Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and new to Vettes.
I finally found my dream car and bought it, a 1965 "Sting Ray" Roadster.
I know the learning curve is steep, but I gotta start somewhere.

Could you help me by providing some links to places I can find out more about my car ?

What do I want to know ?
Everything I can !!


Goldwood Yellow exterior with a very straight body and is in very original condition, the original chrome bumpers are also in good condition, not showing any rust or dings, as are the original chrome exterior door handles. The taillights show normal cracking from age and the wheels wear a set of original hubcaps in fair condition.

Black interior, Black convertible top and the interior is just as original as the outside, with original seat covers, door panels, carpet, gauges, seatbelts, center console, and steering wheel.

It is powerd by a 240hp 350ci GM crate engine (I also have the original numbers matching 250hp 327ci engine), number matching 4 speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter. The engine compartment has been extensively detailed, and features an Edelbrock Performer aluminum intake and a Weber carburetor delivers the fuel.

Factory features also include 4-wheel disc brakes, power steering and power antenna. The frame is solid, and has been nicely detailed.

Here is the link of the YouTube undercarriage inspection and walk-around video, which is 5-minutes long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OlZAlhNoek

I would greatly appreciate you all to look at and let me know what you think.

 

Welcome!

Are you asking for links that would provide a history of your specific serial numbered car? We won't have that.

Are you asking for us to look at your photos and point out flaws? I won't do that unless you ask for it, some will point out everything nice they see about the car, others may only point out all that is wrong with your car. So if you want to know that stuff, ask and I'm sure you'll get some helpful insight.

Otherwise, this forum is the best place to quickly learn. Check the FAQ thread http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...aq-thread.html for a lot of links to common and interesting topics you may wish to read.

Get books. I recommend:

• The 1963 Corvette Shop Manual
• The 1965 Corvette Shop Manual Supplement (you have to buy both books to get everything)
• The 1965 Assembly Instruction Manual (AIM)
• The 1965 Corvette Owner's Manual
• A good wiring diagram, in color. Dr. Rebuild sells one that many like. I have a Don Olson diagram that I like. They both have value.
• An NCRS Judging manual for 1965 if you are interested in originality

Many parts for these cars are available reproduction, although the quality varies from vendor to vendor. Read through the threads here to learn who is happiest with their interior parts, chrome parts, etc.

Check out the supporting vendors on the left side of your Corvette Forum screen.

Jeff

 

Get yourself a copy of Noland Adams book on 63-67 Corvettes. It's a wealth of info.

The NCRS judging guide for 1965 models will also help you determine what's right/wrong on your car.

But for now....stand by for all the constructive critques from your Forum brethren! (Such as: that's a 66-67 grille and a 66 gas filler door.)

First thing to do is check for birdcage rust (do a search). Second thing is to check the frame for disguised damage by tapping and poking it all over.

 

Jeff, wow, thanks for the quick and in depth response.
I'm not too concerned about the history of my specific serial numbered car, rather general history for the '65 and just getting up to speed in general.

And yes, I would appreciate any flaws or problems you may notice, or what is just plain wrong (I have pretty thick skin, so don't hold back). Making mention of the nice stuff, wouldn't go astray either.

As you can see from the pictures, I purchased it from Buyavette in Atlanta Georgia and believe I got a fair price with my negotiated deal.
Here is a quick video of the walk-around and underside of the car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OlZAlhNoek

Thanks for the list of suggested books, definitely a must.

 

Mike,

Firstly, thanks for the advise on checking the birdcage for rust and the frame for disguised damage. Possibly a dumb newbie question, but what is the birdcage ?

Are you saying my car has a 66-67 grille and a 66 gas filler door, or were those just examples of possible critiques ?

I guess I should also mention that I am not wanting to build up a NCRS show car, I want a daily driver that looks good to me.

 

Most importantly: Congratulations.....

Besides the books:

Log on to this site as much as possible as there is an incredible amount of information that can be learned, particularly from JohnZ, the Grand Pubah of Midyears.

And feel free to ask any question at all, and just ignore the few crusty old cranks that complain about a certain question being asked too often. You can also "search" the forum for specific info.

Welcome to our world....

 

It's the steel support structure for the firewall/cowl section of the body, including the windshield frame, hinge pillars, and sill areas.

If there is significant rust damage along the bottom of the windshield due to water leaks --that's a MAJOR problem with big impact on the car's value.

Do the search on "birdcage" and you'll see where you need to look behind the glove box and the driver's side.

 

steve, welcome to the forum...that looks really nice and i hope you are happy with your purchase....there is nothing WRONG with your 65 as long as you like it....if you're talking ncrs, then that's a different story and you came to the right place for a wealth of knowledge that is here...the bird cage is the metal frame work that supports the windshield and interior cabin..without a visual check, there is virtually no way to check it out...even the car looks great there could be underling damage due to rust in the cage and it is very expensive to correct and in some cases almost impossible without a complete teardown of the car ...read up on the sticky about the bird cage, you can use a digital camera and take a few shots behind the glove box and steering column or remove the kick panels and side vents for a partial visual inspection...a great idea would be to hire an expert in your area....any way welcome to the world of mid-years and drive that puppy as much as you can, anything that breaks or gives you problems can be repaired or dealt with with the opinions of a great group of guys and gals who are here.....

