Corvette lovers seem to appreciate originality far more than most other car enthusiasts–it seems like the fastest way to devalue a Corvette is to deviate from stock. But what if you “upgrade” a car using stock components? Most folks would stop at a trim level, or perhaps adding air conditioning or some other power option. Somewhere along the line, someone got the idea to take this small block, four-speed 1965 C2 and replace the small engine with a big-block Chevy. It’s up for sale here on eBay, where the buy it now is $38,500 but lower offers are welcomed. The big/small engined car is in Trivoli, Illinois.
I believe the top picture is as the car is now, with some left front damage at least partially if not completely repaired. This picture shows the car with the original hood, which along with tbe non-numbers matching small block V8 that was formerly in the car is part of the auction as well. The seller tells us that the paint is original, although the picture quality in the ad is poor enough you can’t really tell. The seller does tell us it will need a repaint. By the way, the “big block” hood in the top picture is from a 1967 car.
If this is another picture of the car ‘as found,’ you can tell there are some other things to be fixed as well. We’re told that the car is showing 56,000 miles and that there is “no rust in the kick ups”, so hopefully the chassis is in good shape. The car was last licensed for the road in 1979, so it’s possible that the mileage reading is actual.
The interior is a little tired, with driver quality carpet and some split seat seams on the passenger side.
In addition to the engine, a lot of new parts have been added to the car, including brakes, headers, exhaust, gas tank and a radiator. It is running and driving, so you could improve the car while enjoying it. Do you think adding the big block was a good move? Let us know in the comments.
Jamie, if the original engine comes with the car, and throwing the BBC in there didn’t involve too much slicing, dicing and welding, I’d just pop the “little” engine back in there and hit the road.
Seems to me the Big Motor isn’t going to do anything for the car’s driveability or resale value, and there are plenty of parts available to make the SBC stronger if one really wants to, so why bother? Sell the “newer” engine (what size is it? The flipper/seller doesn’t say) and the later-model hood and enjoy the original.
It’s not the “original” motor, just a random small block that got installed along the way.
The only real reason to leave or swap the big block back out is which you prefer driving. Originality is gone, so you may as well just do it the way you want it.
I’ve always looked for originality in old cars.
Not sure what they are selling…a ’65 with a run of the mill small block in the trunk and “newer” big block installed? Does the original hood come with?
Jeez, clean up what you bought to flip, don’t screw with it, and flip the damn thing.
The seller says the original hood is included.
Don’t understand how that listing could be confusing, the seller pretty much spells it all out clearly. You get it with a newer BBC, the BB hood and you also get the original hood and a non-matching SBC. Seems fairly straight forward to me.
i think it is confusing because it was late on a saturday evening.
I agree with Steve65. I see this Corvette as BAD IN THAT the cult of Corvettes is the numbers matching drivetrain, originality to birth build and color correctness. This car will never be what it was originally without the original motor.
I see this Corvette as GOOD IN THAT this is a blank canvass to create the Corvette of your dreams, resto mod, period correct, Grand Sport Clone (that’s where I would go with it!) paint it your favorite color and not feel bad about screwing up a numbers matching vette AND/OR having to restore it to correctness which may be a drivetrain AND/OR color you really don’t love. great car but the flipper needs to understand the value of a numbers matching vette project THIS ISN’T. It IS a rare and great opportunity to build what you love.
Amen
LS with a T56 and have a blast :o)
These early vette’s are so much more fun with a BBC in them than that mouse motor. They are not a light car and require a bit more torque to get them going if you have performance in mind. Unless you plan to road race or rally the car, keep that BBC and have a blast, it’s never going to be a big dollar, numbers matching, original ride.
I noticed no “thumbs up” on your post
borrowing from a Seinfeld episode:
“No thumbs up for you”
I see 6 but none for you. No soup for you.
Mouse motor? that a good one I have small block 327 365 it moves just fine
Thanks
I guess you have to be a real gearhead to understand that sbc’s are commonly referred to as “mouse” motors and the bbc is referred to as the “rat”. It’s not a rub, it’s just what people who have spent enough time in the hobby call them.
as a body man I can tell you Writing in the dust either on the glass or paint Scratches the surface the dust is like fine sand and your finger the paper . . .
Number matching has eased up over the years. I can tell you there are a lot more NCRS Corvette out there with restamped engine blocks then what you think. If it’s a a true big block car and has no major issues it’s worth the investment.
it is not, it is a small block car from birth
Like the car; but If this were my car, I’d at least but the ’65 correct BB hood on the car, not a ’67 style hood. But it’s not, so…
I guess I never thought of a ’65 vette as being heavy. But I guess they are…especially with a rat tossed in…
Big Block To Heavy For This Car, Made With Small Block 327cu Would Have Been The Way To Go And ,The Car Was Made For Small Block Only.!
Stuff in a LS1 and T56 and go cruising
If you’ve ever owned one of these, you’d know how ridiculous that statement is. The ’65 vette was built to accept both sbc and bbc so no, it was not made for a sbc only. They are not very fast to begin with and to get that weight moving, you need plenty of torque which mouse motors lack in stock form.
Yeah by 1965 they put a dent in the front cross Menber to accept a big block. ( make room for the lower harmonic balencer and pulleys) 1963-64 Corvette did NOT come from the factory able to accept a big block. No dent but you can modify with Sledge hammer if so desired to shoe horn that big block in that 1963 Split window Corvette (ouch)
GM did a little more than place an indentation in the front section of the subframe. Springs rates were increased, sway bar was bigger, larger radiator, half shafts and main drive shaft as well as u-joints were stronger, just to name a few. GM was not building their cars in Mexico back then, they actually spent time in R&D with guys who understood engineering and racing. Smokey and other notables had their hand in the making of the BBC vette and it was a huge success, they are highly sought after. If you’ve ever owned one, you’d know why ….. and I’m a Ford guy.
This is not directed at the seller specifically, but when will people realize that the way to sell a car on-line is by taking excellent pictures with a lot of detail. These are not UFO sightings so the images need not be blurry, dark, small and grainy unless, like a UFO sighting, somebody is trying to fool somebody else. This car looks interesting, but most of the pictures are from before the car was restored. Yes, it’s a barn find. That’s one or two pictures for validation. The rest of the images should be the car today in high resolution and good light. Just read the “how to get results selling your car on eBay” article on eBay if you aren’t sure how to do it.
It’s not original, so that leaves a lot of options open. To me, a BBC is too much weight on the front end to be nimble. Take a Roadster Shop frame, add a non-supercharged LS (prefer them over turbo or supercharged), add in a Tremec 6 speed and you’d have something that would be great to cruise anywhere in .
If you swap out the cast iron heads, intake and exhaust for some quality aluminum/stainless parts, the weight difference between this bbc and an LS would be insignificant. The LS swap is not an as easy as some may think or cheap and the LS or any modern power-train looks ugly in that engine bay which is why the new cars cover them all up with a bunch of plastic covers. The other false narrative is that you’ll get reliability that you don’t get with an old bbc but with fuel injection systems now, it’s all a big lie.
Big Mistake! I am a Corvette purist! I have a 2002 5.7 liter v-8. It is all original and will stay that way!!!
Another example of someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing…make it a decent car first, then think about a transplant. If you have limited funds, do the body/suspension/brakes first, otherwise, all you have is a problem car with a big motor…ugh.