1965 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible on 2040-cars

1965 Corvette Convertible

The car is basically a “barn find” but was in an aircraft hangar instead of a barn.  It had one owner for the past 28 years, was stored in a heated hangar, lightly driven since 1985 and not registered since 2006

It runs great now.  Last year I went through all through the engine with full tune-up, new carburetor, alternator, regulator, battery, fuel pump.  The oil pressure is strong and steady.  I cleaned out the fuel tank, installed all new calipers, turned the rotors, installed new pads and repacked the bearings.  The tires are new.  1965 was the first year that the Corvette had 4-wheel disc brakes.  We buffed out the paint and it shined up nicely.  There were some nicks & scrapes in the paint but they were touched up.  There are blemishes but it shows well and turns a lot of heads.  If you’re never driven a car with sidepipes, you’ll find it makes the experience much more fun.

The engine is a 327/300 but the block was replaced.  It is 300 HP now but we believe it was at least a 350 HP 327 originally by virtue of the 2-1/2” exhaust manifolds and the higher RPM 6500 RPM redline tach.   

It has manual steering, manual brakes, factory side pipes and a 4-speed Muncie with original Corvette shifter.

The body has never been off the frame but it was undercoated originally and the frame is excellent.  The body was modified in the ‘70’s and was never changed back because it has been in storage for so long.  The headlight openings were glassed in, the tail lights were changed, a rear spoiler was added and the wheelwells were given mild flares.  When you look underneath at the body, all of the fiberglass panels look clean and original, so we believe the car has never been hit.

The car is very good driver now.  I drove it about 2000 miles last summer and it is very dependable.  But not everything works yet.  What is not working currently is:  horn, parking brake, turn signals, fuel gauge, amp gauge, clock and odometer.  The speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure and temperature gauges are working. 

I have extra parts that are not installed on the car so the car can be restored more easily including headlight assemblies with motors. The master cylinder was converted to a dual chamber but I have an original style single chamber that also goes with the car.

The car has 2 tops.  The hardtop is red and in good condition but could eventually use new seals.  The convertible top is white – not perfect but in good condition.  There are no rips or tears.

This is not a car for someone who expects everything to be perfect but is a good investment to someone willing to restore it or for someone who simply wants to have fun driving an affordable mid-‘60’s Corvette Convertible.

2 Tops                        Factory Side Pipes  Rally Red

Unrestored                 No-rust frame - body never off - no evidence of damage

Mileage                      66,339

327/300                     4-speed Muncie       Wide ratio      3:36 posi

VIN #                          194675S118504

Style                           J26      65 467

Trim                            426BA

Body                           S6012

Paint                           9 OOQQ

Engine Block             18L331394    V0221MA      2-1/2" Exhaust collectors

Intake Manifold          3872783        GM2

Transmission             3886010        P7K03

Rear End                    AM9 23 64