While Chevrolet delivered buyers 21,513 Corvettes during 1963, only 2,610 paid the hefty premium to equip their car with the potent fuel-injected V8. That represents a low take-up rate, and circumstances meant that the number declined as time passed. This 1963 Convertible is a stunning vehicle restored to a high standard. It would suit a meticulous buyer craving a classic guaranteed to turn heads. The Fuelie is listed here on Craigslist in Granby, Massachusetts. With a sale price of $110,000, this Corvette will require someone with deep commitment and a fat wallet to take it home. I must thank Barn Finder Pat L for spotting this stunning Convertible.

The history of this Corvette is unclear, although the seller indicates it received a total restoration. They don’t say when this occurred, but the process included a repaint in its original shade of Saddle Tan. They use the term “as good as it gets” to describe the paint, and it is hard not to agree with the assessment. It shines magnificently under artificial lights, with no signs of inconsistency. The fiberglass is equally impressive, while the car features a White soft-top and a color-matched hardtop. The seller doesn’t mention any rust issues, and if they recently completed the restoration, the frame should be structurally sound. The trim and glass are immaculate, as you might expect from a vehicle of this caliber. The only item that raises questions is the aluminum knock-off wheels. Kelsey-Hayes produced these stunning wheels as an option for the 1963 Corvette, but two issues plagued them. The first was cost; the RPO list reveals they added a whopping $322.80 to the Corvette’s sticker price. There were also quality control problems, as the aluminum proved porous. This resulted in leakage on cars fitted with tubeless tires, and while they remained on the options list for 1963, I can find no records confirming that any ‘Vettes were delivered with that feature. There were 806 Corvettes fitted with the wheels for 1964 once the quality issues were history. That means that the knock-offs on this car could be a later fitment, or they may be reproductions. Only an in-person inspection will reveal the truth.

Lifting the hood reveals what separates this Corvette from mere mortals. The company offered three optional engines for 1963 buyers, but the daddy was the L84 version of the 327ci V8. This motor brought Rochester fuel injection to the party, allowing the motor to produce 360hp and 352 ft/lbs of torque. The power is fed to the back wheels via a four-speed manual transmission, and if you think that combination represents a potent package in a car weighing 3,042lbs, you’d be right. If the driver aims this beast down the ¼ mile, the journey would be over in 14 seconds. If they were brave enough to keep the pedal to the metal, that sweet V8 would run out of breath with the needle hovering around 144mph. The Fuelie engine had two weaknesses worth noting. The first was that the intricacies of the fuel injection system were beyond what many mechanics encountered, making it a mystery when faults occurred. Some repair shops tried their best with some success. Others threw the injection in the “too hard” basket, convincing owners to swap to a regular intake and carburetor to solve their problems. It is unclear how often this happened, but it reduced the total of what was an already rare feature. That poses the question of why the Fuelie option was rare. The answer is a simple one; Price. A buyer in 1963 could order their car with the L76 version of the 327. This motor provided 340hp and 344 ft/lbs of torque, costing the buyer $107.60. We’ve already covered the figures for the Fuelie, but that option cost buyers a cool $430.40. It is little wonder that a mere 2,610 buyers chose that route when they ordered their new toy. The seller doesn’t categorically state this car is numbers-matching, but that is the impression they give. They say it runs and drives exceptionally well, and its V8 packs plenty of power. That makes it a turnkey proposition for its next owner.

The owner supplies this single shot that provides a brief glimpse of the interior, which is disappointing for a vehicle in this price bracket. It shows Saddle upholstery that looks in good condition. The visible bright trim shines, and there’s no evidence of major problems with the wheel. The car features a radio, but it isn’t clear whether this is an AM/FM or the less expensive AM unit. Otherwise, it is a case of your guess being as good as mine. However, with the rest of the car presenting so well, you would expect the interior to be of a similar standard.

The C2 Corvette has cemented its place in classic folklore and commands more respect today than when it rolled off the production line. The buying public saw the Corvette as an integral part of the high-performance market, and it sold in numbers that would have seemed a dream to Chevrolet a few years earlier. The most desirable examples feature the beautiful fuel-injected V8. Buyers paid a significant price for the Fuelie option in 1963, and classic enthusiasts continue to do so today. Potential buyers can expect those cars to command a 40% premium over a similar vehicle with the entry-level motor. It is common for them to sell for more than $120,000, although recent sales results produce the occasional example that has sold for a considerably higher figure. That makes the asking price for this car look pretty competitive. It sits in a price bracket where the seller is unlikely to find seething hordes bashing down his door to hand over the cash, but I won’t be surprised if it finds a new home fairly quickly.