Chip Foose Streamlines the 1963 Split-Window Corvette

Chip Foose customizes one of his dream cars, one from the year he was born; the 1963 split-window Chevy Corvette…

The 1963 Sting Ray production car’s lineage can be traced to two separate GM projects: the Q-Corvette, and Bill Mitchell’s racing Sting Ray. The Q-Corvette exercise of 1957 envisioned a smaller, more advanced Corvette as a coupe-only model, boasting a rear transaxle, independent rear suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes, with the rear brakes mounted inboard. Exterior styling was purposeful, with peaked fenders, a long nose, and a short, bobbed tail.

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray not only had a new design but also newfound handling prowess.

The Sting Ray was also a somewhat lighter Corvette, so acceleration improved despite unchanged horsepower. For the 1963 model year, 21,513 units would be built, which was up 50 percent from the record-setting 1962 version. Production was divided almost evenly between the convertible and the new coupe – 10,919 and 10,594, respectively – and more than half the convertibles were ordered with the optional lift-off hardtop.

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• Foose on Design ~ Tweaking the 1970 Plymouth Cuda