Any Corvette Lovers Out There?

Let's not leave out the transverse mounted steel leaf spring. Mine snapped in flight. Fortunately I was going about 30.
You can see in this diagram how the camber is set by the half shaft and the strut rod. It is common to replace the spring with fiberglass and the strut rods with threaded tie rods.

1706537757940.png
 
projectnut said:
I'm looking for experiences and information concerning the 1963-1967 Corvette Stingrays. Many moons ago I had a 1963 convertible with the 340 hp 327 engine, close ratio 4 speed, Posi traction, and a few other goodies. I loved the car and thought it was one of the best handling and driving cars I ever owned.

A few years ago, I was interested in another one, so I took it for a test drive. Either my memory was faulty or the one I drove was an absolute wreck. It rode like a lumber wagon, couldn't hold the road worth a damn, and sounded more like an under powered tractor than a high-powered muscle car. I quickly passed on the idea and haven't looked back until yesterday.

I remember when I had mine a friend bought a new 1965. It had a British Racing Green paint job with the 425 hp 396, Posi traction, dual tops, side exhaust, and every option available at the time. I had the opportunity to drive his and was amazed at the difference in power and handling between the two. I'm thinking it might be time to revisit the idea of purchasing one. The hard part is to determine if the 1965's were that good, or the 1963 I drove was really that bad.

If I do eventually spring for one it will definitely be a carbon copy of the 1965 my friend owned. I'm not interested in earlier or later years, or different engine, transmission, and exhaust configurations. Unfortunately, I can't ask my friend since he passed away a few years ago. Any information and opinions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
My roommate had a 65 convertible 327 and loaned it to me while my celica was being worked on. The car handled great but rode really harshly. In 2009 I bought a new LT3 version corvette. I have to say in a memory comparison the C6 was a much better car in every way. Better Handling, Better ride, more comfortable, much quicker. I sold the 2009 Vette but wish I had it back.
 
Please give this some serious thought. Ride like a shopping cart, brake like a bicycle and will end up draining your bank account, not to mention the cost of insurance. Just worked on a 66 chasing down vacuum and oil leaks and changing to Protronics to get rid of the point set after the owner paying a premium price for the car. The owner was chasing after the car he had years ago and forgot how crude they are by todays standards. If you still have the bug move up to a C5/C6 and get all the safety features along with a better ride.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rwm
Charles scozzari said:
Please give this some serious thought. Ride like a shopping cart, brake like a bicycle and will end up draining your bank account, not to mention the cost of insurance. Just worked on a 66 chasing down vacuum and oil leaks and changing to Protronics to get rid of the point set after the owner paying a premium price for the car. The owner was chasing after the car he had years ago and forgot how crude they are by todays standards. If you still have the bug move up to a C5/C6 and get all the safety features along with a better ride.
Click to expand...

Too bad, they are so beautiful to look at. Besides the older ones, I never had much desire to own one until the C7 (and now the C8) came out.
 
The C8 is so cool looking. It sounds great too, but that might be faked through audio.. not really sure.
heavy-black-heart_2764.png
 
I'm aware of the problems that have been discussed so far. Keep in mind I was in the auto repair business when these models were just ending production. In addition to owning a 63 several of my customers had Corvettes. The oldest I worked on were 58's and 59's., and the newest were the mid 1070's. As for the rear leaf spring I also had a wild ride when the one on my 63 snapped. It was a PITA to replace, but not nearly as difficult as working on some of today's vehicles.

As for the cost of insurance, that's one of the reasons I gave it up. I only had it a few months when it was involved in an accident. Traffic had backed up almost half a mile as cars were trying to exit the highway to a local restaurant. A woman in a 1959 Ford station wagon came flying down the exit ramp from the interstate. I happened to be just past the end of the merge lane. She slammed on the brakes, went sideways, hit the right front fender with her left rear, went down in the ditch and continued in a circle to hit the right rear fender. I just happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. The car spent from February to August in the body shop. That's another story, but in the end, it didn't get fixed properly and the insurance nearly doubled. I couldn't really afford the increase in insurance, and the company told me that the additional needed repairs would be on my dime. I wasn't willing to pay more for insurance, and certainly wasn't going to pay more to have it repaired properly. I still was able to sell the car for the same price I bought if for.

I'm not trying to relive my youth, but rather looking for what I consider a prime piece of automotive history. I loved the body style when they were in production and still think it's one of the most stylish ever made. Over the years I've driven a number of newer models and wasn't impressed. While they are no doubt faster, handle better, and are more technologically advanced, they're just not the same. I don't intend to race it either on the street or the track. I didn't abuse the one I had. I've never abused any vehicle I've owned and don't intend to start now.

A few reasons for looking for a 65 is the fact that it was the only year it could be purchased with a 425 hp 396 cu. in. engine. They weren't all that popular in that the 396 was introduced about halfway through the production year. That in addition to the off-road exhaust made in my mind one of the most impressive vehicles of the era. I liked the fact that it could be purchased with a 4:11 or a 4:56 rear end. My preference would be the 4:11.

I'm more thinking it will be treated like our current Jeep TJ. It's a 2004 TJ we purchased new to tow it behind the motorhome as a mode of transportation for when we were "camping". In the 20 years we've owned it the odometer shows all of 69,000 miles. It still looks and drives like the day we bought it. Other than "camping" it gets out about once a month for a 50-mile drive just to keep things working properly.
 
Sorry for painting such a bleak opinion on your wanting the Corvette. Maybe my age is talking more than my mouth but I think so many things come into play when buying an early Vette or any other 60s car. I never thought I'd feel like this but when I drive an older car now I can't help but think would I survive a hit from someone in the left lane flying way over the speed limit while talking on there phone or smoking pot in my 1965 Malibu or Corvette. You also have the cost of having any work done by a shop if you are unable to do your own work. Now to have someone work on the car it must be done by a specialist at $150.00 an hour. I see those beautifully done cars at the car shows and know they dread the ride home or the rain or puddles or jerks on the road and hoping they make it home unscathed. Now I no longer paint my cars or am to concerned about the body but concentrate on the motor trans and rear and just drive it. I can park it and walk away and not worry.
 
:devil:momoney

1963-1967 C2 Replacement Chassis - Chassis Packages

<p><strong>Standard Bare Frame Specifications:</strong></p> <ul type="disc"> <li>4" x 2" x 0.120" Mandrel bent tubing.</li> <li>Powder coat finish in semi-gloss black.</li> <li>CAD designed, CNC cut components</li> <li>C4 Chassis features Mounts for
www.streetshopinc.com www.streetshopinc.com
 
Sort of off topic but: I had a Miata, fun car to drive and the slickest shifting transmission you will ever use. Decent acceleration but nowhere near a Vet. Insurance didn't break the bank either. Decent gas milage. I've always liked having a convertible and the top design on the Miata is superb. Nice toy w/o breaking the bank. Has enough room to carry a small lunch box.
 
/\/\/\ I can't even afford the call they mention ! :rolleyes: But they do look nice .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top