Real-Deal 1963 Corvette Race Car Emerges After 44 Years in Storage

This 1963 Corvette race car was discovered after it was listed for sale in a local newspaper, just like the old days.

Despite the best efforts of barn hunters over the past several years, there are still some cool old cars out there just waiting to be discovered, as we’re reminded on a nearly daily basis. That includes old race cars, of course, many of which were understandably parked in favor of newer, faster machines over the years, or simply retired and stashed away because they weren’t street legal. That’s the case with this 1963 Corvette race car that recently surfaced from storage after 44 years as well, according to Hot Rod.

Like an old tale that an elderly family member might tell you frequently, the story of how this 1963 Corvette race car was discovered is equally fascinating. Turns out, it popped up for sale in the classifieds section of a local newspaper that serves the High Deserts of California and the Lake Havasu, Arizona area. Todd Evans came across the ad one evening, which had no pictures and little information, but he couldn’t resist and called the listed number immediately before learning some pretty amazing things from the car’s then-owner, John Lloyd.

“John began to tell me the story of his Corvette that he had purchased as a stock split-window back in 1968, before turning it into his dream race car in the early 1970s,” Evans said. “He said it had big flares, big turbine wheels, a big-block hood, side pipes, and a cage. John had raced it extensively throughout California in the ’70s, and Riverside Raceway was his home track. He owned Rialto Wheel & Tire at the time and was a weekend warrior, as opposed to being a big-dollar, sponsored racer.”

“He had some success, won some races, and had a blast with all of his buddies, racing every chance that he got. He finally retired the car in 1978 and switched to a much lighter tube-chassis Camaro, along with taking care of his now growing family. He parked the car in his friend’s yard outside his garage after the last race that day and it never moved again for 44 years.”

Unfortunately, someone had already placed a deposit on the car, but Lloyd still agreed to let Evans come look at it in the morning in case that person backed out. Luckily for him, the potential buyer didn’t pan out, and he was able to bring this vintage racer home. Now, he plans on keeping it as-is, albeit after a little cleaning to remove all of the animal excrement, dust, and cobwebs that have accumulated throughout, as well as giving it a new powerplant.

“I’ve never done much road course racing, so I would leave it just like it sits and make a nasty street car out of it,” Evans said. “It still has the original VIN and title so it could be registered. We have a Hilborn-injected small-block sitting here in the shop begging to be put in something anyhow. It would be impossible to not love a streetcar that looks like it belongs in one of the best movies of all time, The Gumball Rally.”

Personally, we’re just happy to see this cool old racer back in the sun again, and with any luck, we’ll also be seeing it out on the street being enjoyed in the near future, too.

Photos:Hot Rod