At a time when the nation was caught up in the Space Race, along came this customized 1963 Corvette Sting Ray split-window coupe that came to be known as “Outer Limits.”
More than a half-century later, this unique car is still stirring emotions from on-lookers, some favorable, some not so favorable.
Now it’s up for sale on eBay at the “Buy It Now” price of $75,000 – which really isn’t that bad for a split-window coupe, albeit one with polarizing features.
The story goes that the car was demolished in a run-in with a concrete bridge abutment just 100 miles into its life. Rather than let it be totaled, Farhner Custom Shop in Kansas City, Missouri, began the asymmetrical customization, which is a fancy way of saying that parts on the car don’t match on each side. For example, it features offset twin grilles, one large horizontal rear taillight on its whopsided rear end, and a license plate housing recessed into the left side. Check out the photos, and you’ll get a clearer understanding of what Ray Farhner was trying to accomplish with his design that legendary customer Chuck Barris termed “the next big thing” back in 1962.
The car has undergone several engine and paint color changes over the years but now features a white paint job the way it was while on display at the Peterson Museum. Under the hood is a “strong built’ V8 with a Muncie 4-speed transmission and a 336 positraction rear end.
The seller believes it would cost $200,000 to replicate the car today, based on the amount of time and money spent to chrome and produce other one-off parts. He says he’s probably forgetting “a lot more” chrome parts, but includes a list featuring these parts all done in chrome – brake drums, half shafts, driveshaft, tie rods, upper and lower control arms, steering column, steering box, brake master, shocks, coil springs, water pump, and gas tank with drain in the bottom.
Under the hood is “lots” of custom engraving, and all the wiring is run through polished piping so no wires are exposed. All brake lines are also hidden, and Ferrari-style horns are said to still blow loud.
The interior is just as wild, with custom leather throughout. A switch in the center of the dash raises and lowers the hood horizontally, with a custom screw gear mechanism used to open the hood for show car displays. All of the digital gauges are working, including a clock on the glove compartment door.
As for the body, the wheel wells are radiused and the fender tops heightened and finned outward. Electrical solenoids with hidden poppers in the rear wheel wells instead of handles are used to open the doors, and buttons inside the car are used to exit as a forerunner of the C6.
Included with the sale are two sets of wheels, including the one-off Outer Limits wheels and another set of wire knock-offs “with everything needed to install them.”
While the seller says he’s been urged to drive the car, he believes it should return to display in a museum or private collection as a centerpiece.
By the way, the car was featured prominently in Rod and Custom magazine in the ‘60s and was even voted Best Corvette in the Country in 1965.
What would you do with this one-of-a-kind car that really does look like it belongs in a sci-fi TV show?
Source:
eBay Motors via BarnFinds.com
Related:
ProTeam Corvette Offering a 1963 Custom SWC Known as ‘The Outer Limits’
Custom 1963 Corvette Show Car to Cross the Block at Mecum’s Anaheim Auction
The George Barris “Asteroid” Corvette to Cross Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Auction Block
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Put it back to stock….
Drive it like it stolid it !!!
Asymmetrical styling was a thing for about a minute back in the day. Have to wonder how close to roadworthy this thing is. I’d drive it.
This is a butt ugly abomination
Far out, Man!
George Barris is the legendary customizer, Chuck Barris I believe was the host of the Gong Show.
Unfortunately a lot of “updates” were made to this car since it’s original build, so the traditional custom car crowd and the Corvette restorer crowd will both view it as a total restoration/rebuild project, only with different outcomes for each group. I would love to see it in the form it was in right after it was first customized, but I’m not sure if anyone really likes it the way it is now.
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