Back in 1963, a Corvette coupe carried a base price of $4,252, while choosing the convertible would save you a few bucks, priced at $4,037. There are probably a few folks out there today who still have a convertible ’63 that they bought new, kicking themselves for not shelling out the extra Benjamins for the legendary split-window. Of course, Chevy offered an optional hard top for the ‘vert, but it looked nothing like the swoopy, iconic back glass of the coupe.
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For those who consider having a convertible ’63 a problem (and we’re sure there are a few, though we would be happy to own ANY C2, no matter what body style), there’s now a solution – DRS Automotive FantomWorks [3] of Norfolk, Virginia has come up with a removable hardtop that makes the ragtop Corvette a dead ringer for the split window coupe. As we see in this video, installing and removing the custom roof is only slightly more complicated than swapping the factory hard top, and we have to admit the result is pretty convincing; only the visible seam between the roof and deck lid gives things away.
No word on what the hard top costs, but we’re betting that it’s cheaper than the price difference between a ‘vert and a split window today… So what’s your opinion? Is this a success, or should rag-top Corvettes be enjoyed for what they are? Let us know in the comments below.