1962 Barn find-Just got it home...
11-23-2010, 08:16 AM
#1
7th Gear
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1962 Barn find-Just got it home...
Hello to all from Michigan. New to the forum. This car spent 19yrs sitting in the barn were we pulled it from.
Prior to that it was tore down in 1965 for a repaint that never came, and ultimately it sat in an unheated garage for 35yrs. The frame is rough to say the least. The original fuelie motor is Loooonnnggg gone. Suprisingly we found all the chrome parts and trim, except the fender mouldings and rocker mouldings. As a kid I knew man that owned. He was a local guy that drank with my Dad. I remember stories of the car that grew with the years. He was a body guy, and it was he who tore the car down for a re-do. He also cut out the front bumper channel and glassed the lower valence to the front facia to eliminate the bumpers for a custom look. I can only guess that this was a 1960's custom thing. Plans are to return it to the way it was. I just finished talking with a long time friend of the body guy; and my late father; who grew up in the area and knew the car. He told me of the owner of the car that the body guy bought it from in 64', or 65'. Last he heard he was still alive and lived nearby. My wife suggested seeing if he was on the internet white pages. Last night we looked up his name and there it was. The city was close to where he was thought to live. The age was right. So we called. A women answered, I asked her if her husband had ever owned a 1962 White Corvette and she said yes. I could here her call to him in the background and when he took the phone he confirmed the story. He bought it used in 1964 from Roger Penske Cheverolet in 1964. He said that "Mr Penske played with it at that racetack in Waterford". He asked if it still had it's chome roll bar and wide seat belts? It does. He said he didn't think that he ever raced it competively. He told me he only drove it for about a year, and may have put 1500 miles on it before he sold it to the body guy. The odometer shows 14407 on it. There is still a Sunoco oil change tag on the drivers door from 1964 with the mileage at 10K. He said that he heard that body guy took off the fuel injection unit, put a 4 barrel on it and drag raced it and blew the motor. He then tore it down for a redo, and then it sat... Sorry for the long post, but I do have a couple questions. Is there any way to run the VIN number to get a copy of the original build info. Also I looked and the car has some things that are different. The trans is still in the car and looks to be an aluminum body. The roll bar, wide drivers lap belt are still in the car and were said to have came that way when bought used fom the dealer. The fuel filler door has the filler neck through the door and the cap is outside the car like a truck. The man I called said he doesn't remember that one way or the other. I would like to find out more if possible about the mods, and would appreciate ANY insight. Have plans to make it a car for my wife, I'm 6'3" and this car has no leg room for me. Thanks again for the time... Rob
Prior to that it was tore down in 1965 for a repaint that never came, and ultimately it sat in an unheated garage for 35yrs. The frame is rough to say the least. The original fuelie motor is Loooonnnggg gone. Suprisingly we found all the chrome parts and trim, except the fender mouldings and rocker mouldings. As a kid I knew man that owned. He was a local guy that drank with my Dad. I remember stories of the car that grew with the years. He was a body guy, and it was he who tore the car down for a re-do. He also cut out the front bumper channel and glassed the lower valence to the front facia to eliminate the bumpers for a custom look. I can only guess that this was a 1960's custom thing. Plans are to return it to the way it was. I just finished talking with a long time friend of the body guy; and my late father; who grew up in the area and knew the car. He told me of the owner of the car that the body guy bought it from in 64', or 65'. Last he heard he was still alive and lived nearby. My wife suggested seeing if he was on the internet white pages. Last night we looked up his name and there it was. The city was close to where he was thought to live. The age was right. So we called. A women answered, I asked her if her husband had ever owned a 1962 White Corvette and she said yes. I could here her call to him in the background and when he took the phone he confirmed the story. He bought it used in 1964 from Roger Penske Cheverolet in 1964. He said that "Mr Penske played with it at that racetack in Waterford". He asked if it still had it's chome roll bar and wide seat belts? It does. He said he didn't think that he ever raced it competively. He told me he only drove it for about a year, and may have put 1500 miles on it before he sold it to the body guy. The odometer shows 14407 on it. There is still a Sunoco oil change tag on the drivers door from 1964 with the mileage at 10K. He said that he heard that body guy took off the fuel injection unit, put a 4 barrel on it and drag raced it and blew the motor. He then tore it down for a redo, and then it sat... Sorry for the long post, but I do have a couple questions. Is there any way to run the VIN number to get a copy of the original build info. Also I looked and the car has some things that are different. The trans is still in the car and looks to be an aluminum body. The roll bar, wide drivers lap belt are still in the car and were said to have came that way when bought used fom the dealer. The fuel filler door has the filler neck through the door and the cap is outside the car like a truck. The man I called said he doesn't remember that one way or the other. I would like to find out more if possible about the mods, and would appreciate ANY insight. Have plans to make it a car for my wife, I'm 6'3" and this car has no leg room for me. Thanks again for the time... Rob
Last edited by TheXGarage; 11-23-2010 at 08:54 AM. Reason: Add images
11-23-2010, 10:09 AM
#3
Burning Brakes
Congrats, awesome find. I don't think you will be able to find any build info. I believe chevy doesn't have any of the records prior to anything built in Bowling Green. You should see if you can find the build sheet. It might be somewhere around the gas tank.
Post up in the C1/C2 area they should be able to help.
Post up in the C1/C2 area they should be able to help.
11-23-2010, 12:48 PM
#5
Team Owner
Welcome to the Forum!!!!!!! 
Congratulations on quite an interesting barn find. I can only guess how dry that glass is and how much work it will take to fix it up but sounds like it has some interesting history that will make it more worth the effort. I suggest you ask the folks in C1/C2 General about researching the car and finding documentation. Also since you know it came from Roger Penske why not just send him an email and ask what he can tell you? Can't hurt to ask. Best of luck, have fun with it and post the progress in C1/C2. 
Congratulations on quite an interesting barn find. I can only guess how dry that glass is and how much work it will take to fix it up but sounds like it has some interesting history that will make it more worth the effort. I suggest you ask the folks in C1/C2 General about researching the car and finding documentation. Also since you know it came from Roger Penske why not just send him an email and ask what he can tell you? Can't hurt to ask. Best of luck, have fun with it and post the progress in C1/C2.
11-23-2010, 06:21 PM
#9
Race Director
Welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your barn find That is a very interesting intro so thanks for sharing the story and photos. I hope you can track down more information on the car. Good luck
That is a very interesting intro so thanks for sharing the story and photos. I hope you can track down more information on the car. Good luck
