#
2
www.sportscarmarket.com
$12.95
Buyer’s Guide Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
1963–67
CHEVROLET CORVETTE » Complete Buying and Owning Resource » Current Market Prices » Original Road & Track Road Test » Insider Articles from Sports Car Market » Factory Options and Color Combinations » Restoration Costs » Top 20 Cars Sold at Auction » Model History » Resource Directory Prepared by the experts at
Including Original Road Test from
Contents
Full Screen
Table of Contents
1963-67
Corvette
History
By the Numbers
The Market
Back in the Day
Buying TIps
Resource Directory
About Us
3
4
5
Affordable Classic
9
15
16
17
8
Sales Tracker
Original Road & Track Road Test
10
Original Advertisement
11
Original Sales Brochure
13
Dash Schematic
At A Glance Model Timeline
Typical Restoration Costs Original Prices Martin Rating Comparisons with Contemporaries
What to Look For Questions to ask the Seller
Clubs Parts Restoration
Bios Additional Resources
General Information
Colors and Factory Options 14
Buyer’s Guide Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
News, Music, and Movies of 1963
Contents
Previous
Next
Full Screen
2
Comparisons with Contemporaries
1963-67
Original Prices, Comparisons and Restoration Costs
Engine Overhaul: $6,000– $7,000
1963
Engine Options
Convertible
Coupe
30837S10000140867S121543
30837S10000140867S121543
327/250
L75 327/300, L76 327/340, L84 327/360 fuel injection
327/250
L75 327/300, L76 327/365, L84 327/375 fuel injection
Gearbox Overhaul: $1,500– $2,000 Interior Re trim: $3,000 Bare-Metal Respray: $10,000 with re-gelcoating: $15,000
1964
Original Prices Convertible: $4,257 (1963)
40837S10000140837S122229
85
18
17
18
18
Investment Grade: B
No. Built xxx 0-60 Time 6.3 (8.0) sec.
1965
19467S10000119467S123562
19437S10000119437S123562
327/250
1966
194676S1000019467S127720
19437S610000119437S127720
327/300
327/350, 427/390 Big Block, 427/425 Big Block
1967
94677S10000119467S122940
194377S10000119437S122940
327/300
427/390, 427/400, 427/435 Big Block Tri-Power
Coupe: $4,037 (1963)
14
Details
327/300, 327/350, 327/365 fuel injection 396/425 Big Block
Total Restoration: $85,000 Total restoration numbers are high because every component major or minor is renewed or refurbished
40867S10000140867S122229
Martin Rating—’63 Split-Window Coupe Fun Factor
Typical Restoration Costs
Base Engine
Serial Number
Historical Significance
Year
Corvette Performance
By the Numbers
Martin Rating
Beauty
Original Prices
Rarity
Typical Restoration Costs
¼ Mile Time 14.4 (15.2) sec. Top Speed 138 (130) mph
1965 327/375 fuel injection four-speed (1964 327/300 automatic
Bill Mitchell’s and Zora Arkus-Duntov’s dream car come alive. Split-Window coupe is the iconic mid-year ’Vette.
