If you were to count the number of people alive today who could honestly say they’ve driven an honest-to-God 1963 Grand Sport Corvette, you’d likely have a few fingers left over on your one hand. For the rest of us, we still have a hope of feeling the rush of speed behind the wheel of one of the most ambitious, and legendary racing programs ever dreamed up by famed engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov.
Although wielding the tiller of one of the five true Corvette Grand Sport lightweights may be out of the realm of possibility, thanks to Bring A Trailer (BAT) even you have the opportunity to relive a few miles in an accurate reproduction. There is currently an auction for this reproduction 1963 Grand Sport that has been created to imitate the Corvette “Grand Sport #003” of the five that were produced.
While this car wears the number “2” on its livery, it replicates the third Grand Sport built by Chevrolet. There were three coupes and two roadsters completed before the program was shut down by GM brass.
Originally intended as a production run of 125 specially built lightweight cars, the Grand Sports were loosely based on the 1963 Split-Window Sting Ray design. A wafer-thin body shell was draped over a custom tube frame with an all-aluminum 377 cubic-inch engine churning out approximately 550 horsepower. With the intent of cutting out over 1,000 pounds from the production Sting Ray, any one of the Grand Sports was surely a wild ride.
Delmo Johnson, one of only a handful of individuals blessed with driving a Grand Sport in competition, is quoted in David Friedman’s Corvette Thunder: 50 Years of Corvette Racing 1953-2003, saying, “As far as I’m concerned if any driver ever says that he had complete control of that car, he’s a liar.”
A Fitting 1963 Grand Sport Tribute
The winner of this 1963 Grand Sport tribute will be able to relive the echoes of the Grand Sport’s wins during December 1963’s Speed Week in the Nassau, Bahamas races, when these special-built lightweights put a severe hurt on Carrol Shelby’s Cobras. The car has been faithfully reproduced into the #2 livery of Texan John Mecom’s team and features many of the trademark cues that make a Grand Sport so special.
There are plenty of cues to keep the original Grand Sport theme, including that bulging hood vent to allow underhood air to escape at speed, and the engineer-supplied differential cooler just below the rear window. The wire ties on the replica Halibrands are a nice touch as well.
Since this is a tribute car and not a reproduction, some allowable upgrades serve to make the car better than what one could have in 1963. While this car features a lightweight, aluminum 377 cubic-inch small-block Chevy V8 just like the original Grand Sports, this car features many upgraded internal engine components to give all that power some longevity, something the original Grand Sport engines didn’t enjoy.
This car uses a C4 suspension featuring coilover shocks at every corner instead of the leaf-sprung suspension found on the original lightweights. There is a 377 cubic-inch engine featuring an aluminum block and four Weber carbs on a cross-ram intake to add to the cool factor!
There is also a Muncie four-speed transmission, so you will feel the thrill as you row through the gears. Just aft of that resides a Dana 44 rear differential, which is again, much more durable than the ones originally fitted under the factory Grand Sports. Back in 1963, as the original racers were duking it out in the Bahamas, they began to suffer multiple differential failures due to overheating. Ironically, a vacationing Chevy engineer visiting the island just happened to have some differential coolers in his luggage!
A Grand Sport Replica With A History
While this 1963 Grand Sport Replica may not have Zora’s actual fingerprints on it anywhere, it does have a bit of history connected to it. The car has spent a few moments with famed car guy, comedian, and Home Improvement star Tim Allen. The car was reportedly built in the late ’90s for the actor. The current seller of the car offers up an autographed photo where Allen warns its new owner not to do any doughnuts.
While it may not carry the seven- or eight-digit price tag that an original 1963 Grand Sport Corvette may bring — if one ever goes up for auction — this one does have some provenance to go with all the fun that could be had behind the wheel. When the bidding stops, whoever wins this wonderful blue recreation will definitely have many miles of enjoyment ahead of them. And maybe, the new owner might be able to ask Tim “Mr. Tooltime” Allen if he knows the pitfalls of doing doughnuts in the car through first-hand experience.
