stingray?
Race Director
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From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Stingray
STINGRAY technically refers to the body design. 63-67 68-77
Some Corvette history & knowledge is helpful to ID a Stingray.
63-67 In 63, the new smaller body & chassis w/ I.R.S. was called a Sting Ray.
68-77 When the body was redone in 68 at first called Sting Ray & then used Stingray emblems in 69. Emblems are for identification & some can not identify w/o the emblem. Seems some place far more importance on emblems than the factory ever did. The factory wanted to change the new car so that it could be identified as new at the time.
It was a common custom trick to remove emblems. Emblems are an inexpensive way to differentiate a new model esp. the low volume (for GM) Corvette. The 68 was obviously new.
Chassis essentially same from 63-77, body essentially same 68-77 & interior essentially same from 68-77.
There can be no question that 68-77 are Stingrays.
Stingray has a meaning & is not an option or emblem, some are unmarked. Remember an unmarked police car is still a police car.
Sting Ray Sting Ray Stingray Stingray same.
The term mid-years came about during C3 Stingray years to differentiate 63-67.
Since 63, for 15 years (63-77) Corvette & Sting Ray were synonymous.
Some Corvette history & knowledge is helpful to ID a Stingray.
63-67 In 63, the new smaller body & chassis w/ I.R.S. was called a Sting Ray.
68-77 When the body was redone in 68 at first called Sting Ray & then used Stingray emblems in 69. Emblems are for identification & some can not identify w/o the emblem. Seems some place far more importance on emblems than the factory ever did. The factory wanted to change the new car so that it could be identified as new at the time.
It was a common custom trick to remove emblems. Emblems are an inexpensive way to differentiate a new model esp. the low volume (for GM) Corvette. The 68 was obviously new.
Chassis essentially same from 63-77, body essentially same 68-77 & interior essentially same from 68-77.
There can be no question that 68-77 are Stingrays.
Stingray has a meaning & is not an option or emblem, some are unmarked. Remember an unmarked police car is still a police car.
Originally Posted by Procrastination Racing
Also, Chevrolet in their salesmen order books have it listed as model CORVETTE STING RAY .... The badge may say Stingray, but the paperwork says Sting Ray.
The term mid-years came about during C3 Stingray years to differentiate 63-67.
Since 63, for 15 years (63-77) Corvette & Sting Ray were synonymous.
Race Director
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From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
78- 25th anniversay of the Corvette
78- 25th anniversay of the Corvette- not Stingray. Many changes. Can be debated on 78-82. Note that the 78- rear glass is reminiscent of the 63-67 coupe. Some consider all C3 to be. They were already working on the C4 & McLellan had said the styling would be reeled in. 84 induction & 700R4 were in production in 81. So the focus was on the C4. CORVETTE says it all anyway.
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From: Out Where the Buses Don't Run, Eglin AFB/ Niceville FL
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Drifting
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From: Chester Virginia
Not to enter the details of the discussion about when, two words or one, etc. but the origin is simple to see in C2 and C3 body styles. Sit in the car and look forward over the hood. The big swellings over the two front wheels look very much like the wings of a big sting or manta ray flying through the water. It was marketing hyperbole like the initials GTO on the Pontiac muscle car short for some sort of Gran Tourisimo O...something or other...all marketing but in the Vette's case...something of a reality based image when you are driving one as I understand it. Sure true on my '76.
Lance P.
Lance P.
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From: Atlanta Ga
Dose...read this thread...it should confuse you more!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-corvette.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-corvette.html
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From: Out Where the Buses Don't Run, Eglin AFB/ Niceville FL
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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Advanced
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From: MA
well what if someone with one of those replicas took all of the fake ferrari badges off so that it looked like it did in Vice City and Vice City Stories
http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=107
http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=161
and kept the corvette interior as is and just called it a corvette rather than a ferrari daytona, how would they be recieved then?
and ill just come out and admit it I'm a big miami vice fan and I always kind of liked the thing as much as any other C3 corvette out there
and honestly its ONE of the ones I'm considering pursuing in the future but I have to admit calling it what it aint does bother me, hence why I called it a rebodied corvette and not a ferrari daytona replica because that's all it really is.
http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=107
http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=161
and kept the corvette interior as is and just called it a corvette rather than a ferrari daytona, how would they be recieved then?
and ill just come out and admit it I'm a big miami vice fan and I always kind of liked the thing as much as any other C3 corvette out there
and honestly its ONE of the ones I'm considering pursuing in the future but I have to admit calling it what it aint does bother me, hence why I called it a rebodied corvette and not a ferrari daytona replica because that's all it really is.
Last edited by Kavinsky; Sep 16, 2011 at 02:52 PM.
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From: South Dakota
Melting Slicks
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From: Navarre FL
I argue that through 82 they were all called stingray by the public. As Ganey pointed out, its meant to refer to a body style, not a specific option package (such as ZR1 or Z06). From that definition, all C3 are Stingray, as they are all the same body style. If you are in doubt as to the rear glass or some other silliness like that, the Stingray description is a play off the fenders. As someone said, look out over the hood of any C3 from the drivers seat and youll see what looks like a Stingray gliding through the water, just watch the discovery channel a little more
Pretty eas to see where they got the idea. To me, all C3's are Stingray's 
Team Owner
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From: Southbound
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Burning Brakes
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From: West Chester Pennsylvania
The introduction of the C3 was a continuation of the Shark theme -- whether or not the emblem appeared on the vehicle, a C3 is a stingray due to the chassis and shape of the body.
Example:
"Sting Ray" nameplates were absent on the new 1968 body, but Chevrolet still advertised the car as a Sting Ray.
1976 was the last year for "Stingray" emblems on the side of the car, being replaced with the Corvette crossed flags in 1977.
Just because the badging was not applied during certain other years, the style is still a Stingray. That changed in 1984.
C3's are all Stingrays.
Example:
"Sting Ray" nameplates were absent on the new 1968 body, but Chevrolet still advertised the car as a Sting Ray.
1976 was the last year for "Stingray" emblems on the side of the car, being replaced with the Corvette crossed flags in 1977.
Just because the badging was not applied during certain other years, the style is still a Stingray. That changed in 1984.
C3's are all Stingrays.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 5
From: South Dakota
The introduction of the C3 was a continuation of the Shark theme -- whether or not the emblem appeared on the vehicle, a C3 is a stingray due to the chassis and shape of the body.
Example:
"Sting Ray" nameplates were absent on the new 1968 body, but Chevrolet still advertised the car as a Sting Ray.
1976 was the last year for "Stingray" emblems on the side of the car, being replaced with the Corvette crossed flags in 1977.
Just because the badging was not applied during certain other years, the style is still a Stingray. That changed in 1984.
C3's are all Stingrays.
Example:
"Sting Ray" nameplates were absent on the new 1968 body, but Chevrolet still advertised the car as a Sting Ray.
1976 was the last year for "Stingray" emblems on the side of the car, being replaced with the Corvette crossed flags in 1977.
Just because the badging was not applied during certain other years, the style is still a Stingray. That changed in 1984.
C3's are all Stingrays.