Looking for a Corvette C2 for sale? Be sure to familiarize yourself with the details and differences of each model year so you know just what you are buying.
Corvette C2 Specifications
Production of the Corvette C2 (second generation) started for the 1963 model year and ended in 1967. Introducing a new name, "Sting Ray", the 1963 model was the first year for a Corvette coupe and it featured a distinctive tapering rear deck with, for 1963 only, a split rear window.
Introducing the Corvette C2 Stingray
The Sting Ray featured hidden headlamps, non-functional hood vents, and an independent rear suspension. Maximum power for 1963 was 360 bhp (270 kW) and was raised to 375 bhp (280 kW) in 1964. Options included electronic ignition. On 1964 models the decorative hood vents were eliminated and the split rear window changed to a full width window.
Corvette C2 Engine and Brakes Options
Four-wheel disc brakes were introduced on the Corvette C2 for sale in 1965, as was a "big block" engine option, the 396 cu in (6.49 L) V8. Side exhaust pipes were also optional in 1965 and continued through 1967.
The introduction of the 425 bhp (317 kW) 396 cu in (6.49 L) big block in 1965 spelled the beginning of the end for the Rochester fuel injection system. The 396 cu in (6.49 L) option cost US$292.70 while the fuel injected 327 cu in (5.36 L) engine cost US$538.00. Few people could justify spending US$245.00 more for 50 bhp (37 kW) less, even if the FI cars offered optional bigger brakes not available on carbureted models. With only 771 fuel-injected cars built in 1965, Chevrolet discontinued the option the following year.
Corvette C2 Engine Upgrade
Chevrolet would up the ante in 1966 with the introduction of an even larger 427 cu in (7.00 L) Big Block version, creating what would be one of the most collectible Corvettes ever. Other options available on the C2 included the Wonderbar auto-tuning AM radio, AM-FM radio (mid 1963), air conditioning (late 1963), a telescopic steering wheel (1965) and headrests (1966).
End of Corvette C2 Production Run
1967 was the final year of the Corvette C2 for sale. It featured restyled fender vents, less ornamentation and the first use of all four taillights in red; back-up lamps were now rectangular, centrally located. (The all-four red taillight treatment continued on the first C3 in 1968 only and returned on the first C4 in 1984, continuing on all Corvettes since).
Corvette C2 L88 Engine Option
1967 had the first L88 engine option which was rated at 430 bhp (320 kW), but unofficial estimates place the actual output at 560 bhp (420 kW) or more. Only twenty such engines were installed at the factory. From 1967 (to 1969), the Holley triple two-barrel carburetor, or Tri-Power, was available on the 427 L89 (a US$368 option, on top of the cost for the high-performance 427).
Sources: Wikipedia, General Motors, Corvettes In Michigan
