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Turn-Key Survivor: 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

There is no disputing the fact that this 1965 Corvette Convertible would present very nicely if it was treated to some restoration work. Just how involved this work could become would be very dependent on the taste of the next owner. Regardless of which way that person chooses to go, the car would seem to have no immediate needs. It is said to run and drive quite nicely at present. That opens the option of driving it during the upcoming warmer months and then treating it as a Winter project when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Located in Galion, Ohio, you will find the Convertible listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has now reached $33,900 off the back of some solid bidding, and the reserve has been met.

The Corvette is finished in Silver Blue, and as you can see, that paint has certainly seen better days. It has worn through in some spots, and it has developed a matte look in others. There is no doubt that a fresh coat of paint would make a world of difference, but it does look like the next owner could be starting from a fairly solid base. There are no signs of any fatigue crack in the fiberglass or any issues around the bonding strips. As the owner rightly points out, the panel gaps are nice and consistent, while the trim and chrome would easily pass muster on a driver-quality car. The underside of the car does have a significant coating of surface corrosion, although there are no obvious signs of structural problems. The owner does state that this is a hardtop-only car, but doesn’t indicate whether he actually has the top, and if so, what state it is in. The wheels aren’t original, so that is one area that will require attention if a faithful restoration is going to be undertaken.

It’s when we start to delve below the surface that we encounter some real positives with this Corvette. Under the hood, we find the L75 version of the 327ci V8, which is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. This combination endowed the Corvette with pretty respectable performance, with the ¼ mile being despatched in 14.6 seconds. This is claimed to be a number-matching car, right down to the alternator and carburetor. It had been sitting unused for an extended period of time but has now been returned to a running state once again. The owner says that the engine feels strong and that the transmission shifts smoothly. He also says that while the Corvette will eventually require restoration, it is a car where you can hit the key and drive it immediately.

I have had to spend quite some time inspecting the interior photos of the Corvette because both the owner and the tag identify the color as being blue. The carpet definitely meets that description, but the upholstery looks closer to black than blue to me. It might just be the way the light is hitting it, so I’ll let you be the judge on that one. The carpet and armrests are showing some wear, but the upholstery and the dash generally look to be in pretty reasonable condition. There is some wear visible on the console, the side cover is missing on the passenger side, and the steering wheel also has some cracks. However, it is basically complete, and it wouldn’t take a lot of work to return it to its best once again.

At the time of writing, 15 people have submitted a total of 37 bids on the Corvette. These are people who would seem to like what they see, and they have visions of parking an iconic American sports car in their driveway. That has to raise the question as to just what this particular car could ultimately sell for. It is possible to find some extremely nicely restored examples of similar specifications to this one in the market today for just shy of $60,000. In fact, I had no trouble finding one that had just received a frame-off restoration for $64,500. This one will need a repaint to have it looking at its best, and the frame will require some attention to ensure that the surface corrosion does not manage to transform itself into something more sinister. With those factors in mind, I would personally be surprised if the bidding finds its way beyond $40,000, although a lower figure would certainly be possible. With those factors in mind, is this a Corvette that you would be willing to bid on?

Comments

  1. Avatar bob

    you need to correct your first sentence to be 1964, just a small typo.

    Noce car and I would keep it as is. It is only original once.

    Like 2
  2. Avatar CJinSD

    I think I’d like at least one photograph of the driver’s side before I’d bid.

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Gaspumpchas Hulsizer

    Yahoo…A Vette for sale with pics of the frame!!! up to just shy 34 large no reserve. Good luck and stay safe!!!
    Cheers
    GPC

    Like 1
  4. Avatar Joe Haska

    If you want this series of a Corveette and who dosn’t ,this one might be a great choice. The Corvette gurus tell me 64 is the least desireable of these years, but because of price and condition, I think this car could be a very good choice. You could drive this car and work on it at the same time a win – win.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar Patrick J. Flynn

    The grille is a 1965. The 64 did not have the horizontal only grille bars.

    Like 0
    • Avatar jlively

      65 had horizontal and vertical
      64 horizontal only. This one seems to be correct.

