The year was 1965 and my love affair was well into its second year. I wanted so much to have her but I was hindered by a little obstacle… MONEY. Yes, her pedigree demanded a man of means with a secure future; none of which could be found with me at the time. But my desire to have her as my little baby grew as the months progressed. Prior to this time, I worked like a dog while attending school for years. Nights, weekends, all summer long; it did not matter to me at all. Gas station attendant, newspaper boy, waiter, lifeguard, veterinary assistant and even a “Good Humor” ice cream man… I saved everything in the hopes that one day she would be mine. {For more info please call or text Mark Millevoi at 267-718-8695} To view 50 more pictures please go to millevoi.comFinally, two years later, my luck turned and l was able to accumulate just enough to bring her into my life so she could live with me under the same roof and hopefully, forever. I’ll never forget the moment when I brought her home for the first time and introduced her to my parents. She was a bit older now since when we first met a couple of years ago, a few rough spots here and there. But to my eyes, she was just perfect. Her throaty voice was strong but also very soothing. Her body was just voluptuous. When I looked at her, all I could see was the symbol of true love…RED. But most of all, it was that rear end that turned me on the most. That unique “Split” down the middle when looking at her from the back end, was the center of my captivation. Yes, I was one of those fortunate people who experienced the thrill of ownership of the first-ever C2 Corvette Split Window Coupe.Our relationship flourished over the next few years. We went all over together. However, some people were confused since the front clip was that of a ’65 (perhaps a prior accident), but the rest of the car was ’63 all the way. We experienced travels throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey and spent an entire summer together while working in the mountains of New York State. I dared not to take her with me on first dates since I wanted to make sure that the attraction was ME and not my baby. My girlfriend (now my wife of 46 years), passed the test with flying colors. After a few dates, when it was obvious that the chemistry was real, my baby became the icing on the cake. The coupe had enough room for my 50 pound German Shepherd “Caesar”, and together, we went everywhere in that ’63, including overnight tent camping. To view more pictures please go to millevoi.comAs much as I hated to return to reality, it was time for life to get serious. I needed to start thinking about my future. So my baby (along with an Air Force scholarship), became my ticket to success. Yes, I exchanged my Split Window for a brand new reliable VW Super Beetle, with some extra bucks left over to help get me through some of those tough Iowa winters. My last words before we parted were, “Someday we’ll be back together again” For more info please call or text Mark Millevoi at 267-718-8695. Fast forward to July 1992. My military obligation was behind me. I was happily married for about about 20 years and had one child. In addition, my career was on the right track. After putting in 60-70 hour weeks, I was looking for a little reward for all of that hard work. So, on July 4th, I formally recruited assistance from Merle F. Dobbins, author of “Vette Vues” FACT BOOK of the 1963-1967 STING RAY. It did not hurt that he was also the owner of a well known and famous local Corvette restoration shop. Very shortly thereafter, fate shined brightly on me in the form of a phone call from my friend’s wife. She informed me that “according to the newspaper ad” (in those days, that’s how cars were sold), the car that I have been talking about for years, seems to be located in Delaware… and it’s for sale! Within 24 hours, I was headed to Newark, Delaware along with a flatbed truck and accompanied by Merle. By the way, he was considered the guru of Corvette trivia back in the day. His consultation fee was $500 and it proved to be money well spent. When we entered the garage, it was immediately obvious that this was not my old baby. The glaring clue was that the front end was not that of a ’65. It was ’63 from front to back. The car was so pristine. The paint was flawless and it had a couple of custom touches that really separated it from the rest of the pack; namely, knock-off wheels and side exhaust pipes. It actually took my breath away. I immediately said to myself… “Self, you are not going home without this car on that flatbed”. Thanks to Merle, that’s how the day ended. {To view 50 more pictures please go to millevoi.com}From the start, it was obvious that although the interior was flawless, it had a”mish-mosh” of parts from other C2 era years. including mixed gauges, a ’65 glove box, and ‘64 seats. Merle accurately decoded the car and immediately determined from the trim tab that this pristine Riverside Red Split Window was born as a Daytona Blue car. For more info please call or text Mark Millevoi at 267-718-8695.The tachometer showed a 6500 redline but Merle declared that although the engine was “just fine”, this was not a numbers-matching powerplant. However, the owner informed us that the original heads with the solid valve lifters were in his possession (along with the entire original exhaust system). Merle stated that the car was otherwise all there and most importantly, it had a “solid” chassis. And that was exactly what I was looking for, another ’63 Split Window driver’s car. I had no interest in a trailer queen. Within two hours, we were on our way back home with my new prize. Shortly thereafter, Merle added a signed statement inside my personal copy of Vette Vues stating… "Enjoy your “new” split window, it's red"! It was signed July 10, 1992.Now don’t get me wrong. Although this was a showroom new appearing vehicle with an exhaust note that just made your day, the car was not without its challenges. But over the upcoming years, and with Merle’s assistance, slowly but surely, things started to shape up with most of the car possessing the correct ’63 parts. I’ll never forget the time in Carlisle, Pennsylvania when a vendor was selling a perfect set of right and left side polished aluminum door mouldings. When I asked how much, the vendor responded... “Son, $800 cash and if you try to bargain with me, I’ll refuse to sell em to you”. These parts were a “one year only” of course. A minute later, I became the proud owner of the most expensive 12 inch pieces of shiny metal in history.I bought the car on July 10th, 1992 with 103867 miles. The current mileage reads just over 108000 miles. So in 27 years, I put just over 4,000 miles on the car. Under my watch, it has been meticulously maintained and has always been stored in a climate controlled environment, as the paint and chrome are proof. The engine kicks over without hesitation whether warm or cold (unless sitting for days of course), and the car has been very reliable over the years. It shifts smoothly and drives like a charm with no rattles. Everything works including all gauges and the clock. By the way, the current tach bears a 5500 red line to match the current engine configuration. The shifter is an upgrade to the ’65 and the clutch was replaced preventively, less than 1,000 miles ago.In my opinion, this is the perfect car for either the purist who desires an original appearing split window or a person desirous of using the car as a strong palate for additional modifications. In any event, it is a driver’s car all the way. For more info, please call or text Mark Millevoi at 267-718-8695. Please note: I am including the original cylinder heads, Exhaust, Hub cabs, and Exhaust with this auction. See enclosed pics. For more questions please call or text Mark Millevoi at 267-718-8695 or visit this car on our site at milevoi.com |