For Sale: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette in Bradenton, Florida

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible �€" 427 Big Block, Muncie 4-Speed, Holley Sniper EFI Why This Car Is Special The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray was a clean-sheet redesign that redefined what an American sports car could be. It was the first Corvette to wear the Sting Ray name officially, the first to offer a coupe body style, and the first to introduce independent rear suspension as a standard feature �€" a chassis engineering leap that put it in direct conversation with European sports cars of the era. Chevrolet built 21,513 Corvettes for the 1963 model year, split between the iconic split-window coupe and the convertible. This is one of the convertibles, and it carries the bones of one of the most important model years in Corvette history. The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray was designed by Bill Mitchell and Larry Shinoda, and the body lines they created have aged better than almost any other American car of the postwar era. The long hood, recessed headlights, and pinched waistline were all new for 1963 and set the visual template for the entire C2 generation, which ran through 1967. From a collector and driver standpoint, the 1963 is the first year of the body style and holds a particular place in the market because of it. This specific car has been built as an honest driver �€" not a trailer queen, not a numbers-matching show car �€" but a 1963 Corvette Sting Ray with real performance upgrades and a freshened interior that make it significantly more enjoyable to own and drive than a stock example at this price point. The 427 cubic inch big block engine, Holley Sniper EFI system, Muncie 4-speed manual transmission, and detailed undercarriage tell you clearly what kind of car this is and what kind of owner built it. Features List - 427 Big Block V8 - Holley Sniper EFI (self-tuning electronic fuel injection) - Muncie 4-Speed Manual Transmission - Polished Aluminum Valve Covers - Cross-Flag Air Cleaner - Aluminum Radiator - 427 Stinger Hood - Chrome Side Exhaust Pipes - American Racing Torque Thrust Wheels - Full Gauge Cluster with Tachometer - Independent Rear Suspension - New Tan Leather Interior - Tan Convertible Top - Custom AutoSound Stereo - Sting Ray Badging - Detailed Undercarriage Mechanical The heart of this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray is a 427 cubic inch big block V8. It is worth noting that the 427 was not a factory option in 1963 �€" Chevrolet offered small blocks and the 396 in later years, with the 427 becoming a Corvette option beginning in 1966. What this car has is a 427 big block that was installed as part of a performance build, which is a common and well-respected practice in the Corvette hobby. The engine has been fitted with a Holley Sniper EFI system in place of a conventional carburetor. The Sniper is a throttle body fuel injection unit that mounts in the same location as a four-barrel carb, but delivers electronic fuel metering, self-tuning capability, and significantly improved cold-start and hot-restart behavior. For a car that gets driven, not just shown, this is a practical and reversible upgrade. Polished aluminum valve covers and a cross-flag air cleaner keep the engine bay looking period-correct from a distance while the EFI does its work underneath. The Muncie 4-speed manual transmission is the correct gearbox for this car both historically and mechanically. Muncie close-ratio and wide-ratio 4-speeds were the performance transmission of choice for Corvettes throughout the 1960s, and pairing one with a 427 big block is exactly how serious Corvette builders have always approached the combination. An aluminum radiator handles cooling duties, which is a sensible upgrade given the additional heat output of the larger displacement engine. The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray's independent rear suspension was a major engineering story when this car was new. For the first time, Corvette buyers got a fully independent rear setup using U-jointed half-shafts, a three-link arrangement w