Split Window Project: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
It’s a sad situation anytime you leave a car with a body shop and they don’t deliver what was agreed upon, but even worse when something underhanded happens while it’s in their possession. Throw into the mix that the vehicle just happens to be a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with the split-window rear and things go off the chart on the bad scale, such as the car for sale here on eBay. Fortunately, the Chevy seems like a good restoration project, but it’s going to need a few missing parts sourced before the car can be completed. So far, bidding has gotten up to $69,600 with the reserve still a mystery, and you’ll need to head over to Richmond, Kentucky if you want to see the ‘Vette in person before deciding if it’s a suitable project.
The seller has only had the car for about a year and doesn’t say if it was under his ownership when the dishonesty occurred, which he details as a body shop dismantling the car and then losing, selling, or stealing a lot of loose parts. He also is upfront in telling us that it’s a what you see is what you get deal, and everything you’ll be receiving is just what can be spotted in the photos.
Some positive news is the fiberglass still looks pretty nice and the body gaps are good, plus all the exterior trim for those back windows is included. There’s also a shot from inside of the rear area, and it does seem solid back there along with the rest of what we get to see from this viewpoint.
Unfortunately, the rest of the interior appears to be missing numerous parts, but you do get the seats and a dashboard, just no instruments and not much of anything else. However, with all the missing items it’s easy to inspect the floor and other inside structural components, and they do seem solid plus the seller believes the frame has already undergone a restoration at some point in the past.
The Corvette is not currently driving or running, but that is the number-matching 340 HP 327 in the engine compartment, although the 3-Speed manual transmission is not from the factory. Under the hood is the closest we get to seeing how things down below look, and if the rest is comparable to the front-end steel this one’s probably got strong bones to work with, so to speak. It’s a shame how this one ended up with so many parts MIA, but nonetheless, the car does come across as a fun project to pick up on, and if you’ve got to own the Corvette today there’s also the option to buy it now for $82,900. Could you envision the finished project as the split window coupe of your dreams?
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Comments
$6900 would be too much.
Way too much by half.
Is there one bid? And it’s the owners? 69,600 and reserve not met? 82,900 would be a bunch if all the pieces were there, installed.
At Glendale Mecum 2023 a non-original went for $150K. Definitely alot of parts to source, but I don’t think you would wind up under water, if that’s important to you. Auction ad says 18 bids.
Comes with a parts bin… No thanks. Its one thing if you disassemble the car yourself . But when someone else does it. It will be a mess …
What a criminal mess.
I have done several projects I call Basket cases, but in this case, the basket is missing!
I have a friend that might have some of the parts he needs. He buys and sells them and has been doing it for 50 years. He had a ‘63 convertible he might even have parts left over from when we did a frame off on it. He’ll be going to Carlyle with a car load to sell at the flea market next week. By the way, that’s not a terrible price for a numbers matching 63’ in that condition. Finished they start out at $125k and I’ve seen them as high as $500k. Google 63’ split window for sale. You’ll be surprised.
Do you mean Carlisel Pennsylvania?
It’s Carlisle.
Is the body shop scumbag still alive?
Kinda what I was wondering…
Right up to the moment the owner called 811 Dig Safe
Or hope he’s in jail or heading that way for a long time.
I worked at a few body shops in my life, those guys are crooks looking to rip off the customer any way they can,so many of them are drunks and drug users, they can’t be trusted, they were also very good at ripping off the insurance companies.
It’s possible that it is a dishonest body shop. It’s also possible that the owner stopped paying and the body shop wheeled the car outside to make space for paying customers. The steering column, heater box, pedals etc are all missing. There is so much missing it’s hard to believe that they are all sold or lost. I suspect that there is more to the story. I would hate to buy the car and find that the car has a mechanics lien on it.
Writer says body lines are good.lol. pass. Side headlight rubbing. Pass door at bottom protruding out at the bottom. If you buy it make darn sure you will have plenty of money an want the car for youself because you will have more money in it than it’s worth unless your are experienced doing these vettes yourself.
Just another ridiculous priced project fishing for a sucker. Everything is overpriced regardless and the only buyer will be someone willing to gamble that has money to throw away or is ignorant of what it takes to put one of these back together. If any of these projects were priced right there would be a lot more people out there who could jump back into ownership of a classic car. Most of us can’t!
This seller, WhiteViper, always has a 63 Corvette on eBay, from really nice to something like this turd. I don’t know where he finds them. This one is ridiculously priced simply because so much missing and so much to be done
From one pic you don’t know if rotten frame has been Bondoed and painted, whole thing looks like a bid for the sucker born that particular minute.
….And to think that at one time in 64 to 66-ish when the split window was replaced with a full window, people actually removed the split on the 63’s to make it look more current…….who knew this would be so devastating today? Of course your good body people today can do virtually anything and fix that faux error. I’m not a a Corvette guy but I would stay away from someone else’s dismantle unless the price was REALLY right! This car needs everything in the “details dept” and that is where the real restoration costs lie. It looks like the all those missing pieces ‘fell off the back of the truck’!!
Looking at the parts that are wrong for the car I would have to assume many many many of the one year only parts are missing or wrong. For example on the interior shots the one year only shifter console and seats are for another year.
my `63 was a late production and came with `64 style seats.
Forgot to say I’m my previous post: Why would a 340 hp engine have a fuel injection radiator core support? Just asking.
Because those would rust out and the Chevy over the counter part was the FI core support. Works for every engine application, not NCRS correct.
Bid up to 73,000 now. Seller has another complete running 63 for a BIN of 122,900. Would be a much smarter purchase.
Probably with parts from this one ;-)
That may be why he is running both auctions at the same time. One looks like a steal compared to the overpriced one.
$82,900? LOL! The Chevy flippers are getting as crazy as the MOPAR fanatics.
I’m a corvette guy restored a few over the years I think the prices is a little high for what you are getting 50k is more like it
wondering how many were built with power windows and `64 seats ? the one i had had both, sold it in `72 in VA beach to get a new `72. may be it.
Honestly,.. Ìt is certainly a questionable set of circumstances.
Now, a person really needs to evaluate if the car is beyond the point of no return.
Here I go with the Big Daddy Ed Roth visual. If the right person is to have the kind of deep pockets that could build the car into a S/S or S/SF or some class of 1/4 mile track altered car would to me be a kool way to go.
If I were back in my prime and had the fun tickets I would be on the phone and get this owner nailed down to a honest number. Jump in the dually, hook up the trailer, grab a buddy and be taillights.
Kinda fun to remember old times.
Whoever got ripped off by the bodyshop, should have got an attorney. Who in their right mind would spend so much on a classic with so many missing,expensive parts and also knowing they were $20k or more away from completing the restoration? Not me my friend. Whomever buys this one is a glutton for punishment.
It’s an EBay auction, the seller can make up anything that comes to their mind.
This seller sounds like another Vette flipper, so he’s going to tell whatever story makes sense for the condition of the car.
The first thing I would do is name the scum bag body shop. Plenty of cockroaches out there looking to cash in. There are plenty of reputable shops, you just need to do your do diligence. Sad and I feel for the owner. Yeah, his price seems steep, but when you look at recent sales of 63 SWC, well the 67 435 hp mania is waning. The 63 SWCs are now bringing the most money of any C2 Corvette.
I don’t understand why he never sued the owner of the body shop for the missing parts.I would have.
This is worst than the 100k 63 SWC from the other day. At least everything appeared to be there. Both are pie in the sky and much to much work.