block convertible. From a dollar stand point, probably would be underwater if tried to straighten out body mods.
This is extremely likely to be an original low horse small block, not a 396’er as there are NO original 396 indicators present. What cracks me up is how the front of the luggage racks is mounted on the rear deck which is supposed to swing open, but not now! I’d mount some vintage Ansen knock off wheels, buff it, put luggage on the rack (Route 66) and clean him up for street fun.
Sorry, Dirty, crappy air filters/cleaners creep me out.
This car started life with a 327, the 396 is a later edition. If it was a real 65 396, the battery would be mounted on the driver’s side, below the master cylinder. Small blocks had the battery on the passenger side. There’s no sign of a battery on the left, and the washer bottle bracket visible on the left inner fender identifies this as a small block car.
I don’t find the radiused wheel openings to be a big deal. If you were going repaint the car, it’s not that big a deal to hang four fresh quarters on it too. I sort of like the way it looks with the radiused openings. They go well with the wheel tire combo and work well with the car’s stance. A lot of people consider me to be one of those “purists”, but if it were mine I’d give it a fresh coat of paint, and leave the wheel openings alone. Heck it’s a wrong motor car anyway, so why bother returning the body to stock.
I’m sort of surprised there haven’t been any bids on the car. I don’t think the asking price is at all out of line.
my body shop told me 10k to fix fenders& paint it so 45k in a car with wrong engine. I saw several mid year vettes on ebay for around 45k with the original engines, some rebuilt.
There is no asking price. The sale is an auction with an opening bid of $36,500. I am not sure why Adam thinks the sale is without reserve. The listing does not so state.
Easy “fix” for me would be black sidepipes,torq-thrusts,rack delete and ’65BB hood.Done,drive and enjoy with none of the worry damage from paint chips,dings,garage rash etc.
Patina fiberglass?
Would love to own a non-original midyear. Something tells me that this car will be full of some unpleasant surprises though.
I would make it reliable, make a few minor tweaks (like flipping the luggage rack around), then just daily drive it looking as-is.
325 hp 396, the 435 would of been an aluminum intake w/rectangle port heads, this is cast iron intake oval port heads.
I have always wanted a first or second generation corvette, but as I get older and wiser, now 72, I realize that vettes are still cool, but just not worth that kind of money out of my portfolio. I’ll stick to my modest hotrods that I can sell, or buy, at a reasonable and drivable price. Plus the wheel wells are really ugly on this car and expensive to bring back to normal.
Body off frame restoration. Body off frame build and rebuild everything. The BIG block will breath a lot more while keeping it simple and reliable. Get some weight off the front. Once the rpm is known for horse power, torque and redline she gets rear gears a close ratio Tremic 6 speed overdrive tranny geared for canyon carving, and back road running on her purpose built suspension . I could care less about what she does in the quarter. From there she gets a dual master and lots of brakes. She also gets FIA headlights. 100% interior rebuild with track seats and belts. I love the look so all I’d do where the rain falls is remove the rear rack and side pipes. When finished She’ll be pure fun and functional for track days as well as a great Arizona winter beater. If you’re counting on fun make a bid. If you’re counting penny’s in profit walk away.
Other than maybe Bill Gates, who uses a 65 Corvette as a winter beater?
Let me explain for those that are on the yellow brick road in search of Oz and everything the Wizard has to offer.
Winters are very nice in the Arizona desert, and seeing the car doesn’t have Air Conditioning it would be the time of to drive a car that looks like a beater.
Your off to see the wizard
Whenever I see a Gen1 or 2 my brain hears Nelson Riddle’s band smoothly playing “Route 66”. These were the reason Carroll went to what he called “truck engines” or big block power as he couldn’t see them being competitive with 289. I didn’t appreciate how advanced the cars suspension was for the times. I would buy this, put Wilwood or Baer brakes, new rubber on all point connectors, and the biggest tire that fits those wheels. Everyone at my house would know Dad is on a run when that big block roared to life.
It’s nice to read the comments of so many that know their corvettes!!!
That’s a lot of money for this car especially if the numbers don’t match!
I guess I don’t understand what a “No reserve” auction is, since it’s stated that: “The owner has set the listing to open at $36,500..” Wouldn’t that be considered a “reserve”? ie: Isn’t a “reserve” a minimum that will be accepted?
Kenn: not for an ebay auction, they’re separate.
40+ years ago, I might have laid down $5K for something like this but it’s out of my realm now. Love the 65s but I’ve never been a fan of side pipes on a Vette. To me, they’re like walking around with your thang hangin out…
Yup. Dump the side pipes and and that rear rack. Find a nice small block and then just drive.
Who needs a pristine restoration? Anyway too pricey to start with.