Parked for 44 Years: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Race Car

In an era wherein it seems like unless you have a smart phone glued to your ear you’re likely to miss out on the next great barn find, this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette race car proves otherwise. Spotted in the classifieds section of a small-town newspaper near Lake Havasu, this genuine split-window Corvette was rescued out of the California desert where it had been stored for 44 years after it last turned a wheel on the road course. The buyer had the incredible luck of snagging the Corvette after the first buyer – who put down a deposit – was unable to complete the transaction. Find the full story here on MotorTrend.com and thanks to Barn Finds reader Larry D. for the tip. 

One of the best details you can find in any listing for a competition car are historic race photos. The seller of this Corvette shared a motherlode of archival footage of the Corvette which painted a very colorful history as a near life-long track rat. The Corvette was used almost every weekend at tracks throughout California, with the longtime owner calling the well-known Riverside circuit his home course. The Corvette was never a perennial champion but he did win some races and only retired it to move into a lighter-weight Camaro.

The buyer recounted that the Corvette remained in incredibly original condition (well, for a race car) despite being parked outdoors for nearly 50 years. The tires even still held air! The Corvette’s period-correct track car interior with its upgraded bucket seats and SS steering wheel just reeks of 70s-era competition car greatness. The best part is the Corvette retains its original title and VIN so it can be put back on the road if the new owner wishes to keep it on the street versus the track, but a car like this deserves to turn a wheel back on a California road course at least once in a while.

What’s perhaps so incredible about all of this is that the buyer spotted a small ad in an obscure newspaper that simply said the following: “1963 Corvette cpe, 4 sp, SCCA race car w/spares.” I mean, who would even pay attention to that? The Corvette, with its big flares, roll cage, turbine wheels, and loud paint, is hardly a concours example. It should always be a race car, in my opinion, and hopefully that sweet patina will never be washed away. The article notes the new owner has a Hilborn-injected small-block looking for a new home, but that’s as far as I’d go when it comes to upgrades and alterations.