On this day in 1966, a 28-year-old man named Phillip who had recently won a new 1966 Ford Mustang in a Johnson & Johnson sales contest walked into Rohrer Chevrolet in Camden, New Jersey and traded that Mustang in for a new 1966 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible. That young man was my father and today we are officially celebrating 60 years of Corvette ownership.
The Sting Ray wear’s VIN #22891 and it’s a base Corvette Sting Ray Convertible with the 327/300-hp V8 and a four-speed manual transmission. The options were limited to just the AM/FM Radio and Posi-traction. The car was born on May 28th but for some reason I have always celebrated the delivery date as it has a little more meaning (and it falls just one day before the Corvette’s official birthday of June 30th).
The sales invoice from Rohrer Chevrolet shows both the VIN for the 1966 Mustang that was traded in, as well as the fact that my dad made payments via GMAC financing for $70.28 per month for 36 months. My mother once referred to the car as “Phils’ last fling” and says the purchase delayed their wedding until 1967.
I’ve told the story several times over the years about how that seemingly innocuous action of buying a new car would have on Phillip’s unborn son (ME), who came along two years later. I like to say I grew up in that car. Going to a local show or just making a run to the speed shop for a part or two as the engine was removed and rebuilt sometime in the mid-1970s. Those were great memories and even more so now that dad has been gone for all these years.
My dad passed away in 1982 when I just 14 years old. Living in a very small town in Indiana, my mom was known as the widow with a Corvette in the barn. He had other cars which were eventually sold off that included a Candy Apple Red ’66 Mercedes 230SL and a 1929 Ford Model A. Despite the offers for the Corvette, she kept the car and one day out of the blue offered it to me in 1993 as I was starting my adult life in Florida. “You can come get that car if you want it,” she said. Three weeks later with a borrowed pick up and a U-Haul trailer rental, I picked up the ’66 and hauled back to Florida.
When I became the car’s caretaker in 1993, she had been stored in an Indiana barn for 11 years and it showed. If you wonder why we like barn finds so much around here, now you know! I was also just 25 years old at the time, and being a younger owner of a Midyear was a great experience in those early days.
The 1966 Corvette has been mine now for 33 years, which is twice as long as the 16 years that my father got to enjoy the car. But to this day I still refer to it as “my dad’s Corvette.” Hopefully, the car will remain in the family for another few decades if all goes well.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t drive at the moment. I can start her up, but the Holley carb leaks gas due to some stuck floats, and last month after backing her out for a new garage door install, I found out the brakes were no longer…braking. Since the mid 1990s when I first got her and we did the mechanical fixes to get her back on the road, I have witnessed a succession of expert Corvette mechanics who have all aged out on me and retired. If you have any recommendations for a Corvette shop in the Tampa Bay area, let me know!
Related:
Happy 50th Birthday to My 1966 Corvette Sting Ray
59 Years Ago Today…
Decoding a Corvette’s V8 Casting Numbers and Engine Stamps
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 is the 60th Anniversary of my father's purchase of a Black/Silver 1966 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible which is when our passion for Corvettes first began.){kind=link}
I recall a Corvette restoration guy in Fort Myers from a long ago visit – might still be in business. He seemed to specialize in C2s as there were several on the premises.
Great story Keith, and thanks a million for the photos showing that new Hot Rod next to your Dad and at the beach.
My Birthday is also May 28th, but ten years prior to your Corvette, and I sure wish one day there’s at least one Cool Corvette that I can find to share that day.
Your story and the 60 years of that Corvette’s ownership is truly what makes our beloved Corvette absolutely the Greatest Sports Car Ever!
Good luck with the Holley and new brakes. Drive that Corvette forever.
If you can’t find anybody in tampa, I know a guy in jacksonville who is an absolute C2 Corvette wizard
Great to hear this story again Keith! What a great color combo of black with SILVER interior! Show us a picture of that interior! See you at Carlisle Keith!
Smart guy to trade the mustang
Hi Keith,
Great story. I know you have shared this in the past, but always enjoy it.
Vette Works (https://www.vetteworks.com/home) located in St. Pete can help you out. Also C&S Corvettes in Sarasota, but I think they do more later model cars.
The issues your describing are not major repairs. But are common on these cars if they sit to much. Get them out and run them once a month.
My immediate reaction is that we are in trouble. If the CorvetteBlogger has trouble finding a good Corvette repair shop, what chance do us mere mortals have?
Great story!
Good luck find a good Corvette shop/mechanic in the Tampa Bay area. Will look forward to more pics after get her running again 🙂
Always keep the car in your family Keith. Fixing the Holley is no big deal. Very simple great corvette guy on Long Island to ask about your car is Kevin McKay. Valley stream New York Great long time corvette guy. Restoration work top top notch.
The black and silver combination is not only beautiful but very rare. You can go a long time before seeing another one. Good luck with the car!
My name is Steve Cannon and I am a retired restoration specialist after 45 years working for Rolls-Royce. 1st thing I have done to remain busy is to indulge my true passion, which is Corvettes. I bought a huge restaurant/bar and have remodeled it into my version of a classic Corvette inspired ultimate man-cave surrounded by Corvettes and enough Corvette memorabilia and books and manuals to start a museum. I restore classic Corvettes each and every day because it is my passion. I own a few convertibles myself and am building show cars now. My new shop is not yet officially open to the public. I prefer it to be more of a private club for friends who share the passion of driving the world’s greatest production sports car of all time. I have for decades and will as long as the good lord above continues to bless me and all my Corvette friends. My Corvette Hobby Shop is located in Treasure Island, on the north shore of Lake Okeechobee. Zip 34974. And any Person who loves these classic Corvettes is already welcome here in my awesome new Corvette Hobby Shop. It’s a truly amazing place. 305.990.5893.
Congrats on this piece of family history. Hope you can get it on the road soon.
Even tampa area has what i call back yard mechanics e ery fown has them just start the search ask a neighbor & so on they can b the best kind or better yet start working on it u r self that what got me going on my cars then i graduated to a 4 4 post lift recently game changer i tell u
Dump the holley carb..go eldobrock carb..600…brakes are hard..keep disc on fronts.and replace them..backs may have drums..if so..just repair them..I’m surevit needs. Everything.
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