Listed for sale on Bring a Trailer, this 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe is a competition-prepared example with a documented history in SCCA and Trans Am racing. Originally delivered to Rosenthal Chevrolet in Arlington, Virginia, the Corvette was later transformed into a big-block race car and campaigned by successive owners in Trans Am competition through 1983. Following more than a decade in storage in North Carolina, it was refurbished during the 1990s to meet SVRA specifications and has since returned to vintage racing, appearing at venues including Summit Point, Watkins Glen, and Amelia Island.
The car is finished in blue with a yellow over-the-top stripe and #08 roundels, while its race-focused exterior features acrylic windows, a front air dam, exposed hood fasteners, side-exit exhausts, and a centrally positioned Le Mans-style fuel filler. American Racing Torq Thrust 15-inch wheels are fitted with Goodyear Blue Streak tires. Structural upgrades include a gusseted frame, C3 front spindles, custom crossmembers, a Vette Brakes & Products front spreader bar, lowered front coil springs, and reinforced differential mounting points. Four-wheel disc brakes incorporate cooling ducts for improved track performance.
Inside, the Corvette is configured strictly for competition, with a roll cage incorporating door bars, an Ultra Shield racing seat, RaceQuip harness, removable safety net, and fire-suppression system. Aluminum door panels, auxiliary gauges, a shift light, four-panel rearview mirror, and a Petersen remote oil sump reinforce its purpose-built character. AutoMeter instruments provide engine and electrical monitoring, supplemented by Stewart-Warner gauges for oil pressure, oil temperature, and coolant temperature.
Power comes from a custom-built short-stroke V8 assembled by Thomas Racing Engine of Georgia. Based on a four-bolt-main 350 block bored 0.040 inch over, the engine uses a Callies 3.25-inch-stroke crankshaft, Wiseco pistons, Speed-Pro rings, a Crane TR260 roller camshaft, and Dart Iron Eagle 215cc cylinder heads. An Edelbrock Performer RPM intake supports a Holley four-barrel carburetor, while Stahl headers and an MSD 6AL ignition system complete the setup.
Running on 110-octane fuel, the engine produced a claimed 500 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque. Power is transmitted through an M22 “Rock Crusher” four-speed manual gearbox to a limited-slip differential equipped with an external cooler, preserving the Corvette’s authentic period-racing character while providing the hardware necessary for continued vintage competition.
Source: Bring a Trailer
