[VIDEO] Iron Man’s 1965 Corvette Sting Ray EV Sells for $77K at Mecum Glendale

Many Corvette enthusiasts would never consider converting their vintage C2 into an EV.

But then there are others who don’t think it’s sacrilegious to snatch the original gasoline engine out of a vintage Sting Ray and replace it with what some consider a more environmentally friendly alternative.

As part of his TV show Downey’s Dream Cars, actor Robert Downey Jr. did exactly that when he yanked the stock 327/300 ICE engine and its automatic transmission out of a 1965 Corvette and installed two AC motors mounted in parallel to drive the rear wheels via a gear reduction unit.

Seven Tesla Model S battery modules, mounted in the engine bay and in the rear of the car, are said to provide about 99 to 100 miles of range, and the suspension, brakes and steering have also been updated.

In case you aren’t thrilled with the conversion, however, the caretaker of the show’s vehicles says that it can be easily changed back since the new drivetrain uses the factory engine mounts and the only cuts necessary were for some minor bracket work in the front.

Once the C2 had been completed, it became a prize in a sweepstakes to raise money for Downey’s foundation, the Footprint Coalition.

The winner recently offered their prize for sale at Mecum Glendale, where it apparently became the first EV-swapped C2 to be auctioned publicly. The eventual sale price of $77,000 doesn’t sound like much compared to most restomods these days, but that figure was still $4,400 more than the Hagerty Price Guide values a stock 327/300 Powerglide car in #2 (excellent) condition, the way it was before the conversion.

The sound of a gasoline-powered Corvette is still one of the most appealing things about the car, in this writer’s opinion. Apparently, there are those who don’t necessarily think it’s a crime to eliminate that sound and replace it with the silence of an EV. Would you ever consider an electrified C2 – knowing that the C8 now offers a hybrid version straight from the factory?

Source:
hagerty.com

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