[VIDEO] Dennis Collins Rescues a 1963 Corvette Split Window Vintage Drag Racer

Apr 4, 2026

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[VIDEO] Dennis Collins Rescues a 1963 Corvette Split Window Vintage Drag Racer

Dennis Collins and his crew touched down in Milwaukee for the second time in a month — a rarity in their line of work. “It was two weeks,” Dennis said, shaking his head. “It’s rare that we’re in the same city almost ever.” But this wasn’t an ordinary trip. Last time, they’d scooped up a 1979 Trans Am with only 138 miles. This time, the mission was even bigger: a 1963 split window Corvette drag car, the kind of once in a lifetime find that keeps collectors awake at night.

“It’s my goal to to buy at least two a year,” Dennis said in his latest YouTube video. “I’d like to buy four split windows a year, but it never happens.”

The seller greeted them with a simple warning: “I got to go back to work yet.” Dennis promised to move fast.

The Corvette sat tucked away, a black on black 900A Tuxedo Black car that had been transformed decades ago into a vintage drag machine. “It was my brother in law’s,” the seller explained. “He built it to go to the drag strip… probably made a couple runs with it.” After that, it sat. And sat. And sat — for 45 years.

Dennis crawled around the car with a flashlight he had to borrow. “The VIN tag is correct, and the trim tag’s correct,” he said. “Full blown vintage drag racing.”

The modifications were unmistakable: straight axle rear, Muncie four speed, 1965 hood, side pipes big enough to swallow a fist. “Two of the coolest vintage wheels of the day,” Dennis said, pointing out the Magnum 500s and US slots.

When Dennis asked if there were any extra parts — maybe a front bumper — the seller shook his head, noting that what you see here is “pretty much” what you get.

“Well, got a deal,” Dennis said, extending his hand. “I’m in.”

The seller’s wife, Jill, watched with mixed emotions. “My family’s a little brokenhearted,” she admitted. “My brother would be so proud. He really took a lot of pride in putting in top quality.”

Dennis nodded. “To me it’s incredibly cool. It’s a vintage drag race car. Nobody would do this today, but I like the vintage stuff like this. I think it’s amazing.”

Getting the Corvette onto the trailer was its own small adventure. The car was heavy, the incline steep, and the wheels stiff from decades of sitting. “She’s heavy,” Dennis grunted. “But she’ll start rolling.”

Once loaded, the crew asked the locals where to eat. “Packing House,” Jill and Jeff said. “Steakhouse. Whatever you want.”

They made it there just in time for a feast: egg rolls, mozzarella sticks, shrimp cocktail, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, onion shreds, crab stuffed mushrooms. Dennis was in heaven. “This is a great day to be alive,” he said between bites. “Better than amazing.”

Back home, Dennis shared updates on recent rescues: a ’67 GT fastback parked since 1976, now gleaming with original paint; a ’65 K code revived with fresh gaskets, rebuilt carb, and correct hoses; a Raven Black ’65 Mustang convertible stored since 1979, now running and ready for its next caretaker. “These cars have turned out to be really good cars,” Dennis said.

By the end of the day, the Milwaukee mission was complete. A rare, heavily modified 1963 split window Corvette — a drag racing time capsule untouched for nearly half a century — was on its way to a new home.