Comparisons With Ten Contemporaries Price New
Buyer’s Guide Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
Horsepower
Top Speed
1964 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe 327/300
$4,252
300
130 mph
1964 ½ Ford Mustang 289 “K-Code” Coupe
$3,854
270
117 mph
1964 Jaguar E-Type Coupe
$5,908
265
150 mph
1964 Pontiac GTO Coupe
$3,420
325
122 mph
1964 Sunbeam Tiger Convertible
$3,598
164
118 mph
1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL Convertible
$6,724
170
115 mph
1963 Triumph TR4 Convertible
$2,849
105
110 mph
1963 MGB Convertible
$2,658
92
105 mph
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Coupe
$3,245
180
118 mph
1963 Austin Mini Sedan
$1,295
37
119 mph
1963 Volkswagen 1200 Sedan
$1,595
40
71 mph
Contents
Previous
Next
Full Screen
4
The Market
1963-67
Corvette
In-Depth Profile
1966 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Its recent vintage-racing provenance has completely eclipsed whatever original period history the car might have had
B
y the mid-1960s, Corvettes powered by the immortal 327-ci Chevrolet V8 were regular national winners in the Sports Car Club of America’s B-Production class. This storied 1966 coupe had just such an early history, as Texan Dan Hines ran it in SCCA SW division races at Texas International Speedway and other tracks. In the early 1980s, Hines decided to sell the old warrior, by now fitted with fender flares, a big block engine, wide wheels, and other SCCA-allowed modifications. Bill Zeiring, a friend of the current owner, purchased the coupe with a view to restoring it for historic racing. The ugly flares were removed and the body was returned to the stock configuration. Blackhawk Engineering built up a racespec 327, with a Holley four-barrel carb and Hooker headers. A new aluminum radiator, 42-row oil cooler, and road-racing oil pan were added, as was a close-ratio Muncie four-speed transmission. Zeiring then sent the car to Corvette guru Dick Guldstrand, who installed his own brake and suspension parts and set up the suspension for road racing. American Racing “Torque Thrust” wheels and Goodyear “Blue Streak” racing tires completed the transformation, and the Corvette was now ready for a second racing career. The current owner purchased the Corvette from Zeiring in 1986 and entered it in the Monterey Historics the following August. For the next 15 years, “Thumper” (as this coupe was now nicknamed) has been a regular fixture in West Coast historic racing. In 1987, it was awarded Steve Earle’s “Spirit of Vintage Racing” trophy during the Sears Point Wine Country Classic. When Corvette was named as the featured marque at the 2002 Monterey Historics, “Thumper” won the B-Production race, defeating a strong field of Cobras, Shelbys, Ferraris, and a host of other Corvettes. Adding to the achievement, this car was awarded the 2002 Rolex “Presentation and Performance” award. Racing newcomer or veteran, this HMSA-legal Corvette is worthy of a determined purchase consideration. The SCM analysis: This car sold for $88,000, including buyer’s premium, at the RM Auction in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 23, 2004. If we’re willing to believe that this auction result represents a trend, vintage racing, what was originally an honor to the past, has begun creating a valuable history of its own. “Thumper” brings up a series of issues important to assessing the values of vintage race cars:
Buyer’s Guide Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
Chassis number: 194376S117043 1. What makes a car “real” versus a “bitsa” or even a replica? This varies depending on the marque you’re dealing with. On one extreme would be Ferrari, where an incorrect number (per the factory records) stamped on the transaxle of a 1954 Monza is considered a serious blemish on the car’s authenticity. On the other pole would be, well… Corvette. This car is presented as—and generally accepted as—the car that was raced by Dan Hines in Texas in the late ’60s. But how much of this car, as it sits now, actually saw the Chevrolet assembly line in 1966? Read the auction catalog carefully: From the description, the frame and probably the center cockpit bodywork are the only components I’d expect to “carbon date” as older than the mid-1980s. (And of course the title, which is a very big deal.) I’m not saying that this is bad—for a car of this sort, it’s common. The important thing is to understand that the expectations of the market for vintage race cars is different depending on the type of car you are looking at. 2. How much value can be assigned to a car’s provenance? This Corvette is a perfect example to examine how the market values racing history. An authentic old race car with a real history, it sold for $88,000. I know a West Coast supplier of vintage racing Corvettes who can find a core and build you a nearly identical mid-1960s, HMSA-legal Corvette for about $55,000-$65,000, depending, of course, on the level of chrome, paint, and geegaws desired. So for about sixty grand, you could have a car identical to Thumper, except for the history. This, in turn, tells us that somebody chose to assign approximately a $28,000 value to this car’s provenance alone. 