Have prices for 1963 split-window Corvettes climbed so high that even a non-running project with its original drivetrain long gone is worth nearly $80,000?

That’s the question facing potential buyers of this ’63 Sting Ray coupe being offered by a dealer in Astoria, Oregon, for $79,500 or best offer.

There’s no question about the desirability of the car itself. The 1963 Corvette remains one of the most recognizable American sports cars ever built, thanks largely to the famous split rear window that lasted just one model year.

But this particular example is a long way from the condition that usually commands big money.

The Corvette has been off the road and in storage for several years and is not currently running. Its original engine is gone, replaced by a non-matching small-block V8, and the gas tank is missing.

Making matters more complicated, the seller acknowledges that the body has been “modified quite a bit.” We don’t mind the triple taillights, but the front and rear fender flares might be the oddest, ugliest versions we’ve ever spotted. Still interested?

The car is currently burgundy with a black interior and four-speed manual transmission, though it originally left the factory wearing Riverside Red.

The seller, Gullwing Motor Cars, describes the Corvette as “an excellent candidate for restoration” and suggests two possible paths for its next owner — return it to something resembling its original configuration or use it as the foundation for a restomod.

Considering the original drivetrain is already gone and the body has been modified so much, the latter might make the most sense.

A high-end restomod could retain the unmistakable split-window appearance while adding modern horsepower, suspension, brakes, steering and creature comforts. Of course, after paying nearly $80,000 just to get started, building such a car could turn into a very expensive proposition.

Then again, this isn’t just any old Corvette project.

Since Chevy eliminated the rear window divider for ’64, the one-year-only ’63 has earned legendary status in the Corvette world, an early version of today’s 2019-only C7 ZR1.

That rarity has helped make restored, original ’63 examples highly desirable among collectors. But this car raises a different question: How much of that split-window premium applies when the Corvette needs a major restoration and no longer has its original drivetrain?

The seller certainly isn’t underselling its significance, calling it an “extremely rare and collectible 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe.”

That description is hard to argue with when talking about the model.

Whether this particular example is worth the $79,500 asking price is another matter.

There’s a desirable four-speed transmission, that legendary split-window body and the opportunity to build the car virtually any way the next owner wants.

But there’s also a non-running Corvette with a replacement engine, missing gas tank, modified body and plenty of expensive work ahead.

Maybe that’s simply the price of admission to the split-window club these days.

Or maybe the seller is going to need that “best offer” option after all.

Source:
eBay Motors

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