Don’t be fooled because a lot has changed since the owner snapped this shot of this 1966 Corvette Convertible. It has been treated to a full-blown restoration, and the result of this hard work is a classic car that has been returned to its stunning best. However, the owner has decided that the Corvette must go to a new home, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Springfield, New Hampshire, and while the bidding has reached $55,055, the reserve hasn’t been met.

When the owner purchased the Corvette, it had been sitting for many years. He felt that it deserved to be restored properly, so he undertook a frame-off process. The frame was media-blasted, and a coat of POR-15 was applied. The owner then fitted with all new fuel and brake lines. He gel-coated the fiberglass panels, applied epoxy primer, and then laid on the car’s original Rally Red paint. He chose to use acrylic lacquer and applied a clear-coat over this. The result is nothing short of stunning.

There it is in all its glory. The panels look perfect, while the paint offers a pleasing shine. The chrome and trim sparkle beautifully, and as you’ve seen from the previous photo, there are no rust issues. The owner has fitted the Corvette with a new black soft-top, along with a set of reproduction knock-off wheels with gold-line tires. He topped it off by fitting a new windshield which has been etch-logoed and dated. He says that he was trying to return the car to as close to factory original as possible, but he has compromised in a few areas.

One area where the owner hasn’t compromised is this Corvette’s drivetrain. It remains numbers-matching and includes a 427ci V8, a 4-speed manual transmission, and power steering. With 390hp on tap, the Corvette was a fast car when it was new. This beauty would have stormed the ¼ mile in 13.7 seconds back in 1966, and it seems that it could probably repeat the same sorts of numbers today. The owner had the 427 professionally rebuilt, but he didn’t stop there. The transmission was sent to a specialist shop for similar treatment, while a third company rebuilt the original rear end and trailing ams. The owner had to reach a few compromises, but this was for the sake of reliability. He chose to fit a more modern power steering pump after having multiple issues with the original, and he also treated the Corvette to a new wiring harness. Otherwise, all of the ancillaries and the radiator are original, and he has had them all restored. He says that the car runs and drives perfectly, and he believes that it is capable of lighting the tires in the first three gears. He quickly adds that he has never tried this as the gold-line tires are too expensive to treat in that way!

The interior is as spotless as you might expect in a recently restored classic, and the buyer won’t need to spend a dime in there. Once again, the owner has compromised in a couple of spots, but this was for reliability. He replaced the original clock with a reproduction quartz unit, which isn’t a bad move when you consider how many of those factory ones fail. He also slotted a more modern radio into the dash with an iPod jack. He has complemented this with a set of the best speakers that he could conceal in the kick panels, so the new owner can have tunes on the move if they don’t like the song being played by the big-block. Otherwise, the upholstery, carpet, and dash all look spotlessly clean.

It seems that this 1966 Corvette Convertible needs little more than a new owner who will appreciate the work that the current owner has performed. It isn’t 100% original, but any changes have been subtle and have been made to offer a reliable and enjoyable classic motoring experience. It remains a numbers-matching vehicle, which is the most vital attribute to consider with any classic of this type. There have already been 38 bids submitted at the time of writing, and I suspect that there will be more to come. When you look at the transformation that the owner has made, would you consider joining the bidding party?