3. The third issue is what kind of history matters these days. Now that some cars have been racing in “historic” events for far longer than they were ever campaigned in period, which is more important, the original racing provenance or the vintage racing one? This car clearly didn’t do anything great in period. Twenty years ago, it was just an old Corvette that somebody in Texas raced for a while. Today its significant history is that for the last 17 years, it has been an active and well-known HMSA (read: Monterey Historics) vintage race car. That’s what somebody bought. So what can we conclude from all this? It should be interesting to collectors that here we have a vintage-racing provenance that has completely eclipsed whatever period provenance the car might have had. More significantly, this “new” provenance is apparently worth something: In this case, about a third of the value of the car.—Thor Thorson (Background information courtesy of the auction company.)u
Contents
Previous
Next
Full Screen
6
The Market
1963-67
Auction Results from the Sports Car Market Database
1967 Chevrolet Corvette
SCM # 44819
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Chassis # Engine Cylinders Body Type Color Odometer Shows
194677S113139 V8 convertible Black & Teal/blue leather 137 miles
194677S115576 V8 convertible Marina blue & black/black vinyl
19,209 miles
Auction Information
Auction Information Auction Co. Auction Lot # High Bid/Sold Price Sale Date Condition Rating
SCM # 44805 Car Information
Car Information Chassis # Engine Cylinders Body Type Color Odometer Shows
Corvette
Auction Co. Auction Lot # High Bid/Sold Price Sale Date Condition Rating
Barrett-Jackson, W Palm Beach, FL
659 $170,500 SOLD 3/28/2007 2
Barrett-Jackson, W Palm Beach, FL
714.1 $159,500 SOLD 3/28/2007 2-
Condition Description:
Condition Description:
427-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. Replacement block. Power steering, power windows, F41 suspension, side pipes. Excellent paint with no flubs, largely unmarked brightwork shows a small dent in the rear bumper. Correct and nice interior.
427-ci 435-hp V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. An original car, with only one small repaint area to the hood. Original all the way elsewhere, including underhood, chrome, paint, and top. Inside, all carpets, seats, and dash are factory. Seller states miles are original. Protecto-plate, tank sticker.
Market Opinion:
Market Opinion:
With a replacement engine, this car should have brought substantially less, especially at an auction where mid-year Corvette prices were generally off. There were much better buys on all years of Corvettes here, so this seller should feel fortunate he was able to sell at this price.
This was one of the best buys in Corvettes in a sale that had plenty. Not a car for the owner-driver, this was an investment-quality example that will likely lead the way on any future appreciation. Marketcorrect for condition.
1967 Chevrolet Corvette
1967 Chevrolet Corvette
SCM # 44825 Car Information Chassis # Engine Cylinders Body Type Color Odometer Shows
Car Information Chassis # Engine Cylinders Body Type Color Odometer Shows
194377S110370 V8 coupe blue/black vinyl 44,237 miles
Auction Information Auction Co. Auction Lot # High Bid/Sold Price Sale Date Condition Rating
SCM # 44645
194677S105004 V8 convertible Rally Red/black vinyl 22,725 miles
Auction Information Auction Co. Auction Lot # High Bid/Sold Price Sale Date Condition Rating
Barrett-Jackson, W Palm Beach, FL
728 $110,000 SOLD 3/28/2007 1-
RM, Amelia Island, FL 246 $125,000 NOT SOLD 3/10/2007 3
Condition Description:
Condition Description:
427-ci 400-hp V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. NCRS Top Flight, Orlando, FL, January ‘07. Visually excellent, with only one small divot in paint near the antenna. Excellent chrome, all trim appears new. Inside is just as nice, with well-fitted seats and carpet. Claimed matching numbers, comes with manufacturer’s statement of origin showing factory to selling dealer.
427-ci 435-hp V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. Older repaint still looks good, some wear and light overspray present. Pitted grille, other brightwork very good. Decent panel gaps, nice glass and window rubber. Black stinger hood, side exhaust, factory hard top. Generally decent interior shows split driver’s seat vinyl and a cigarette burn to driver’s armrest.
