1963 Corvette Sting Ray: a Good Look Back

Sometimes when things are tough as in our current economic situation, it can be useful to go back to earlier 'secure' times when a piece of chrome was a piece of chrome! In addition to going back, a possible option for some is to actually buy a classic sports car such as the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray.

Oh, you might thinking, a 63 Corvette Sting Ray is so expensive. Yes, but these economic times might well allow you to buy one at a good price. Almost anything is possible! Ok, let's go back!

The Chevrolet Corvette was a significant automobile right from the beginning when it debuted 1953, however, it was not until 10 years later that it became a great sports car. Therefore, we are focusing on the 1963 Sting Ray. Furthermore, this car has the classic and highly desirable split rear window!

Zora Arkus-Duntov spent most of the 50' racing Corvettes which the top brass at GM frowned upon. However, GM let him pour his racing knowledge into the car's new independent rear suspension (a first for the Corvette) that consisted of a transverse leaf spring - a concept that is parts of Corvettes to this day!

Larry Shinoda designed the exterior of the car with influence from European sports cars like the Mercedes-Benz Gullwing and the Abarth 207A. He added a rear stinger that became part of the car's name. Some of the chrome pieces on this classic Corvette include the bumpers, window surrounds, side vents, taillight rings, gas cap, antenna, door handles, badges and more.

And how does the car look overall? A writer for Automobile is quoted as saying, "At first meeting, this forty-eight-tear-old coupe stirs no nostalgia in this twenty-six-year-old writer-just blind lust." All I can say is be sure to see the slideshow!

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray is equipped with a sports car interior that includes a large speedometer, tachometer and other gauges. As a two seater, the car has good legroom and is comfortable for traveling. Options on the car include leather seats, power windows, brakes and steering, air conditioning, and AM/FM radio.

The engine is a fuel-injected (ahead of its time) 327 cubic-inch (L88) small block V8 providing 360 hp and 352 ft. lb. of torque. The transmission is a four-speed manual gearbox. The car's 0-60 mph time is in 6.2 seconds.

The brakes are drums at all four corners. The tires measure 6.7 x 15 inches. Converting the brake system to four wheel discs and adding wider tires are a fairly inexpensive process.

This classic Corvette's small block engine provides good performance but does not eat up as much fuel as the larger block engines.

The 63 Corvette Sting Ray is a beautiful looking car that continues to bring much class to the automotive scene.

View the slideshow to see the 63 Corvette Sing Ray split window inside and out!

Kyle Busch is the author of "Drive the Best for the Price: How to Buy a Used Automobile, Sport-Utility Vehicle, or Minivan and Save money." He welcomes your comments or car questions at his auto web site: www.cartown1.com. Follow Kyle on Facebook and Twitter.