427/4-Speed: 1966 Chevrolet Corvette

If you wanted to be king of the road in 1966, it was hard to go past a Corvette with a 427ci V8 under the hood. That is what we find with this car, and making it even more attractive is the thought that you could potentially park it in your driveway. The bidding hasn’t been frantic, but there is still plenty of time for that to change. Located in Clearwater, Florida, you will find the Corvette listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $60,300, but it is still short of the reserve.

Chevrolet offered some great colors on the 1966 Corvette, and one of the most popular was Nassau Blue. More than 22% of all Corvettes sold in that model year featured that shade. Who are we to disappoint? That is what we find gracing these panels, and it looks pretty nice. The shine of both the paint and chrome is stunning, with no apparent issues or problems. The fiberglass is equally as impressive, and the clear photos that the owner supplies of the vehicle’s underside reveal it to be rust-free. One potential weak point is the headlights, but these operate as they should. The glass shows no evidence of damage, while the side exhaust adds a touch of menace and suggests that this classic might be more than a pretty face.

Turning our attention to the interior, and it looks as impressive as the exterior. It is upholstered in its original Code 414 Bright Blue vinyl. There’s a lot to like here, and not a lot of which to be critical. The upholstered surfaces, door trims, and dash all appear to be perfect. It looks like the carpet might have been recently replaced because it has that fresh look about it. There have been no modifications or aftermarket additions, but the original Teakwood wheel and factory AM/FM radio are nice touches.

The only spot of bad news here is that the Corvette isn’t numbers-matching. The 427ci V8 is a CE designation, which indicates that the engine block has been replaced under warranty. That’s a shame because it will have some impact on the vehicle’s potential value. This is especially true when considering that the original owner handed over a not-inconsiderable $312.85 for the L72 version of the 427. That monster engine would have pumped out 425hp, which found its way to the 3.55 Posi rear end via a 4-speed manual transmission. Was it fast? Just slightly! How does blasting down the ¼ mile in 13.5 seconds sound to you? Yeah, me too. The owner also indicates that the carburetor has been replaced, and since he has singled out these components, that suggests that the rest of the drivetrain could be original. The seller says that the Chevy has been well cared for, and the photos would seem to support this. What he doesn’t say is how well the car runs or drives. This is not the first time that we’ve seen this type of omission by a seller, and I find it disappointing when it involves a car such as this. However, the Corvette makes the right impression, so we can hope that the news is positive.

If this 1966 Corvette is as good as the photos would seem to suggest, it should be quite a car. It is 55-years-old, but its performance figures still stack up exceptionally well against today’s offerings. This car has no idea what the word refinement means, but it doesn’t care because it makes up for its lack of knowledge with no shortage of muscle. I am surprised that the bidding hasn’t been more intense, but that could result from its non-original engine. I did some snooping around and found the Corvette listed elsewhere. The price on that site was $79,900, which gives us some idea of where the reserve might be set. Will it reach that figure? I suspect that it will. This is an auction that should be worth watching, especially if you are feeling tempted to drop in a sneaky bid yourself.