Back in the day, cutting up a C2 Corvette was nothing to bat an eye at. Even a split-window coupe wasn’t immune from a sawzall.
Not only were many Larry Shinoda masterpieces altered forever, but many were grotesquely facelifted, and though they still looked like Corvettes, were muddled-up with heavy, unsympathetic brush strokes.
Which leads us to this 1963 Corvette custom that recently popped up for sale. Gateway Classic Cars of Tampa, Florida is the curator of this 1963 Corvette Custom Split Window Coupe known as “The Outer Limits.” It has seen many iterations and color changes over the years, but is now presented as one time owner Gary Logan restored it in the ’80s.
According to seller, “This thing was built and restyled by Farhner’s Custom Shop in Kansas City, Missouri, from a brand-new factory split-window coupe that had less than 100 miles on it when completed in late 1963.
“The frontend was treated to an asymmetrical treatment, the wheelwells were radiused, and the fender tops were heightened and finned outward. The door handles were shaved and replaced with electrical solenoids. Side pipes were added, along with a custom screw-gear mechanism to open the hood when the car was setup at show car displays. It was featured in Popular Hot Rod magazine back in the day.
“The car features white pearl paint, and a white-leather interior with contrasting red carpet and an asymmetrical modified dash. A shooting-star theme can be seen on the headliner, and five-star custom wheels are something you don’t see everyday. This car was restored in the 1970’s, and upon completion, shown at the Car Craft Street Machine Nationals. The undercarriage and chassis are absolute jewelry. Thousands of dollars were spent on custom chrome plating.
“This old custom ‘Vette is motivated by a high-performance small-block V8 backed-up by a Muncie four speed and 3.36 posi-traction-filled rearend. Documented with a detailed build sheet and old display photos, the build cost would surely exceed $200,000.00 in today’s money.
“Outer Limits” was sold to Robert and Margie Petersen of the Petersen Museum, where it was displayed for many years, becoming a Los Angeles icon. Fresh out of the museum circuit, this car has been recently inspected and serviced by a renowned Corvette specialist.
“The car has a production date of March 15th, 1963, and delivered new by Ed Roberts Chevrolet in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Old customs seldom die, as seen with many other Barris-inspired cars of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. This car is not intended for anyone wanting to drive or fiddle with a Corvette on weekends. Neither, is it intended for anyone wanting a restored 100-point piece of Bloomington or NCRS.”
We think it’s kind of cool, however, we’d ditch the dated “star” wheels and drive it. Addng a set of Supremes with white or red walls would add a bit of spice to the all-white exterior. A deeper dive might be to return it to it’s earliest version of ’60s kustom kool. In the meantime, this thing would sure cause a commotion at the local Corvette show-and-shine.
It can be yours for just shy of $100K.