Few American cars are as instantly recognizable as the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray with its one-year-only split rear window. When the WD Detailing YouTube channel discovered one that had been sitting in a barn for roughly two decades, the team knew it had found something special.
The Corvette had belonged to a man named Rick, who reportedly cherished the car and wanted it to go to someone who would preserve its character. After Rick passed away, the car eventually found a new caretaker named Ken, who agreed that the Corvette should remain largely as Rick had intended.
Years of storage had not been kind to the car. Its body was covered in dust and animal debris, the interior had been heavily contaminated by mice, some of the wiring had been chewed, and the engine had not run in years.
Even so, the underlying car was still remarkably complete. Underneath the dirt sat a modified but highly desirable 1963 Sting Ray with a manual transmission, burgundy paint, red interior, side exhaust, and a small-block V8 waiting for another chance.
Two Decades Of Dirt Had To Come Off
WD Detailing started with the exterior, carefully washing away years of grime before moving on to paint decontamination. The team used iron remover, a clay treatment, compound, and polish to bring the finish back from its heavily oxidized state.
The burgundy paint turned out to be much better than expected once the surface was cleaned. Although the Corvette had originally left the factory in Tuxedo Black, the later repaint had been applied to a surprisingly high standard and still had plenty of depth underneath the contamination.
Even some of the car’s smaller details showed how much history it had accumulated. Rear rock-chip guards were held in place with paper clips, proving that not every repair made during its life had involved concours-level craftsmanship.
The important thing was that the Corvette still looked like a car someone had actually used and enjoyed. Rather than erasing every imperfection, the detail focused on bringing the existing finish back to life.
The Interior Had Become A Home For Mice
The cabin presented a much harder challenge than the bodywork. Two live mice were discovered behind the seats, while years of droppings and urine had left the carpet badly contaminated.
The team initially considered cleaning and saving the original carpet, but the smell and condition made replacement the more sensible option. Ken agreed to install new carpet and additional insulation while preserving the rest of the red interior wherever possible.
Once the damaged carpet was removed, WD Detailing cleaned the seats, dashboard, gauges, steering wheel, and interior trim in detail. The red cabin responded well and began looking far closer to the way Rick would have remembered it.
That red interior is important because the Corvette left the factory with Tuxedo Black paint over red upholstery. It remains one of the most striking color combinations offered on the first-year C2.
The Corvette No Longer Has Its Original Engine Setup
This Sting Ray is not mechanically stock, and that was largely by Rick’s choice. According to Ken, the car had a 454-cubic-inch big-block when Rick acquired it, but he preferred a lighter small-block that would better suit the Corvette’s handling.
Rick reportedly negotiated to have a balanced and blueprinted 327 installed instead. The engine still sits under the hood today and wears Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads along with an Edelbrock intake manifold.
The car also came with cast-iron cylinder heads and original-style Corvette valve covers, which Ken may reinstall. That would bring some of the engine bay’s appearance closer to period specification without undoing the mechanical setup Rick preferred.
Before any attempt was made to start the car, the team changed the very old engine oil and added fresh fuel. Mouse-damaged wiring also had to be repaired before the engine bay could safely be cleaned and the electrical system tested.
The Split Window Finally Fired Again
One of the Corvette’s rotating headlights also refused to close properly during the restoration. WD Detailing manually worked the mechanism until the electric system began operating again, although one side still moved more slowly than the other.
With the paint polished and the interior cleaned, the finished Corvette was presented to Rick’s close friend Lorie. Her reaction showed how much of Rick’s memory remained tied to the car, especially after seeing the burgundy paint shining again for the first time in years.
The final challenge was getting the 327 to run. The engine struggled during the first attempt, but after another try it finally fired and settled into a strong V8 idle after roughly two decades of silence.
There is still more mechanical work required before the Corvette can be considered fully roadworthy. Even so, getting the split-window Sting Ray cleaned, preserved, and running again marked an important first step toward putting one of Chevrolet’s most celebrated designs back on the road.
Would you return this 1963 Corvette to its original Tuxedo Black paint, or preserve the burgundy finish Rick knew? Would you keep the modified 327 or eventually return the drivetrain to factory specification? Let us know in the comments.