When we come across a car that we decide is good fodder for a quick sale, there can sometimes be surprises that make us question the pursuit of the proverbial “flip.” While there’s no way of knowing if the seller of this 1966 Chevrolet Corvette is in any position to make any money off the sale of this project-grade muscle car, there’s no doubt he opened a can of worms when he began digging into the title side of things. Regardless, the seller reached a point of clarity with the help of the California Highway Patrol when it became time to call in the big guns for some detective work. Find the battered Corvette here on eBay with bids to $25,000 with the reserve met.
Now, the first thing you notice about this Corvette is the paint job and/or decal scheme. We’ll get to the mysterious history in a moment, but for now, let’s drink in what happens to a vintage sports car when it becomes just another used vehicle. The wheels are very period correct and clearly a staggered setup; I’m honestly surprised there aren’t side pipes on a Corvette like this. It comes with the factory hardtop, and the chrome bumpers out back appear to be in good shape. The rear end is in better condition than the nose panel as the Corvette did drive into a parked boat at one point, which inflicted some damage to the car’s snout along with what the seller calls “glass damage,” but I can’t see what he’s referring to.
The seller provides a detailed accounting of the issues with the VIN number and why the CHP was called in to help with VIN verification. First of all, the title came back as “Special Construction” with no details offered as to why. When asking the DMV about what sort of record they had on file, with the seller anticipating a salvage-related loss or perhaps a theft / stolen recovery in the history file, the search came back with NO RECORD ON FILE. It gets even more complicated when digging around the body shows no sign of a data plate or VIN tag, along with not being able to locate a frame number. It had to have been a seriously stressful time for the seller, who likely wondered if he had a stolen car on his hands. That’s when the CHP was called in.
After sawing off the mufflers and dropping the fuel tank and still not being able to locate any identification numbers, the seller finally decided to raise the body up off the frame and check for numbers that way, and sure enough, an identification number was located with the help of the CHP. The seller believes the original color was Willow Green, but there’s not much else in the way of helpful information. The seller does reveal that the chassis number they located confirms the Corvette as a factory four-speed car, but that the engine is likely a 300 HP 4 BBL mill taken from an Impala. As I typed this, the bidding jumped to $25K, and the reserve has now been met.
Not terrible, someone can build a hotrod and the purist can’t get upset as the matching number thing is long gone. Best part is the price, won’t appreciate like a numbers car but sometimes that’s not all bad.
There was a day when things like pulling the front bumpers, diamond tufted interior and paint schemes like this were commonplace. Usually find it parked next to a tricked-out van.
This one doesn’t have much appeal to me.
This car makes me sad, but I do admire the seller for taking the high road. Most would have just passed the car along without trying to make sense of its history.
I agree that it’s a combination of year models assembled from salvage parts. The entire interior and the doors look like ’63 items. The frame is obviously from a ’66. The engine is from a passenger car.
It will always be just an assembly of random parts with a fonky title. It will never be worth more than what a typical hot-rodder will spend, and that’s not much.
RIP
This car looks vaguely familiar. Did we see this car in one of the car mags of the late 60’s or early 70’s
It made me think of Davy, Mike, Peter and Micky ’cause it looks like something that would appear on The Monkees TV show.
When I started going to Corvette shows in 1974, C2s like this were common. Look any cover from mid 70s Hot Rod or Car Craft. Not every C2 is NCRS. That’s the way it was. At this price, you will be with the Titanic trying to bring it back.
You will sometimes still see one of the custom C2s at a Corvette show. They are always interesting to me.
Here’s one from the Corvette Show at the Bud Brewery in Merrimack, NH a few years back.
Another angle of the custom C2.
I think the seller was talking about fiberglass damage when the said”glass damage”
Too much cas for what it is
Suspect it’s a ’63 with 65/66 front clip. gauges, clock steering wheel, console all ’63. Looks but can’t be certain to have drum brakes.. ’63/4 as well.
I thought that but seller said frame was a 66, unless car total Frankenstein with different frame?
I would get this thing roadworthy and drive it like I stole it. Maybe restore the paint to the same scheme but new later but definitely would keep it a period correct custom.
Hats off to this seller for going the extra mile and taking the time to execute the due diligence necessary to make sure a buyer isn’t stuck. We’ve all heard horror stories.
This car is a 63, the entire dash cluster is 63 as is the glove box door, also it was a fuel injection car according to the tach & the radiator support, the assigned VIN is for a 66, someone probably changed the chassis at some point, so it should have disk brakes, the headlight assemblies appear to be 64 to 67 and the car seems to have been painted many times over. As I’ve been told by professional car thieves when I was still a Deputy Sheriff, the best way to avoid detection with a stolen car is to customize it, and that appears to be the case here. However since the CHP was involved & affixed a state issued plate with a 66 VIN number, the car is now legally a 1966 Corvette. To try to do anything to make this car right in any set of circumstances would be like tossing your cash into a hurricane.
Also the wonderbar radio and the 63 gas door. Gas doors are easy to change, but the wonderbar? I may be mistaken, but that radio was dropped after 63 for the AM/FM. Back in the day, nobody would take an AM/FM out and put a wonderbar in.
I agree that it’s a mostly ’63 body sitting on a ’66 chassis. Apparently it has ’63 exhaust bezels, front fenderwells, driver’s door mirror, radiator core support (service FI), fan shroud, white fiberglass panels, and hard top.
I hope the car will be put back on the road by someone, but it’s not a project worth my own time and money.
i feel like i have seen it also, the first second it seemed very familiar. I have books of old sixtys vettes. this seems like a cover shot I will take a look, could be of interest.
I think I saw this in a hotrod magazine great project its all there I would repaint it back to stock that color combo would get old
Solid front axle, stacks, and wheelie bars are in order on this one.
I will remember a case some years ago. A Swedish buyer bought a Corvette in the states.When standing i Norfolk harbour for shipping to Sweden the custom finds out that the car was stolen in NY – 69, only half a year old then. The original owner got his car back and Swedish buyer lost his money…
…well, usually I am from the numbers crunchers crowd, but this in this case…As it is far away from original anyway, why not honor the contemporary creativity and rebuild the Vette to this stage in her life ? I think the paint scheme is not that bad, picking up the bodys lines pretty well !
And somebody at some show would remember the car some day, approach the owner and bring more light in the history – and the new owner will be on the safe side as CHP has cleared the car !
With it’s sketchy past maybe it would be a good candidate for a nostalgic gasser build.
What’s to see here? It was stolen when almost new, stripped, sat for a few years, and then rebuilt/repainted in the early 1970’s and re-sold. There’s no other reason why someone would rip off all the data tags if the car wasnt stolen. The thief must not have known about the hidden vin. There are no records of the theft because the file cabinet with the police report, (as well as the original owner that the car was stolen from) are long gone.
To each his/her own.
These are my favorite generation of Corvettes. Would have done something different with the interior though.