Some Corvettes earn their legend on the track. Others do it on the open road. And then there are the rare few whose stories are shaped not only by horsepower, but by the people who held the keys.
This 1966 Chevrolet Corvette convertible has lived all three lives — a factory big block car, a heavily reimagined performance machine, and for more than a decade, the personal ride of iconic musician and composer Burt Bacharach.
Now being offered on Bring a Trailer, where the bid has hit $60,000 with four days remaining in the auction, the car is drawing attention not just for its celebrity pedigree, but for the extensive transformation it has undergone over the past 60 years.
Bacharach purchased the Corvette in 2000, then a black over black example powered by a 350ci V8. Registered in the name of his wife, Jane, the car didn’t stay black for long. Under their ownership, it was refinished in blue, a color it still wears today — though with a fresh repaint completed in 2014.
The current owner acquired the car in 2013 and took it in an entirely new direction. What began as a mild mannered small block convertible was reborn as a modernized, big block bruiser.
In 2014, the Corvette received a 427ci V8, paired with a Tremec six speed manual transmission — a combination that gives this C2 the kind of performance Bacharach himself might have appreciated.
The engine build includes:
• Holley 770 cfm four barrel carburetor with electric choke
• Aluminum cylinder heads
• Hooker long tube headers
• Magnaflow mufflers
• Milodon oil pan
• Aluminum radiator
• Summit HEI distributor
• Electric fuel pump
• Replacement fuel tank
• Optima Red Top battery
The rear end was rebuilt, and an SFI spec 6.1 bellhousing and new clutch were installed during the conversion. The water pump was replaced in preparation for the sale.
The Corvette’s fiberglass body left the factory in Ermine White (972), but it now wears a deep blue finish applied during its 2014 restoration.
Inside, the cabin was reupholstered in black leather in 2014. The dash and clock were refurbished, and the door cards and carpeting were replaced. The five digit odometer shows 57,000 miles, though total mileage is unknown.
A Hurst short throw shifter, AM/FM radio, analog clock, and lap belts round out the interior equipment.
The car rides on 15-inch Rally wheels wrapped in fresh 215/70 Cooper Cobra Radial G/T tires. Power assisted rack and pinion steering was added in 2013, and braking is handled by power assisted four wheel discs. A dual master cylinder was installed ahead of the sale.
Bill Noon of Symbolic International, the listing dealer, has been engaging bidders with both technical insight and a touch of humor. He notes that the car was originally built as a 427 big block, citing the factory bonnet sliding retainer placement as evidence.
He also couldn’t resist a nod to Bacharach’s musical legacy, joking that while this Corvette may not be as famous as the fictional John Voight LeBaron from Seinfeld, it “will surely bring a smile to more than a few.“
One commenter, weaving together dozens of Bacharach song titles, wrote an epic tribute to the car, calling it “an opportunity like this only occurs Once in a Blue Moon” and declaring, “This Corvette has Love Power.“
Another summed it up more succinctly: “What the World Needs Now, are cars like this.“
With its combination of celebrity ownership, big block performance, modern upgrades, and a lifetime of stories, this 1966 Corvette stands apart even in the crowded world of C2 customs.
Source
Bring a Trailer
Related:
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