From the October 1962 Issue of Car and Driver.
One glance at the new Corvette tells you that it is faster and sportier than its predecessors. And when you drive a Corvette Sting Ray, either the convertible or the fastback Sport Coupé, you find that the excitement is far more than skin deep. Hiding independent rear suspension under its sculptured tail, the Corvette is now second to no other production sports car in road-holding and is still the most powerful.
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The biggest innovation this year is that the coupé is now a separate, distinct body rather than an alternative top for a basically open roadster. As is traditional with Corvette, both the coupé and the convertible are made of fiberglass. There is good reason to believe that the new coupé was inspired by the dramatic introduction of Jaguar’s XK-E coupé at the Coliseum in April, 1961. GM personnel are known to have borrowed the keys to the Jaguar and come back late the night of opening day to measure and sketch it inside and out. Just as the XK-E coupé is faster than the roadster, so is the Sting Ray Sport Coupé faster than the convertible. With open exhausts, the coupé has exceeded 160 mph, and with full street equipment it will still be able to do a genuine 155, whereas the top speed of the convertible lies between 150 and 155, according to Zora Arkus-Duntov.
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More prosaically—but very important—the seating position has been tremendously improved over previous Corvettes. The seats are farther back and so many adjustment possibilities are provided that any driver should be able to find a comfortable position. Straight-arm driving is at last possible, and visibility over the sloping hood is very good. From behind the wheel, the car looks and feels smaller than the “old” Corvette, and it is.
The wheelbase has been reduced from 102 to 98 inches, and the front track is down from 57 inches to 56.3, while the rear track has been reduced from 59 inches to 57. All of this makes it more nimble and more easily steered with precision.
When it was boosted to 327 bhp last year, it became obvious that the Corvette could not again be improved by merely adding power. With the chassis thus at its limit, it was decided to make improvements where they were needed most: in the frame and suspension. Zora Arkus-Duntov, H. F. Barr, and E. J. Premo of Chevrolet Engineering got together to build an all-new chassis, drawing extensively on their experience with the Corvette SS of 1957, the Sting Ray, and the CERV-1.
The geometry of the independent rear suspension has been directly derived from the open-wheel racing car prototype, CERV-1. There was no room on the ’63 Corvette for coil springs as used on the CERV-1, so Duntov chose a transverse leaf spring and put it behind and below the differential housing.
Unsplined half-shafts with two universal joints each function as upper wishbones. Underneath each is a simple lateral control rod; driving and braking thrust are taken up by stamped-steel radius arms. The differential housing is bolted to the frame both front and rear.
Compared with the rigid axle of the 1962 Corvette, the new model has a lower rear roll center (8.13 inches above ground level against 9.0). This is the same as on the CERV-1, while the Dion-suspended SS and Sting Ray had roll centers 8.0 inches above the ground.
In their normal position, the rear wheels have 1.5° negative camber. In full compression, this is increased to 5.5° negative camber, and full rebound gives a positive camber of 4°. Wheel travel is 3.15 inches on compression and 4.0 inches on rebound. The design originally called for 3.75 inches of travel on compression, but GM Styling’s fender line forced a slight reduction. The front wheels rise the full 3.75 inches on compression and fall four inches on rebound, with very small camber variations: 3.18° negative on full compression, 1.73° on full rebound, with a normal setting 0.5° negative. Spring rates at the wheel are 105 lbs/inch at front and 125 lbs/inch at rear, giving a higher static deflection at the front.
The Corvette Sting Ray has a more nearly horizontal roll axis than the 1962 model, as the front roll center has been raised 3.4 inches, while the rear has been lowered 1.13 inches. This has increased the roll stiffness and contributes to more balanced reactions in the car on turns.
Most important advance in the chassis design lies in its geometry. The rear suspension also brings about a sizable reduction in unsprung weight, for the unsprung parts in the 1963 rear suspension add up to about 210 pounds, while the rear axle, wheels and unsprung parts of the leaf springs and radius rods of the 1962 Corvette weigh 350.
