Fans of the Chevy Corvette, “America’s Sports Car,” must have been a patient lot in the early 1960s. They had waited 10 years for the second-generation (C2) Corvette to emerge in 1963. With the Sting Ray name added to the brand, the 1963 Corvette exceeded previous sales records at 21,513 units, including the Sport Coupe with a split rear window (for only one year). The seller’s two-owner ‘Vette is the convertible model with the optional hard top. Located in Orlando, Florida, this isn’t a survivor in the strictest sense, yet still quite desirable. With no reserve, this car will sell to the highest bidder here on eBay. The current ante: $38,700.
General Motors executive Bill Mitchell and engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov are credited for bringing the C2 Corvette to light (1963 to 1967). 1963 Corvettes were powered Chevy’s 327 cubic-inch V8, but you could climb up to a 427 big-block before the C2 was a wrap. Production of the ‘63s was split almost equally between the enclosed coupe and the convertible. More than 5,700 copies of the latter included the optional hard top as well as the canvas soft top. That’s how the seller’s Corvette was ordered.
Even though the mileage of this sharp ‘Vette is 76,000, the 327 has been replaced by a 350 (we don’t know why or when this change took place). We’re told it runs and drives great, so perhaps the 350 is a little peppier than its predecessor. The car’s original 4-speed manual transmission is intact. The fiberglass body is solid and the Riverside Red paint is about 10 years old. The factory black interior is tidy, especially for being 62 years old.
Newer parts and pieces include the radio, aluminum radiator, alternator, and starter. From what we can ascertain, this C2 requires nothing but its third owner. And taken out more often to stretch its legs.
While it won’t excite the purists and collectors — no numbers-matching engine, plus other changes — this C2 should have plenty of appeal to ‘Vette fans who enjoy driving. The only negative I can see is the lack of shielding over the distributor and plug wires. But with the V8 underhood, who needs a radio?
For what it is, the price seems very reasonable.
I’s real hard to look at this series of Vettes without thinking they are the best looking cars ever built. This beauty certainly supports that thinking.
The ad wording is very suspicious. I think it’s some kind of scam.
The language sounds like a non-English speaking foreigner. The seller has a feedback rating of 46, and 44 of them are from purchases more than a year ago. The seller has no record of any previous sale. It may even be a stolen eBay account.
The ad stresses the body as having all original panels and a “No Hit” history. That’s a ludicrous contention considering the current hood and headlight fit. Well… at least it has no “loosening in the seats”. And there’s also that “newer radio in the trunk”.
“Feel free to message me for my phone number.” What?
I checked out the wording because you piqued my interest. With the abundant random capitalization, I think that either they don’t have a grasp of the written word, or English is their second language.
The stroke of the crank is perhaps the biggest factor in the attitude of how a car performs. Numbers matching is all about resale and bragging rights. I spent a near lifetime modifying and engine swapping to make cars that did not yet exist. Now you can buy as much HP as you want and I am over that, and more interested in the original vibe of a car as it came from the factory at that moment in time. I would look for a complete 327 engine, swap cranks, or look for one with a more original engine to start with. Nice car no matter what.
I will never understand why some sellers refuse to put the VIN in their sale ads. That is always a major piece of information on a collector car that can increase interest. Not putting the VIN in the ad is like they are trying to hide something such as illegal title, a vehicle pieced together from more than one car, a stolen car or other things.
I’m seeing red flags all over the place. I once owned a ’63 coupe and was nothing short of ultra fussy about its appearance.
The body lines on this convertible are telling me the frame has been tweaked by a solid hit and it’s been patched together and repainted to look okay for sale.
Also, word is out in the Orlando area about scammers that are selling “damaged goods” as being in good condition.
But that’s just me.
SOLD for $46,901.