Rare 1963 Split-Window Corvette Was Abandoned In A Barn For 20 Years
Certain barn finds are so special that even opening the doors feels like discovering buried treasure. A dusty old sedan is cool, and a forgotten muscle car will always get our attention, but this was something on an entirely different level. Hidden beneath bird droppings, grime, and 20 years of neglect was one of the most desirable American sports cars ever made. Its interior smelled awful, animals had moved in, and nobody knew whether its engine would ever run again. However, the car’s condition was only part of the story. This beautiful old ’Vette had belonged to a man named Rick, and bringing it back was about preserving far more than fiberglass and chrome. When the team from WD Detailing finally opened those barn doors, they found a holy grail carrying one incredibly emotional history.
This 1963 Corvette Spent 20 Years Gathering Dust
Chevrolet produced the famous split rear window for only the 1963 model year, making this first-year C2 Corvette instantly recognizable and seriously collectible. The divider looked gorgeous, but it also impaired rearward visibility, so Chevy ditched it for 1964. That one-year design has since become one of the most beloved features ever fitted to a Corvette.
This particular car originally left the factory wearing Tuxedo Black paint over a red interior. It was later repainted burgundy and modified with several desirable C2 components, including a 1967-style hood, side exhaust pipes, and later wheels. This is no untouched, numbers-matching museum piece, but it has plenty of personality. Rick had reportedly left it sitting in the barn for more than 20 years. By the time WD Detailing arrived, the Corvette was buried under thick dirt and animal droppings. Its rear rock-chip guards were even attached using paper clips, proving that old-school engineering sometimes means grabbing whatever is sitting in the junk drawer.
Things became nastier inside. Two mice were discovered behind the seats, while years of mouse urine and feces had completely destroyed the carpeting. The little squatters were safely evicted, but the carpet was too far gone to save and had to be thrown away.
Its Owner Refused A Bigger Offer To Protect Rick’s Legacy
The saddest part of the Corvette’s story had nothing to do with its condition. Rick had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and initially planned to sell his beloved car to help pay for chemotherapy. When doctors told him that further treatment would not improve his condition, he decided against selling it because he could not bear to watch his baby leave.
Before his death, Rick wanted the Corvette to go to someone who would appreciate it without erasing everything he had done. That person was Ken, who offered far less than another potential buyer but promised to preserve the car as Rick had built it.
According to Ken, the competing bid was more than twice his offer. Money did not win this battle, though. Rick specifically wanted Ken to own the car because another buyer apparently planned to strip it down and rebuild it differently.
Rick had already given the ol’ ’Vette his personal touch. Instead of the heavier 454-cubic-inch big-block once fitted to it, he chose a balanced and blueprinted 327-cubic-inch small-block. The engine also carries Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads and an Edelbrock intake manifold, helping this sweet ride shed roughly 150 lbs compared with that big-block setup.
The Split-Window Corvette Finally Roared Back To Life
WD Detailing began by pressure-washing away two decades of filth, but the job quickly threw another nasty surprise at them. Mice had chewed through some of the wiring, forcing the team to call an electrician before spraying water around the engine bay. Once the wiring was repaired, they washed the exterior, treated the paint with iron remover, used a synthetic clay bar, and attacked years of scratches and oxidation with heavy compound. A lighter polish then helped the burgundy paint recover the deep shine hiding beneath all that barn crud.
Inside, the team removed the ruined carpet and thoroughly cleaned the red seats, dashboard, steering wheel, gauges, and every reachable crevice. They also changed the ancient black engine oil, added fresh fuel, checked the other fluids, and repaired a stubborn pop-up headlight.
The finished Corvette was presented to Rick’s close friend, Lorie, who had helped care for him during the final months of his life. Her reaction said more than any auction estimate could. She believed Rick would have immediately told everyone to move aside so he could climb in and drive.
There was still one final test. After initially struggling, the 327 finally fired and filled the shop with that glorious small-block rumble. The detail did not merely uncover a gorgeous 1963 Corvette. It gave Rick’s old machine another chance to hit the road while keeping his story alive every time that V8 wakes up.
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