Split Window Coupe Goodwood Auction 16th April

[Mr. Cricket]

This is another car from the Spur Motors collection in Sheffield that also included the 1971 ZR2 that went back Stateside and sold for $197k. This one is up for auction next Friday morning and anyone planning to bid, it needs looking at in person..

They've spruced it up since a last looked it over and added the knock off's (incorrect for a '63) and what looks to be new rubber too.

The photo gallery in the link contains a number of images but none of the problem areas. Masking tape applied around the two rear windows and windscreen was left on for years and when finally removed it took a lot of paint with it and has been very crudely touched up. The underside screams out for a body off restoration and to be fair, in the blurb they do say it needs recommissioning. I could see an easy £50k needed to get it up to snuff if not more so I can see it fetching £60 - £70k tops

Bonhams Cars : 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray 'Split Window' Coupé Chassis no. 30837S109362 Engine no. 3109362

• Dating from the first year of Sting Ray production • Rare one-year-only 'Split Window' Coupé • Desirable 300bhp engine and four-speed manual gearbox • Acquired for the Bishop Collection in 2018 To say that the Sting Ray's arrival caused a sensation would be grossly understating its impact on...

www.bonhams.com

 

[Letank]

Looks like it made just shy of £73k including buyers premium.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

I think it was £65k + buyers fee so slap bang in the middle of my guess and almost half the guide price top end. I registered to bid and watched all of the Mal Bishop cars go through and realised this wasn't the right auction platform for this collection of 15 classic cars with some fetching £3,500. The next car after the Mal collection was an Aston DB6 that sold for £280k..

When I first saw the split while checking over the ZR2 we talked about values and they had it in their head the split was worth £80k and asked my opinion. With the amount of work it needs and being a no option car I suggested £60k on the basis that whoever buys it will want it to be the best it can be including a body off and full paint. I did say I could up that a bit and we got close to a deal but it died when they consigned them all to auction. I was quite pleased with myself when the hammer came down having shown newly found restraint and not bid and had no regrets.

 

[Roscobbc]

These auctioneers really irritate me with their really questionable lack of knowledge - their drivel mentioning the 63 Coupe's "desireable 300 hp engine"........well, I guess any engine would be acceptable if you really wanted a '63 coupe....... me? I would have thought either the 340hp or 360hp fuelie would have been the really "desireable" engines.......

 

[Nassau65]

I suppose at the end of the day, it is an iconic one year only body style with that split window and always will be. It will always command a good price in any condition, and prices will only go one way and that’s UP.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

I suppose at the end of the day, it is an iconic one year only body style with that split window and always will be. It will always command a good price in any condition, and prices will only go one way and that’s UP.

Of course you're correct Nass and a split I'm sure would be on every Corvette fans wish list. The sums though didn't add up to me. They may have done with a better option and higher HP split but not on this one however, I hope the buyer gets it looking like it has the potential too. The photos don't lie in that it should have a body off restoration

 

[antijam]

I suppose at the end of the day, it is an iconic one year only body style with that split window and always will be. It will always command a good price in any condition, and prices will only go one way and that’s UP.

I remember reading somewhere that when the '64 Vette came out, '63 owners were taking their cars back to the dealers or a body shop and having the split removed and replaced with the '64 window and trim ! Hindsight suggests that might have been a bad decision......

 

[Mr. Cricket]

I remember reading somewhere that when the '64 Vette came out, '63 owners were taking their cars back to the dealers or a body shop and having the split removed and replaced with the '64 window and trim ! Hindsight suggests that might have been a bad decision......

yep, had to have the most current looking Corvette. D 'oh

 

[Nassau65]

I remember reading somewhere that when the '64 Vette came out, '63 owners were taking their cars back to the dealers or a body shop and having the split removed and replaced with the '64 window and trim ! Hindsight suggests that might have been a bad decision......

That was a very common conversion back in the day.
A friend of mine had what he thought was a 64 for years until he found out it was actually a 1963 SWC. He was well pleased. He had it converted back to original.

 

[Roscobbc]

Of course you're correct Nass and a split I'm sure would be on every Corvette fans wish list. The sums though didn't add up to me. They may have done with a better option and higher HP split but not on this one however, I hope the buyer gets it looking like it has the potential too. The photos don't lie in that it should have a body off restoration

£63K AND a body-off resto doesn't (as I see it) work - certainly not for a base car.......unless it has some interesting history - or - you have a resto shop and you have your permanent staff doing the work inbetween customer jobs.

 

[Nassau65]

Resto projects nearly always make far more than they should do or are worth. Some people get into it without realising what the finished article will cost and its actual worth.
There was an episode of bangers & cash that featured a barn find Aston Martin DB5. The Aston Martin workshop gave a restoration figure to restore it and what they thought it was worth to make it a worthwhile project.
It made double the Aston value figure.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

£63K AND a body-off resto doesn't (as I see it) work - certainly not for a base car.......unless it has some interesting history - or - you have a resto shop and you have your permanent staff doing the work inbetween customer jobs.

£78k with fees Ross

 

[antijam]

Hagerty UK values a concours C3 at £143k leaving £65k for restoration to concours standard (and if you're going to do a body off resto it makes sense to go for concours) to break even. You might just do that if you put in most of the labour yourself - unlikely if done professionally. Still, by the time you've finished it'll be worth even more....

 

[Roscobbc]

Hagerty UK values a concours C3 at £143k leaving £65k for restoration to concours standard (and if you're going to do a body off resto it makes sense to go for concours) to break even. You might just do that if you put in most of the labour yourself - unlikely if done professionally. Still, by the time you've finished it'll be worth even more....

Is that really a £143K value on a concours C3? - that'd be steep even for a concours C2 - can't imagine anyone paying that kind of money here in the UK - even Stateside I'd have thought it was severely pushing things, especially at this moment given the 'malaise' the car market seems to be going through.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Hagerty UK values a concours C3 at £143k leaving £65k for restoration to concours standard (and if you're going to do a body off resto it makes sense to go for concours) to break even. You might just do that if you put in most of the labour yourself - unlikely if done professionally. Still, by the time you've finished it'll be

Is that really a £143K value on a concours C3? - that'd be steep even for a concours C2 - can't imagine anyone paying that kind of money here in the UK - even Stateside I'd have thought it was severely pushing things, especially at this moment given the 'malaise' the car market seems to be going through.

Think he meant C2 and a split..

 

[antijam]

Is that really a £143K value on a concours C3? - that'd be steep even for a concours C2 - can't imagine anyone paying that kind of money here in the UK - even Stateside I'd have thought it was severely pushing things, especially at this moment given the 'malaise' the car market seems to be going through.

Sorry - senior moment - Mr. C is correct, should have read concours 1963 C2 Coupé.