Vehicle Description
Blue chip classic car investments don't get much better than
bonafide, pedigreed mid-year Corvettes featuring matching numbers
and top-end restorations. This impeccably nut-and-bolt restored
1966 Chevrolet Corvette L72 427 coupe features a veritable dream
team of highlights, including numbers matching 427 L72 V8 mated to
a close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission, factory power 4-wheel
disc brakes, a positraction rear end, factory side pipes, and a
slick Rally Red livery. And with a fat stack of build/restoration
receipts and only 1,079 miles on the build, you can rest assured
that the price tag is dead-on.
With 3,366 Rally Red Sting Rays made in 1966, it's always been a
popular color choice, so when it came time to restore this beauty
in 2010 (it was finished in 2012), the builders didn't mess with
the original script. The vivid red shade has been a favorite color
of fans and enthusiasts alike, and looking at this stunning 'Vette,
is there any question why? Embodying the finest of the Corvette
spirit, it's both sporty and elegant, allowing it to blend in
anywhere, from the track to a high-end restaurant in a swanky part
of town. Of course, the high-end bodywork certainly helps, with
laser-straight fiberglass that's likely better than it was when it
was new, thanks to the excellent paint and bodywork completed by
multiple Shades of the Past winner Richard Bishop. After the car
was taken down to the bare glass and disassembled, it was coated
with layer after layer of modern paint and then reassembled using
bolts/hardware from Paragon Corvette. Corvette fans will look for
the usual flaws, such as cracks around the headlight doors. All the
work was done to a very high standard and certainly lives up to the
expectations of a classic six-figure car. There are a few very
minor scratches, plus maybe a light surface scratch or two acquired
from car washes, but we'd bet a simple buff-and-wax would remedy
those minor imperfections straight away. Features like the upgraded
big block 'Stinger' hood, front fender 'gills,' bright side pipes,
and oversized racing gas cap are all part of the mid-year package,
and for my money, the sexy C2 convertible is the best-looking
Corvette ever made. The cowl/scoop on the aftermarket 'Stinger'
hood was painted black to add a sense of drama. However, the small
section on the front nose is a removable decal, just in case the
next buyer would prefer to go back with the more conventional,
original 'Stinger' hood. The chrome is beautiful, shiny, and clear,
providing just the right bling against the red palette. The correct
badging found throughout the car (especially the '427' emblems)
ensures no one will ever mistake this StingRay for a pretender.
Thanks to a full restoration completed by Rick's Upholstery, the
new/restored gear inside is equally extensive, and the cabin is in
fantastic shape - starting with the red seat covers that replace
the original materials exactly. Firm yet supple foam underneath
makes them as comfortable as they look, and with only gentle use
since the work was completed, they still have that 'showroom-fresh'
look. Of course, they didn't stop with just seat covers. This
droptop also features gorgeous matching door panels and hardware,
an imperfection-free dash pad, and plush carpets with
factory-correct pile and weave and new padding and insulation
underneath. All the knobs and handles look to have been restored or
replaced with NOS pieces, and the original vertical stereo was
replaced with a retro-sound AM/FM/AUX unit that fits like a glove.
No component was overlooked in the cabin, and everything looks
factory-fresh, including the teak steering wheel and the full array
of factory gauges (featuring a tachometer with a towering 6500 RPM
redline) with all their crisp, clear markings. The chrome shifter
that manages the 4-speed gearbox feels incredible in the hands of
drivers from all experience levels, and it's nestled inside a
super-clean center console that splits the bucket seats.
There's something magical about a 427 V8 in a Corvette - it's what
legends are all about. This motor is the numbers-matching L72 425
HP Turbojet block, which was the nastiest powerplant in the streets
in the mid-60s. Despite that big horsepower and towering torque
curve, it's a remarkably docile beast when you're tooling around
town but snarls and roars through the factory side pipes when
you've got the hammer down. The engine was completely disassembled,
balanced, and restored by Billy Rikker in CHA, with so few miles
logged since it's running like a champ. The engine bay is dressed
correctly, with Chevy Orange on the block and valve covers, a
chrome air cleaner, correct blue stripe cooling hoses, and the
all-important '427' decal on the air cleaner. The close-ratio
4-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly, spinning the
swapped-in 3.55-geared positraction rear end from Van Steel out of
FL. It's remarkable how much room those cackling side pipes free up
underneath. Still, it gives you a great view of the beautifully
restored floors and F-40 suspension, proving that this is a
Corvette with nothing to hide following its comprehensive
restoration. Power 4-wheel disc brakes are a great idea in a car
with this much horsepower, and power steering was recently added to
improve the driving experience. At the same time, the reproduction
knock-offs look great with 205/75/15 thin whitewall radials that
take you back to '66 all over again.
If you've been dreaming of a no-excuses 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!
