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Split Window Roller: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette

Owning a split window ‘Vette is a dream for many, but often isn’t a feasible reality. But what about buying an original split window roller and building the Corvette of your dreams? Well that is exactly the opportunity that is available for the taking at this moment. This stripped down split window roller is ready to be built into whatever you desire for the purchase price of $26,000. Find it here on ebay out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Thanks to reader Shane F for the dreamy submission!

Although this is a rare and desirable split window, the next owner will have their work cut out for them. Sold with a salvage title, this Corvette body rests on a straight frame but has some rust concerns on the end caps. The interior is quite empty with only a steering wheel and column, a heater core, and perhaps some other small dash components.

The famous body work is there, but boy does it need some help. Heavily cracked and broken with some missing pieces, the driver side rear fender is rough. It is not exactly clear what happened to this split, but I am guessing this car has pieces from a few corvettes to make it this complete. The passenger rear fender also shows a similar seam to the driver side, and a portion of the “b” pillar is missing on the passenger side. The driver door fits nicely with even panel gaps, and the top of the door aligns well with the roof line. The passenger door does not fit quite as nice. Appearing as a “what you see is what you get” situation this roller could certainly be the ‘Vette of your dreams, but you will need deep pockets to get it there. Would you take on this split window project?

Comments

  1. Avatar Pete

    If the frame and birdcage is good then it’s worth the money this Vette is will be a pro mod someday. Somebody will want it reguardless what it needs.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar sir mike

    Whats up with that new/repoduction split piece?? Does the glass and trim come with car?? Something seems funny here…just a thought.

    Like 2
  3. Avatar Mako6

    Looks suspect….. without the rear glass and chromes, I would guess that this is / was someone’s attempt to convert a 1964 coupe to a 63 SWC. I would be VERY suspicious on this one..

    Like 2
    • Avatar Kejone04

      It is a 1963, you can tell by the tool boxes under the seats. That was 1963 only unless somebody put them in too. The doors are 63 early 64 only. Late 64 the handle pads were different.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Mark

    To some people this may be a great opportunity but to others, like myself, it’s something that was dragged out of the junkyard and needs to go back to it. I’ve never seen a car in such miserable condition being listed for such an unrealistic price. I even have to question whether it’s really a split window or not based on looks of that piece in the center of the rear window.

    Somebody would have to be nuts to put down this much money is something of questionable background.

    Like 2
  5. Avatar John

    Runs and drives smooth. Air blows cold. . .

    Like 1
  6. Avatar irocrob

    Even if your labor was free I think it is a poor investment. Buy a good one and enjoy

    Like 0
  7. Avatar racer99

    The tie-down across the body is all that’s holding it together. Yup, someone will buy it and resto-mod it but I have to agree with Mark’s comments — this is a Frankensteinmobile cobbled together from pieces of other cars that no-one would have looked twice at 10 years ago. Just can’t see doing anything with this one other than what this owner is doing — selling it down the road for someone else to spend too much money fixing.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Rx7turboII

      The tie strap is just holding the doors closed, but normally I would agree 100% with your theory..lol.

      Like 0
      • Avatar racer99

        You may be right — I thought it was attached to the door pillars not the doors.

        Like 0
  8. Avatar 86 Vette Convertible

    Is that even a 63 body? I don’t think so. Looks more like a 67 body that they have the divider for the split window they’re trying to pass off as a 63. Take a look in the area between the door and back window, there should be a pair of depressions there simulating vents that aren’t present.

    Take this one back where it came from – sorry but I don’t think it’s worth the time or money you’ll sink into it for a fake 63.

    Like 0
    • Avatar racer99

      One of the ebay pics shows the rear deck with part of the window divider intact BUT the roof doesn’t seem to have that same divider. I wonder how many pieces of how many different cars are in this thing?

      Like 0
  9. Avatar joeinthousandoaks

    Looks like the roof section came from a later car. The base for the split is with the rear panel. I agree that it is not worth the money. People watch these shows where guys make great resto mod cars from junk and pull these out of the woods.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Dan

    It was popular some back in the 60’s to cut the split-window bar out and put in a later glass, having owned one, the split blocks rear vision a lot, but this car has many other problems. On a side note the early split windows have the deepish compartments under the seats like this one does, probably a real ’63 split window but lots of other cars parts, also no fake lovers on the hood like a ’63 should have.

    Like 0
    • Avatar al8apex

      The hood has the depressions for the hood trim panels, I suspect they are missing, much as is nearly everything else on this car

      Like 0
  11. Avatar LAB3

    At that price my Anal Glaucoma kicks in, can’t see my a$$ doing it!

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Zippymac

    Like the comments reminds me of the Cadillac song by Johnny Cash it a 57,58,59,60,61,62,63 sumthin or other automobile. Picked up from factory you might say it’s cheaper that way.

