ARTISAN CORVETTE: Redefining the iconic Sting Ray
April 23, 2020
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by Eric Becker
Among the hand-selected offerings during the Barrett-Jackson Online Only May 2020 Auction, May 8-17, 2020, is this stunning custom 1963 Split-Window Corvette.
The inaugural ad campaign slogan for the 1963 Corvette read, “Only a man with a heart of stone could withstand temptation like this.” Few still can today, particularly when master Corvette builder Jeff Hayes takes his fastidious approach to redefine an icon of American automotive performance history. Having built numerous award-winning custom Corvettes over the past decade, Hayes revisits the classic design and updates it with a modern context. The attention to detail is eye-watering; every component, whether cosmetic or mechanical, has been thoroughly gone over. The lines penned nearly half a lifetime ago by the Corvette’s skunkworks design team – Pete Brock, Larry Shinoda and Bill Mitchell – are just slightly breathed on, taking an icon of the 20th century into the 21st.
For the Online Only May 2020 Auction, Barrett-Jackson is delighted to present an iconic Corvette reborn, a tantalizing 1963 Corvette Split-Window. The car epitomizes the Resto-Mod/Pro-Touring ethos and takes it to the highest level. “What Jeff Hayes has done with this Corvette Sting Ray is nothing short of remarkable,” says Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Classic cars have a soul, an intangible feeling of connection between man and machine. What Jeff’s done is merge that soul with the performance of today, refining the car so that it can be considered better than the original in every way.”
When introduced, the advertorial tagline for the Sting Ray convertible read, “Up with the sun every morning.” We couldn’t agree more. Though instead of the traditional crowing rooster on a crisp morning, it would surely be preferable to hear the thundering idle of a pushrod V8 – even Foghorn Leghorn would agree. Waking up the neighbors in the case of this iconic ’63 Split-Window is a GM Hot Cam LS3 crate engine sending power through a 4L70E 4-speed overdrive transmission. Get behind the wheel for a morning spin and it’ll outgun even the strongest shot of espresso, pinning the driver to the back of the seat with 540 horsepower and an ear-to-ear grin.
The sights and sounds match the unmistakable feel of a ’63 ’Vette, but the forward thrust and lateral grip is something only the modern era could provide. Underneath, an Art Morrison chassis keeps the car glued to the road and allows form to follow function with a muscular stance. Keeping with the period-correct aesthetic, the custom Schott wheels are clad in Toyo Proxes 4 Plus red line tires. A set of Wilwood brakes at all four corners – 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston in the rear – provide ample stopping power.
Inside, the car features an interior flush with red leather. The leather trim accentuates the iconic dashboard cowls of the C2. Inlays of carbon-fiber surround the Vintage Air climate control switchgear and AutoMeter gauge cluster. A carbon-fiber center console highlights a polished Lokar shifter. Drivers take control via a color-keyed Billet Specialties steering wheel.
This ’63 Split-Window exudes presence, gleaming in a beautiful white finish – a white shark ready to strike at any moment. It is emblematic of the timeless Motor City aesthetic, a distinctly American design that looks at home cruising down Main Street or Wall Street. The second-generation Corvette, the Sting Ray, would change the way people viewed this all-American sports car. During the Barrett-Jackson Online Only May 2020 Auction, not even a stone heart will be able to withstand the temptation when bidding opens on this Corvette.
For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE. To view all the vehicles on the Online Only May 2020 Auction Preview Docket (with more being added daily), click HERE.