Famous Driver's '65 Found In Garage
Matt Barczak was excited about buying a heavily optioned '65 Corvette convertible with a 350-horse 327 (L79) and four-speed. He had no idea there was a celebrity owner from this car's past. Barczak lives in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he is well known for restoring cars, with help from his father, Pete, and friend Frank Arone of Arone Restoration in Homer, Pennsylvania. George, a friend that works with Matt at the volunteer fire department, told him about a '65 Corvette in the area that might be for sale.
Barczak recalls looking at this '65 on the "day the Steelers lost in the playoffs to the Jaguars," January 14, 2018. The score was 45-42, a real heartbreaker. The same could be said about the how the Corvette was shaping up to be. Number one, a neighbor had first dibs. Number two, the owner, Joe, was iffy about selling.
Best described as "buried in dust," the '65 had been parked for the last 20 years in an attached two-car garage, where it was "stuffed in the corner between a furnace and a dog pen."
"I would see him at a local bar or something. I'd say, 'Joe, I'm still interested in the car.' He'd say, 'Yeah, OK. I'll let you know.'"
Finally, Matt got tired of waiting and in May 2018 asked Joe to make a decision, yes or no. A week later Joe agreed to sell the '65 and Barczak picked up the car on June 8.
"I didn't really pay attention to the name on the Protect-O-Plate. I just knew it [the plate] was there, which is always a bonus," Barczak said.
Source: Jerry Healsley, Super Chevy Contributor