Question about "stingray" usage
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Eagle River AK
Question about "stingray" usage
Hi all. Great site. I sold my 82CE when I moved to Alaska. Regretted it since. I bought an 84 after the move and drove it for a summer. The c4 is a fantastic driver, but I missed the wave, so I sold it when I found a gorgeous non-matching 81. I have two questions for the experts:
1- If I were to pick up heat shields with the "stingray" logo, is that a foul? The way I understand it, all of the C3's are stingrays. They just don't say it after 76. Is this correct?
2- My steering column is slightly canted to the right. It steers and tilts correctly with no warping but is is a slight cant to the right. Has anyone seen this and is it fixable?
Thanks, Aaron
1- If I were to pick up heat shields with the "stingray" logo, is that a foul? The way I understand it, all of the C3's are stingrays. They just don't say it after 76. Is this correct?
2- My steering column is slightly canted to the right. It steers and tilts correctly with no warping but is is a slight cant to the right. Has anyone seen this and is it fixable?
Thanks, Aaron
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Richardson TX
I'm not sure about your second question, but here's the scoop on your first.
Short Answer:
Many educated corvette lovers would say your 81 is NOT a stingray. Others say it refers to the body style, not the badges so opinions vary.
63-67s carried the "Sting Ray" emblem (2 words)
69-76s carried the "Stingray" emblem (1 word)
Some are of the opinion that the 63-67 cars were the "true Sting Rays."
Most non-educated (that sounds bad, but you get my drift) corvette lovers who see your 81 will say "hey, nice stingray".
Bottom line...it depends on how much you care about other people's opinions. I say do what you're into. I wouldn't be one to knock you if I saw a stingray emblem on your car.
Long answer: Start here
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=stingray
You'll find a lot more info as well as people's opinions on the subject. There are many threads here on the same topic.
Short Answer:
Many educated corvette lovers would say your 81 is NOT a stingray. Others say it refers to the body style, not the badges so opinions vary.
63-67s carried the "Sting Ray" emblem (2 words)
69-76s carried the "Stingray" emblem (1 word)
Some are of the opinion that the 63-67 cars were the "true Sting Rays."
Most non-educated (that sounds bad, but you get my drift) corvette lovers who see your 81 will say "hey, nice stingray".
Bottom line...it depends on how much you care about other people's opinions. I say do what you're into. I wouldn't be one to knock you if I saw a stingray emblem on your car.
Long answer: Start here
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=stingray
You'll find a lot more info as well as people's opinions on the subject. There are many threads here on the same topic.
Last edited by chupacabra1974; May 29, 2008 at 06:19 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 0
From: St. Charles MO.
last night i was at the drive through picking up some mcdonalds, and the kid at the window says "nice ride...stingray right?" I said "kinda sorta...or not really at all it's complicated." I was the only customer there so we actually had about a 5 minute talk covering the whole 1 word/2 word topic and how it was not placed on anything after 77(i think). And he said..."well that's stupid, it looks the same and if there's not performance package or anything to differentiate a stingray from a "non stingray" then who care's wouldn't they all be stingrays?" I just laughed and said....call me when you figure it out.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
A rose is a rose is a rose
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet..." Shakespeare
I've never understood the never ending debate over any particular C3 being a "Stingray" due to whether or not an emblem was attached during a given year at the discretion of the GM marketing department.
I've never understood the never ending debate over any particular C3 being a "Stingray" due to whether or not an emblem was attached during a given year at the discretion of the GM marketing department.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
last night i was at the drive through picking up some mcdonalds, and the kid at the window says "nice ride...stingray right?" I said "kinda sorta...or not really at all it's complicated." I was the only customer there so we actually had about a 5 minute talk covering the whole 1 word/2 word topic and how it was not placed on anything after 77(i think). And he said..."well that's stupid, it looks the same and if there's not performance package or anything to differentiate a stingray from a "non stingray" then who care's wouldn't they all be stingrays?" I just laughed and said....call me when you figure it out.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 1
From: Port Clinton Ohio
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
I wonder if someone at GM was looking at a '68 as it was coming off the production line and said "Hey, that fender looks kinda plain. What can we do to spruce it up?" Someone else said "Lets put the Stingray thingie back on there" And Presto...the '69's are Stingrays.