 

That's a nice Sting Ray, and thank you for referring to it as a Sting Ray roadster. I really get tired of C2, midyear , and vert.

As long as it runs and stops well, get out and drive it. When it comes time to work on it, the Corvette shop manual and the Corvette Forum members will make it easier.

IMO The only thing almost as much fun as driving an old Corvette is working on one.

 

Welcome to the Corvette world and the forum!! The forum is great place for help. You can get a lot of good advice (and some you didnt even ask for). The recommended books above will be great help also. Drive and enjoy, and when you break stuff take a deep breath, take a break, and start again. Enjoy!!

 

No he was serious about the grille and gas filler door but they are no big deal to change if you even want to. BTW, welcome to the Forum. Come here when you need help and just to see what's going on and learn from other people's problems.
Don
Don

 

<cough, cough>

 

Congratulations on your first Vette and welcome to the forum. I think you got a real nice car as seen by the pics and video. I hope you have a garage and hand tool as these will be invaluable in you ownership. Be practical with the car, put a kill switch in a well hidden place that only you know. As you get literature, explore the car and check things, nuts, bolts whatever you lay hands on. Many basic mechanical parts are available from NAPA, or whoever is big in Daytona. If you not inclined to work on the car, hookup with some local Vette club and find out who does quality/trustworthy work.
Quick note, the rubber bushing on each end of the front sway bar need to be replaced, call on NAPA. Dennis

 

It looks like an all around neat car that you should be able to really enjoy. I love the color combo.

In the picture above, the passenger front fender appears to have a rough bond where the fender lip meets the inner fender. This, combined with the fact that the front grille is wrong, could indicate a previous front end collision.

The ignition shielding is missing from the engine. This shielding is normally in place to prevent radio interference from the plug wires.

The wiring in the engine compartment looks....rough. You may wish to consider replacing both wiring harnesses in the engine compartment. One will be called an Engine Harness, the other will be called a Forward Light harness. They both plug into the firewall below the master cylinder.

Given the state of that wiring, you might crawl under the dash and see what it looks like up there, in case you have some issues behind the cluster.

Congrats on getting a car with the original motor as part of the deal!

Jeff

 

Somewhere in the life of your car it had a hardtop. The two small capped openings on the lid are for bolting it down along with one bolt on each side on the tip edge. I agree with Jeff on the wiring issues. Dennis

 

Looks llike a solid, nice car. Underside looks great. Welcome to the club.

 

Welcome home, and you will feel like it's your home after a while. Use the search engine on the forum for instant answers to most questions. Ok, now you said you could take it ..... the body seem to have gone through major trama or many little ones:
-grill and gas cap already mentioned
-front inner fender bonding fuzz, also mentioned
-pass side rear quarter doesn't line up with rear valance
-drivers door doesn't line up with cowl front top
-headlight door gap is too wide on drivers side
-front of hood binding at fr. pass., paint rubbing, gaps different
-rear compartment lid gaps different side to side

This scares me because of possible undercarriage damage. Did you take along a vettehead when scoping it out? Before you start ripping it apart, you might still want to analyze the whole car, and sometimes it's better to leave the for-sale sign on it, recoup your $$$ and look for a more intact car if you find out something or a bunch of somethings wrong. If you start with mutt, no amount of money will make it a purebred, and that money won't ever come back. Don't mean to be a downer and might be completely wrong, but like you said the learning curve is steep. Good luck. Been there, done that, hope I'm wrong.

 

Jeff, thanks for the critique, I'd rather know than not know.

The ignition shielding was removed, but in the trunk and the dealer said they would install it before I pick up the car.

Since Buyavette provides a 5-year / 100,000-mile warranty and a 48-hour return policy, they go through the car and perform required work to bring it up to their standards (I know, probably their marketing hype, but it sounds good). As part of this, they have said they are replacing the engine compartment and dash harnesses, before they release the car.

Thanks for the kind welcome.
No, I did not take a vettehead for the looksie, which I know is a major mistake, but with the dealer warranty and return policy, I thought I would be fairly well protected. The ahead of time perusal you guy's are giving me is great. Somewhere, I posted a link of the YouTube undercarriage inspection and walk-around video, which I would greatly appreciate you all to look at and let me know what you think.

As the owner said, this is a great car for the money and I want a driver, not a show car.

Please keep it coming !!!

 

Here is the link of the YouTube undercarriage inspection and walk-around video, which is 5-minutes long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OlZAlhNoek

I would greatly appreciate you all to look at and let me know what you think.

 

I took a look at the video and noted a few things:

The exhaust tips are cheap aftermarket items instead of factory style

I think the RH muffler was pushed/hit from the rear (not a backfire as stated in the video), and that's probably when the exhaust tips were replaced.

The seat belts were passed off as just needing a little paint, but wait till you hear the restoration price.

No mention was made of the condition of the top weatherstrips or the top padding inside the car - should be checked - along with the door weatherstrips due to expense.