Very Rare Corvette Found

[Wayne W.]

On my way to the beach Friday, in my 427-390 rodester this guy came over while I was getting gas. He said that he had a friend that had a 63 rodester with a 427, Air, Two Fours all original with very low miles. That his mother had kept the car as he left it when he went off to Vietnam and didn`t return. WOW could it be that I have stumbled onto the rarest of them all? What do you think the value of this one would be?

[Tom B.]

Re: Weed-end Situation Flashback

Wayne,

I'm more curious what YOU told him. :-) TBarr #24014

[Duke W.]

Re: Very Rare Corvette Found

This one sounds a little fishy, Wayne. When I was in junior high I heard there was a nearly new Corvette over on Bainbridge Island (an island in Puget Sound off Seattle) that was for sale for only a $1000 because a guy died in it and they couldn't get the smell out. I immediatlely reported this to my dad, but he just laughed and said: "Yeah, when I heard that one it was a Stutz Bearcat." I think I've heard an iteration of this story before - guy takes delivery of a new Corvette a week before he ships out to Viet Nam - gets killed and his mom leaves the car in the garage to finally be "discovered" thirty plus years later. Yeah, right! Then again, if it's near you, it might worth checking out. You never know. If it's a hoax we promise not to tell anyone you got hosed!

Duke

[Jerry Clark]

Re: Very Rare Corvette Found

Hi Wayne:

There is an "original" 409 SWC here in Florida, I know it is true, the guy told me so.

jerry

[Eric J.]

Steel Body 53 found in barn.....

Wayne , Sounds like when I take our 53 out. It seems that one in five know of a steel bodied 53 or one with a factory V8. What I get the biggest kick out of is when these observers tell me about a 65 Spilt Window!!! Vary rare indeed. Eric #3,182

[Jim T.]

Re: Steel Body 53 found in barn.....

In the town in Oklahoma where I grew up there was a man that had either a 53 or 54 Corvette that was his son's car. The story was that the man's son went to Korea and did not return. The car was real, I could see it in the gagage often on my walk to high school. It was still there when I went to California in 1965. When I inquired about it about 5 years ago I was told that the man had died and the car was auctioned as part of his estate. A 58 T-Bird was another car garage kept all those years. I did see the Corvette driven one time. This is one 53-54 that should not of had required a restoration.

[Tom B.]

Re: Very Rare Corvette Found

Wayne,

Just sort of as an add on, I mentioned this once some time ago, but my Uncle did go to Vietnam and didn't return. He left behind a BSA Royal Star 500 with 36xx original miles on it. As far as we could tell it still has the original oil in it and it's sitting in the garage with my Corvettes now. Though most of these street-walking Corvette experts are un-informed, sometimes there is some truth behind the stories. TBarr #24014

[Doug Flaten]

Re: Very Rare Scooter

My previous Postman engaged in some Whoppers,...He told me after he got a battlefield commision to a "Full Bird Colonel", he came home and bought one of those big touring Harley Davidsons with the automatic transmissions. Apparently his Electraglide must have had a Powerglide. Some days I prayed that he wouldn't stop if he saw me out in the garage.

[Duke W.]

standard or optional?

I was looking at another Corvette web site a couple of month ago, and a guy asked if the '63 split backlight was standard or optional!

Duke

[Tom Freeman]

Steel Body 53 - I have one....

In fact I have several steel body Vettes. The fact that they are 1/16th scale would not have any bearing would it?

tom...

[Eric J.]

Re: Steel Body 53 - I have one....

Tom, Haaaa. You had me there for a second. I thought I might have to retract my previous statement. Come to think of it I have several as well. As well as a fiberglass (Plastic) Mustang or two. Eric #3,182

[Tom B.]

Re: standard or optional?

If I remember correctly, he thinks he might have had one once. Thank goodness we have sites like the NDB. TBarr #24014

[Ol'Geezer]

Re: standard or optional?

I believe that quite a few split-windows were replaced with one-piece units in the late '60s. I had a buddy who once had one of those machines, and, believe me, they were a bear to drive. He often talked about replacing that monstrosity of a rear window.


Geezers Cars

[Jerry Clark]

"Monstrosity of a rear window."

They may have been inconvenient, possibly unsafe in a few conditions but from a design, (stylists) standpoint they were and are a thing of beauty, in my opinion.

jerry

[Martin M.]

Re: Very Rare Corvette Found

HI:

That '63 409 does exist in Florida. A friend of mine from Delray Beach owned it for a while. It is saddle/saddle. I have pictures of it. Obviously, it is a conversion. He said it goes like stink.

Marty