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Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
The C3's began in 1968 without the Stingray name. The fender script name was attached in 1969 and stayed until 1976. I think GM just wanted to "freshen-up" the car's image and decided to drop the Stingray name. Does that mean that you can't call a '68 or '77-82 Corvette a "Stingray"? The last time I checked the U.S. Constitution, it allowed free speech....so I guess that you could call it just about anything, if you so choose. 
We regularly call this 'series' of Corvettes [with very similar body design] "C3's"; but GM never designated the car as a C3. Maybe we should stop using that moniker too. This is all very silly. It's a "shark" body, a Mako body, a Coke-bottle body, Stingrays, C3's.... Everyone understands them all, so why are some folks so picky about the terms? Get over it.
Bottom line..... If "Stingray" works for you, do it.
We regularly call this 'series' of Corvettes [with very similar body design] "C3's"; but GM never designated the car as a C3. Maybe we should stop using that moniker too. This is all very silly. It's a "shark" body, a Mako body, a Coke-bottle body, Stingrays, C3's.... Everyone understands them all, so why are some folks so picky about the terms? Get over it.
Bottom line..... If "Stingray" works for you, do it.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,716
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From: Concord VA, U.S.A.
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '26
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,924
Likes: 6
true..
This month, while the movers were unloading my boxes of crap, one of the young men saw me standing by my 81 and said.."Is that a Stingray? My Dad is always talking about how he wants a Stingray"
So I stopped, thought about how much it would take to go through the whole history of Sting Ray, becomes Stingray after a year hiatus, and up through the bicentennial but when 1977 rolled around, GM dropped the Stingray subname from the Corvette line.. yada yada yada...
and just said... "No. It's just a Corvette"
This month, while the movers were unloading my boxes of crap, one of the young men saw me standing by my 81 and said.."Is that a Stingray? My Dad is always talking about how he wants a Stingray"
So I stopped, thought about how much it would take to go through the whole history of Sting Ray, becomes Stingray after a year hiatus, and up through the bicentennial but when 1977 rolled around, GM dropped the Stingray subname from the Corvette line.. yada yada yada...
and just said... "No. It's just a Corvette"
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,336
Likes: 1
From: North Bellmore Ny
St. Jude Donor '09
well since the 68-82 body style started and ended without the Stingray name I think the Stingray emblem was just an attempt to boost sales. I think of all year C-3's as Stingray's even though the emblem in some years is not on the side. Now if someone called a C-4 and above a Stingray I might find some fault in that.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 15,836
Likes: 90
From: Fairfield, VA
My question is that a "Sting Ray" (the fish) is NOT a Shark.
Not even close. It can hit you with its barb, like "Crocodile Steve",
but looks like a winged Manta Ray. What land lubber invented the Stingray / Shark idea??
Not even close. It can hit you with its barb, like "Crocodile Steve",
but looks like a winged Manta Ray. What land lubber invented the Stingray / Shark idea??
...too much time watching the Discovery channel.....)
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: New Bedford MA
Same chassis from 63-82, same bulging fenders 68-82, the real sting rays are the C2,s the whole one word or no badges thing is just a selling point. People always tell me "hey nice stingray" I just say thanks instead of trying to explain. Does it really matter its your car if you Like the badge then do it.
GM Cert Corvette Tech
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,559
Likes: 585
From: Anaheim Hills California
I have a 80 and have noticed my steering angles to the right so I would like to know also
Last edited by Douglas Mariani; May 29, 2008 at 10:55 PM.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 54,001
Likes: 6,214
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Well, the non-badge years aren't "Stingrays" but most people just won't know that. However, adding a badge to a wrong year car just looks terrible in my opinion. Very, very newbie. As bad as putting C4 stickers on the valve covers or something... it just doesn't look good.
