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It’s Mine: Calgarian's 1963 Sting Ray a powerful passion
Split-window Corvette put out 340 ponies
By Robert K. Rooney, For the Calgary Herald
May 16, 2013
Andy Nyenhuis and his 1963 Corvette.
Photograph by: Leah Hennel , Calgary Herald
Chevrolet introduced the Corvette in 1953. As an attempt to prove American companies could produce a world-class sports car, it fell a fair way short of the mark. Still, Chevy persevered and, by 1962, the Corvette had evolved into a pretty decent piece of sporting machinery — aided in no small part by the gobs of power available from Chevy’s small-block V-8.
The 1963 Corvette was a significant leap forward. With its more sophisticated chassis and suspension, the body was both lighter and stronger. For the first time, wind tunnel testing had been used in the styling process so the car was not just striking in appearance, but more aerodynamic than ever. Previous ’Vettes had been convertibles with optional, removable hard tops. The ’63 came in two models, a convertible and a coupe. The coupe was distinguished by its unusual rear window that enthusiasts soon labelled the “split-window.” All in all, the new sporty Chevy was so new that it even got a new name. The cars weren’t just Corvettes any more. They were Corvette Sting Rays.
Somewhere around 1980, Andy Nyenhuis was at an Alberta Post-War Car Society barbecue with his father. The father and son had worked together to restore a Chevrolet pickup. “Somebody pulled up in an old Corvette,” Nyenhuis recalls. “I knew I had to have one. When I had saved enough money, I think I was 20, I bought one.”
Full Story: It’s Mine: Calgarian's 1963 Sting Ray a powerful passion
Split-window Corvette put out 340 ponies
By Robert K. Rooney, For the Calgary Herald
May 16, 2013
Andy Nyenhuis and his 1963 Corvette.
Photograph by: Leah Hennel , Calgary Herald
Chevrolet introduced the Corvette in 1953. As an attempt to prove American companies could produce a world-class sports car, it fell a fair way short of the mark. Still, Chevy persevered and, by 1962, the Corvette had evolved into a pretty decent piece of sporting machinery — aided in no small part by the gobs of power available from Chevy’s small-block V-8.
The 1963 Corvette was a significant leap forward. With its more sophisticated chassis and suspension, the body was both lighter and stronger. For the first time, wind tunnel testing had been used in the styling process so the car was not just striking in appearance, but more aerodynamic than ever. Previous ’Vettes had been convertibles with optional, removable hard tops. The ’63 came in two models, a convertible and a coupe. The coupe was distinguished by its unusual rear window that enthusiasts soon labelled the “split-window.” All in all, the new sporty Chevy was so new that it even got a new name. The cars weren’t just Corvettes any more. They were Corvette Sting Rays.
Somewhere around 1980, Andy Nyenhuis was at an Alberta Post-War Car Society barbecue with his father. The father and son had worked together to restore a Chevrolet pickup. “Somebody pulled up in an old Corvette,” Nyenhuis recalls. “I knew I had to have one. When I had saved enough money, I think I was 20, I bought one.”
Full Story: It’s Mine: Calgarian's 1963 Sting Ray a powerful passion