Hi all, new member here looking for some advice on purchasing a 1965 Corvette. A little background to put things in perspective. In 1968 I purchased a 1963 Corvette convertible. It was probably the most impractical vehicle I've ever owned, but I loved every second of the short ownership time. I purchased it in September of 1968 and only drove it a short few months before it was severely damaged in an accident.

I was sitting in traffic waiting for a line of cars to file into a restaurant parking lot. Unfortunately, I was at the end of an exit ramp from the interstate. A woman exiting the interstate wasn't aware traffic had stopped. She hit the right front fender, spun around in the ditch and came back and hit the right rear fender. The car was a mess.

Long story short the car spent from February to August in the body shop. When I got it back the repairs were terrible. The fenders were patched together, the rear bumper was never replaced, the right front wheel was bent, and on and on. When I complained to the insurance company I was told "too bad, you shouldn't have accepted it if it wasn't repaired properly". It was going to cost another $1,500.00 to repair the shoddy work. I couldn't afford that kind of money, so I sold the car.

Fast forward 57 years and I'm thinking I would like another Corvette of that era. This time I'm looking for 1965 convertible with the hardtop, the 425 hp 396, Close ratio 4 speed transmission, side exhausts, 4:11 positraction rear end, and knock off wheels, I'd also prefer the Glen Green color, and a few other goodies like the Wonderbar radio, and a passenger's side rear view mirror.

Having somewhat lined out what I'm looking for I would like to know if there are any companies that might rent such a vehicle before I invest in one. While my memory says the 63 rode and handled fairly well, more recently I've driven another 63 and a 64. While they in actuality may have handled the same my impression at the time was they both had a terrible ride and were some of the worst handling cars I'd ever driven. I'm hoping those cars were just examples of vehicles in poor repair rather than indicative of the way all Corvettes of that era ride and handle.

Any input from owners or former owners would be appreciated.

 

A correctly dialed in mid year with OEM parts and good radial tires make them handle very well

 

I agree with Nowhere man.

If you are looking to rent one of these, get a Turo account.

 

I love my '65.

But if you are expecting it to drive like a 50 yr. newer car, you will be disappointed.

That said, it is hard to judge an old cars potential by driving a poorly maintained example. You might want to find a well restored car and bug it's owner, rather than a car someone cares so little about, that they rent it out to strangers.

Others may disagree, but you might be likely to be disappointed by cars with deep gears, bias-ply tires, drum brakes and skinny wheels. As these cars become older and less like new cars, resto mods are becoming more popular. You may not actually want a car that is NCRS material. I know I didn't, which is why I sought out an already non-original bubba mobile. One day it'll be a nice car.

 

You have good taste. Very desirable year/build and close to what I was looking for. I’d guess your a few years older than me (73). Research, find a nice one, pay 80-90k, check the life bucket list item then change it to your liking (I hated the KOs), have fun. Itch scratched. No joy… sell it for 80-90k. Most likely you’ll get tired of 4:11s and side pipes. I did (in goes a 5 speed). So what, this is a hobby, not an investment. Don’t wait till you’re 89 and wished you’d have scratched the itch. Mine’s in great shape. Doesn’t drive anywhere close to my wife’s 2026 sport SUV. But no one at gas stations walk over to drool over her’s like my BB 66. Life’s short. Larry

 

R66 rides much better than the wife's 14 StupidRoo Outback and also our 68RS Camaro. The independent rear suspension is much softer on the boss' buns which is VERY IMPORTANT. However, it is stock with stock shock absorbers and original wheels and radial tires of the same size as the original tires.
It also handles better than the other two cars when properly aligned. Of course, the handling will not compare to a new sports car or high end vehicles. You must expect the 50+ year old technology to have short comings when compared to the new vehicles.
Also, consider the age of the owner. As you get older, the memories fade and the expectations seem to be greater. I drove a Gen 1 Camaro for 30+ years as a work car and became accustom to the ride and performance. Today, the 68RS is a bit more uncomfortable to drive due to my physical deterioration.

 

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Company I worked for supplied us with Subaru Outback wagons.... BEST snow mobile ever... I would take the Subaru over my 4 wheel drive Chevrolet truck in the garage if I was heading to the snow....
Just saying....

 

My 1966 Corvette shocked me when I first drove it. I owned a 1970 GM A body for over 30 years. I put about 400K miles on it. I feel I have a pretty good idea of what 'an old car' drives like. My Corvette felt like a car from the 1980s. And all cars from the 1980s are very old now. But that's not how a car from the 1960s should feel. I was impressed by the ride and handling of my Corvette, because I appreciate the state of the automobile re: when it was designed.

I gave a neighbor a ride to the post office in it last summer. He was walking on a hot day and I knew how far he was from his house because it's 300 yards from mine. Known him for 45 years, since I was just a kid. He and my Pop were friends. He was, frankly, rude and quite vocal about the poor ride and lack of comfort of my Corvette when we arrived. He also failed to say thanks. He has fallen into the trap in which people fail to understand how well even 'bad' cars handle and ride today. He was also fallen into the trap of forgetting I could have just beeped and waved at his grumpy old ***.

