The American Sports Car

[happy39]

Just got back to my computer after being out of the country. This has been a great read and thanks for the articles Monster

[Monster]

A number of drivetrain items were carried over from the '62 first-generation Corvette; four 327 cu. in. engine variants, three transmissions, the Posi-traction limited-slip differential and six axle ratios choices. The engines offered were three carbureted versions 250, 300, and 340 horsepower and a 360 horsepower fuel-injected powerhouse. The standard three-speed Borg-Warner transmission and optional Powerglide automatic transmission were not installed into many second-generation Corvettes, as the preferred gearbox continued to be the Borg-Warner manual four-speed transmission. The standard axle ratio for the three-speed manual transmission or the Powerglide automatic was 3.36:1. Comparatively, the four-speed manual came standard with a 3.70:1 final drive ratio, although 3.08:1, 3.55:1, 4.11:1 and 4.56:1 gear sets were also available.

The 1963 Corvette was the final result of more than a half-decade’s worth of research both on and off the racetrack. Conceived by Bill Mitchell’s ingenious Stingray race car design, it defined the C2 for all time as the “Corvette Sting Ray.” Mitchell had sponsored a car known as the "Mitchell Sting Ray" in 1959 because Chevrolet no longer participated in factory racing. This vehicle had the largest impact on the styling of this generation, although it had no top and did not give away what the final version of the C2 would look like.

The new design featured hidden headlamps, non-functional hood vents and functioning side vents, but there was one item on the new Sting Ray which received a great deal of criticism by the automotive press, the rear split-window design. Although the split-window Sting Ray would become one of the most sought after Corvettes of all time, the initial reviews criticized the rear window as being a failure from a design standpoint as well as hampering the driver’s rear view during vehicle operation. Bill Mitchell, who envisioned the original split-window design and had become a proponent for it even in the face of earlier criticisms from Zora Arkus-Duntov, relented and eliminated the split-window design for the 1964 model year.

In 1957, the Automotive Manufacturers Association (AMA) introduced a racing ban that prohibited automotive manufacturers from participating in sanctioned racing events. Zora Arkus-Duntov’s engineering wizardry and savvy use of the companies Retail Production Order (RPO) procedures, allowed him to sidestep the AMA ban on racing and internal corporate policies and restrictions. He produced a sports car that would become incredibly popular and successful, both on the track and on the street.

While General Motors had been an active participant in the ban since its inception, Zora Arkus-Duntov had been against the ban, and had become determined to provide consumers with the ability to build a race-ready Corvette, even after General Motors officially banned their production. To get around the ban, Duntov had made it possible to turn any Corvette into a racer by informing consumers which options to order when buying their cars. When he and Bill Mitchell completed the design and development, he had become more determined than ever to ensure that anyone who wanted to race his sophisticated new Sting Ray should have the ability to do so. It was with this in mind that he developed RPO Z06 Special Performance Enhancement - a new competition-oriented package. In order to purchase the Z06 option, consumers first had to specify that they were purchasing a fuel-injected coupe equipped with a four-speed manual transmission and a Posi-traction limited-slip differential. After selecting these options, consumers could add the Z06 option, which included; top-line Al-Fin power brakes with sintered metallic brake linings, a heavy-duty front stabilizer bar, stronger shocks, much stiffer springs, a dual master cylinder, and a long distance 36.5 gallon fuel tank.

The Sting Ray had a newly designed chassis that featured a shorter wheelbase and a faster “Ball-Race” semi-reversible, recirculating ball steering system by Saginaw. Also new, was the full independent rear suspension with universally-jointed axle drive shaft and adjacent strut, which combined, attributed to providing the car with improved maneuverability and handling. It emerged with nearly twice as much steel support in its central structure as the first generation 1958-62 Corvettes, but the resulting extra weight was balanced by a reduction in fiberglass thickness, so the finished product actually weighed a bit less than the old roadster, so acceleration improved despite unchanged horsepower.

Creature comforts included; leather seats, power brakes, power steering, power windows, air conditioning and an auxiliary hardtop. The car was an instant marketing success. Luggage space was improved as well, though due to a lack of an external trunklid, cargo had to be loaded behind the seats. The spare tire was located at the rear in a drop-down fiberglass housing beneath the gas tank (which now held 20-US-gallon instead of 16-US-gallon). Given its improved and re-imagined styling from the first-generation, and the impressive advancements made to the car’s performance and handling, there had been no doubt that the second-generation Corvette would be a triumph.

