Stan Norm is a self-described “Vette guy” who has invested heavily in the iconic two-seater road rockets from General Motors over the years.
He is the proud owner of a 1963 Corvette Sting Ray, a legendary second-generation Vette commonly known as a C-2 model because they were the second generation of Corvettes and arguably the coolest versions.
The General branded C-2 Vettes with the Sting Ray label because the car company wanted to distance the ’63 models from the 1953-61 C-1 models and subsequently made sweeping changes to the Sting Ray versions.
Jim Sutherland
A 1963 Corvette Sting Ray was such a radical departure from its predecessors that George Jetson would have looked right at home behind the steering wheel. The car’s strikingly sleek front end included hideaway headlights positioned behind a very aerodynamic design edge. Bear in mind that Detroit’s Big Three gang were much better known for building bricks with massive horsepower prior to the introduction of the ‘63 Sting Ray.
The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray’s fastback coupe versions added to its fast-at-a-standstill design and its power choices ensured the fiberglass beauties were indeed fast on the road and track.
As mentioned in the title, Norm’s ’63 Vette is a former track star that spent its early years on the quarter mile race circuit in California before it was bought by Norm from its former owner in Salmon Arm, British Columbia Canada about 16 years ago.
The car still has GM’s famous 327 cubic-inch small block engine and the vintage powerplant puts out 300 horsepower, according to Norm. The 327 is hooked up to a 4-speed manual transmission that sends the engine’s herd of ponies down to a very low ratio rear end that is a problem at higher speeds in Norm’s opinion,
Norm describes the experience this way: “It (his Vette) screams down the highway”. He does not want to abuse the 327 but Norm also wants to expand his driving range, so he intends to replace the very low drag strip gears with higher freeway-friendly gears to drop the RPMs and save the engine on future longer trips. He is currently limited to local shows and wants to change that game.
Norm likes his Sting Ray’s black paint scheme and noted the car has a few trim enhancements to add to its overall style. For example, the Vette has factory stainless steel trim wrapped around its windshield, along with chrome vents that Norm added to give his car a little more bling, given its black paint job and overall scarcity of shiny cosmetic pieces.
1963 was the only year a C-2 Corvette had a middle bar in the back window of its fastback models because it hindered the driver’s sight lines and, as a result, many owners removed the bars, but Norm’s Sting Ray still has its bar. These days the distinctive bar separates the ’63 Vette from newer C-2 models and is a very desirable feature on Norm’s car.
The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray fastback was (and still is) an automotive legend, a fact not lost on Norm when it debuted over 60 years ago. MyStarCollectorCar will give the final assessment to Norm:
“It was so much over the top”.
Stan Norm
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest
CLICK HERE to Sign Up for the Newsletter
CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
