While owning a flawless classic car can be a wonderful experience, there is something to be said for owning a vehicle like this 1963 Corvette Convertible. It is a good “10-footer” that is still capable of attracting plenty of attention. However, its lack of perfection means that it comes into its own when it hits the road for a spot of relaxed touring. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting the Corvette for us. The owner has decided to part with it, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Hamilton, Ohio, and the BIN is set at $47,000. If that is a bit rich for you, the option is there to make an offer.
The Ermine White Corvette presents quite well from a distance, and it appears that it has no immediate needs. The paint has a few minor flaws, and there are also some small cracks in the fiberglass. There is no doubt that a cosmetic refresh would make a difference, but if the buyer chose to maintain the car as an unmolested survivor, that is a decision that I would understand. Of course, there’s no point in having a vehicle that looks respectable if significant rust problems are crippling it. There’s no need to worry about that with this Corvette because the owner states that the frame and birdcage are both good. The vehicle comes complete with a factory hardtop, but there are no indications of whether it has a soft-top. I can’t spot any glass problems, while the chrome and trim are definitely acceptable for a survivor-grade car. Hubcaps can be an item prone to damage and deterioration, but these appear to be spotless.
The Corvette is a numbers-matching car and comes equipped with a 327ci V8 and a 3-speed manual transmission. The original owner also spent $75.35 on power steering and $43.05 on power brakes. The engine is the L75 version of the 327, which should be producing 300hp. As a “bang for your bucks” proposition, the L75 stacked up quite well. It brought an additional 50hp to the table over the base engine, and it did so while lightening the buyer’s wallet by a mere $53.80. The L75/3-speed combination endowed the Corvette with some very respectable performance figures. The car should be capable of demolishing the ¼ mile in 14.5 seconds before finding its way to 129mph. Not only is this Corvette original, but it is in sound mechanical health. The owner says that it runs and drives extremely well at any speed. It sounds like the time is getting close to remove the hardtop and undertake some “wind in the hair” motoring.
I’m not sure if I would describe the Corvette’s interior as spotless, but gee, it isn’t far off it. It isn’t loaded with optional extras, but it is an interior that the buyer could be proud of. The seats are finished in Red leather and appear to be in excellent condition. The remaining upholstered surfaces show no evidence of wear or tears, while the carpet is immaculate. The dash and gauges look spot-on, and there is minimal wear on the wheel. If the next owner lobbed at a Cars & Coffee in this classic, they could hold their head high. It is always interesting to look at classics from this era and gain insight into how technology has impacted the price of optional equipment. The leather seats would have cost the original owner a mere $80.70. However, the AM/FM radio fitted to this car would have cost an eye-watering $174.35. Today, those sorts of figures would be reversed on a new vehicle.
There is no feeling quite like driving out of your garage behind the wheel of a classic car for a spot of cruising. However, spotless vehicles do come with one drawback. If the car is flawless, there is always a nagging concern in the back of the owner’s mind that a stray stone might chip the paint, and this can place a dampener on proceedings. That’s where cars like this ’63 Corvette Convertible come into their own. It isn’t perfect, so a stone chip will not be a trauma for the owner. I do not doubt that we will have many readers who would treat the car to a cosmetic refresh, and I respect that opinion. For me, I’d probably leave it untouched and enjoy the Convertible as an original survivor. What would you do?
I thought the interior looked NEW….The last picture shows the car with a light colored dash and seats???
One of my favorite color combos!
Drive it
That’s one sweet looking Vette IMO.
This looks like a decent 63, and the price isn’t out of line.
Since there are no soft top latches in the decklid, this is a hardtop only car. The seat covers have been replaced. Saddle Tan was the only leather interior color available in 63, and the pleats in this car’s seats are stitched, while the seams in 63 seats were heat pressed. There are a couple minor things that aren’t correct under the hood too, but overall it looks like a pretty honest 63.
In the summer of 1971 there was a white 1963 Corvette convertible in a used car lot in Minneapolis. They were asking $2,495 for it. It had a medium blue interior (must have been vinyl), and the top was down. I was in my early 20’s at the time, and all I could think of was how much the insurance would be for it. It looked mint. The salesman wanted me to ‘look it over’. I said no thanks, and walked away. I never did find out what the mileage was on it.
This sure looks like one up for sale a few weeks ago in ohio on Facebook for $30k firm the seller said it sold same day (when I contacted him). looks like a quick flipper…
must be only 3 speed in the world, most r 4 speed and some auto but 3 speed ack
PICKY! PICKY! PICKY!… and you’re calling this a “10 Footer”? Really? Someone needs to sharpen up their evaluation skills, GIMMIE A BREAK! Someone must be a dreamer… This rare beauty certainly looks good to me!
What I might do to the original paint to spruce it up to new-like condition, is what I successfully pulled off on my E Type Jaguar’s original survivor paint. First I would have some single-stage urethane paint mixed up to REALLY MATCH the original colour. Next I would fill in chips and do any tiny sprays needed with a small spray gun–such as a disposable Preval. Then I would wet-sand the whole thing to create a like-new appearance. However, be advised that decades-old paint will take a lot of work to both wet-sand and then give it a shine. Expect it to take up to four times as long as a modern water-based clear-coat job…but if done as a labour of love, the results will leave you with a barely retouched original survivor paint job, that will look way nicer than when new!
It is difficult to evaluate the originality of the overall paInt by these photos. But the car has had some work done on LH headlight opening (see ebay pics). The opening radius is not properly rounded and the glass is cracked. Not a big deal but it has had some paintwork done.
When I was bagging groceries at Safeway,I put
13 (paper) bags of groceries in one like this.
I started to leave a comment here saying how I would like this car much more if it was modified by adding a four, five or even a six speed transmission. (And that is without even knowing how practical that change might be.)
But then I realized that would be just messing up a largely original 63, simply because a lowly 3-speed doesn’t seem adequate.
I had a 68 3 speed corvette with a 300 horse 327. The transmission was aluminum case close ratio and matched the torque of the engine very well.