The Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray was first introduced as the second generation Corvettes came out and they have been produced ever since. This article features the 1970 Corvette Stingray which was a third generation Chevrolet Corvette.
The first generation, referred to as the C1’s, ran from 1953 to 1962. The second generation Corvette’s were produced from 1963 to 1967 and are known as the C2’s. The third generation Chevy Corvette were called the C3’s and were produced from 1968 to 1982. Chevrolet used the word Sting Ray (two words) for the second generation Corvette models and the word Stingray (one word) for the third generation cars.
Many might say that the Corvette was the most popular high performance sports car ever built. While this may surely be true, there are those who consider true sports cars as being something from Europe regardless of the fact that the Corvette’s performance is considered superior. Corvette owners may also be a part of the largest active sports car owners group in the world. Pick a city and you’ll have an easy time locating Chevy Corvette clubs.
The car featured in this article is the 1970 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a third generation Corvette. Although the engine and chassis was from the second generation models, the interior and body was new. Also new for the third generation Corvettes was the T-Top Coupe.
A good number of design changes were made since the car’s inception in 1953. The first Corvette’s were rushed into production in late 1953 primarily due to the great reception the concept car received earlier that year at the New York Auto Show. As a result of the rushed production there were a lot of things that could be added and tweaked in later models.
The 1970 Corvette Stingray
If you’re talking about Corvette’s the two subjects to explore are style and performance. The fiberglass body came with big flared fenders and stylish vent grilles, two things that many classic Corvettes are known for. The first flared fenders came out with the 1970 models. The Corvette’s interior had newly designed seats along with wood grain paneling. The year 1970 also saw the Corvette offered in more colors.
As far as performance is concerned, the 1970 Chevrolet Corvette was advertised to go from Zero to 60 MPH in 5.7 seconds. Horsepower available with the 1970 models could reach 460 horsepower.
1970 Chevy Corvette Specifications
There were three engines to choose from with the 1970 Corvette Sting Ray.
Most of the 1970 Corvettes were built with big block engines although the Chevy small block LT 350 cubic inch was offered and could produce 370 horsepower. Another small block 350 cubic inch engine offered delivered 350 horsepower.
The big block Chevy engine was a 454 cubic inch V-8 that delivered a spectacular 460 horsepower. All three engines had cylinders at ninety degree angles with each cylinder having two valves.
The transmissions offered with the 1970 Corvette was either an automatic or a three or four speed manual. If you were performance minded chances are that you preferred the manual with it’s high performance clutch.
The exhaust tips were shaped rectangular with the 1970 models and the word Stingray appeared on the side of the car.
Racing equipment could also be ordered that included brakes, stabilizing bars and special suspension.
The 1970 Chevy Corvette Stingray’s wheelbase was 98.0 inches, overall length of 182.5 inches, width of 69.2 inches and height of 47.8 inches.
The Corvette Stingray’s weight was about 3,400 lbs which when matched with the horsepower delivered by the big or small block Chevy engine gave you quite a ride.
The third generation Chevrolet Corvettes were a bit heavier than the second generation having various gadgets added such as fiber optic light monitors and pop up windshield wipers just to name a few.
Production figures for the 1970 Corvette were 10,668 coupes built and 6,648 convertibles.
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The 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Collector’s Car
Just about any Chevrolet Corvette built is a collector’s car. Some obviously more than others. Generally the Sting Ray’s (second generation) are more valuable than the Stingrays (third generation). The Corvette (C3) auction price or selling price of course also is influenced by the car’s condition, mileage and degree of restoration performed.
As of this writing, several 1970 Stingray’s have been offered in the high $40,000 range. Auction results for the 1970 Chevy Corvette Stingray indicate a high price of about $180,000 (2008) for a finely restored model and low prices below $10,000 for an non restored car. The average auction sales price over the past five years has been in the $45,000 to $90,000 range for a finely restored 1970 Corvette. Current economic conditions will of course also influence sales and auction prices.