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1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe Barn find in Buffalo N.Y.

Name: Benchmark Auto Appraisers L.L.C.
Address: 84 Simon Street,, Buffalo, NY, 14207, US
Telephone: 1-877-888-6113

Barn Find in N. Tonawanda N.Y. 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe

We are honored that the owner chose Benchmark Auto Appraisers L.L.C. to appraise this extremely rare find. This ageless beauty has been in storage for over 20 years, It was our clients’ fathers car that passed over 20 years ago. This treasure has not been moved for the entire time. This is a “numbers matching” 1963 Chevrolet C2 Corvette Stingray split window coupe. This is a 327 4 speed transmission. The son has made a decision to sell his treasure this month. The next lucky owner will have one of the rarest and most popular Corvettes ever made. This car is absolutely money in the bank. It will appreciate in value. With only about 10,000 built in the world and after 56 years who knows how many are left. Research into this appraisal has indicated not many are out there.

Some of the specifications of the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Split window Coupe are:

In 1963 each of the four versions of the big V8 had headspace 327-cubic-inch displacement, 4″ bore and 3.25″ stroke. The 250-hp standard engine features a single 4-barrel carb, 10.5:1 compression ratio, hydraulic valve lifters, and a new dual exhaust system. The 300-hp power plant adds a large aluminum 4-barrel carburetor and larger intake valves. Both the 340- and 360-hp engines have cylinder heads with large ports, domed aluminum pistons, 11.25:1 compression, high-speed valve systems with specifically finished exhaust valves, mechanical valve lifters, ribbed aluminum rocker covers, special camshafts and 5-quart oil capacity (4-quart capacity on 250- and 300-hp engines). The 360-hp Fuel Injection engine provides a larger volume aluminum manifold with improved ram pipes and a warning buzzer for the tach. I’m incredibly excited to be presenting this very special 1963 Corvette Coupe as a Barn Finds Exclusive! Our clients father purchased this Split Window Coupe back in 1965 and it’s been with their family ever since. It’s been parked in their barn since 1992 and hasn’t moved since, but the time has come to find a good home for it. You can find this dusty beauty in Tonawanda, New York with just 36k miles.

This Corvette is really is a part of our client’s family, he helped clean it as a little kid, remembers going for rides in it and it’s the car that his father taught him how to drive stick in. He shared a couple of photos of the car when he was a child and it sure is an amazing look at the car’s past. I’m sure it will be difficult to see it go, but their family is hopeful that it will get put back on the road where it belongs.

His dad had plans of getting it back on the street shortly after parking it, but health issues kept him from getting around to working on it and sadly, he passed away without having the chance to drive it again. His family just couldn’t bring themselves to part away with it, but it’s finally time to let it go to a new family.

Under the hood is the original 327 V8, which is paired to a 4-speed. No attempt has been made to start it, but it was driven into the barn in 1992, so there’s a good chance it will run with minimal work. It’s not clear isn’t sure which version of the 327 this is, but if the air cleaner is any indication, this is the 300 horsepower version. Paired with the 4-speed, it should be a fun machine to drive!

While there’s lots of work to be done here, the car actually looks to be in decent shape. The interior is complete and while it shows some wear, it looks like you could clean it up. It really is a time capsule, and I’m sure it smells a bit musty, but hey it’s a barn find! The original radio is still in place, all the dials and gauges look to be present and in usable condition. If you look closely at the driver’s side door jamb, you can see service stickers from a Texaco showing the mileage into the 1980s. Given the overall condition and the fact that it has been in the family since ’65, there’s little doubt that this Corvette’s mileage is accurate.

Given how desirable these cars are, I think this one is worth every penny! It’s well documented, complete, all original and has been well-loved by one family for most of its life. What more can you ask for? I spoke with Our client extensively about the car and between himself, his sister and their mother, he’s confident they can answer any questions you might have about the car!

While having a shorter wheelbase might normally imply a choppier ride, the design of the C2 partially compensated for this by redistributing the weight of the car from front to rear. By moving some of the weight out of the end, steering the car became more manageable – especially given the fact that the 1963 Corvette did not include power steering as a standard feature. At the same time, Corvette engineers moved approximately 80 additional pounds on/over the rear wheels, which improved the car’s traction, especially during moments of more aggressive acceleration.