As the 2nd in command for the nation, Vice President Biden has not been allowed to drive his 1967 Corvette since he took the oath of office. The Secret Service has strict safety rules that do not involve fiberglass roadsters or carburetors, so it took none other than Jay Leno to get the VP back behind the wheel. Mr. Biden is the original owner of the Stingray, as it was a wedding gift from his father. It has been in storage for the past few years, so his sons surprised him by rebuilding the 327 V8 engine with a few modern updates.
(Related – 2018 Corvette ZR1 Prototype Caught in traffic)
As the base model engine, the 327 (or 5.3 liter) V8 was the only small block offered that year. Four versions of the 427 (7.0-liter) were offered at extra cost, which has led to many base model cars being transformed into clones of the high-performance models. The running joke in the Corvette world is that more 427-powered cars are currently for sale than ever left the factory. Aside from almost 500 lbs in weight advantage, the small block Stingray is simply more comfortable. Your shoes aren’t melting from a 300-degree floor pan, and the sports car actually rotates through corners while transferring weight on acceleration.
He has only had three opportunities to drive his own car in the last seven years, so they had to make due with the Secret Service training compound somewhere near DC. While the small block might not have the stump pulling torque of its larger brethren, dumping the clutch produces the same results. They won’t ever be as fast or collectible as big blocks, but they aren’t missing out on the fun. The VP has obviously done this a few times, because his control of the drift is excellent. Tell us what your ideal early Corvette would be, and be sure to check out the listings from our dealers below.