      Like 4
    • Avatar gbvette62

      That is the correct grill for a 64. 64’s use the same grill as 63’s, with 6 horizontal anodized aluminum grill bars, and a separate, 3 piece lower grill molding. 65’s have a one year only “egg crate” type, anodized aluminum grill.

      This is one of the view times a car on Barn Finds is described as being a “survivor” and truly is one. It appears to be original and unrestored, and other than the wheels and some under hood details (like the fuel line and oil cap), it looks to be pretty much unmolested. As a hardtop only car, I wish the seller had included a picture or two of the hardtop, but otherwise can’t find much to fault with the car of the ad. It will be interesting to see how high the bidding goes on this car.

      Like 3
      • Avatar moosie

        One thing I found curious for a hardtop only car was the lack of attachment points for the rear bow of the hardtop. On C2’s the rear bow of the hardtop sits on the lid further back then the soft top. I couldnt see if there were any ferrules on the sides of the lid to fasten down the hardtop there. Yep , some pictures of the top and the drivers side of the car would have been nice. Nice car anyways, get it a decent driver quality paint job and drive it if all else is good and enjoy the mystique of C2 Corvettes.

        Like 0
  6. Avatar sparkster

    Just watched ” Con Air ” with Nicolas Cage. Poor Corvette in that movie. Anybody here remember what the license plate said ? What year was that Vette?

    Like 1
    • Avatar moosie

      The Con Air Corvette was a 1967, AZZ KIKER was the license plate.

      Like 1
  7. Avatar Dusty Stalz

    Is it just me that thinks restoring this car would be wrong? At least at this point in the cars life? I’d go through the suspension and brakes and made sure it ran right but I’d leave the interior/exterior alone for as long as absolutely possible.

    Like 5
  8. Avatar PRA4SNW

    I agree with Dusty – just enjoy it as it is.

    You see so few of these on the road because of the value of them, it ia always refreshing to see one in not-so-perfect condition just being enjoyed.

    Like 4
  9. Avatar TimM

    No pictures of the drivers side and no pictures with the top up!! I think I’d like to see pictures of both before I dropped that kind of money!!!

    Like 1
  10. Avatar George Mattar

    The 64 gets a bad rap because it is not a 63 and a 65 with disc brakes. Truth be told, old drum brakes may not be as efficient, but if you don’t drive a disc brake C2 or C3 car, you will find brake fluid leaking sooner or later from those crappy made calipers. Been there. Done that. Buy this car. Do the brakes. Do the suspension. Do the cooling system. Drive it. You never see these great cars on the roads. Why? Personally I live near Philadelphia. Full of illegals driving unsafe 30 year old Hondas with no insurance. Phone glued to their face. End of story.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Russell Ashley

    I had a 64 many years ago, and unless you are going to do some hard driving you won’t have a problem stopping with the drums. I’d rather have disk brakes but drums wouldn’t stop me from buying this 1964 Sting Ray if I wanted to have another one. A friend bought a new 64 with hard top only, like this one, which I thought was not a good idea, as here in north Georgia the weather can change pretty quickly. I didn’t have a hard top for mine and didn’t want one.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Poncho

    I don’t care if it is a 63, 64, or 65. The body style is what I love, especially in drop top configuration. I can deal with the drums for now and maybe eventually upgrade to discs. I assume you could get a soft top for it if you would want that option instead of the hardtop only (which I would). This car is begging to be driven. I’d be in on it if I didn’t already have 2 (maybe 3kinda) projects cooking now. Eventually I will be in one of these mid 60’s beauties. Just have to bring myself to sell some of my toys to trade up.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar rob dollich

    so i bought this car on e-bay when it sold. im in mid missouri and would love ro give an update story if anybody wants to listen,rob

    Like 2
    • Avatar moosie

      rob dollich, hell yeah, I’d be interested in an update story, good luck and I hope the car turns out how you want it !

      Like 1
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      Congrats, and yes please!

      Like 1
  14. Avatar rob dollich

    so i been so busy,the storie of this car is on superchevy.com feb.2019 titled corvette sees daylight after 40 years,i havnt painted it and will give more info in a day or two. i did put 65 wheel covers on it cuz 64s were so common looking

    Like 1

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