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Posts Tagged ‘Corvette’

In the third go around of the C2 generation of the Vette, Chevy unleashed the 1965 Corvette Sting Ray with marked improvements all around. The super car only had modest changes to the outside and even less noticeable improvements to the interior, but it was what was growling under the hood and what halted that growl that could not be mistaken for different.

The 1965 Corvette had many upgrades to the body. General Motors did its homework on this latest Sting Ray. Some of the more notable improvements were.

Styling, The nose of the 1965 Corvette was smoothed out and lost the indentations on the hood from the previous year. This gave the car a sleeker look and feel.

Exhaust Vents, To replace the non-working horizontal speed lines that resided on the front fenders of the 1964 Corvette, the 1965 Sting Ray had three working exhaust vents installed.

Trim, The rocker panels, wheel coverings, and some of the interior were all redesigned for the 1965 Corvette.

Two new options for the Corvette owner was the 1965 Corvette had four wheel disc brakes and a new V-8 big block engine.

In 1965, the four wheel disc brakes were standard in this year and beyond. This year’s Corvette featured brakes that had a four piston design and the calipers were two pieces with cooling fins. Since the brake pads were in constant contact with the rotors it was thought that the drag would result in poor fuel economy and a faster wearing of the pads but the actual result was quite the opposite. No resulting loss of fuel economy was found because the pads were lightly in constant contact with the rotors, where the rotors stayed smooth and clean. Although hard to imagine, the 1965 Corvette had an unbelievable brake pad life expectancy of 57,000 miles.

The brakes were big news for that year but the main news came out mid-year with the birth of the new optional V-8 engine that was known as the Mark IV but was called and marketed as the Turbo Jet. This new engine came in the way of two 369-cid models and one monster 427-cid that would be developed and made available one year later.

The top 396 big block saw a blinding 425 horsepower and 415 pounds of foot torque was featured in the 1965 Corvette Sting Rays. The monster engine breathed in fuel via a four barrel carburetor and went from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 5.7 seconds. General Motors offered the speed junkies a Mark IV package that not only included a new engine but also offered upgrades such as stiffer springs, a rear sway bar, a hood bulge and an option to have side pipes installed.

For additional information or questions in regards to a 1965 Corvette please visit the Smokinvette Team at www.smokinvette.com

The 1967 Corvette was the last of a five year run for the C2 generation. Originally, the 1967 was supposed to be a total redesign but top engineers at GM wanted more wind tunnel time and thus the 1967 Corvette became another carry over Sting Ray. While the now famed C3 generation would have to wait one more year before it began, the 1967 Corvette did not disappoint and would prove to be the best of the Sting Ray family and would eventually have many claiming it to be the best Vette ever made.

The 1967 Corvette was the most finely tuned Sting Ray to be produced and although the changes were not all that spectacular they did make for a much cleaner looking Corvette. Some of the more notable changes to the 1967 Corvette were…

Front Fender Vents: Five front fender vents replaced the three that were on the 1966 Corvette.

Back-up Light, The 1967 Corvette had a newly designed single back-up light which was mounted just above the license plate holder.

Wheel Covers, The 1967 Corvette did away with the older looking wheel coverings and made way for the Rally wheels which featured chrome beauty rings with small chrome center caps to hide the lug nuts.

Handbrake, The handbrake was moved from beneath the dash to between the seats for the 1967 Corvette.

The 1967 Corvette engine did not change that much but it did end up producing more power. The two small block V-8s as too the big block returned in 1967. This year the big block was hidden under a redesigned hood scoop. There was a switch to triple two barrel carbs so the two largest engines were able to put out 400 and 435 bhp.

Speed freaks could also get their fix with the optional L88 engine which featured many lightened parts and other special upgrades that gave the engine an incredible 560-bhp at the end of the day. The biggest problem with this super engine was the fact that it took only 103-octane racing fuel and consequently did not make for a good option to be driven on a daily basis. Still in 1967 20 buyers opted for the package that would add an enormous $1,500 to the base price of just over $4,200.

As the years would pass and enthusiasts and critics began to look back, more and more people would begin to label the 1967 Corvette as the best Corvette ever made. Though in the year 1967, this would not be the case as everyone was waiting for the now overdue C3 generation to be released. The result was the 1967 Corvette underselling the 1966 Corvette by 5,000 units. The newest Corvette was just a matter of time and when it was released many would be shocked to see that the Sting Ray name was taken away. Though added back in 1969 as ‘Stingray’ there would never again be another Sting Ray, especially not like the one that GM put out in 1967.

For more info and questions about a 1967 Corvette please see the Smokinvette Group at www.smokinvette.com

The first year C2, the 1963 Corvette, is why the 1964 Corvette was so successful. The first series is always highly scrutinized and the critics are hard on it. It was difficult for this particular year, but it is welcomed news for the next model year as all the feedback can be taken in and rolled out with a new model that is better for the wants and needs of the consumers. Such was the case with the 1964 Corvette.

The 1963 Corvette proved to be very popular and made the Sting Ray a household name, though it did have its flaws. The designers and engineers at GM took the feedback and coupled it with the momentum that the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray had created and came out with a new and improved version for 1964 and thus the Sting Ray continued to roll.

The 1964 Corvette Sting Ray had sweeping changes, even though, it was not a redesign. Some of the changes for the year included.

Back Window, Gone was the cross bar that made the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray a legend. Because of safety issues, the 1964 Corvette did away with the split rear window and left the 1963 as the sole holder of such distinction.

Hood, Gone too were the faux hood cowls from the previous year. Again, GM cited safety as the reason. The indentations however did remain.

Suspension, One of the chief complaints from owners of the 1963 Corvette was that the ride got progressively worse as the miles began to accumulate on the odometer. To combat this, GM switched the front coil springs to progressive rate or variable rate from the constant rate used in 1963. The rear leaf springs were also upgraded. The shocks were modified to include a small bag of Freon within the shock’s fluid which helped fight the heating problems that plagued the previous year.

Body Styling, The 1964 Corvette Sting Ray lost some of its ribs on the rocker panels and the ribs that remained got a coat of black paint in between them. Wheel coverings were made more simplified and the emblem on the deck-lid was revamped to include circles around its crossed flags.

Engine, The 1964 Corvette proved to be a bit more beefy than the 1963 and had peak horse power of 375. This was due to an upgrade that saw the V-8 engine breathe through a Holley four barrel carburetor as opposed to the stock Carter.

Sales of the 1964 Corvette created yet another milestone for the Vette and broke the previous year’s record by selling 22,229 units proving that the changes that were made were the right calls. While the sales of the coupe slid for that year, the convertible sales were in fact through the roof.

The figures were out and so was the jury with its verdict; a smashing success. While the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray started it all, the 1964 Corvette Sting Ray put the Vette on the map for good.

For more info and questions in regards to a 1964 Corvette please visit the Smokingvette Group at www.smokinvette.com