Photo: syclone93/eBay
With almost 118,000 units built over five model years, the second-generation Chevrolet Corvette wasn't as popular as other nameplates from the era. Yet many of them are still locked up in barns or forgotten in backyards as of 2022. This 1966 drop-top is one of those cars.
Brought into the spotlight after many decades off the road, this Corvette has been in the same family since 1974. It spent some time indoors, but it was moved outside "quite a few years ago" when one of the owners passed away. But it's not your regular barn-found C2. It's a mysterious Corvette that hides more secrets than a Sherlock Holmes novel.
For starters, it's finished in a white and blue livery that's more likely to adorn a race car than a streetable muscle car. The pattern is similar to custom paint jobs that were somewhat popular in the 1970s, but it's unclear when it was applied. But based on the condition of the paint, it's been gracing this Corvette for at least 40 years. Interestingly enough, the interior is also finished in white and blue.
Second, the seller received the car without a VIN tag but with a 1974 title that listed the make as "SPCNS" instead of Chevrolet, which is short for Special Construction. Worried that he might have a stolen car on his hands, he contacted both the DMV and the California Highway Patrol. A frame number was eventually located, but it took the CHP several months to identify the car.
The Special Construction title is still a mystery, but the car now comes with the original Corvette VIN on a replacement tag and a California title issued in 2022. The seller also found out that the Corvette left the factory painted green and with a four-speed gearbox.
But what about the engine? Well, that's another secret this Chevy hides because the original mill is long gone. The seller was able to find a code and claims that the V8 is a 300-horsepower unit sourced from an Impala built in 1962 to 1964. If this is correct, we're looking at a 327-cubic-inch (5.4-liter) powerplant of the Turbo-Fire variety.
Interestingly enough, the C2 Corvette was also available with a small-block 327 V8 in 1966, including a version that delivered exactly 300 horsepower. But Chevrolet also offered a 350-horsepower 327 as well as a 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) big-block mill.
But does it still run, given that it was parked in 1979? It actually does, but the seller says it's not drivable as it sits. And we can see that in the photos that come with the ad, which show front fascia damage plus some missing parts. Most of them, including the headlamps, are included with the sale, but the car might not be 100% complete.
Is this Corvette worth restoring? Well, I'd clean it up, fix it, and drive it as is, if there is no structural damage. But I'm a big fan of psychedelic paint jobs, and I don't expect anyone else to feel the same. Anyway, the mysterious Corvette is up for grabs via eBay seller "syclone93," with the auction sitting at $25,000 with 19 bids as of this writing.
For starters, it's finished in a white and blue livery that's more likely to adorn a race car than a streetable muscle car. The pattern is similar to custom paint jobs that were somewhat popular in the 1970s, but it's unclear when it was applied. But based on the condition of the paint, it's been gracing this Corvette for at least 40 years. Interestingly enough, the interior is also finished in white and blue.
Second, the seller received the car without a VIN tag but with a 1974 title that listed the make as "SPCNS" instead of Chevrolet, which is short for Special Construction. Worried that he might have a stolen car on his hands, he contacted both the DMV and the California Highway Patrol. A frame number was eventually located, but it took the CHP several months to identify the car.
The Special Construction title is still a mystery, but the car now comes with the original Corvette VIN on a replacement tag and a California title issued in 2022. The seller also found out that the Corvette left the factory painted green and with a four-speed gearbox.
But what about the engine? Well, that's another secret this Chevy hides because the original mill is long gone. The seller was able to find a code and claims that the V8 is a 300-horsepower unit sourced from an Impala built in 1962 to 1964. If this is correct, we're looking at a 327-cubic-inch (5.4-liter) powerplant of the Turbo-Fire variety.
Interestingly enough, the C2 Corvette was also available with a small-block 327 V8 in 1966, including a version that delivered exactly 300 horsepower. But Chevrolet also offered a 350-horsepower 327 as well as a 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) big-block mill.
But does it still run, given that it was parked in 1979? It actually does, but the seller says it's not drivable as it sits. And we can see that in the photos that come with the ad, which show front fascia damage plus some missing parts. Most of them, including the headlamps, are included with the sale, but the car might not be 100% complete.
Is this Corvette worth restoring? Well, I'd clean it up, fix it, and drive it as is, if there is no structural damage. But I'm a big fan of psychedelic paint jobs, and I don't expect anyone else to feel the same. Anyway, the mysterious Corvette is up for grabs via eBay seller "syclone93," with the auction sitting at $25,000 with 19 bids as of this writing.
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