djl@fisher.UUCP (Dan Levin N6BZA ) (03/19/84)
I may be so fortunate as to have the opportunity to purchase said
vehicle, of the split window variety. I wonder what a fair
price would be. It is in mint condition. Any clues? No,
I have not read the 'blue book,' I am wondering what the market
will really bear.
--
***dan
{ihnp4 | decvax | ucbvax}!allegra!fisher!djl
The misplaced (you call *that* a mountain ?!?!?) Californianrs55611@ihuxk.UUCP (Robert E. Schleicher) (03/21/84)
Prices on mid-60's Sting Rays vary all over the place, even for
ones in very good to mint condition. The 63 split-window coupe
is one of the most valuable in this group, being the only year for
the split rear window, but I've seen prices ranging from under $10k
to $20k, all for cars that could be described as excellent condition to mint.
Things to look for that will affect value:
1. Matching numbers between chassis serial no. and engine serial no.
This can mean thousands of dollars to Vette collectors/restorers.
Vette restorers are the most fanatical on earth (whole chapters in my
Vette restoration guide on proper hose clamps, oil filler caps, etc.)
2. Options
All 63's have 327s in them, but there were 4 varieties offered.
250 hp - steel valve covers, small valves, 1 4-barrel
300 hp - "", bigger valves, carb.
340 hp - alloy valve covers, solid lifters, better cam, bigger carb
360 hp - all of above, plus fuel injection
each engine up-grade adds some value, but fueal injection adds ~
$2k to value. Note: fuel injection only adds this if the car
originally had it, ie, the numbers match.
Other options add smaller amounts, such as A/C, power stuff, etc.
Beware of counterfeits! When the value of split-windows started to be higher
than other coupes, enterprising sellers of 64's started to graft on the window
divider, and doing the other minor mods needed to produce a 63. Again, the
advice is to know where to look for the numbers. There are several good
Vette books out that will tell you where to look.
A sure sign of a mint, original (or at least accurately restored) car is
a certification (gold, silver or bronze) from the annual Corvette
show in Bloomington, Ill. This means that experts have checked out condition
and authenticity with a fine-toothed comb. Points are taken off for anything
that is different from the day the car left the factory (ie, "show" cars
are no good).
Bob Schleicher
ihuxk!rs55611
AT&T Bell Laboratories
(I looked at a lot of 63-67 roadsters before getting a '59)pmk@spuxll.UUCP (04/03/84)
I am a litle curious about the statement you made in regard to serial
numbers. I recall hearing about this many years ago, but recall very
little about it. Did Chevrolet (or GM for that matter) put the identical
number on both the engine and frame (chassis) for every vehichle or just
the Corvette? Is this still a practice used by GM? My reasons for asking
this question stem from information I have read in regard to the Ford
Mustang. Any Mustang magazine I have read has never made mention of this. They
only make reference to special engines (more about this later). I would
therefore assume that Ford does not match serial numbers for their cars.
Ford does have a method of identifying what engine the car should
have , although it is not as strict as GM's method. The fifth character
of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) determines what the engine
should be. From 1965 to 1967 the special engine code was a "K". This
engine was a 289 CID V-8 with 271 horsepower. This was a powerful motor
indeed. My friend has a 1965 Mustang with the 289-271 that he is rebuilding
at the moment. When he first got this car, It had the 4-speed and 3.89 gears
in the rear. With this setup, the car could hold its own against many 400
GTO's.
In late 1968 Ford introduced the "R" motor. This was a 428 Super Cobra Jet
which was even more powerful than the 390 that it was replacing. This car was
brought to beat the 396 Camaros, 400 Firebirds, and 383 'Cudas, which it
did very handily. There are more examples but I think you have the idea.
With a Ford product you can have an engine other than the one the car
originally came with, just as long as it is the same as the original one.
This makes life much easier if you happen to buy a "K" Mustang that has a
289 200 HP engine.
P Kelliher
AT&T-ISL
S Plainfield, NJ