1962 Chevrolet Corvette for Sale

Body style and how many were built

Chevrolet built 14,531 Corvettes for 1962 against 10,939 the year before. All were convertibles from the St. Louis plant, and 8,074 were ordered with the removable hardtop (RPO 419). The rear end is the one introduced for 1961. A heater became standard equipment.

• How to spot a 1962: body-color coves with no chrome outline, a black grille and ribbed aluminum rocker moldings.
• Rare options: the 24-gallon fuel tank (RPO 488) went into 65 cars and heavy-duty brakes and steering (RPO 687) into 246.
• Lasts: the final Corvette with a trunk until 1998 and with exposed headlamps until 2005.

Engines and transmissions

Every 1962 has a 327. The dual four-barrel engines of earlier years were dropped. Ratings are gross.

• 250 hp, base: the remaining 4,900 or so cars.
• 300 hp (RPO 583), larger four-barrel carburetor: 3,294 built.
• 340 hp (RPO 396), solid lifters: 4,412 built.
• 360 hp (RPO 582), Rochester fuel injection: 1,918 built.

The four-speed (RPO 685) was fitted to 11,318 cars. That leaves about 1,680 with the standard three-speed, and 1,532 had Powerglide (RPO 313), which was sold only with the 250 and 300 hp engines.

Checking the numbers on a 1962

The serial number runs from 20867S100001 to 20867S114531. The prefix identifies a 1962 Corvette convertible built at St. Louis and gives no engine information. Look for the tag on the steering column under the hood, where Chevrolet moved it during 1960.

By 1962 the factory stamped the car's serial number on the engine, so the pad on the front passenger side of the block should repeat the car's number. The same pad carries the assembly date and a suffix: RC or SC for the 250 hp engine, RD or SD for the 300, RE for the 340 and RF for the 360 hp fuel-injected engine. A Powerglide behind a 340 or 360 hp engine is not a factory combination. On a claimed fuel-injected car the injection unit matters as much as the block, and fuelie values depend on proof.

What to inspect before you buy

• Frame: the body does not rust but the frame does. Inspect it on a lift, rails and kick-ups first, because repair there means removing the body.
• Fiberglass: stress cracks gather around the windshield posts, panel cut-outs and wheel-opening lips. A panel that looks smoother on the inside than its neighbors can point to crash repair.
• Panel fit: uneven doors, hood, trunk lid or bumpers suggest repair.
• Paint: early bodies have bonding seams that need careful preparation, so judge the finish along the seams and budget for a correct repaint if it is poor.
• Hardtop: check the seal at the windshield and deck and look for crazing in the rear window.
• Transmission: a 1962 Powerglide has an aluminum case. An iron case points to a swap.

Related listings

• 1961 Corvette for sale, or every C1 Corvette, 1953 to 1962.
• What replaced it: 1963 Corvette Sting Ray for sale and all C2 Corvettes.
• Earlier four-headlamp cars: 1958 Corvette for sale.
• Choosing among the years: best year C1 Corvette to buy.
• Guides: Corvette buyer's guide and Corvette factory colors.
• From the magazine: the 1962 Corvette, last C1 refinement and the C1 Corvette story.