Pick of the Day: Low-mileage 1965 Chevrolet Corvette roadster

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure began and eventually returned to the town of San Dimas, California, and that’s where the Pick of the Day is located. It’s a low-mileage 1965 Chevrolet Corvette L76 F40 roadster that could be the ticket to your own excellent adventure.

The private seller reports the car to be a genuine L76 survivor with F40 suspension and 4-speed manual transmission that has been driven less than 30,000 miles since new. 

“The Corvette was made on July 24, 1965. Delivered to the original owner August 28, 1965.  I am the second owner,” the seller says in the car’s advertisement on ClassicCars.com.

“I purchased this gem May 22,1999 from the original owner (see picture of Mrs. Petak in gallery). I have owned this car 23 years.

“The Petak family purchased the Corvette at their local dealership Guaranty Chevrolet in Santa Ana California. The dealership is still open to this day. The Petaks lived in the local vicinity of Orange County now called City of Fullerton, CA. 

“Mr. Petak’s pampered his car and kept the mileage low until retiring the car in 1969 as a second automobile for the occasional Sunday cruise only. Mr. Petak was an aerospace engineer and his Sting Ray was his pride and joy. He was extremely meticulous about keeping records, saving all the original Corvette’s history of ownership, brochures, registration cards and his last journaled mileage entry of 26,949 on 11/18/88. 

“On 04/29/99 the car had 27,340 miles. The odometer currently reads 29,505.  I have only driven the C2 apprx. 2,165 miles in 23 years. The Sting Ray runs and drives great! It rips through the close-ratio gears with ease and roars up towards 6,000+ rpm as the L76 hits third gear at over 90 mph. So much fun and a thrill to drive!”

The car wears QQ Silver Pearl paint, and the seller notes, “Mrs. Petak informed me around 1985 her small grandchild child once released the handbrake and reports the car ran into garage tool box at the lower valance grille area.”

The engine is the numbers-matching 327cid V8 rated at 365 horsepower and number-matching Muncia M21 4-speed gearbox.

The F40 sport suspension package includes thicker sway bar, upgraded coil springs and shocks. The car has a 3.70 rear and Positraction, as well as N11 off-road exhaust. It has 4-wheel disc brakes, power windows, power antenna, and an auxiliary hardtop.

An aftermarket teak-wood steering wheel has been installed.

Among the paperwork offered with the car is its original California “Pink Slip,” supplied to the owner when the original loan was paid off in 1969.

“Believe it or not,” the seller adds, “Mr. Petak saved every single California DMW automobile registration card since 1965 (see gallery for photos) of course I have been continuing the tradition and saved all my registration slips since 1999.”

The seller also notes the names and expertise of the two mechanics who have serviced the car in the past 23 years, and adds, “With minimal efforts on some minor details this car can be a NCRS’ ‘Survivor’ award winner.”  

The car is being offered for $84,800. To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.