Mid Year Corvettes exude cool. With stunning design lines and impressive performance (for the time), these early American sports cars still garner great attention. However, you pay a price for looking that good; those cars aren’t always the most comfortable or easiest to drive. This Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe may be the answer to that dilemma.
This Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe was the recipient of a high-quality, frame-off rotisserie restoration in 2005. The Riverside Red finish was done to a high standard. Chrome bumpers and trim present well, with no signs of pitting or corrosion. Stainless trim appears to be well polished and in good nick. Bolt-on ‘knock-off’-style reproduction wheels are shod in deep radial redline Michelins. Glass is crystal clear throughout, and no nicks or wiper tracks are present on the windshield. Weatherstrip appears fresh.
The red interior of this Chevrolet Corvette still appears fresh, with little to no wear of note. Carpets show no fading, and there are matching Corvette floor mats. A tilt steering column has replaced the original fixed unit. The dash cover is in good shape, free from fading or cracks. The instrument binnacle has been refinished in factory black. The gauges appear and function as new. An upgraded vertical stereo with a hidden iPod connection resides in the dash. Console finishes are clean and correct. Options include power windows, power antenna, power steering, and Vintage Air climate control.
Under the hood resides a numbers-matching 327 cubic-inch V8 producing 340 horsepower. It is backed by a modern Tremec five-speed transmission that allows this Chevrolet Corvette to cruise at 75 miles per hour well below 2,500 rpm. Keeping things cool is a modern aluminum radiator. A power brake booster has been fitted to control the four-wheel disc brakes. The engine compartment is clean, with a great blend of original equipment and new technology.
The owner states that the car has been driven on multiple long-distance drives without a hiccup. This Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe is available from Classic Auto Rod in Lee’s Summit, MO for $124,850.
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Comments
While the car would have been worth more if it had actually been restored rather than “restomodded”—and then met NCRS and/or Bloomington judging, I have no doubt that someone less-knowledgeable will still step up and meet the seller’s price.
Fortunately, the modifications were minor compared to most “restomods” and easily enough remedied. As if this car as it rolled off the assembly line was so uncomfortable and difficult to drive in the first place. I don’t get it, but they should’ve gone with a sechsganggetriebe if they were going to bother. Personally, I’m more than happy with my little old M20; it’s not difficult at all.
All ’63 coupes, regardless of engine, have taken off and are often now commanding more $$ than nice ’66-67 big block cars? Why? The split window. Makes no sense to me, but there is a “fever” of sorts over the split window design and the idea that it is exceedingly rare. It’s certainly true that the “split” disappeared after ’63, so it was a one year design, but more than 10,000 units were produced of the ’63 coupe. “Rare” means many different things to people? If I had $125K to spend on a mid-year, it’s hood would say…4-2-7.
The ’63 Coupes have been a tear upward in the last several years, with prices equal to or now even exceeding nice ’65-67 big block cars. Why? The split window. It seems to me that it’s a case of perception vs reality. The perception among many is that these cars are extremely rare? I guess it depends on ones definition of rare? Reality is, more than 10,000 1963 Corvette coupes were produced, many still exist today. Maybe it’s the fact that many of these cars are tucked away in collections and don’t come out very often? The fact that the “split” was removed in ’64, made this window design a one year thing, but the rest of the car was around for 4 more years, with many updates, upgrades to boot.
Examples of “rareness” on 1963 Corvettes.
’63 coupe with N03 big tank (36 gal. fuel tank) very rare, 63 made. Any ’63 Corvette with factory A/C, rare 278 produced. Obviously ’63 coupe with RPO Z06, rare 199 made. Any ’63 with RPO L84 360hp 327 fuel injection, pretty rare 2610 made.