Market Opinion:
Market Opinion:
What’s the opposite of irrational exuberance? Perhaps it’s rational caution. This car in this condition would have brought many thousands more just a few months ago. There were a number of factors at work here, not the least of which was the sheer number of mid-year Corvettes on offer at this one event.
Those of us who have been attending auctions recently have noticed the weakness in sales of some big block mid-year cars. I think this is more of a supply has met demand issue than a sign of a large market retreat. When a formally $75,000 car grows an additional 50% or more in value, many owners are tempted to cash in... and it looks like a few too many did just that in early 2007.
Buyer’s Guide Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
Contents
Previous
Next
Full Screen
8
Back in the Day
1963-67
Original Road & Track Road Test
Corvette
Copyright 2006, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc. This content is subject to the copyright laws and may not copied without the express written permission of the copyright owner. For additional information view our Terms and Conditions of Use.
Buyer’s Guide Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
–
Zoom
+
Contents
Previous
Next
Full Screen
11
Back in the Day
Buyer’s Guide
1963-67
Original Sales Brochure
Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
Contents
Previous
Next
Corvette
Full Screen
17
Back in the Day Top 10 On the Big Screen
1 Cleopatra 2 The Longest Day 3 Irma La Douce 4 Lawrence of Arabia 5 How the West Was Won 6 Mutiny on the Bounty 7 Son of Flubber 8 To Kill a Mockingbird 9 Bye Bye Birdie 10 Come Blow Your Horn
1963 Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
Corvette
When It was New... The Kennedy assassination cast a pall over nearly everything in the last few months of 1963 and early 1964. The arrival of the Beatles in February and the Beatlemania that ensued offered Americans a brief respite before social turmoil and the escalation of the war in Southeast Asia turned the country’s mood sullen again. Urban legend or not, nearly everyone has heard the story of the low-mileage Corvette in the barn, left there when its owner went away to Vietnam but didn’t return.
Top 10 on the Radio
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Go Away Little Girl Steve Lawrence Walk Right In The Rooftop Singers Hey Paula Paul and Paula Walk Like a Man The Four Seasons
Top 10 TV Hits
Buyer’s Guide
1963-67
Music, Movies, and News Stories from www.HistoryCentral.com
6 The Lucy Show 7 Candid Camera 8 The Ed Sullivan Show 9 The Danny Thomas Show 10 My Favorite Martian
1 The Beverly Hillbillies 2 Bonanza 3 The Dick Van Dyke Show 4 Petticoat Junction 5 The Andy Griffith Show
I Will Follow Him Little Peggy March If You Wanna Be Happy Jimmy Soul
Sukiyaki Kyu Sakamot
President Kennedy Assassinated
Previous
He’s So Fine The Chiffons
It’s My Party Lesely Gore
In the Headlines
Contents
Our Day Will Come Ruby and the Romantics
Next
Full Screen
20
Buying Tips
1963-67
What to Look For
Corvette
What to Look for in a 1963–67 Corvette Body and Frame Corvettes don’t inspire sedate driving, and the newest Sting Rays are going on 40 years old. So, the most obvious thing to look for first is evidence of accident damage, and the most obvious place to look is the front end. Feel around underneath the panels for rough or poorly finished fiberglass. Original front clips are made up of four separate pieces that are bonded together (on cars with original paint, you should be able to see faint “ghost lines” where the seams are). The seams are reinforced from behind with “bonding strips,” which are roughly two-inch wide fiberglass strips. A single piece replacement/reproduction front clip will be missing these. Feel behind the wheelwell on top for this bonding strip. Headlamps should go up and down smoothly together. Another quick way to check for accident damage is to open the fuel filler lid. The gas cap should be centered. If the frame has been tweaked at some point, the tank and the filler neck will have shifted, moving the cap off center. Panel fit on Corvettes should be reasonably good. Doors and hoods were often ground or trimmed to fit when the cars were being assembled. Finally, a certain amount of waviness is acceptable on the sides of the car. They are, after all, plastic rather than steel. While Corvette bodies don’t rust, chassis