In 1963, the Chevy Corvette would finally get its long-awaited redesign after 10 years. And a second body style would become available, the coupe, for which only 1963 would have the split rear window that collectors covet today. This ’63 ‘Vette convertible looks like a stalled project that will require a trailer and a truck to carry away an assortment of parts and pieces. And the new owner will have to at least source a new engine as this one has flown the coop The auction’s headquarters are in Anderson, Indiana which may or may not be where the Corvette is. Available here on HiBid.com, the current bid is $10,100 with five days remaining in the action. Thanks for the Bow-Tie tip, Mark Sturgeon.
With its new body, look and accessory name (Stingray), Corvette sales jumped by nearly 50% in 1963. At more than 21,500 units, production was split roughly equal between the drop-top and the new coupe. The 327 Chevy Turbo-Jet V8 was the engine of choice for the ’63 Corvette, available in a variety of horsepower outputs. We don’t know which version the seller’s car came with and it was lost before or during the project phase the automobile stalled in.
Given the status of the car, it has the earmarks of something the owner simply lost interest in, or perhaps a family member passed away and his/her heirs are left to deal with the aftermath. While the engine is gone, we don’t know the status of the transmission other than the peddles indicating it was a manual shift. It’s hard to tell what’s there and what’s not.
Parts of the body have been primed and we’re told both front and rear bumpers are about somewhere. The interior has been customized with tuck and roll upholstery on the seats and dashboard. The owner got around to securing a newly rebuilt independent rear suspension before things came to a halt. The hardest part of picking up a project where someone else left off is not knowing what parts you may still need or if something has already been worked on.
327’s were not “Turbo-Jet’s”. “Turbo-Jet” was Chevrolet’s designation for big blocks, small blocks were badged “Turbo-Fire” (six cylinders were called “Turbo-Thrift”).
I may end up being in the minority here, but I think this looks like a decent project, as long as the bidding doesn’t creep past $25K-$30K. That rough 67 nose, with flares added, needs to go.
wrong fenders..not ’63 – may be 65 or 66..
67
After a certain age, do you really want to work on cars or have fun driving them?
twenty years younger and I would buy this??But at 76 I dont think I can take it with me???Very nice project;
It’s likely that the car suffered a front end collision. I wonder what effect the impact had on the frame. Also, it seems like a mid-western vehicle that has had poor care over its lifetime. Makes me wonder about the integrity of the birdcage, etc. Given that and all of the man hours and money required for new power train, interior, top, front clip, body prep, paint and incidentals it’s difficult to justify paying much more than $13k for this car.
Looks like a great project for a hands on guy at the right price