The car was exactly what the Corvette program needed. To help with the increasing demand, Chevrolet‘s St. Louis factory increased production by adding a second shift. Even so, the demand continued to outgrow GM‘s ability to manufacture the new car, and so customers were forced to wait - sometimes up to two months - to take delivery of their new Corvettes.

As impressive as the sales numbers being reported almost immediately after the '63 hit the market, was that the first-generation Corvettes began to increase in popularity - so much so that the used car value actually increased beyond their original sell prices, making Corvette one of the first postwar cars to outsell its original list price on the collectors market.

[Monster]

Zora Arkus-Duntov had been determined that the Sting Ray coupe should be a GT class and SCCA contender, and the Z06 had certainly become the key to making it so. Even with the Z06 option in place however, Duntov’s ultimate goal was to manufacture a full-blown competition-version of the Sting Ray Corvette – a dream which would be realized, though briefly, in the 1963 Corvette Grand Sport.

The Grand Sport was built in response to Duntov’s general disdain for the AMA ban on racing. Since GM would not allow commercial models to compete in factory sponsored racing events, Duntov circumvented the situation by building a race car version of the second-generation Corvette. The car featured heavily modified variants of the factory components installed in the second-generation coupe, including a 327cubic inch V-8 engine that produced 550 horsepower at 6,400rpm, and a massive 500ft/lb of torque at 5,200rpm. Cosmetically, the car shared similar body-lines to Bill Mitchell’s fastback coupe, though it featured key design characteristics essential for its successful operation on the race track.

And race it did, at least briefly. Ultimately, the AMA racing ban would catch up with the Grand Sport Corvette, bringing its promising career as a race car to an end almost before it began. In all, only five Grand Sport Corvettes were manufactured before an internal crackdown within General Motors required that Duntov and his team discontinue any further work on the development of the Grand Sport Race car. Still, for the short period of time that these cars ran on the track, they proved that they were more than capable of competing (and beating) their competition – including the already famous Shelby Cobra, which had dominated the field prior to the Grand Sports introduction.

[fatguyzinc]

its always amusing to see people spewing hatred for
a car they DONT EVEN OWN......... and maybe have
never even driven.

i love vettes, had many, got 2 now, and hope to have a
few more eventually.

[pdub]

its always amusing to see people spewing hatred for
a car they DONT EVEN OWN......... and maybe have
never even driven.

i love vettes, had many, got 2 now, and hope to have a
few more eventually.

I'm okay with vettes. I never understood what a Mustang was until I got one and started trying to hang with the car crowd. Then I finally understood after a long while. They are cookie cutter because they've made way over 10 million of them. They're everywhere, practically at any stoplight. They've sold so many because they are so much fun. That's the basic truth.

[RockJustRock]

its always amusing to see people spewing hatred for
a car they DONT EVEN OWN......... and maybe have
never even driven.

i love vettes, had many, got 2 now, and hope to have a
few more eventually.

Not hatred, just not blind admiration. Several billion Buddhists love Buddha, but I can take or leave him. I hated Mercedes until I realized you can get them around here really, really cheap. I hated MoPars until I looked at trying to upgrade any Chevy from a 10 bolt to a 12 bolt. I just said a Corvette is your best choice if you want a fiberglass body to cut up for a race car, what more do you want? Maybe somebody can come up with a reason for me to develop an exclusive love for the Corvette, but it won't be T-Tops. Interesting..... Is there a car in current production that has T-Tops?

Anyway back to YACHL. I expect much about the Mako Shark.

Oh yeah, I DO love THIS Corvette. It was owned by Reher and Morrison before Tony Christian. It broke a LOT of hearts and backs.

[Monster]

With the monumental success that Chevrolet had experienced after the introduction of its second-generation Corvette Sting Ray, GM executives understood that the C2‘s sophomore year would require little more than continued refinement to the already intensely popular sports car to maintain its success. For 1964 Chevrolet made only evolutionary changes.

We already learned that the coupe's split-window design was changed to full width by removing the backbone. Another design change was elimination of the two simulated air intake grills from the hood, though their indentations remained. Also, the decorative air-exhaust vent on the coupe's rear pillar was made functional, but only on the left side. The car's rocker-panel trim lost some of its ribs and gained black paint between those ribs that remained.

Drivetrain choices remained basically as before, but the high-performance pair received several improvements. The solid-lifter unit was driven with a high-lift, long-duration camshaft to produce 365 hp and was equipped with a big four-barrel Holley carburetor instead of the base engine's Carter unit. The fuel injected engine gained 15 horsepower, bringing it up to 375 hp.

