mallie

1963: split window, 2 front fender side vents (non functional), hood vent, no power antenna

1964: no hood vent, front fender side vents (non functional), no power antenna

1965: no hood vent, 3 functional front fender vents, roof side vents

1966: same as 1965, only distinction is the absence of rood side vents.

1967: rear backup light (hate it!), 5 front fenders vents

Nowhere Man

The noise emblems changed over the years. All 5 years had different gas doors, the sting ray emblem changed style in 66, 63-64 used the same front grille, 65 one year only, 66-67 same grille. There are plenty more

mallie

Right, but those are the most obvious and can tell you from a distance what year it is.

mallie

For instance, if you look at my avatar photo, only thing that tells you it's a 65 are the roof side vents.

biggd

What about rag tops? A little bit tougher.

mallie

True. One could hardly tell apart a 65 from a 66 from a distance.

bb62

No, assuming your car is stock, the painted fins on your knock offs with the chrome cone was '65 only.

bb62

All these can easily be discerned from a distance:
Knock-offs are different
Hoods are all different (the script on the 66)
Grille is different
Rocker-molding is different (assuming you do not have side-pipes)
Script on rear - 66 script stands-up more and can be seen from a distance

Tampa Jerry

If they are stock rag tops, the 63 will have a chrome and black waffel fake hood vents. The 64 will have the same looking hood without the waffel inserts. The 65 will have a different grill. The 66 has an egg crate grill and may have two reverse lights instead of four red tail lights. As mentioned above, the 67 has different fender vents and a single stand alone reverse light. Also, a quick look inside any midyear rag top will show the differences, *****, gauges, parking brakes, seats, carpeting, door panels etc. There is a ton more, but you get the idea. Jerry

66jack

Hubcaps....
65 has 6 gray spokes
66 has 5 gray spokes....

mallie

Right, but again, not as discernible as the roof vents (at least from a distance).
I did not mean to make a laundry list of all the differences between the years... just the obvious ones that tell right away the year of a mid-year Sting Ray.

vetteLT193

assuming stock or near stock.

63 is easy to tell because of the trim in the hood (assuming it's a 'vert).
64 is easy to tell... same hood with the depressions but no trim.
67 is easy to tell... backup light in the middle

65-66 are subtle, especially on the convertibles and especially considering people change things on theirs over the years even as they remain near stock (like wheels)

If they aren't stock... I group them by side vents as they generally are unchanged. 63-64 twin horizontal. 65-66 3 vertical. 67, the block with 5.

after that you kinda have to look at the interior as they usually don't change as much.

6T7L71CPE

However, like many of our Vettes, they are not all original. So, if you saw the "MONEY PIT" going down the street you'd think it was a '67 with extra fender badges? My '67 has the old style script on the back and a few others had seen this on other cars too.

sub006

I think the rocker panels were slightly different each year. Maybe someone can post pics?

That still leaves the side-pipe cars!

desertpilgrim

I've owned my '63 SWC since 1972 and I still can't find the "hood vent"; Got a map?

Nowhere Man

The cookie sheets on the hood

stingrayl76

And the chrome knock off cones.