If you’ve ever wondered what a 1963 Corvette might feel like had Chevrolet possessed today’s engineering toolbox, the team at Verrillo Motor Car has crafted the answer.

With Jeff Hayes Builds Commanding upwards of $500,000 It will be interesting to see where this one ends.

Their latest creation, a carbon flash metallic split window coupe now lighting up Bring a Trailer, has already climbed past $150,000 with four days still left on the clock. And judging by the reactions, this one is stirring up emotions across the spectrum.

“Stunning photos. This car pops!” one commenter wrote, and honestly, that’s the only way to describe the first impression.

Joe Verrillo, the man behind the build, greets viewers in the shop with the kind of pride that comes from decades of doing things the right way. “We built this car from scratch,” he says, standing beside a body that began life as a clean but tired ’63 coupe—one that had long since lost its original engine. Rather than chase numbers matching purity, Joe chased perfection.

And that’s where the purists start to twitch.

“Somewhere an NCRS judge just felt a massive disturbance in the force,” another commenter joked. “Tubbing a holy grail split window and shoving an LS3 in it is diabolical behavior.”

Maybe so. But diabolical has rarely looked this good.

The original fiberglass shell remains, but the quarter panels have been subtly widened nearly three inches to swallow 20 inch C7 Z06 wheels. The stance is muscular without being cartoonish, and the carbon flash metallic paint, borrowed from modern Corvettes, glitters with a depth that simply didn’t exist in 1963.

“Kind of looks better in the pictures at the end of the gallery when it was original,” one traditionalist grumbled. “Maybe it’s the wheels.”

But most viewers disagree. “Color combination and mods make this Vette iconic!” another wrote. “Saving my lunch money to make a go at her.”

Every piece of stainless trim has been polished to jewelry grade shine. The bumpers are triple chrome plated. The glass is new and lightly smoked. Even the headlight motors—Detroit Speed units—open and close in perfect unison, a small but satisfying detail.

Open the door and the red and black interior hits like a well executed restomod should: modern comfort, classic cues. Leather wrapped dash pads with French stitching. Custom door panels that mimic factory design but elevate the materials. Tuxedo pattern carpets. Dakota Digital gauges. A tilt column. RetroSound stereo with subwoofer. Power seats.

“Absolutely beautiful build,” one commenter said. “My only knock is the side exhaust—LS motors sound horrible through them.”

Press a button and the hood rises automatically, revealing the star of the show: a brand new GM Performance LS3 with a hot cam, good for 480 horsepower. Not a junkyard pull. Not a reman. Brand new.

Tom, the builder responsible for the mechanicals, walks through the details like a proud surgeon: custom-fabricated stainless-steel intake manifold, open element air filter, CVF front drive, Dewitts radiator with twin fans, Willwood Z06 spec brakes, stainless headers, Holley Terminator X electronic fuel injection, custom wiring harness built specifically for this car.

“There was no stone unturned on this build!” the seller later added in the comments. “Everything functions as it should.”

Flip the car onto a lift and the transformation becomes even more dramatic. A brand new Coffman chassis. C7 control arms. Rack and pinion steering. Adjustable shocks. Stainless lines. Lizard skin coated floors for heat and sound control. A modified C7 rear cradle with a Dana 44. Custom side pipes. Everything tucked, wrapped, and finished like a show car.

“A Stingray that should have been made from the get go,” someone wrote. “Better, yes. But WOW.”

The test drive footage seals the deal. A crisp morning in upstate New York. Blue skies. Dry roads. The LS3 burbles through the side pipes as the car glides along at 55 mph, then 70, then 90—stable, quiet, composed.

“This car is as close to driving a brand new Corvette as one could be,” Joe says from behind the wheel. And he’s right. Power windows. Vintage Air. Smooth shifts from the Gearstar Level III 4L60E. Digital analog gauges glowing. The car feels planted, eager, modern.

“Fun fun car to drive,” the narrator says.

“Iconic 63 split window. And the best of all—it drives like a newer Corvette.”

After nearly 47 years in the business, Joe Verrillo knows what makes a dream car. And he knows how to build one. This restomod is the culmination of that experience: a ’63 split window that honors its heritage while embracing everything Corvette engineering has become.

Whether you’re a purist clutching your NCRS manual or a restomod believer ready to bid, one thing is undeniable: this Corvette is special.

Will you be its next caretaker?

Source:
Bring a Trailer

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