SILVER STREAKS: Weapons-grade road warrior Corvettes headed to Scottsdale
December 22, 2016
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Statham
Coming to the Barrett-Jackson auction block in January are two very rare small-block Chevrolet Corvettes: a 1962 327/360 Heavy-Duty Brake “Fuelie” (Lot #1327) and a 1963 327/360 Split-Window “Fuelie” (Lot #1393).
Corvette connoisseurs know all the codes for unlocking the performance potential of early ’Vettes: RPO 687, L84, Z06 and N03, to start. These are the desirable factory options that equipped a Corvette for actual racing during the JFK New Frontier era.
Two silver Corvettes offered for sale at No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale are striking examples of cars built around these very options to create sports cars that would be at home on any road course.
The 1962 Sateen Silver Chevrolet Corvette convertible (Lot #1327) is equipped with the RPO 687 racing package. That option delivered heavy-duty shocks and suspension, along with larger brakes that included sintered iron shoes, air scoops connected to the vented backing plates to improve cooling and finned drums. RPO 687 Corvettes rolled on wider 15.5-inch wheels and were fitted with a quick-steering adapter.
It’s only natural that the best engine be paired with the big brakes and no-nonsense suspension, and that meant the fuel-injected 327/360hp V8. The matching-numbers engine still rumbles through its original off-road exhaust pipes, and is backed by a T-10 4-speed transmission and 4.11 posi-traction rear end.
Cars like this weren’t really optioned for comfort, but the ’62 does have the auxiliary hardtop and Wonder Bar radio. It’s an extraordinarily rare combination of options and color that sets this Corvette apart. Only 246 RPO 687 Corvettes were built in the final year of the solid-axle layout, and this example has only 26,337 actual miles and rides on original non-DOT blackwall tires (including non-DOT spare).
It has been awarded NCRS Top Flight and Bloomington Gold Special Collection status. The car has a notable owner history, and is documented with the owner’s manual packet, owner’s protection plan, hardtop wrench, appraisal and Bloomington Special Collection book.
Chevrolet refined this package of racing goodies further for the introduction of the 1963 Stingray, grouping it under the Z06 Special Equipment Package, a designation that famously survives into the modern era.
The 1963 Z06 packaged heavy-duty shocks and springs with large drum brakes that featured sintered “Cerametalix” linings, vented backing plates, a dual-circuit master cylinder with unique power booster, and air scoops and finned drums for cooling. The Z06 package bundled all that with the L84 327, which produced 360 horsepower thanks to the Rochester mechanical fuel injection, an 11.25:1 compression ratio and solid-lifter cam.
The Sebring Silver 1963 split-window Z06 Corvette coupe (Lot #1393) offered at No Reserve at Scottsdale is the epitome of a race-bred ’Vette. Besides the Z06 equipment, this car has the off-road exhaust and N03 36.5-gallon gas tank, an essential piece for endurance racing. It has the T-10 4-speed transmission and 4.11 posi-traction rear end, hubcaps and 6.70 x 15-inch blackwall tires.
Options include power windows and tinted glass, but otherwise the black interior is strictly business, with the radio-delete option commonly seen on vehicles ordered for racing.
Only 199 Z06 Corvettes were built in 1963, and only 63 split-window coupes that year were ordered with the N03 big-tank option, making this one of the most desirable Stingrays by any judging standard.
This beautiful Corvette is a former Eric Gill car from the 1970s, with history and period photos back to 1969-70. The body-off restoration was performed by Nabers of Houston.
It has been featured in magazines many times and has earned numerous awards, including NCRS Top Flight awards at regionals in January 2013 and October 2012, Bloomington Gold certified in June 2012, and Best in Class awards from Santa Fe Concorso in September 2012 and Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance in November 2012. It was on display in the National Corvette Museum in 2013, and a letter of appreciation is part of the car’s extensive paperwork. The car comes with all show awards, judging sheets, certificates and restoration receipts.
Whoever wins the bid for either or both of these rare Corvettes could dominate a show field, but the greater temptation might be to run through the gears on a twisty road course. It’s up to you whether to heed the call of the wild.
For up-to-date information on these and other vehicles on the 2017 Scottsdale Auction, click HERE.