Some Like it Hot

What's your pleasure? The 1962 voluptuously curvaceous, born-and-raised-in-the-'50s Vette? Or the don't-mess-with-me, missile like contours of the 1963 split-window coupe? They are so incredibly different, yet both so right on the money. Either one has seductive powers that most mere mortals are unable to resist. The deliver early-'60s Made-in-the-USA swagger at its best.

The first and the last series always seem to be favorites among car people. These two Corvettes stand out for that reason and a whole lot more. Each car resides near the top of the list of those who define sports cars as a purposeful combination of power and panache.

Which Corvette revs your engine comes down to a matter of personal preference. As different as they are, their popularity is comparable. And under the hood of each one is a sweet-running 327-cubic-inch engine. For these two great years, a Corvette 327 - with four power options - was going to move you. The nastiest punch came from the 360- horsepower Rochester fuel-injected versions. In 1962 you could order the "fuelie" option for $484. That little goodie is a $4,000 to $5,000 prize today, if you can fine one. It's also a fact there are a lot more fuelie Corvettes today than there were 35 years ago. Thanks to a supply of NOS units from the GM parts department shelves, some of the previously underprivileged and unlucky ones received a second chance to flash the big gun.

The 327 and the Borg/Warner T-10 four speed transmission are just about the only shared items in the '62 and '63 Vettes. And in mid-1963 production, the T-10 was replaced by the Muncie four-speed.

If you think the rear-end design looks the same, don't make any bets that it is. The similarities disguise the fact that nothing interchanges. What may further surprise you is that the '62 gains an advantage because of its trunk with outside access - an often overlooked feature that could carry some influence in a buying decision, depending on your driving habits. On the subject of driving deportment, it is a widely accepted fact that the '63 holds an advantage over the '62, due to its independent rear suspension. Along with being the last of the exposed-headlight Vettes, the '62 was the last of the solid-rear-axle cars - a suspension that dates to the late-1940s Chevrolet.

New-for-1963 suspension also brought ball joints in relief of the old-fashioned king pins, and engineering improvements, such as a lower center of gravity, better weight ratio, bigger brakes, and a tighter steering, provided the evidence that makes the '63 a better driver.

Few people have the pleasure of driving both cars, cut our featured black and gold Vettes are owned by Bob Hurst of San Diego. Driving is the reason Hurst owns two Corvettes. He's logged hundreds of thousands of miles in the cockpits of Corvettes, including several cross-country excursions. His first Vette was a 1961 fuelie. In 1963 he handed those keys to an Illinois Chevrolet dealer and drove off the lot in a '63 split-window coupe. "I drove it right off the showroom floor," Hurst recalled. "The first thing I noticed was that when I got on it going around the first corner out of the lot, it felt like I was on tracks. My old solid-axle Vette would always break the tires loose when I took a corner like that under power." In his mind, the '63 is a radically improved driving machine compared to the '62. "I used to drag race," Hurst said. "In 63' I could come off the line at 2200 rpm and just chirp the tires. With the '61 the tires would always break loose."

Chevrolet outfitted the '62 and '63 Corvette with the same rubber: 6.70x15s. The standard rim was 5 inches, an optional racing wheel was 5 1/2 inches. With the advantage of modern tire technology and 20/20 hindsight, it's easy to say there was too much power for the tires of that era to handle. Hurst's '62 bow wears 215-65 radials mounted on 7-inch-wide rims, and his '63 gets the same tire on a 6-inch rim. "Can't really go wider without altering the wheel well," Hurst said. "I'm not a purist, but I have respect for originality. I try to balance the original look with the things that increase my driving pleasure. It is basically the same approach I had in the '60s."

Richard Prince is a Corvette restorer, owner, and driver. His advice for people who plan to drive their '62 or '63 Corvettes is to mount radial tires and disc brakes. The disc-brake conversion does not require a change from stock wheels for owners who appreciate that original look and improved braking.

Prince also believes most drivers will appreciate power steering and power brakes (which can b e added to only the '63 and air conditioning. Aftermarket systems are available for both cars. Factory-installed air conditioning was first offered in a Corvette in 1963, but it was a rare option. The A/C in the '63 used many one-year-only parts, which makes it difficult to restore. However, a system from a 1964-67 Vette is functionally interchangeable.

Jerry and Scott Kohn, the father and son owners of Corvette Central, have one of the largest Corvette parts supply businesses in the world. Scott said suspension upgrade kits, such as independent front suspension and sway bars for the front and rear, are among the most popular items they sell for Corvettes of this vintage. He also said gas shocks and fiberglass springs (for the transverse-mounted rear spring of independent rear suspension cars) are a great upgrade for the owner who takes trips in his/her Corvette. More owners/drivers are replacing their pre-'63 suspension with the 1984-96 Corvette suspension system, yet maintaining an essentially stock look, according to Kohn.

Art Dorsett is also a veteran Corvette restorer and owner of Van Steel, a Corvette suspension parts business. He might surprise ;you by saying the independent rear suspension doesn't automatically provide a superior ride when compared to the solid-axle cars. In many instances, he said, installing the A-arm bushings incorrectly can result in an independent suspension that rides like a log wagon. If you're buying a restored car, his advice is to know how these cars are suppose to ride before you make a purchase. He estimated the cost of restoring the independent suspension on a '63 Corvette at $3,100. A properly restored (emphasis on properly) independent rear suspension is a much better ride than the solid axle. Dorsett said nine out of 10 of his customers choose to deviate from stock restorations because they plan to drive their cars, and because in many cases the cost of maintaining authenticity is considerably higher.

Both Kohn and Prince noted the '63 is a more difficult car to restore to the exacting standards of the National Corvette Restorers Society because it has numerous one-year-only parts that are difficult to locate and expensive due to their rarity.

Decisions on whether to restore a Corvette to original factory specs are usually based on how rare, how original, and whether the car will be driven. The perfectly restored, highly optioned, highest horsepower versions command the highest prices. Terry Michaelis, owner of Pro Team Corvette Sales, said the best '62 and '63 split-windows are selling in the $45,000 range, while nice drivers can be bought for $20,000 to $25,000.

The '63 convertible is not nearly as popular, he said. The restored cars are more popular in the current economic climate, and even top show cars are being purchased to use as drivers, according to Michaelis.

Whether it's a '62 roadster or '63 split-window coupe, a down-to-the-nuts perfect restoration or a modified driver, these cars defy you to walk away from them. Arguments based on overall appearance preferences and adherence to factory-stock specifications will continue to rage. Modifications make you a renegade in one camp, and will get you a handshake and a nod of approval from other enthusiasts.