The second-generation Chevrolet Corvette was produced for almost five years, but it’s the early 1963 model that’s truly special. While it doesn’t have the big-block power of the 1965-to-1967 Vette, the 1963 version is the proud owner of a split rear window. Discontinued for 1964, this feature alone makes the first-year C2 a rare collectible.
Finding one on the classic car market isn’t all that difficult. Many of these cars have been carefully restored, while others were transformed into tasteful restomods. However, untouched and unmolested survivors are becoming increasingly more difficult to find. Amazingly enough, one of these cars just surfaced in Arizona and it seems that it spent most of its life in the desert.
The story goes that this Corvette was a one-owner survivor until recently when the 82-year-old keeper decided to part ways with it. The seller claims that the owner was living with the C2 in a storage container “in the middle of nowhere Arizona.”
There’s no specific info as to how many decades this Vette spent in storage, but it looks in fairly good condition save for the fact that the paint has been sanded off, leaving the fiberglass body exposed. It’s basically ready for a refinish, but I must admit that it looks quite fetching without paint. Speaking of which, it appears that the car left the factory in silver.
The Corvette is no longer completely stock though. Check out the rear and you’ll notice that the previous owner added an extra pair of taillights. It was a popular mod at some point, but diehard fans will probably want to remove the extra lights and cover the holes for a more authentic look.
Much like the body, the chassis is also in great condition, with minor signs of surface corrosion. The seller doesn’t provide photos of the engine, but it’s most definitely a 327-cubic-inch (5.4-liter) V8 since it was the only option in 1963. On the other hand, we don’t know how powerful it is since Chevrolet offered the 327 in various tunes back in the day, including 250, 300, and 340 horsepower versions.
Whether or not it’s a matching-numbers unit also remains a mystery. The engine block is finished in blue, which means that the original V8 was either repainted or replaced altogether at some point. Regardless, the engine still works and the vehicle apparently “runs great.”
The Corvette is listed on eBay by “collectorsdreamcars” for quite a hefty sum. If you want to take it home as-is, pricing is set at $129,995. The current market value for a 1963 Corvette is around $155,000 for a pristine model and about $60,000 for one in good condition, so the seller is aiming rather high.
The ad mentions that if the car doesn’t sell, it might get a new paint job, an LS swap, and a suspension upgrade. I certainly hope it won’t happen since this car deserves a proper restoration to original specifications. Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing it retain the bare fiberglass exterior on top of a restored chassis, drivetrain, and interior. Whatever happens, it’s definitely worth saving.
