I must confess that I debated whether to class this 1966 Corvette Convertible as restored or refurbished. The person completing the work chose a frame-off approach but performed some changes during the process that will lead some to conclude it was actually refurbished. It still presents well and would be ideal for an enthusiast seeking a driver-grade turnkey classic. Its next journey could be to a new home, with the seller listing the ‘Vette here on eBay in Hermon, New York. Bidding sits below the reserve at $39,100, but history shows that if the reserve is realistic, its new owner may be days away.
It is unclear when this Corvette underwent its refresh, but the listing suggests it wasn’t recently. The seller confirms the car was stripped to a bare frame, with the panels returned to a flawless state before the restorer applied a fresh coat of Nassau Blue paint in a clear-over-base process. That is the first deviation from this car’s original specifications because the Trim Tag confirms it emerged from the factory wearing Laguna Blue. Reversing this change is viable, and if a close inspection reveals enough flaws and imperfections beyond the checking around the fuel filler, that approach could be justified. However, the car presents nicely in its current form, which might be enough for the winning bidder to leave it untouched. There are no signs of fiberglass cracks, and the lack of rust in the frame and birdcage means the Corvette is structurally sound. The White soft-top is free from rips or other problems, with the seller including a color-matched factory hardtop that needs a new headliner. The trim is in good order, with this classic retaining its original wheels and factory hubcaps. The final point to note about the exterior is the side exhaust. The original owner didn’t order the car with this feature, making it a later addition that further reinforces my belief that this classic is refurbished.
The interior shots reveal further changes that undermine this car’s originality. The first owner ordered it trimmed in White and Blue vinyl, but the trim was swapped for White leather during the refresh. There is no evidence of rips, abuse, or physical damage, although some shots suggest the upholstery might be stained or discolored. However, this could also be an illusion due to poor photo quality or prevailing light, so I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. The teakwood wheel is another later addition, but swapping it for the correct item would take a few minutes if the buyer focuses on originality. I can’t spot any further aftermarket additions, and while the Convertible features a factory AM/FM radio, it and the clock are currently inoperative.
While the exterior and interior might sport changes, the news is better when we delve below the surface. This Corvette is a numbers-matching classic featuring the entry-level 327ci V8 that produces 300hp and 360 ft/lbs of torque. Shifting duties fall to a four-speed manual transmission, allowing this drop-top to storm the ¼-mile in 14.7 seconds on its way to 131mph. Those figures were pretty impressive in 1966, and they don’t look shabby fifty-seven years later. The seller indicates the engine received new gaskets and seals during the vehicle’s restoration, but it has never been stripped or bored. They added stainless brake lines during the five years as the car’s custodian. While they mention an odometer reading of 47,000 genuine miles, there are no indications they hold verifying evidence. However, this gem runs and drives perfectly and should be considered a turnkey proposition.
If anything surprises me about this 1966 Corvette Convertible, it is that it has only attracted twelve bids. It won’t appeal to some purists in its current form, but reversing the changes to return it to its original state is possible. However, the big question is whether that approach is financially viable in the current market environment. C2 Corvette values have taken a recent significant hit, but achieving a high-end result while returning this car to its original form could still yield a value comfortably north of $60,000. That might make the process viable if the seller is realistic with their reserve. Do you agree?
This little girl could find a warm dry comfortable bed to hang out in with my other girl friends.
Very nice fair weather driver. My age has lost all interest in the every weekend local car show bs. I’ll enjoy sitting on leather cruising thru twistys rather than a $40 lawn chair that comes with a built-in preparation-H application hole. NIX that!
Drive it, take care of it and enjoy!
Well said. Wouldn’t touch a thing but the key and the steering wheel. Nice car.
Thanks Bob, appreciate that!
I’m with you on that one Billy
Refurbished, restored. Potato, potahto. Not a big fan of older corvettes but I agree with the other posters. Drive it and enjoy it. For north of forty k you’d better.
I don’t know the difference between Nassau Blue and Laguna Blue. The addition of side exhaust, replacement steering wheel (which is not tacky) and replacing white and blue vinyl with white leather seem like reasonable upgrades that most reasonable car lovers will appreciate. Sure, the originality fanatics will look down their nose, but if that means it can be bought at a better price, that’s a bonus. I’ve got another year or so to get the kids out of college before I can add another fun car, but I’d be looking closer at this one if the time was right.
A sister to my car built a little later. Mine is an AO Smith body car, also, hence side pipes were not available (mine has them, too). The teak wheel, like mine, is aftermarket and not an OEM teak wheel. The 300 HP came with steel valve covers but this car, like mine, has the ‘required’ Corvette valve covers.
It’s a nice refurbishment of a mid-year. Prices have softened a bit in the last year but anything under $60k would seem to be a bargain.
Like Billy I am not a car show guy. I just love to drive it and hear the sidepipes.
Amen.
The body-off restoration alone makes me overlook the liberties that the owner took with the other items that suited their taste.
Drive and enjoy. I used to attend car shows. I call them trophy prison. You sit in the blazing hot sun, cook like a turkey and stupid people ask stupid questions all day long. Life is too short to sit around all day and show off some car you put on and off a trailer. I drove my 50 year old Corvette more than 400 miles to Corvettes at Carlisle this past August. During the entire trip, all I saw were 2000 to 2023 Corvettes. Nobody drives them anymore. My car is far from perfect, but could care less. I know the mechanics are 100 percent and the car performed perfectly the entire trip in 90 degree heat.
I am not a Corvette expert , but this car looks like a good deal and you could certainly enjoy driving it. What I did key on in this post and the comments is something ,I do know about “The car show culture”. I have seen a trend and an attitude from car enthusiasts and that is a decreasing interest in car shows. I was a show producer for about 30 years. I did parking lot shows and a 20 plus history of an indoor show at a big city convention center. I did shows for fun, profit and charities. I have been predicting this decline for several years. The underlying comments today support my observations. I could write a masters thesis of why this is happening ,but I don’t want to bore you to death. But if you give it some thought I think you might agree. The handwriting is on the wall, if you just need to look. It is like everything, it is changing, not disappearing, just changing.
OK, friends. I’m going to try with my interpretation to explain what it is that we are seeing in front of us.
I’m confident that the majority of all BF followers are within 5-8 years of my age either side.
I’m 70. People, have you ever seen the number of very substantial, nice old school specimens of our days brought to all the world for preview like you have seen within the last 8 months? Nor have I.
I’m native Idahoan and truly believe in the Red, White and Blue. However my brothers and sisters our world is changing. We must pay attention to things that our age group really didn’t need to. Like, watching our place and our neighbors place. Maybe paying closer attention to differences in a landscape that we didn’t used to.
All I’m saying is that this whole world is going on with or without us.
I’m sure some may wonder what I’m getting at. Well, my point is that our prized possessions have, and are continually sliding in a negative valuation. I know, it’s sad, can’t change it. It’s just the way it is. SO, here’s the plus side of all this s$$t.
Sure that you have noticed a unveiled group of, I’ll call, unusually obscure vehicles? Eh? Well, the great majority of bf,bad, and the hupah of vehicular manslaughter, Hemingwaybybuger/goforitnus. Bunch.
Realizes the importance of us older people, ladies and gentlemen, who sincerely appreciate the sound of 427 side pipes on a crisp fall evening glide through the Hells Canyon.
Happy motoring to all.
whaaat???