Arrival

Disassembly

Strip & Metal Fab

Body & Paint

Detail & Trim

Finish

The 1963 Corvette Stingray not only had a new design, but also newfound handling prowess. The Stingray was also a somewhat lighter Corvette, so acceleration improved despite unchanged horsepower. 21,513 units would be built for the 1963 model year, 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. Nevertheless, the coupe wouldn’t sell as well again throughout the Stingray years. In fact, not until 1969 (by which time the coupe came with removable T-tops) did the closed Corvette sell better than the open one. Equipment installations for 1963 began reflecting the market’s demand for more civility in sporting cars. – the power brake option went into 15 percent of production, power steering into 12 percent. On the other hand, only 278 buyers specified the $421.80 air conditioning; leather upholstery – a mere $80.70 – was ordered on only about 400 cars. The beautiful cast aluminum knock-off wheels, manufactured for Chevy by Kelsey-Hayes, cost $322.80 a set, but few buyers checked off that option. However, almost 18,000 Stingrays left St. Louis with the four-speed manual gearbox – better than four out of every five.

Read More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette_(C2)#1963