On eBay now, the question is who molested this 1965 Corvette Sting Ray? Was it Dr. Timothy Leary, the LSD guru, or an unknown customizer? As a rule, when a car is described as a survivor most folks would perceive it to be an unmolested example of a factory original car. All of the things that usually get lost or modified are still intact and with the car. In the case of a mid-60s Corvette, the polished stainless steel ignition shield over the distributor remains, and the Protect-O-Plate is still in the back of the original owners manual.
Dateline, December 16, 2015: There are four days left on a 1965 Corvette Sting Ray the eBay seller describes as a “barn find, true survivor.” The seller is right, the Vette is a true survivor, surviving in its 70’s-era psychedelic custom paint and drag-style stance.
Does the vintage custom paint on this ’65 Corvette make it worth more, or less? If one recalls the recent auction of Janis Joplin’s 356 Porsche with a recreation of the psychedelic mural Dave Roberts once painted for Janis, selling for $1.7 million, a person could get excited. The buzz kill is unless the hideous green fogged and paneled custom paint with acetylene smoke graphics was signed by Von Dutch, the best thing for the next owner of this Vette to do is restore the car back to stock.
More classic cars on MSN Autos
The first thing we’d suggest is to drop the gas tank and see if the tank sticker is still there. Another name for it is the build sheet. Along with the Protect-O-Plate, the most reliable way to establish the provenance of any automobile is the build sheet, provided it’s not a forgery.
The value of an old Corvette is all about how well it’s optioned, and this one had a lot of the right boxes checked when it was ordered. Offhand we can’t tell if its a Carter WCFB or Rochester 4GC dual-quad setup, but restoring its one of 5,011 L76 365hp 327 engines back to its original configuration would be a plus. Further desirable options on the Green Weenie include one of 3,917 N36 telescopic steering wheels (good for expanded waistlines) and A31 power windows fitted to 3,809 cars.
The next thing we’d suggest looking for after the tank sticker, would be to trace down the ‘65’s chain of ownership. Who knows, it could have originally been ordered by someone famous or have an interesting history.