Vehicle Description
Blue chip investments don't get much more interesting than a
mid-year Corvette. This 1965 coupe carries a period-correct 327/250
HP V8 and a beautifully preserved, survivor Nassau Blue body, and
remains one of the most user-friendly C2 Corvettes we've seen. For
investments around $50,000, it's hard to do better than an
investment you can drive and enjoy.
This isn't one of those trailer-queen 'Vettes that you're afraid to
drive, either. Preserved to a survivor level we don't often see
(the overwhelming majority of C2s are repainted cars), the code FF
Nassau Blue looks exactly like it should on the streamlined coupe,
once again proving the old adage that there's nothing quite like an
original, stock-spec Corvette. The Sting Ray (separate words up
until 1968, 'Stingray' for all the subsequent cars) was one of the
most influential designs of the decade, and even fifty years later,
it remains instantly recognizable and still resonates with
hobbyists. This '65 hits the sweet spot, with a survivor's patina
that shows well and looks great for the car's age, without the
hassles that come from trying to maintain a show car's finish.
Sure, it has some crow's feet and eggshell cracking throughout, as
you'd expect from a 55-year-old finish, but if it were up to me, I
wouldn't repaint it. Let those decades-old imperfections tell their
story, the fiberglass is still solid and the car is much more
interesting than anything it's ever parked next to. At any Corvette
show, you can spot the guys who drive their cars pretty easily;
they're the ones with the giant grins on their faces, and you could
join them without worries in this one. The chrome is quite nicely
preserved as well, the stainless still polishes up decently, and
the glass is in great shape. Sure, it's a survivor, but look at
those pics! This Sting Ray has tons of curb appeal.
The body tag says the interior is "standard," but the lovely and
comfortable black buckets are anything but ordinary. The interior
features a lovely mixture of new and old, with beautiful seat
covers and fresh-looking carpets anchoring the interior, and signs
of gentle use that make it ever so inviting to slide behind that
woodgrained wheel. This is one of those cars that fans lovingly
call "worn in, not worn out" for years to come. Of course, there's
no damage, no split seams, no scuffs on the super-clean seating
surfaces, so it only adds to the car's usability, and factory A/C
makes it eminently usable as a long-distance cruiser, although the
system needs a new compressor to work correctly again. The gauges
all appear to be original and they all work like they should,
keeping an eye on the strong-running small block up front. Overhead
the headliner is taut while the carpets show almost no wear thanks
to plush, correctly-piled carpets that look fresh thanks to a
replacement in the not-too-distant past, including all soft stuff
laid down neatly in the rear cargo area under the massive rear
window. There's an original (and somewhat rare) AM/FM radio in the
center with its unusual vertical orientation, and the chrome
shifter for the 4-speed manual transmission let's everyone know
that this Corvette has been dropping gears and taking pink slips
since Moses wore short pants.
This survivor is powered by a non-original 327 V8 2-bolt main under
the hood, and shows a correct casting code indicative of a 250
horsepower block from the era. Finished in correct Chevy Orange
with a chrome-topped air cleaner, it isn't over-restored and
doesn't outshine the rest of the car. Instead, the conscientious
former owner was careful to keep the car's overall look and feel
intact while renewing/maintaining the parts that truly matter.
There's a big radiator up front, an Edelbrock carburetor and
Edelbrock intake, and the car was totally rewired with a new
harness - all dedicated to reliability. The 4-speed manual shifts
with typical precision and the power four wheel disc brakes give
this car impressive stopping power. There's also a fresh dual
master cylinder with a fresh power brake booster and an
original-style dual exhaust system gives it just the right sound
that's aggressive but never annoying. Refreshingly, this one also
carries turbine alloy wheels with right-sized 225/60/15 Tiger Paw
Touring radials.
If you've been dreaming of a C2 Corvette, this one is the perfect
combination of driver and pedigree, so you can enjoy it without
worrying about driving the value out of it. Call today!