Nov 6, 2017 • Uncategorized •

We’ve seen some pretty rough Corvettes lately and this ’65 doesn’t disappoint on that front. The seller claims it’s a barn find that’s been off the road since the ’70s. The Crager-style 5 spoke wheels definitely scream ’70s, I’m just surprised it doesn’t have a grafted on hood scoop, metallic paint and some bolt on engine upgrades. Even if it did, they would be the least of the next owner’s concerns though. This thing is rusty and is going to be expensive to restore. That’s probably why the seller, who happens to own a restoration shop, isn’t taking it on themselves. That being said, these cars are desirable and they don’t pop up everyday. If you have been looking for one to restore, you can find this one here on eBay in Royal Oak, Michigan with a current bid of $17,099.

It amazes me how much people are willing to pay for second generation Corvette projects these days. This one is likely going to need a completely new frame, it has as the seller puts it, “some soft spots”. When it comes to frames, you never want to hear them being described as having soft spots anywhere. The seller believes you could fix it and that might be, but you never know what you are going to find once you start digging into it. Go into this one expecting to replace the frame and you will save yourself some heartache if things turn out to be even worse than they look.

The engine isn’t looking much better than the frame. It looks pretty rusty and the seller hasn’t messed with it, so there’s no word on whether it turns over or not. They do state that you should probably plan on rebuilding it, which is wise advice. At least it’s complete and numbers matching.

Surprisingly, the interior doesn’t look too bad. It’s going to need work and is missing a few bits, but it looks better than expected given how the underside looks. The car started life in Nassau Blue and was repainted black at some point. Chances are that’s the reason it was parked. We’ve seen lots of cars that someone started painting and before finishing the job, they either ran out of funds or lost interest in and so it sat in the barn collecting dust and in this case, rust. Hopefully, all the parts that were removed are still with the car and are in decent shape.

This really is going to be a huge project, but when it’s done it will be one sweet ride! While a big block would be more desirable from a collector’s standpoint, the 300 horsepower 327 V8 is a great engine for street use and the 4 speed will keep things fun. So how much do you think it will cost to make this Corvette right again?