It’s not often that a vehicle comes to market with a special, dare we say iconic, design cue for only one year of production, which is as recognizable as the 1963 Corvette Coupe’s split rear window. The split rear window design only lasted for one year due to “red tape” in Washington regarding the design, and rearward visibility for drivers of these special cars. At least we were able to see this special design feature on production vehicles for a short time. 

The unique split rear window design compliments the “backbone” that runs between the rear windows, to the roof of the car. Another interesting design element that is carried from the front to the rear of the car is the bump in the middle of the hood, which starts as a sort of spear shape and is mirrored at the back of the car in an almost boat-tail shape just below the fuel filler cap. Without a doubt, mid-year Corvettes, as cars of this body style are known, have such interesting styling consisting of crisp lines mixed with elegant curves.

The car you see here is a beautiful example of a ‘63 Corvette. As a ‘63 Coupe it’s rare, though this car is more rare thanks to the fact that it is a factory-optioned Fuel Injected car, or “Fuelie.” It’s been honored as a National Corvette Restorer’s Society (NCRS) Top Flight winner, which means it is highly correct in both trim, mechanicals, and preservation. 

Our client brought the car in for a clean up and paint correction. Most of the car is covered in very old paint that was rather dull, and showed weathering. We took our time in analyzing the paint, and correcting the paint section by section. It’s not perfect, but after we were done with the correction, a good polish, and a wax coating, the car looked stunning under our lights. The unique curves and design details seemed to really stand out again.

Inside the car we made sure that the carpet was vacuumed, dashboard was wiped down, seats were cleaned, and those hard to get to split rear window sections were clean. We addressed all the little details, right down to polishing up the seat belt latches, and cleaning the white “Chevrolet Corvette” lettering on the horn button, which was hardly visible before we started. All the little things add up to an exceptional finished product.

It was great to have such an automotive icon in the studio, and we are thankful our client trusted us to work on the car. It’s now ready for the summer driving season - car shows, trips to the beach, runs for ice cream, and plenty of cruising with no particular destination in mind.