- A mean and moody Corvette Sting Ray restomod is heading to Mecum’s Monterey auction.
- The ’67 coupe has a 432 cu-in V8 with forged guts, alloy heads and electronic fuel injection.
- A Vintage Air climate control system and five-speed manual bring modern-style usability.
The want-one factor is higher for new Corvettes right now than it has been for years. Even the – recently updated – base C8 is a serious sports car bargain and the Z06, ZR1 and ZR1X can stand toe to toe with genuine European exotics yet cost thousands less.
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But ask me whether I’d rather see a C8 or a classic Vette in front of me when I roll up the garage door on a Sunday and the old timer would win every week.
Related: ZR1X Might Not Be The Flagship After All And That Should Scare Everyone
Trouble is, old Vettes drive like old cars, because they are. The 1963-67 C2, which is the classic Corvette most people lust after, brought huge advances over the C1, including independent rear suspension and (from 1965) the option of four-wheel disc brakes, but even the newest of those is about to turn 60.
Classic Looks, Modern Moves
For some people that vintage driving experience, the sloppy steering and buzzy freeway behavior that comes from having only four gears, is part of the charm. But others want the best of both worlds, like whoever commissioned the restomod build on this bruiser of a C2.
Starting life as a 1967 coupe, this Corvette is still recognizably a classic Sting Ray. But every aspect of it, from the engine to the chassis, the interior and the body, has been enhanced with tech and design mods available to us almost six decades after it was built. It’s as if the 1960s race-only Grand Sport required a run of road-going homologation cars that deliver track-ready performance with smidge of daily driver usability.
Body changes appear to include wider front and rear fenders, shaved bodywork to delete the bumpers and a Stinger hood, which was a special scoop-equipped hood originally fitted only to 427 cu-in (7.0-liter) big block C2s in 1967.
Mecum
Serious Hardware Upgrades
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We don’t know which GM engine this car had when it left the factory but it’s now running a 432 cu-in (7.1-liter) V8 with forged internals, aluminum heads and modern electronic fuel injection. That’s backed up by a five-speed manual transmission, Wilwood four-wheel discs, a fast-ratio power-steering setup and a Global West suspension kit with adjustable shocks.
Inside, much like outside, it’s a pleasing mix of old and new, the quilted leather sports seats offering far more support and adjustability than the original chairs ever could, and a Vintage Air climate system keeping the driver feeling cool while he’s looking it.
Even with all of its mods this C2 wouldn’t see which way a Z06, ZR1 or ZR1X went, but we can see how some Corvette enthusiasts – ones not obsessed about originality – might still prefer it. If you’re one of those people and you fancy placing a bid, head over to Mecum’s listing here.
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