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The Corvette - 1967
Though it was meant to be a redesign, the 1967 Corvette
turned out to be another carryover Sting Ray, because its intended successor
was found to have some undesirable aerodynamic traits. Duntov demanded more
time in the wind tunnel to devise fixes before it went into production.
Front-fender "gills," single backup lamp above the license plate, and central
handbrake identified the last-of-the-line 1967 Corvette Sting Ray.
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Still, the 1967 Corvette was a Sting Ray refined to the
limit -- the very best of the five-year run and quite possibly the best
Corvette ever. It was certainly the cleanest Sting Ray ever, though changes
were again modest. Five smaller front fender vents replaced the three larger
ones, and flat-finish rockers sans ribbing conferred a lower, less chunky
appearance. New, and thus unique, was a single backup light, mounted above the
license plate. The previous models' old-fashioned wheel covers gave way to
slotted six-inch Rally wheels with chrome beauty rings and lug nuts concealed
behind small chrome caps. Interior alterations were likewise modest and
included revised upholstery, and the handbrake moved from beneath the dash to
between the seats. The convertible's optional hardtop was now dubiously offered
with a black vinyl cover, which was a fad among all cars at the time.
Powertrains changed hardly at all. The two small-block V-8s
returned, as did the 390-bhp big-block (hulking beneath a redesigned hood
scoop). But the top two 427s now developed 400 and 435 bhp with a switch to
triple two-barrel carburetors. As before, they differed in compression ratios
-- 10.25:1 and 11.0:1, respectively -- and the solid lifters and transistorized
ignition that went on the 425-bhp unit. The latter, RPO L71, was also available
with special aluminum heads (instead of cast iron) and larger-diameter exhaust
valves as RPO L89, though with the same grossly understated horsepower.
Very little was changed in the powerful 1967 Corvette engine.
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The ultimate Corvette engine for '67 was coded L88, which
was an even wilder L89 that was as close to a pure racing engine as Chevy had
ever offered in regular production. Besides the lightweight heads and bigger
ports, it came with an even hotter cam, aluminum radiator, small-diameter
flywheel, stratospheric 12.5:1 compression, and a single huge Holley
four-barrel carburetor. The result was no less than 560 bhp, again at 6400 rpm.
Only one problem: You had to use 103-octane racing fuel, which was available
only at select service stations. Clearly this was not an engine for the casual
motorist. When the L88 was ordered, Chevy made several individual options
mandatory, including Positraction, the transistorized ignition, heavy-duty
suspension, and power brakes, as well as RPO C48, which deleted the normal
radio and heater to cut down on weight and discourage the car's use on the
street. As costly as it was powerful -- at an additional $1,500 over the base
$4,240.75 price -- the L88 engine and required options were sold to a mere 20
power-hungry buyers that year.
With potential buyers anticipating the car's overdue
redesign, sales for the Sting Ray's final year totaled 22,940, down over 5,000
units from 1966 results. Meanwhile, Chevrolet readied its third-generation
Corvette for the 1968 model year. While the new model would hit the streets for
the first time in five years without the Sting Ray designation, it would
nonetheless retain a marine-based appellation, albeit as a nickname. Soon the
"Shark" would emerge to prowl the turbulent waters that were churning
in late-1960's America.
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