The transmission options remained basically the same, but the two Borg-Warner T-10 four-speeds gave way to a similar pair of gearboxes built at GM's Muncie, Indiana, transmission facility. Originally a Chevy design, it had an aluminum case like the Borg-Warner box but came with stronger synchronizers and wider ratios for better durability and drivability.

A few suspension refinements were also made; the front coil springs were changed from constant-rate to progressive or variable-rate and were more tightly wound at the top, while the new standard shock containing a small bag of Freon gas, within its fluid reservoir, that absorbed heat. Leaf thickness of the rear transverse spring was also altered thus providing a more comfortable ride with no sacrifice in handling. The result was a more livable car for everyday transportation.

If enthusiasts liked the first Sting Ray, they loved the 1964 and sales reached 22,229 units, another new Corvette record.

[Monster]

As the 1965 model year approached, the design team continued to refine the overall design, further cleaning it up style-wise and making only minor cosmetic changes. Instead, the focus centralized on some significant mechanical upgrades and was muscled up with the addition of an all-new braking system and larger powerplants, that would vastly improve the Corvette’s already impressive handling and drivability.

Styling alterations were subtle, confined to a smoothed-out hood with the scoop indentations removed, three functional vertical exhaust vents in the front fenders that replaced the previous nonfunctional horizontal "speedlines," restyled wheel covers and rocker-panel moldings, and minor interior trim revisions.

The '65 became ferocious with the mid-year debut of the "Big-Block" 396 cu in engine, available under RPO L78, was given 11:1 compression, impact-extruded alloy pistons with chrome rings, solid lifters, a bigger carburetor with the double-snorkel air cleaner and an oversized oil pump, all of which helped make this more radical Mark IV engine capable of producing an impressive 425 horsepower. A side exhaust system was now available as an option, as was a telescopic steering wheel and alloy spinner wheels.

Four-wheel disc brakes were introduced as standard equipment, with a total swept area of 461 sq in, much improved from the 328 sq in of the all-drum system. There was also a dual master cylinder with separate fluid reservoirs for the front and rear lines, to comply with upcoming federal regulations.

In all, the 1965 Sting Ray saw a total of 23,564 units sold, making 1965 the most successful sales year for the Corvette yet.

[Deaf Bob]

As the 1965 model year approached, the design team continued to refine the overall design, further cleaning it up style-wise.

The 63 and the 65 are my favs. More years past 65 but basically those styles just make me drool..
Have driven and ridden in several, Knowing facts of life, I'll likely never own one that runs..
Still can appreciate them.

[Monster]

The 63 and the 65 are my favs.

That is ironic, because when I was looking for a mid-year, I was working on a deal for a gorgeous '63 in Silver Blue with a White Softtop and Dark Blue interior, but it got sold out from under me. I had at first liked the chrome hood vents, but later realized their non-functional excess and finally fell in love with the clean smooth lines of the '65, so it all worked out in the end. Same with the faux horizontal vents on the previous model fenders being replaced with real working vertical exhaust vents on the '65. Need I mention the standard 4-wheel disc brakes?

My '65 convertible is Goldwood Yellow with Black on Black and came with the 300 hp engine, 4-speed manual tranny and a positrac rear end stuffed with the standard 3.70:1 gears. Power Steering and rear exhaust. Initially I had thought of doing a color change to Silver Pearl or Nassau Blue with a White top, but the yellow is growing on me, reminiscent of my '67 Butternut Yellow Chevelle SS.

[oletrux4evr]

My favorite was the '61........the last year for spears in the coves, first year for the Sting Ray rear body. We really liked our 2003 50th Anniversary convertible. Great comfort, performance and good looks.
As far as the argument goes concerning owners...many are ate up with themselves IMHO. Didn't enjoy that pat of the package much.

[Monster]

My favorite was the '61........the last year for spears in the coves, first year for the Sting Ray rear body.

A classic look for sure.

[mopar57]

My thoughts...we all look at the 50's, 60's 70's and 80's cars through our "todays" eyes. My '73 Elkhart Green 300 hp/auto convertible Corvette is not on par with many contemporary sports cars or even sports sedans ...but compared to any affordable mid 1970's sports cars....it is excellent. I do note that many folks opinions of Corvettes are often tainted by some Corvette owners who fit a "stereotype". I don't deny it often they irk me too, but we are talking about cars and they are all good!

[RockJustRock]

I'm beginning to want to read a Dodge Viper history.

[oletrux4evr]

I'm beginning to want to read a Dodge Viper history.

Start your own thread.