certainly do. The most likely places are just in front of the rear wheels and where the frame curves up over the rear suspension. Always have an expert check the condition of the chassis. Interior Corvette interiors present no particular restoration issues. There are no expensive wood veneers to refinish or wool carpet to replace. A complete interior can be purchased for less than $2,000 from one of the specialists listed in the Resources section of the Insider’s Guide. An advanced do-it-yourselfer is capable of installing it. You should never walk away from an otherwise sound Corvette simply because it needs interior work. Mechanicals: Engine, Gearbos and Suspension Corvettes are notoriously robust mechanically. Cast iron pushrod engines are tough as nails. Mechanical fuel injection is the only exception. It can be tricky to set up and requires a specialist. If the C2 Corvette has an achilles heel, it is the rear suspension. Hubs, half shafts, wheel bearings and differential mounts should be looked at carefully, especially in bigblock cars. Brake calipers were also trouble some in the post-1964 cars; however, by now, most if not all have been rebuilt with modern stainless steel calipers. -Colin Comer
Questions to Ask the Seller You can learn a lot from a telephone call before you make a trip to see a car. • Do you have clear title (no outstanding liens) to the car in your name? • How long have you owned the car? • What major work have you done on the car? Any receipts? What other records do you have? • Did the car come with a tool kit? Is it still present? What, if anything, is missing? • Why are you selling the car? • Has the car ever had problems with rust? If so, what has been done to address it? • Has the car ever been repainted? If so, was the color changed? Are the engine compartment, trunk, and doorjambs the same color as the rest of the car? • Has the car ever had body repairs? • Does the engine smoke? • What is the oil pressure when cold and warm? • Does the car pull on braking or wander going down the road? • What are its immediate needs? Finally, some types of cars (mainly muscle cars and Corvettes) are much more valuable with their original components, such as engines and transmissions. If you are paying a premium for this originality, you must have an expert inspect and “decode” the car to ensure that you are getting what you are paying for. Counterfeits, clones, or incorectly restored cars can sometimes be hard to detect by non-experts.
Buyer’s Guide Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
Contents
Previous
Next
Full Screen
21
Resource Directory
1963-67
Clubs and Information
Restoration
Finance
National Corvette Restorers Society www.ncrs.org
British Auto Works, OR www.britishautoworks.com
Corvette Club of America www.corvetteclubofamerica.com
MG Motorsport, UK www.mgmotorsport.com
Bloomington Gold www.bloomingtongold.com
Nepean Classic Cars, AUS www.nepeanclassic.com.au
Parts eBay Motors www.ebay.com
Corvette
Hagerty www.hagerty.com JJ Best www.jjbest.com Premier Financial Services www.premierfinancialservices.com
Worldwide MG specialist garages www.mgcars.org.uk/garages/garages Note: The above is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered an endorsement of the services of any of the above restorers
Corvette America www.corvetteamerica.com
General Information
Mid-America Motorworks www.mamotorworks.com
Blue Highways www.bluehighways.net
Muskegon Brake www.muskegonbrake.com
FedEx Custom Critical passport.fedex.com
Putnam Leasing www.putnamleasing.com Insurance Hagerty www.hagerty.com Appraisal and Inspection
Transport
Automobile Inspections LLC www.automobileinspections.com USAppraisal www.usappraisal.com Car Care and Protection
Intercity Lines www.intercitylines.com
Hagerty www.hagerty.com/hpnpublic
Additional Keith Martin Publications Keith Martin on... Car Collecting Collecting Porsche Collecting Jaguar Collecting Ferrari Collecting Austin-Healey, MG and Triumph Collecting Alfa Romeo
Buyer’s Guide Keith Martin
Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends TM
Sports Car Market Magazine Available in one, two, and three year subscriptions Digital subscriptions and back issues also available
Contents
Previous
Sports Car Market Pocket Price Guide Current market values, investment ratings, event calendars, and more... Keith Martin Buyer’s Guides New titles being released regularly
Next
Full Screen
22