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With the switch to independent rear suspension, it was natural for Chevrolet to design a brand-new frame. They knew that compared with the X-braced, boxed-in channel steel frame then used, a simple steel tube frame (as on the production-model Ferrari) has many advantages. It is light and rigid, and offers, with proper design, correct attachment points for the body work. The Chevrolet engineers designed a similar tubular frame and a prototype was made. Then, because tubing costs so much, built-up box sections were substituted one place after another. The frame ended up with no tubes at all by the time it was released to production—heavier than the optimistic prototype, but more economical to produce.
Knowing so much more about sports cars than they did in 1953, they put the frame members outboard of the seats instead of directly under them. As well as giving a more comfortable seating position, this permits a much lower roof. The total height of the coupé is only 49-1/2 inches (the top of just the windshield of the 1962 model stood 52 inches off the ground). The body shape has been carefully tested in wind tunnels both at full scale and with 3/8-scale models. It was decided not to incorporate a belly pan, since a flat bottom would only raise the maximum speed by about two mph and the added weight would hurt the acceleration.
The center of gravity has been lowered from 19 inches in the 1962 model to 17.5 inches and moved slightly rearward. The weight distribution with the 20-gallon tank full is almost exactly 50/50, the rear wheels carrying perhaps 14 pounds more of the 3,012 total. The 1962 model had a 52/48 weight distribution, with a curb weight of 3,048 pounds on a full 16.4-gallon tank.
Though the 34-pound weight reduction seems surprisingly small, there are several reasons for this. Heavier gauge metal is being used in the frame and body reinforcements, and the exhaust system alone, a new design adopted for its longer life, weighs 80 pounds. Then there are various luxury items such as the concealed headlights with their electric motors and hinge mechanism.
One of the necessary luxuries, and therefore one of the most appreciated, is the introduction of fully adjustable seats. The backrest rake is infinitely variable, and the seats have a four-inch fore-and-aft travel. The seat height above the floor has three positions, with a difference of 1.24 inches between upper and lower. In addition, there is a three-inch adjustment on the steering column to get the wheel closer or farther away. The pedals are extremely well placed. The accelerator is close to the tunnel, letting the foot rest against its side, and there is plenty of room left of the clutch pedal for the driver to brace himself. The importance of these adjustments cannot be overestimated, and it is highly encouraging that Chevrolet has adopted them all.
The now-usual heavy-duty (i.e., racing) kit includes stiffer front and rear springs and front anti-roll bar, cast-aluminum wheels with knockoff hubs, an extra-large (36-1/2 gallons) gas tank, finned aluminum brakes, sintered metallic brake linings, and dual master cylinders separating the front and rear brakes. Required by all who plan to race the Sting Ray in serious competition, the kit will be for the coupé only.
Evidently Chevrolet wishes to keep the convertible out of racing. One reason is surely the obviously stronger body structure of the coupé. Not only does the roof itself add rigidity, but there are roll-bar-like steel reinforcements on both sides that extend from the frame and meet in the roof.
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A Saginaw mechanical (recirculating ball) steering gear is standard and incorporates a lovely refinement: the steering arms are all made with two tie rod attachment holes, so that the driver can easily adjust the steering ratio from 19.6-to-one to 17-to-one. The slow steering gives 3.4 turns of the wheel lock to lock, and the quick ratio only 2.9.
Power steering is optional with the 250-bhp and 300-bhp engines only, and uses the quick steering ratio. There is a built-in steering damper on all linkages (except the heavy duty steering) but it is set to give some feedback even with the power steering in order to increase the “feel” of the road.
Even the “slow” manual steering is not very slow, although right-hand street corners cannot be negotiated without changing the grip on the wheel rim. With the quick steering, the hands need not be moved from their normal location.
Thanks to the improved geometry and the rearward relocation of the center of gravity for 1963, steering effort is very low, and the car inspires a high degree of confidence which continues to grow with closer acquaintance.
Cornering behavior is extremely stable, and the car has the added advantage of a power reserve so that a high-speed drift can be entered and maintained even by moderately skilled drivers. In a balanced drift the tail hangs out, but very little correction is called for, as throttle steering seems the natural way of aiding the car round the curve. This must not be misunderstood to mean that the car is dependent on engine power to pull it out of a turn. The Corvette can actually be flung around tight corners in neutral, without loss of adhesion, but naturally it loses speed in the process.
