Written by independent automotive journalist Chris Griggs

Two incredible creations from Jeff Hayes Customs, a 1967 Corvette convertible (Lot #1367) and a 1963 Corvette Split-Window (Lot #1363), are ready for the spotlight on the block at the 2020 Scottsdale Auction.

The concept of beauty is pretty simple at its core: It’s anything that brings a sense of pleasure or satisfaction to the beholder. While beauty can encompass sound, touch and even emotion, typically it is associated with that which can be seen with the eye. It can be found all around us, rooted in things like art, nature, people and experiences. In the automotive world, beauty is particularly evident. But when so many things in the world can be inherently beautiful, how do a select few stand out and be truly stunning and gorgeous?

That was the dilemma Jeff Hayes of Jeff Hayes Customs faced when building his two most recent creations, a 1963 Corvette Split-Window (Lot #1363) and a 1967 Corvette convertible (Lot #1367). Figuring out how to improve on the already beautiful Larry Shinoda-designed, second-generation Corvette was a big enough challenge, but there was more to it. With the rising popularity of Resto-Mods, especially in the Corvette world, how could he build a car that stood out in a growing sea of LS swaps, shiny paint and coilover suspensions without risking a garish or gaudy result? For Hayes, the answer was in execution and experience. Having built numerous award-winning custom Corvettes over the past 10 years, he knew what was required to take a car from being merely pleasing to look at to truly, ethereally beautiful.

The first candidate for transformation was a model Hayes knows well, the 1963 Corvette Split-Window (Lot #1363). Having been freshly completed in October 2019, the car hits the perfect Resto-Mod blend of classic and modern. On the outside, it wears a sleek coat of Tuxedo Black paint polished to a mirror-like finish. The iconic split-window design is accented with the addition of a set of factory-style side pipes and staggered-fit custom Schott wheels, wrapped in red line tires, giving a hint of classic. Other classic elements, such as the hood vents and split front and rear bumpers, have been retained. The interior is upholstered in red leather to provide a sharp yet classic contrast to the sleek exterior, with custom upholstered seats and panels fitted around the original-style dash. Providing some extra flair is a Lokar polished shifter and an Ididit steering column sporting a billet specialties wheel.

Overall the car is visually gorgeous, but true beauty is more than skin deep, which is why the car rides on a custom Art Morrison chassis equipped with Strange Engineering self-dampening shocks and polished Wilwood disc brakes. Under the hood sits a new LS3 engine backed by a 4L70E automatic transmission, providing the modern power for the classic body. Custom touches like an intake manifold fabricated from aircraft-grade aluminum and one-off machined valve covers help the engine bay visually keep pace with the rest of the car. Capping everything off are creature comforts that help make the car as pleasurable to drive as it is to look at, including power steering, power windows and air conditioning.

As if the challenge of creating one custom Corvette wasn’t enough, Hayes took on a second ‒ but with a slightly different flavor. Since the first car was a ’63 and the start of the C2 era, it was only fitting that he chose a ’67 (Lot #1367) as a nod to the end of the C2 era.

Although both are midyear Corvettes, the ’63 and ’67 are very different cars in spirit. The ’63 is celebrated and desired for its design and features, having a sort of gentlemanly sophistication about it. The ’67, on the other hand, is well-known for power and performance. It traded elements like the split window and hood vent for a Stinger hood, side pipes and big-block engine. Meant to compete in the muscle age, the car combined elements of beauty and brawn with a hint of danger all in one package, so it takes the right touch to elevate one to the next level. Hayes was clearly up to the challenge.

This time, instead of the standard hardtop, he opted for a convertible for a little different flavor. The exterior is unmistakably ’67 Corvette with the right factory touches, finished in period shade of red and accented with a black Stinger hood, accented by a set of side pipes. Yet the stance and presence of the car is entirely custom, thanks to the set of Schott wheels ‒ 18-inch in the front and wide 20-inch in the back ‒ wrapped in red line tires, of course, as a nod to the vintage look.

Though it looks most at home with the top down, a black Haartz cloth top was added for those rare occasions when the top needs to be up. As with the ’63, a custom Art Morrison chassis helps the car achieve its stance with a top-of-the-line suspension and Wilwood brakes. This’67 naturally needed some major muscle, so it packs a 540-horsepower LS3 backed up by a 4L70E transmission, capped off with similar touches to the ’63.

Brazilian saddle leather was used for the interior to create the custom bucket seats and door panels, upholster the dash pad, accent the Billet Specialties steering wheel and create the boot for the polished Lokar shifter. Rounding everything out are the same comforts as the ’63: power steering, power windows and air conditioning.

When cars are built esthetically to this level, there is a perception they’re only meant for show and destined to live the life of a trailer queen ‒ not something that realistically could ever be driven on the road. However, when it comes to this pair of ’Vettes, perception isn’t reality. Through his years of experience building custom Corvettes, Hayes understands it’s the extra details that make all the difference. The bodies are channeled to fit perfectly on the custom frames to give the car the just the right amount of rake in the stance. The wheel wells are widened and adjusted for the massive Schott wheels, allowing for plenty of clearance while maintaining a perfect fender gap.

Other touches ‒ like custom dash trim, Bluetooth stereos, custom-fabricated engine bay panels and interior LED lighting ‒ all add up to make a big difference. Attention to details like these and many more are what has allowed Hayes’ cars not only to win multiple awards over the years, but also provide an incredible driving experience.

It’s often said beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that notion limits the beholder to just what they can see with the naked eye. While there’s no debate these two Corvettes are visually stunning, their true beauty is so much deeper, providing an experience that can be seen and felt. Two lucky bidders will come to understand this firsthand when both cars sell with No Reserve at the 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction.

For up-to-date information on these and other vehicles headed to the 2020 Scottsdale Auction, click HERE.