Corvette Sting Ray Roadster Pro Touring EFI LS3 430 HP V8 5 Speed PS PB A/C

SUMMARY

* Ground-up restoration that's only traveled 845 miles
* Chevrolet Performance LS3 / 430 horsepower
* Tremec 5-speed manual transmission / Hydraulic clutch
* Vintage Air conditioning
* Power steering
* Wilwood power disc brakes
* Custom tube chassis / C4 suspension
* 17-inch C5 wheels
* MP3-compatible stereo
* Lightly modified body

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When it comes to current automotive trends, nothing's hotter than the pro-touring movement. Pro-touring's blend of vintage style and modern performance creates an undeniable appeal that's literally changed the face of the marketplace. When that appeal is applied to a midyear Corvette, a car that's amassed a huge following, the end result is something enthusiasts will virtually line up to buy. And, in fact, the demand for those cars is so strong that some builds are claiming prices well beyond their OEM-restored siblings. Sporting an awesome combination of old school swagger and thoroughly modern underpinnings, this sweet Sting Ray follows the pro-touring formula perfectly. As the beneficiary of a thorough, ground-up restoration, the car has been completely reworked to include a full tube chassis, a hot Generation IV small block, a tough Tremec 5-speed and a custom, Corvette-derived suspension. If you want a classic that utilizes the best of 21st century technology to create an unforgettable driving experience, take a number and check out this killer convertible!

BODYWORK/TRIM

Sealed in traditional Nassau Blue 2-stage, and topped with fresh white vinyl, this slick C2 is the beneficiary of a professional restoration that occurred precisely 845 miles in the past. In addition to near-perfect alignment, the car's body features super sinuous aesthetics thanks to well-planned custom accents. Those striking aesthetics have been professionally massaged into a collection of surfaces, which is much nicer than anything that rolled out of the factory. And the result is a seductive, fully sorted roadster that presents as one of the finest classics in our 250 car showroom!

When you think of Corvettes, “classy” usually isn't the first thing that comes to mind. It's not that America's sports car lacks class. It simply floods the mind with far more appealing descriptors like fast, free and lust-worthy. After all, this C2 was built to lap tracks, not float through a stuffy regimen of tea times. At the front of the car, bullet-style marker lights, a brilliant bumper and a prominent red, white and black cross-flag emblem cage a body-width, stainless-trimmed grille. At the sides of that grille, '67 Corvette heat extractors ride between traditional door handles, a chrome bowtie mirror and Satin Black rocker guards. Opposite those guards, a '67 Corvette hood funnels a white stinger stripe toward like-new glass that's framed in fresh stainless trim. And behind those mirrors, standard, monochromatic taillights illuminate a chrome-trimmed fuel filler, a clean “Corvette Sting Ray” script, a chrome-trimmed tag bracket and small, equally brilliant bumpers.

ENGINE

Gaze upon this Chevy's professionally finished engine bay and you'll find 6.2 liters of small block fury! Officially known as the Chevrolet Performance LS3, that smooth crate engine twists respectable 10.7 to 1 compression into 430 horsepower and 424 lb./ft. of everyday usable torque. And despite consistently delivering track-blistering, low-end performance, it revs to 6,600 RPM and regularly achieves over 20 MPG! Up top, a polished air cleaner funnels wind in to a factory-spec throttle body. That air marries fuel under rectangular-port, L92-style heads. That volatile marriage is compressed by a nodular crank, powdered connecting rods and hypereutectic pistons. A high-lift hydraulic roller camshaft makes smooth power. There's a beefy Griffin radiator that's fitted with a large electric puller fan. And a polished Street & Performance pulley system combines with a Speartech computer harness, fresh AC Delco plug wires and a modern Wilwood master cylinder to detail otherwise purpose-built performance.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

As our regular readers know, this is the paragraph that separates the pristine pro-tourers from the well-done resto-mods. And this Sting Ray's thoroughly updated underpinnings leave no doubt as to its affiliation with the former. A custom tube frame was a perfect foundation for the car's inspired resurrection. Behind the LS3, a tough hydraulic clutch kicks a fresh Tremec 5-speed. That proven gearbox twists a posi-traction differential around big, 3.73 gears. That curve-carving chassis rides a fourth generation Corvette suspension, which is turned by modern power steering, balanced by a Vette Brake Products spring and steadied by Vette Brake Products strut rods. Power-assisted stops are provided by Wilwood disc brakes. Spent gases swirl from 2.5-inch true-dual pipes to throaty turbo mufflers and polished stainless tips. And torque meets the pavement via chrome fifth generation Corvette alloys and 255/45ZR17 Sumitomo HTR+s.

INTERIOR

Inside this Chevy you'll find a nostalgic Bright Blue interior that's puts the high class in high style. Deluxe leather seats feel firm to the touch, showing virtually no signs of wear. In front of those seats, a 2-tone dash hangs fully rebuilt gauges next to an analog clock, Vintage Air climate control and a correct AM/FM radio that's been updated with an MP3 port. Under that dash, a small console centers a booted shifter between color-keyed floor mats. Opposite that console, good-looking door panels trace pliable armrests with clean chrome handles and bright stainless trim. And in front of the driver, a polished steering wheel spins a thick wood rim around a tilting Flaming River column.

Logging just over 845 miles since the completion of its build, this Corvette is ready to be driven, shown and enjoyed in any way its new owner sees fit. With its stout, fuel-injected small block, modern Tremec transmission, impressive chassis and healthy list of modern amenities, the car is right at home participating in AACA Auto X OR occupying the front row of a local car show. If you've been eyeing the pro-touring movement patiently waiting for the right classic, anticipate no longer!