1965 Chevrolet Corvette

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!