General Motors is still unwilling to go to disc brakes, mainly for cost reasons, although experiments with disc brakes are being conducted continually. While it is interesting that the original Sting Ray has recently been fitted with Dunlop discs, the production Corvette Sting Ray has drum brakes with 18% more friction area than on the 1962 Corvettes. The new standard brakes are adjusted automatically when the car is braked while backing. The optional brake system with sintered metallic linings and twin master cylinders have a different automatic adjustment, which operates on forward motion of the car. The tires are the same size as before, 6.70 x 15, with 5.5-inch wide-base steel bolt-on wheels and bright-metal hub caps. Cast-aluminum wheels with knock-off hubs are available as an option.
All engine options are based on the now-familiar 327-cubic-inch V-8 with four-inch bore and 3.25-inch stroke. With a 10.5-to-one compression ratio and a small four-barrel carburetor it develops 250 bhp at 4,400 rpm. With the same compression and a large four-barrel carburetor, output is raised to 300 bhp at 5,000 rpm. A compression increase to 11.25-to-one together with the large four-barrel gives 340 bhp at 6,000 rpm. This latter engine, with fuel injection instead of carburetion, produces 360 bhp at 6,000 rpm.
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Powerglide is optional with the 250-bhp and 300-bhp versions, while a manually controlled three-speed gearbox is standard. The all-synchromesh four-speed transmission is optional with all engines.
The standard final drive ratio is 3.36 to one, though 3.70 to one is available without Positraction with the two most powerful engines. Positraction non-slip differentials offer a very wide choice of ratios: 3.08, 3.36, 3.55, 3.70, 4.11 and 4.56 to one.
The Powerglide option is the same as on the 1962 model, with a floor-mounted lever moving in the familiar P-R-N-D-L quadrant. Low and reverse ratios are 1.76 to one, and the maximum torque conversion ratio at stall is 2.10 to one.
The four-speed transmission has the same close ratios as last year: 2.20 to one in first, 1.66 in second, 1.31 in third and direct in top. The three-speed gear box has a 2.47-to-one low gear, a 1.53-to-one second and a direct third. This transmission has synchromesh on second and third.
Considerable effort has been made to enrich the interior of the Corvette. The 1963 models have all-vinyl interiors, and Chevrolet plans to offer genuine leather upholstery later in the year. Seat belts are standard.
The floor covering is a deep twist carpet, which is also used in the luggage space behind the passenger compartment. The headlining for the sport coupé is molded vinyl-coated fiberglass, which is hard to stain and easy to clean.
The center console and the dashboard hood are trimmed with a padded vinyl cover. Above the glove compartment is a grab rail.
GM Styling has found a way to combine ornamentation with function in several instances. The large Corvette emblem on the rear deck conceals a large centrally lcated fuel filler cap. The flush-fitting headlights recalling those of the 1936 Cord and the ’42 De Soto not only improve the aerodynamics but in daytime motoring also protect the lenses from dirt and stones.
Much attention has been paid to ease of entry and exit. The gently curved windshield has straight corner pillars, and the coupé doors extend into the roof panel to add entrance height. The deep twin windows give a good rear view.
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Air evacuation from the engine takes place under the car. The functional grilles on the hood of the original Sting Ray become merely dummies on the 1963 Corvette, because they would draw air and fumes into the heater-ventilator air intake on the cowl. If it turns out that aerodynamic lift at racing speeds is a problem, making them genuine with a hacksaw would be easy.
Chevrolet was first to offer a genuine American sports car. In its first stage it was strictly a boulevard job. When the T-Bird stole that market, Duntov had the delightful task of making a real racer out of it—and succeeded in producing a car which has earned a respected place on the track. In a pragmatic way, he did it with brute power and a minimum of subtlety. Now the Corvette enters its third era. It is still tremendously powerful (less than 10 pounds per bhp), but now it has suspension to match its speed potential.
Prices of the two Corvette Sting Ray models have not yet been announced, but Chevrolet spokesmen have indicated that no appreciable increase is expected. If this is true, they offer fantastic value for money, whether you want to race or drive fast over long distances in comfort, or merely need a smart-looking car to use around town.
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Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com