I did not fall into the trap of remaining friendly with him.

 

Chris I say that all the time. After driving my Chevelle and then driving any of my dads mid years you know why the Corvette was almost double the price of my Chevelle.

 

I took my 90 year old father for a ride in my BMW about 9 years ago, I had recently acquired... " Too Bumpy" he said.... LOL..

 

With the exception of the 4:11 gears (mine has 3:55) ,the pass. side mirror and Wonderbar radio's weren't offered in 65, you described my car exactly. Good luck in your search.

 

C2 never had a pass mirror.

But you can always buy one and add it. Easy enough to do. Not NCRS correct of course.

 

Sounds like owning a corvette of that era is just not for you. I own a 65 and a 99. The are wildly different in frame/suspension/tire technology.....thus ...wildly different in handling, but both are accurate represenations of the technology of their time. If you want to retain the timeless characteristics of a C2 with modern handling, then a restorod might be your best path. Be prepared to fork out some $$.

 

It's going to take some inherently good driving skill and track time to put a correctly set OEM mid year to its handling limits. If you find them on your local streets you're not going to be obeying any local laws. also given how unsafe these cars are I would suggest understanding what your getting into before trying to find its limits. A gently used C6/C6 ZO6 would be great for track days for ultimate handling sports car needs. With that said a mid year in its day was a better then most cars sold of that era in their price point a F car is 65 was almost double the price of a mid year.

 

Tim - Welcome to the Corvette Forum. Sorry to hear about the bad experience with the 63 you used to own. As you've already heard, most folks like the ride and 'comfort' of a midyear and don't expect
they will be the equivalent of a new car for handling. I have two Smallblock Coupes, a 65 and a 66 and both run the same type of shocks but the 65 has the 7-Leaf HD rear spring and replacement front springs
and rides just a bit firmer than the 66 which still has the standard 9-leaf rear leaf and standard front coils and. You've set your sights on a Bigblock, a 65 L78. There are a few around, not too long ago ran across a Nassau Blue on Blue L78 Coupe, if I see it again, I'll send you the link.
Good luck in your search.
Mike T - Prescott AZ

 

I've never heard of a rental company that offers C2 corvettes. Your best bet would be to join a corvette club in your area and you might find someone who can take you for a ride in theirs?

Fast forward 57 years and I'm thinking I would like another Corvette of that era. This time I'm looking for 1965 convertible with the hardtop, the 425 hp 396, Close ratio 4 speed transmission, side exhausts, 4:11 positraction rear end, and knock off wheels, I'd also prefer the Glen Green color, and a few other goodies like the Wonderbar radio, and a passenger's side rear view mirror.

That's a pretty specific spec, buying a quality example won't be cheap.

 

Thank you everyone for your responses. I’m not averse to driving older vehicles. My first vehicle was a1937 Ford 1/2 ton pickup with a 60 hp flat head V8 and mechanical brakes.

I’ve had several trucks from the 1940’s, 50’s, 60’, 70’s, and 80’s. I must admit it is easy to become used to the conveniences and improvements of the more modern vehicles.

My daily driver is currently a 2025 Ford Expedition. It has more bells and whistles than I could have imagined 20 years ago. I step back to reality a bit every time I take our 2004 Jeep Wrangler for a ride. No adaptive cruise control, no antilock brakes, no blind spot warnings, no lane deviation warnings, the driver is actually in control of the vehicle rather than the computers.

I love older vehicles and am more than willing to live with the technology of the time. In my first post I was more questioning the accuracy of my memory than the fitness of the vehicles. A kid of 20 certainly has a different assessment of a vehicle than someone in their late 70’s.

I’ve just begun to look for a 65. There seem to be quite a few for sale, but so far none that meet my exact wish list. To be truthful the one I would like would be identical to or at least similar to one owned by a fellow I worked with as a kid

Some of you might e familiar with the name Jerry Shinkay. He was a big Corvette fan from his early years. We both worked at the same restaurant in the mid 1960’s. Like all kids we went our separate ways. When I started looking for a Corvette I tried to look him up. Unfortunately I found he passed away several years ago.

 

At a cruise recently, a fellow came over and looked at my 65 . It's a 454 ,wide Muncie and 3:36 gears. Frame off and all new suspension ,and chassis bits. It handles very well just don't expect it to have any nannies or you will be dissapointed. He told me he had a C7 and wanted a 63-67. My response was that to me this car is a time machine. By that I meant when I drive it I do not push limits , it just reminds me of a different time. I told him he better drive one before buying because it drives nothing like a C7. And with Hooker side pipes, you can't hear the radio. Period correct.

 

Projectnut, When you find the car that interestd you the most, have a know C-2 experienced person go over the car. It will be money well spent. Dennis