The cabin received as much, if not more, attention than the exterior. "It's got power windows and power vent windows, which is unusual [and] it's got one-off door panels, and Cadillac-style cut-pile carpeting," Yager points out. Those door panels are covered in the same white leather that covers the one-off, high-back bucket seats, as well as the center console. Yager notes the dash also got special attention. "Instead of being covered in vinyl, it had grain in the dash panel itself-they never did that [on production Corvettes]." Dashes were either flat or covered in vinyl. There's also a one-off tilt-and-telescope steering wheel with a teak rim, and one-off chrome floor grilles.
The coupe body received special attention before the DuPont Firefrost Blue paint (again, a Cadillac item) was sprayed on.
For power, the 365hp 327 was picked, with extra chrome pieces that the production '64s didn't have. It breathes out through a set of one-off prototype side exhausts, whose finned styling seems to foreshadow that of the production '69 Stingray side pipes. It's backed by a four-speed manual tranny, with the drivetrain likely getting the same meticulous attention the rest of the car did as it was assembled and installed.
After its stint in the Knudsen "home fleet," this Sting Ray was sold to a lucky Chevrolet engineer, who'd won the chance to buy it at a special GM employees party in the summer of 1964. Between then and when Yager acquired it, this car had at least three other owners-and one of them treated the car to a restoration that kept all its special one-off/prototype features.
What's it like to drive it? "It drives great," says Yager. What's it sound like? Hear for yourself, once you've fired up your computer. Follow this link: http://www.mamotorworks.com/MYgarage/cars/MYgaragesounds/1964styling.mp3 ...then turn your computer's sound up. (WAAAYY up!)
Along with the adoring gazes of Corvette lovers, this car is due for some attention of a different kind. "Makes & Models magazine wants to do a photo shoot with it," Yager says of the fashion publication that's outside the general automotive area, but obviously notices eye-grabbing automotive style. "They'd like to shoot good-looking models with [it], then do all the high-end fashion around them." We'd suggest filming this car with models decked out in styles reminiscent of what Diana Rigg wore on TV's The Avengers!
Exhausting ::The one-off...
Exhausting ::The one-off side exhausts give a hint of production side exhausts to come... and they sound better than they look!
See Ya Later ::Going or coming,...
See Ya Later ::Going or coming, you know this is one special Sting Ray...even when you can't hear those one-off side exhausts rumble.
Underhood Bling ::What's...
Underhood Bling ::What's a special Sting Ray without some special brightwork under the hood? (Not happening.) Extra chrome pieces were specified by Knudsen to grace the 365hp 327.