68 Classification

[Space Cowboy]

Okay folks... I was once corrected here that my 68 is not a "Stingray", but a Mako. I totally agree with that... a previous owner had just put the side badge on the car incorrectly. Now I have someone telling me that I don't have a Mako. I've been told that it's really a Mako Shark II, but I have even someone else saying the the Mako Shark II was only the "concept" car. So what the heck was the 68 classified as?

 

[JJS]

I always thought that 68-82 was the Mako Shark body style, aka "Shark" for short.
Could be wrong though. Also, I believe '68 was the first year they dropped the "Sting Ray." They then went with the "Stingray" logo on the C3 for several years (mine included), but eventually dropped that as well.

 

[Vinn]

I don't believe the '68 had any "official" classification tied to it. It was however, based off of the Mako Shark concept car. Hope this helps!

Vince

 

[Space Cowboy]

JSS: The "Stingray" name was reassociated in 69, that much I know for sure from what I've read in various articles.

Vince: I agree that the 68 was based off the Mako concept. This guy is saying that the 68 is simply a C3... thats it... not even called a Mako. I don't think I really agree with that.

Where is Harley when you need him!

 

[Alan76]

You own a Corvette. Be happy and call it by any name you want to

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Okay folks... I was once corrected here that my 68 is not a "Stingray", but a Mako. I totally agree with that... a previous owner had just put the side badge on the car incorrectly. Now I have someone telling me that I don't have a Mako. I've been told that it's really a Mako Shark II, but I have even someone else saying the the Mako Shark II was only the "concept" car. So what the heck was the 68 classified as?

Don't know who here is telling you what to call your car, but I would think the source is poorly informed or making too much out of some semantics. The 'Stingray' badge was not installed on '68s for who-knows-what reason. Big Deal.

GM never identified the cars as C3s, or Sharks or Makos so who cares. It's a Corvette.

 

[titan81]

1963-1967 are badged Sting Ray
1969-1976 are badged Stingray

all c3 are based on a Mako Shark concept, the 79-82 mako II cuz of the back windshield resembling the early Sting Rays

The 68 was a rushed into production car and GM took little time to do much else
other than the body change. 1969 got the stingray badge and a few fixes

 

[RodsnRides]

Titan81 is right!

That is precisely right. Good job, Titan81. One of the corrections for 1969 was the door handles. 1968 cars have their own door handles. Same thing with the backup lights-unique for that year.

Rick

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

all c3 are based on a Mako Shark concept, the 79-82 mako II cuz of the back windshield resembling the early Sting Rays

No wonder the poor guy is getting confused. The C3 was not based on the Mako Shark, the first show car came out in '62 and the 'production version' ran from '63 to '67

http://www.corvettefever.com/featuredvehicles/18481/index1.html

The car you are referring to is the Mako I or Mako II/Manta Ray

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/prototypes/mako2.html


To stretch a point, ANY Corvette from '62 through to '82 could be called a 'Mako'

 

[BarryK]

1963-1967 are badged Sting Ray
1969-1976 are badged Stingray

all c3 are based on a Mako Shark concept, the 79-82 mako II cuz of the back windshield resembling the early Sting Rays

The 68 was a rushed into production car and GM took little time to do much else
other than the body change. 1969 got the stingray badge and a few fixes

excellent info and very correct except for one little thing......
Hard to say the '68 was "rushed" into production considering the fact that it was supposed to come out in '67. Although being worked on, it wasn't ready yet so they continued the C2 in '67 and introduced the C3's in '68.
If that means it was rushed than I'd hate to see it when they take their time! :L

The benefit of this though is that the '67 is considered the more refined and best of the C2's.

When the '68's were finally introduced there were still some issues that hadn't been resolved, most particually overheating in a lot of the Big Block motor cars but over the years owners of these cars have tended to get those problems worked out and really aren't much of an issue by now

 

[Tom73]

1963-1967 are badged Sting Ray
1969-1976 are badged Stingray

all c3 are based on a Mako Shark concept, the 79-82 mako II cuz of the back windshield resembling the early Sting Rays

The 68 was a rushed into production car and GM took little time to do much else
other than the body change. 1969 got the stingray badge and a few fixes

In Chevy ads they refered to the '68 as a "Sting Ray" same as the 63-67. Just no badges on them.

tom...

 

[JohnZ]

excellent info and very correct except for one little thing......
Hard to say the '68 was "rushed" into production considering the fact that it was supposed to come out in '67. Although being worked on, it wasn't ready yet so they continued the C2 in '67 and introduced the C3's in '68.
If that means it was rushed than I'd hate to see it when they take their time! :L

Barry, the '68 WAS "rushed" into production; my Production Engineering Group launched it. In spite of the 1-year delay from the original '67 target date, the Engineering and Development wasn't finished, the tooling wasn't done, and the suppliers weren't ready. As a result, there were more running changes made in '68 than in any other year, more one-year-only parts, and most of the car was redesigned for the '69 model year to get it right. That's why nothing but convertibles were built until February - the coupe "T"-roof was a last-minute redesign, and none of the tooling or parts were ready until mid-January. :eyerole

 

[titan81]

when i say rushed I dont mean the release of the car
I mean the drastic changes mechanically too
It was not ready in 67 so then they had nothing else for 68
so they did release it. This is why the 68 has more problems (generally)
then the 69 stingray

as for the mako shark, I dont see a difference if your calling the real Sting Ray
a Mako, and the 68-82 c3's a mako shark 1-II There is either a mako shark 1 or II
not 3 types IMO. The 63-67 is not a shark its a sting ray. Why would you call
that body style a mako shark, the next a mako shark I and mako shark II
but to be politcally correct I already stated when the 2 switched in the c3
the 63-67 is not a Shark.

 

[titan81]

also if you read the link its only
a "shark" due to the paint scheme.
They never once call a Sting Ray 63-67
a shark, its painted like a shark he caught.

 

[RedRagTop]

My brother has one and figures it's a Mako due to the one-off situation.

 

[RedRagTop]

And...

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

as for the mako shark, I dont see a difference if your calling the real Sting Ray
a Mako, and the 68-82 c3's a mako shark 1-II There is either a mako shark 1 or II
not 3 types IMO. The 63-67 is not a shark its a sting ray. Why would you call
that body style a mako shark, the next a mako shark I and mako shark II
but to be politcally correct I already stated when the 2 switched in the c3
the 63-67 is not a Shark.

??????, OK, I'll try again.

The first Mako Shark show car came out in 1961 and looked very much like the 1963-67 C2 'Midyear' body style. Please have a look at the pictures in the link.

http://www.corvettefever.com/featuredvehicles/18481/index1.html

I think you'll agree that this car looks nothing like a C3.

The car you are thinking of (the one that looks like a C3) is identified as a Mako I, II or Manta Ray.

The original poster was/is being fed all sorts of bogus info on what his car should be called, I was just trying to lessen the confusion.

 

[RedRagTop]

So then, is there a designation for the 68?

 

[JohnZ]

Yes, it's called a CORVETTE

 

[JJS]

Yup, Corvette. The owner should be absolutely thrilled to be able to drive and own one, as am I. I think it's time to move on.