Matching numbers L75 327/300, 4-speed, 2 tops, 35,000 miles, 2 owners from new

As you might imagine, we drive a lot of cars. Every car in our inventory gets a pretty thorough test drive when it comes in, about 10 miles of mixed driving to make sure it works properly and to reveal any flaws. That test drive usually takes about 25 minutes. In this 1965 Corvette convertible, however, I took more than an hour simply because I didn’t want to get out of the driver’s seat. In fact, this might just be the best-driving stock C2 Corvette we’ve ever featured, and that’s saying a lot. It isn’t a show car, but it works so well that the guy who puts driving over showing will be absolutely delighted when it rolls off the trailer and into his driveway. This car just loves to dance!

We also know Corvettes are about the numbers, and this car has one heck of a stat sheet: matching-numbers L75 327 cubic inch V8 with 300 horsepower, 4-speed manual transmission, two tops, and just over 35,000 original miles. Oh, and it has just two owners, with the second owner acquiring it in 1973 and driving it about 5000 miles in the past 43 years. It’s that last stat that is the source of its great driving behavior, as this car was not only sparingly driven, but the owner was a professional mechanic by trade and treated this car like treasure. Turn the key and it fires, it feels tight, smooth, and confident, and it just goes about its business without any drama at all. This is why low-mileage cars are special.

As I mentioned, this is not a perfect car. The biggest demerit is the paint, which is a respray probably done just before the second owner purchased it in the early 1970s. It’s vintage enamel and it’s got the right patina such that if I couldn’t find a few stray masking marks under the hood, I’d be willing to believe it was factory paint. It looks right on the vintage fiberglass. You will note that the driver’s front fender has some blisters that actually look like water droplets, and this was caused by a mistake while bleeding the brakes—apparently someone forgot to put the cap back on the master cylinder before depressing the brake pedal and brake fluid sprayed all over the fender. So there’s an issue there. It’s not visible from even five feet away, but when you’re at a show, people are going to ask. But more to the point, it’s completely invisible from behind the wheel, and that’s the only place the owner should be spending his time. To its credit, the rest of the car shines up well and has that handsome soft shine that vintage ‘Vettes get, and nobody can argue that Nassau Blue isn’t gorgeous—it was the most popular color in 1965 for a very good reason. The panels line up just the way they did at the factory, because the car has never been fully disassembled, the doors open and close easily, the hood clicks closed with gentle pressure, and since the hardtop has been in place since 1973, the deck lid is excellent. The chrome bumpers are in nice shape, the emblems are original, and all the lenses are good. This is not a factory side pipe car, so the rear exhaust outlets now have additional brake lights, which is kind of cool. If you’re big enough to deal with the blemishes on the paint, you’re going to be pleased with everything else.

The code 414 interior is almost completely original, including the seats, dash, and carpets. Blue vinyl is this car’s original code and while there’s some very light fading on the seats, they’re in excellent condition overall. The carpets are in great shape and when it came to us, there was a leather wrap on the wheel, which was protected the original woodgrained finish. All the gauges are fully functional and the mileage of 35,486 is authentic. The clock, as usual, is not working and at some point a modern AM/FM/cassette radio was installed along with a set of speakers neatly tucked into the rear package area. The big chrome shifter and center console are quite nice and you’ll be amazed by how quickly you feel at home when you slide behind the wheel. We’re not entirely sure the door panels are original—I don’t remember ever seeing them finished with carpet like that, but they’re old and look pretty good and replacements are very inexpensive if you’d like to change them. The white convertible top was replaced back in the 1990s and remains in excellent condition and folds easily without any fighting to latch it down and the weather seals were new at that time. There’s also a factory removable hardtop that’s in good shape with paint equal to that on the rest of the car, plus a nice matching blue finish inside.

We’ve verified that this is the car’s original, numbers-matching HF-coded L75 327 cubic inch V8 with 300 horsepower, a nice step up over the base 250 horsepower model. With so few miles on the clock, it has never been out of the car or opened, and thanks to the ministrations of a professional mechanic who thought of this as a car he wanted to own forever, it runs superbly. It’s not a leaker, and even after sitting for a while, it fires quickly and idles smoothly without any fussing. The L75 is a great combination between performance and user-friendly road manners, so it doesn’t get cranky in city traffic, even on hot days (it seems to run at about 170 degrees on the gauge) and both the idle and the power curve are smooth. The engine bay has been cleaned up and freshened with a new chrome alternator and chrome valve covers, but there aren’t many deviations from stock. The Carter 4-barrel carburetor looks to have been recently rebuilt and the chrome shield over the distributor is still in place (the rest of the ignition wire shields are included with the car if you wish to reinstall them). This is a no-fuss performance engine that can still make you grin on the open road.

The 4-speed manual transmission shifts beautifully, too. Clutch take-up is smooth with no chatter and the gears are perfectly chosen for this engine, another reason why untouched original cars are just better. Run it hard or run it easy, but every time you shift the engine is already there, waiting for you before accelerating through the next gear. It’ll make you feel like an expert the very first time you drive it and it provides an almost seamless flow of power. It seems to pull equally hard in each gear and thanks to the side pipes, it makes the most wonderful sounds as you power through the gears. Side pipes were first introduced in 1965, and while they weren’t part of this car’s original roster of equipment, we do like how they look and love how they sound. They’re aggressive without being too loud, and in fourth gear at cruising speed, they quiet down to a distant burble that’s fun but not tiring. We believe there are 3.36 gears out back, a nice compromise between usability and performance, and the first-year 4-wheel disc brakes are surprisingly powerful, stopping the car without shudders or drama. The undercarriage, being original, is greasy and grungy, but there is no critical rust or rot anywhere on the chassis and there’s evidence of proper maintenance everywhere you look. Rally wheels were not yet available on the Corvette in ’65, but they look good, especially with those fat 225/70/15 white-letter radials.

If you’re a guy who wants to go to shows and wipe his car with a diaper and tell people how much it cost to restore, this isn’t for you. But if you enjoy the experience and look at an old Corvette as a lifestyle more than a status symbol, then you’re going to love this one. From behind the wheel, none of its flaws are visible and it’s no joke that this one drives better than most. If a good car is more important than a shiny car, this is a Corvette that’s going to make you happy for many years to come. Call today!