- Seller: David B (Contact)
- Location: Meriden, Connecticut
- Mileage: 5,200 Shown
- Chassis #: 20867S108548
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 327 cui V8
- Transmission: 4-Speed Manual BW T-10
A matching-numbers Corvette may earn more points at a Concours event, but it probably won’t light the rear tires or put as big a smile on your face quite like this one. This 1962 Chevrolet Corvette combines the final-year C1 body with a later 327, a close-ratio four-speed, and 4.10 gears. Finished in triple black and supplied with both tops, it is listed here on Barn Finds in Meriden, Connecticut, with a clean title and an asking price of $56,000.
The car’s known history stretches back to 1973, when a Mr. Golley purchased it from an owner in Brooklyn, New York. The Golley family kept the Corvette until 2016, when Island Motors purchased it and later sold it to its late Connecticut owner in 2017. His daughters are now looking for a new owner to enjoy it. Paperwork accompanying the car reportedly shows that Eastern Coach Restoration of Sayville, New York, completed a comprehensive restoration in 1989. The odometer was reset to zero at that time and now displays 5,238 miles, so that figure represents mileage accumulated since the restoration rather than the car’s total mileage. Approximately 500 of those miles were added after 2017, with the Corvette seeing only limited use during the past two years.
This isn’t a numbers-matching drivetrain. The engine is said to be a 1969 Impala-sourced 327 fitted with a Comp Cam HO camshaft, 1965 camel-hump “fuelie” heads, roller rockers, and a Winters aluminum four-barrel intake. The seller estimates that the combination produces between 325 and 350 horsepower, although no dyno results are provided to verify it. Power is sent through a close-ratio, aluminum-case Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual transmission to a rear axle fitted with 4.10 gears. The seller describes the Corvette as genuinely quick. The 327 starts readily, settles into the unmistakable lope of a cammed small-block, and reportedly has no difficulty spinning the tires in first gear or chirping them during the next two shifts. It runs and drives well, and the four-wheel drum brakes are said to stop the lightweight Corvette effectively.
The late owner reportedly invested more than $25,000 in mechanical work. That work is said to have included rebuilding the transmission and rear axle, rebuilding the brakes, and addressing the suspension, wheel bearings, water pump, exhaust, steering, sway-bar links, spindles, and kingpins. The seller believes the Corvette Center in Newington, Connecticut, performed much of this work. It rides on 205/75R15 Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires that are described as being in very good condition.
Its black paint retains a deep shine, although this is not presented as a flawless show car. A few small finish defects are documented in the photos, and minor pitting is visible on portions of the exterior and interior chrome. The black interior presents well overall, with a small seam separation on the driver’s seat and a couple of cracks in the steering wheel. Both a black convertible top and a removable hardtop are included. The hardtop is described as looking nearly new, while the soft top also appears to have seen little use. The combination of black paint, a black interior, and black tops gives the car an appropriately purposeful appearance.
Most of the equipment functions as intended, including the lights, horn, remaining gauges, and aftermarket digital AM/FM/cassette stereo. The speedometer is currently inoperative, and the paperwork indicates that this has been an intermittent or ongoing issue since at least the early 2000s. The windshield wipers also operate intermittently, which the seller suspects may be caused by a poor ground.
If you are looking for an NCRS or Bloomington Gold contender, this might not be the C1 for you, but if you are looking for a Corvette you can drive and enjoy, this is the one for you. With its two tops, muscular small-block, close-ratio four-speed, and aggressive rear gearing, it will be fun for cruise nights or spirited drives on winding back roads. Several hundred additional photos, a video, and an evaluation from Classic Wheels LLC are available upon request. Would you continue enjoying this Corvette as a period-style street machine, or would you be tempted to return it closer to factory specification?
It’s a nice driver car to enjoy. Fix the driver seat and thats all she needs.
If one was to restore close to original then add 10-15 grand and find a numbers matching 62 C1.
This very well could be my favorite year for the Corvette.
Gorgeous car. Someone will be very happy soon.
Wish it was me. It’s just too much and too far away.
I might be right over, please don’t tell my wife. Can I keep it in your garage so she won’t know I spent my allowance on it? This car is from the era when Vette’s were at their best (in my opinion, anyway).
I have a friend’s Spridget, right next to my 62 Corvette. His wife knows about the Spridget and says he can’t bring it home until he gets rid of some stuff. What she doesn’t know is that he has the parts from 3 Bug Eye Sprites in their barn alreadyl
C-1s are the sexiest Vettes. Sorry, they have never improved on that design and 62 was the pinnacle
Maybe in retro style. But a C4 rides and handles much better. And they only improve from there.
Wait just one more year, 1963, and get a real Corvette.
I’d upgrade the brakes and drive the heck out of it.
My all time favorite ‘Vette! My buddy owned a speed shop in Tampa, Fl. His ’62 was a dedicated drag-race car. Heading to Calif for a race, they got to north Florida and stopped for gas. That’s when the found the hard top was gone. As they couldn’t race the car without its top. Once there they contacted a local Vette club. The guy came out and rented his top, $500 for the weekend (late 1970’s) the rules were no one could touch the top but him. A pretty expensive weekend back in the day!
Am I mistaken? I don’t recall hearing about an aluminum case T10. The only aluminum case GM 4 speed that I remember was a Muncie. Maybe my brain is just too old to remember correctly.
Wayne , Could be a Borg Warner Super T10 which had an aluminum case .
Thanks! I forgot about the “Super”!
Absolutely beautiful car. I realize the 327 is not original, stating it’s out of a 1969 Impala. It’s likely a 350 because 327’s were only produced until 1968.
I looked up the word “cool” in the dictionary and saw a picture of this car.
Nice Vette!
I’m representing this car for the daughters.
Disc brake upgrade would certainly help, and yes, just drive this thing.
I was out in it for about 20 minutes or so and it is a Blast to drive. I’m not really a Vette fan, but this one was fun. It feels sort of like an outlaw street racer .. Imagine dropping a set of pie crust cheater slicks on the back and taking it out on Saturday night.
As mentioned, I have over 350 photos and several videos. Hit the contact seller button if you’d like to see them.
Thanks for all the great comments and the great write up Josh.
Kingpins….Under the gorgeous Corvette bodywork lies the mechanical heart of a 1953 Chevy.
The looks are hard to beat but the ride isn’t !
No wonder the resto modded cars are so popular
This is like riding in a lawn tractor !
As much as we want to , one cannot relive his younger years …
As much as we want to , one cannot relive his younger years …
I have a 62 which was originally black on black. 40 years ago I drove it virtually nonstop from Tulsa to Los Angeles. Yesterday I went to the vintage races at Lime Rock, about a 2 hour drive. I think driving it home from there, in traffic at dusk and in the dark, would be a little difficult for me now.
Maybe in retro style. But a C4 rides and handles much better. And they only improve from there.
Have the speedometer rebuilt, sort out the wiper issue, and either change the rear ratio to something more highway friendly or add an overdrive unit ~ then drive the snot out of it.