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Highly Original! 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

Second generation Corvettes are not exactly “rare” in the grand scheme of vintage automobiles, however, 1963s in highly original condition like this one here on eBay in Ringgold, Georgia are not nearly as common as they used to be…

…especially when one considers the highly-original nature of this particular one. The seller says that they have documentation dating back to the original first owner! The bright red interior looks fantastic and is ready to go. The 4-speed should keep things lively, but that t-handle shifter might have to go.

I’ll be the first to tell you: There’s nothing that I could write here that hasn’t already been written a hundred times by a hundred other automotive journalists and enthusiasts. 1963 heralded a complete soup-to-nuts redesign of a floundering American sportscar marque, and one which took the market by storm. It beat the debut of the Mustang to market by a full year, as the diehard Bowtie fans will happily tell you.

Corvette, along with Mustang, are names which automatically bring forth either an image or a story from auto enthusiasts. Commonly heard phrases are: “I knew a person who did X to his Mustang/Corvette by doing Y stupid thing” or “Yeah, my neighbor had/has one”. Well, here’s your chance to have one that, as the seller says, has about 69,000 miles on its 327-ci V8,  runs, and drives, and is 99% original, and includes a few extra bits. As of the date I write this, there are 43 bids and it’s at about $25,000 US with reserve not met. All that said, what do you think? Do you have a story about one of these? What should the final price be?

Comments

  1. Avatar ccrvtt

    Now at $35,100, will go higher. Unbeatable color combination. The 327 is one of the all-time great engines and the 4-speed is the only transmission to have.

    As an eminently impressionable pre-adolescent when these came out I must admit it was a life changing event, indelibly etched on the deepest parts of my psyche. Then came the Grand Sports, the Beach Boys “Shut Down”, the rich kid neighbor whose daddy bought him the Marina Blue 427 convertible – all distinguished by the fender vents and hubcaps.

    You can’t really put a price on nostalgia which is why I find Barn Finds so entertaining. And finally being able to indulge my latent Corvette longings later in life I love seeing cars like this. Would I like to buy it? Oh, yeah. Can I afford it? Oh, no way.

    America’s two most enduring enthusiast cars, the Mustang and the Corvette, gratify us in different ways. Mustangs have always been cheap, affordable, and enormously fun. Corvettes have benefited from the fact that each succeeding model has been better than the last.

    Cars like this, and the vast majority of cars that our benefactors at BF provide for us, make us happy to be car guys and girls and to have the opportunity to express what they mean to all of us.

    Thanks again.

    Like 12
  2. Avatar stillrunners

    Wow…..those original seats look like they’ve never been sat in……..

    Like 1
  3. Avatar ruxvette

    I agree, it’s going higher…perhaps $60k. It appears to be a very nice car. Nothing special, no hard top, but a fun car to own.

    Like 1
  4. Avatar gbvette62

    I have to take exception with the author’s suggestion that the Corvette was a “floundering American sportscar marque”.

    Corvette sales went up every year from 1956 to 1962, except 59, which I believe was a down year for all car sales. In 61, Chevrolet sold just under 11,000 Corvettes. For 62 sales increased by about 3,500 units, to a little over 14,500. This was more than double the number of Corvettes sold just 6 years earlier. Sales were up again in 63, by about 6,000 over 62, but then stagnated after 63.

    I’m not too sure about the seller’s claims of originality, but overall it looks like it might be a decent 63. One area of concern is what looks like frame rot, near the number one body mount. It’s a little hard to tell for sure, because the pictures aren’t the best, but any serious buyer should look the frame and birdcage over very carefully.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Vudutu

      Wow, rust and all looks pretty sweet to me. If it was black on black I might have to do a draw on the house. Dream car, if you could only own one American car from your prime time what would it be?
      This one is right up there for me.

      Like 1
  5. Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

    I have to agree that it looks great overall. The apparent frame rust is a big surprise based on the rest of the car. I assume it’s repairable by someone qualified but if it’s rusted through in one area it’s likely suspect in others. Depending on what’s found I’d either have it repaired or look for another frame.

    My thoughts.

    Like 2
  6. Avatar Bob McK

    I have a 66 numbers matching red/black Corvette with spinners / knock off wheels and side pipes that I may sell. I just found a 38 Buick 46C that is my dream car. I will watch this one to see what it brings.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Comet

    Nice car, I love the red/black colors, but that frame. If it’s rotten in the front, you can bet the rear frame dog legs are completely shot.

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Arthell64

    It would be hard to let this one go

    Like 0
  9. Avatar dogwater

    You would have to look in person b4 the buy the pictures are not great
    might be a bad frame …..

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Ken Liperi

    I own the original 1966 427/390 4 spd, 2 top convertible that my late brother bought new when I was 12 yrs old. This vehicle is mostly original except for one repaint in the factory, one year only, Laguna blue (and the upgraded knock off wheels). Judged NCRS Top Flight 97.4 its first try. It was a daily driver until the 70’s. Now has 91k miles. Totally original matching numbers drive train, with no mechanical issues, other than 1 broken valve spring. Dark blue vinyl interior is completely original and still looks new. My brother really cared well for this ’66. It cost $4,875 new and he kept every document that it came with. I show it in his memory…and it wins…. alot.

    Like 5
    • Avatar ccrvtt

      Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

      Like 0

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