It took some time for Chevrolet to “find their feet” with the Corvette, and at one point early in its life, there was a very real danger that the company was going to drop the vehicle due to quality issues and a lack of sales success. However, with Ford releasing the Thunderbird in the closing days of 1954, GM decided to retain the Corvette to ensure that they didn’t lose face with a failed venture. This decision was a prophetic one because it’s almost certain that none of the executives who were involved in this decision would have been able to foresee that the Corvette would continue to evolve and survive well into the 21st Century. If you would like to become the owner of a really nice survivor that is ready to be driven and enjoyed, then you will find this 1962 Corvette located in Tallahassee, Florida, and listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $45,000 for the Corvette, although the option is available to make an offer on this 1960s icon.
On the surface, the Corvette looks as pretty as a picture. The news under the car is also quite good, with only a light dusting of surface corrosion on the frame. The Roman Red paint has a great shine to it, but on close inspection, there are one or two defects to note. The car has undergone at least a partial repaint at some point in the distant past, and not only are there now a few cracks and flaws to be found in the paint across the car, but there is also evidence of a repair having been performed on the front right fender. It looks like the fiberglass may have started to “fret” in this area in the intervening years, so it will probably require specialist attention to repair this. Having said that, it isn’t something that would require immediate attention, so the next owner might choose to just live with it for the time being. There is no hardtop included with the Corvette, and while the White soft-top fits well and is free of rips or tears, it is dirty and discolored in a few spots. It might be possible to have this restored because it does detract from what is an otherwise extremely attractive vehicle. The external trim and chrome appear to be in good order, as does the glass.
The 1962 model year heralded the introduction of the 327ci V8 to the Corvette range, and in this car, we find the 300hp version of that legendary small-block. Hooked to the back of that is a 4-speed manual transmission, allowing the vehicle to accelerate from 0-60mph in 6 seconds, and to blitz the ¼ mile in 14.6 seconds. This is a numbers-matching car, and in addition, the original transmission has been treated to a recent rebuild. The result is a car that the owner claims drives just as well now as it did the day that it left the factory, whilst the transmission shifts smoothly and cleanly. He also states that it has a genuine 53,899 miles on the odometer, but he doesn’t mention whether he has any documentation to verify this.
The owner describes the original interior of the Corvette as being of nice driver-quality. If it is indeed original, then I feel that this is probably understating it a bit. The upholstered surfaces are all in good condition, and even the driver’s seat appears to be free of the sorts of stretching that you might expect to see after 58-years of use. The dash looks to be free of significant flaws or problems, while there are no signs of any noticeable wear on the rim of the wheel. The only item that I would be willing to place a question mark over is the carpet. It is so clean and free of wear, fading, and scuffing, that I’m inclined to think that it might have been replaced at some stage. Of course, it is possible that I am wrong about that, and I would actually be quite happy if someone could prove me wrong on that point.
This 1962 Corvette really looks like a great old survivor, and it promises to be a lot of fun when Summer arrives. It is a potent car, and whilst it might not be perfect, it is still capable of attracting plenty of attention wherever it goes. Values on these did take a hit about 18-months-ago, but they have slowly begun to claw back the lost ground. At the BIN price, the owner has probably listed it a bit below market expectations, especially given its level of originality. It would certainly be worth the time, money, and effort to buy this and treat the body to the minor repairs that it needs, along with a fresh coat of paint. Of course, there’s no rush to do this, so I foresee a bit of top-down cruising in the near future for the Corvette’s next owner.
I’m sorry but I still don’t know the difference between a rip and a tear.
Can’t shed any light on the rip/tear conundrum, but kudos to the seller for shedding light on the age-related issues. I don’t pretend to know the market but $45K seems legitimate for a survivor/driver that’s in the condition this one’s in. The chrome looks magnificent and the interior and engine look very nice. Bodywork and paint would require a second mortgage but I’d drive it as is.
Second listing?? Thought someone would snap it up last time. 45 large seems heavy, could it be the bubble has burst?? Good luck.
Cheers
GPC
Survivor? i am not sure overspray and non original paint qualifies it as a survivor, I bet it has a few surprises under the paint.
$45K doesn’t strike me as being a bad price for the car, but I do have issues with the seller’s claim that it’s a “survivor” and “numbers matching”.
It’s obvious that the car’s been repainted, and the carpet appears to have been replaced (the original “Salt & Pepper” carpet has more of a faded black or olive colored look). The seat covers and dash pad may have been replaced too?
The intake manifold casting number and date indicate the intake is from a 59 Corvette, and the carb looks like a Carter WCFB, not the AFB that 327/300’s used. The seller says it was built in late March, but VIN 10506 was built April 30th, not in March. The PPG windshield is not original either. 62 glass was supplied by LOF (Libby-Owens-Ford). It’s hard to call this a survivor.
The price might be fair, but from the seller’s apparent lack of knowledge about the car, and misinformation, I wouldn’t be bidding without a careful inspection of it first. Still, a second Roman Red 62 in my garage would be nice, giving us “his and hers” 62’s!
My 62′ is Honduras maroon, a little darker than the roman red. I drive all my corvette’s in the rain so having both tops is nice. Vette62 is right that’s not the factory carpet but more than likely you would have to replace it anyway. The dash was probably replaced once already and is starting to crack out again, they just don’t last. If you look around you can find a hard top for it, I’d do that before you have it painted. I don’t care if #’s match on everything or not, or if its a survivor; what ever that really means. Its made it 58 years, been driven and enjoyed like it was made to do. Things get broken and replaced over the years rightly so, This car is in great shape a real survivor !. Because of the one top only 40k all in. top $$$ Later………………………………JIMMY
I have owned a 57 , 59 and 61 Corvettes. The 61 had just the soft top. The hard top at least if not more than doubles the attractiveness of the those through 1962.
Drool, slobber, slurp. Oh, how I wish!! Price is not bad for these in this condition. Maybe, as stated earlier, the bubble has burst. But, boy oh boy, if I had the space and money, it could very well be mine. I’ve ALWAYS loved these.