1963 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

OK, first of all, this isn't a car for purists, so save your E-mails telling us what you think of this rather amazing 1963 Corvette. It isn't stock and isn't intended to be. Instead, it's a distillation of all that's great about the Corvette legend: small block V8, 5-speed gearbox, comfortable interior, and the incomparable looks of the split-window coupe. It takes guts to turn an icon into a resto-mod, but this car gets it exactly right.

They weren't sneaking around when they painted this one bright Torch Red, but when you're driving one of the most fantastic shapes of all time, why not draw a crowd? Finish work is quite good, not like a concours car with its "perfectly imperfect" flaws, but really, really straight and shiny. All the original design elements are still there, from the chrome vents in the hood to the ribbed rocker panels to the, well, you know, that was hell on the rear view but brilliant for style. Gaps are very good and nothing was shaved or removed during the build, so they did respect the original design. Tinted windows give it an updated and slightly aggressive look while simultaneously helping to keep things cool inside. The two-stage urethane paint has a brilliant shine that's appropriate for a valuable icon like this, and all the chrome has been restored to sparkle against that searingly bright paint.

The interior definitely has a correct look to it, with sculpted bucket seats wearing black leather and red embroidery. The carpets and door panels are new, too, and stick to the original formula because looking at those door panels, what else are you going to do to make them look cooler? The factory gauges were restored and calibrated to work with the small block V8 up front, and by using a wood-rimmed steering wheel, they've given this car a sophisticated flair that's often lost in old Corvettes. A modern A/C system has been cleverly hidden inside, so it's comfortable enough to drive cross-country, and power window switches on the center console are actually a really rare option. A custom AM/FM radio in the dash works with the unusual vertical orientation so they could keep the stock dashboard intact and you'll note that while the shifter looks stock, there are five forward gears shown on the diagram on the console. Cool, right?

The engine is rather tame by resto-mod standards, but you can't argue with a smart-running 350 cubic inch small block. The standard upgrades make it feel burly on the street, inhaling through a big Holley carb atop an Edelbrock intake and exhaling through a set of beautiful ceramic-coated long-tube headers. Chevy Orange paint at least tries to look factory, but details like the chrome air cleaner and aluminum valve covers offer a bit of glamour. Other upgrades include a power front disc brakes with a dual master cylinder, R134a refrigerant in the A/C system, a big aluminum radiator, and the aforementioned Tremec 5-speed manual transmission. Underneath, it's incredibly tidy with a new exhaust system, a fiberglass leaf spring in back, and all-new hardware throughout. The stance isn't crazy low, just raked enough to look great over those 17-inch Foose wheels and 225/45/17 Nitto radials.

It's not stock, but it's also not radical, so if you like the idea of a split-window coupe with a few sensible upgrades, perhaps this resto-mod is what you've been waiting for. Call today!