This 1963 Chevrolet Corvette just came up for sale on eBay and proves you don’t need to get covered in spiderwebs to have a decent barn find. It’s in pretty good condition, considering the seller says it hasn’t moved in over 20 years. Best of all, the engine is numbers-matching, and it’s a Split Window, arguably one of the most desirable versions of the Vette.
The second generation of C2 Corvette is arguably one of the most beautiful American car designs and is the only one to have the split rear window. It’s now hugely popular and adds a lot of value to the car. These things go for supercar money when in perfect condition, but that wasn’t always the case.
The father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Dontov, didn’t like the split window design because it reduced rear visibility. It was dropped in 1964 and replaced by one big piece. So only 1963 models like this one have it, and there were about 10,594 coupes that year.
These are getting increasingly hard to find and are worth upwards of $100,000. Even though it’s a barn find and thus not in perfect condition, bidding for this example has already reached $90,000, probably because it has other valuable desirable traits.
The factory Saddle Tan paint is a nice option, and it came with a leather interior from the get-go. The V8 is number-matching, and the eBay seller believes the gearbox is as well. Powered steering, windows, and brakes are all fitted. The specific engine isn’t mentioned, but since it’s the 1963 model with a Powerglide, it’s got to be either the 250 or 300-hp version of the 327 cubic-inch, carried over from the C1.
Did you know that the Sting Ray Coupe’s split windows were so unpopular that many customers replaced them with a single one-piece Plexiglass unit? Even Chevrolet dealerships offered this, so the number of original ’63 coupes went down significantly.
From the lack of rubber belts to the condition of its suspension, this Corvette looks mostly original but in bad need of restoration. Will you be the guy who saved this golden beauty and does your budget stretch that far?!
Everybody wants this specific model year of this specific generation; that’s why it’s so expensive. The Corvette is one of the longest-running nameplates, celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2023, and the C2 was kind of the birth of the sports car.
The C1 looked the business, but it had a live axle rear end. After about half a decade of development and track testing, GM and Dontov made the C2 Corvette into the go-to racer as well. Watch Ford v Ferrari again and you see Ken Miles racing Dan Gurney at Willow Springs. C2 Corvette’s everywhere!