    Agree don’t touch it.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar gbvette62

    It looks like it may be a 63, but put together with parts from an assortment of other years.

    The doors are correct 63 only doors. The wells in the floors, under where the seats should be, were only found on Corvettes built through March 63. The floors are smooth in later 63’s, and all 64-67 Corvettes, so it has 63 floors in it.

    63’s had two fake scoops in each b-pillar, sort of like smaller versions of the ones in the fenders. 66-67’s had smooth b-pillars, like those on that car, so the roof skin and b-pillars are probably from a 66-67.

    The hood is an original 63, but I think the nose is a 64. The fiberglass used for 63 body’s was an off-white color, while 64’s used gray glass. It has 63-64 side fender louvers in it, but it looks like it’s gray fiberglass. If it is gray glass, and not primer, then it has a 64 nose on it.

    Even as a resto-mod, that car is a bottomless pit. Just the missing windshield and rear window stainless, is going to set you back $4000-$5000, and that’s not counting the missing inside moldings. $1000 for a 63 gauge cluster, $1200 for a console, $1200 for 63 seats, $600 for the hood pans, $1000 for 63 headlight assemblies, and that’s just the start!

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Alex

    All you skeptics need to show some American grit and ingenuity. Jjust imagine the fun and easy restoration it will be if you just stop whining and get to work.

    So what if it’ll be worth a lot less than it costs for the restoration and knowledgeable buyers run the other way when you explain how the car’s almost all original except for the various years’ body panels, and all the other stuff you had to scrounge?

    Just get to work and help Make Split Windows Great Again!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Old Car Guy

      “the car’s almost all original except for the various years’ body panels”

      I have never heard this definition of “original” before. They must have come out with a new dictionary that has different definitions than when I went to school. Yep this is great great grandpas original gun, only had the barrel replaced 3 times, the lock 4 times and the stock twice. But it is almost all original except for the various replacement parts.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Alexander

        Let me assure you I was joking.
        Please read it carefully.

        Like 0
  15. Avatar James

    I personally think it was a burned car. The fiberglass on the top of the rear quarters is clearly burned and the part above where the open interior compartment was looks fried in the same shape of that rear compartment. That also explains why there is no glass or trim, the doors are from another car and everything else is missing inside. The roof is new and the new roof panels made do not have the split window bar, but you can buy that separately like they apparently did.

    Like 0
    • Avatar racer99

      Yup, looked at the owners previous sales and found this from Feb. this year: “Up for sale is a pair of mid year Corvette doors. These doors were in a 64 Vette Retro-Rod that was on fire.” — pretty good guess James. Also looking down his previous sales it looks like he de-contented the rest of the car’s drivetrain before trying to sell the shell.

      Like 0
  16. Avatar John

    I wonder if you can simplify the shipping by just cutting out the number plate and junk the rest. Everything but the number plate and perhaps the steering wheel will have to be replaced anyway.

    This would be a fascinating project for someone like Bill Gates,or George Soros. It would be too pricey fora normal car guy.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Mike Babinetz

    It doesn’t even have a number plate.it has an assigned vin number and a salvage title according to the seller.looks like junk to me.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Bill K

    I’d guess that $26K for the car and about $75K to $85K will probably get you a $70K car, stories, strained friendships, nights sleeping in the garage, and issues with domestic relationships and lots of opportunities for meditation.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Steve H

    I don’t see a ’63 SWC. All I see is a money pit.

    RUN.

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Racer x

    Rather have a 68,69, although this could be really something, two of the most beautiful words came to mind , Burlington northern before Warren bought it

    Like 0
  21. Avatar dogwater

    I think it over priced as it sets, might be worth about 15k if you did all the work yourself and 20k

    Like 0
  22. Avatar roundhouse

    There are nice driver 63’s that go for $65 – 75k. Hard to imagine this is worth more than $10k.

    Like 0
  23. Avatar Tyler

    If this carcass is worth $2500, let alone $25,000, then it’s time for me to leave the collector car hobby…

    Like 0
  24. Avatar Steven

    That’s a good Man Cave conversation piece ? Hang it up from the axles roof down an thrown in a Flat Screen TV 📺 too watch the NASCAR 🏁 Races on the weekend, hey give me a shot of Wedgewood Jack! Geez someone must have been backwards blind sale on this one!

    Like 0
  25. Avatar Doug Towsley

    Back in the 1980s I dreamed of building a 63 Split window replica. In car craft or Hot rod was ads for a complete body shell for around $4000. I wanted to mount it on a Jegs tubular chassis or one of the other kits out there. (SCCA type road racer)
    What I ran into was the whole kit car-Non OEM type car debacle and insurance and registration was prohibitive. I gave up on the idea as a pipe dream. Later I came to understand better how to get around the registration-title-insurance issues but I think my original idea has more merit than saving this shell

    Like 0

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