Every day for the past two years, we're constantly reminded that we're in the midst of what can only be the biggest car bubble in the history of the automotive industry. From major markups at the dealer, to the overpriced, "I know what I have" cars on the private market, the average consumer continues to take a beating.
But in another instance, we have cars attaining value that make sense. Considered classics by all circles of car culture. In this particular case, a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, with the highly sought after Split Window, and a custom Mako Body kit edition. This particular example, quite literally on the opposite end of the spectrum of a showroom car, was able to command over $40,000.
How's This 1963 Corvette Worth $40,000?
In muscle car circles, the Split Window is the pinnacle of Americana nostalgia. But that wasn't always the case, after the lackluster reviews the first generation Corvette received in the performance department, GM had to make a statement with the impending release of the second generation. Handing the task to Zora Arkus-Duntov, head of high-performance vehicles for Chevrolet—the man we can thank for the Split Window, as well as the mid-engine Corvette. A design he had been working on since the '50s.
However, when it came to the '63 Split Window, it was Duntov's long obsession with aquatics that influenced the design cues of the Corvette. The Stingray marque wasn't a coincidence either, as the Corvette included many sea-creature like features such as gills, wings, tails, and spines. But it was the Corvette's split rear window that would allow the spine-like shaping of the rear end to continue unbroken from the windshield to tail.
What Is A Mako Body Kit?
For all intents and purposes, there was never a Mako edition 1963 Stingray. Moreover, the Mako Shark was a GM concept car from the '50s that would end up serving as the basis for the second generation Corvette. The Mako front end also appears to be mainly custom, with the Mako kits only available from 1965 and on. The customization continues to the wheel wells, where the fenders appear to be either rolled or chopped off, to make room for the bigger wheels.
With showroom examples fetching well over $100,000, according to Hagerty, it's not a shock someone was willing to pony up $41,000 For what appears to be a largely straight body. However, if we can offer the new buyer a bit of advice, forget the expensive and limited 427 engine it originally possessed. Take a tip from SOS Customz and stuff the biggest LS engine you can find in it.