1965 Chevrolet Corvette from the "Stingray" TV Show

[mrmike]

I have been in a retro mood for a while now.  In my music, in the things I watch, in my writing, in my models.  I have viewed a Youtube video of the opening theme from a show called Stingray (1985).  It's about a man for hire who drives around town in a blacked out '65 Corvette helping people in return for favors.  It was a series that lasted two years for 24 episodes on NBC and it was created and produced by the late Stephen J. Cannell.

There was a model kit produced by Monogram in 1/24 scale and I had one, but I didn't build it like the TV car, but it is in need of a rebuild, covered in dirt and dust.  Time to correct a few things...paint the model (it was never painted), find some fog lights for the front bumper, detail the wheels and tires, black out the grille and bumpers.  Maybe I'll wire the engine, too.  Let's see what I can do with this 'Vette.

More Stingray to come...

[espo]

Pretty nice looking kit. If you wanted a Barn Find this would sure look like it. So what was the colors on the Stingray series Corvette ?  

[mrmike]

Thanks David!  The colors on the "Stingray" Corvette was black.  Just about everything was black.

Edited April 26, 2020 by mrmike

[Gramps46]

I never knew about the TV show but that does explain the choice of wheels and the fog lights under the bumpers in the Monogram kit.

[mrmike]

I believe there was four versions of this 'Vette.  The Rat Trap, the Street Machine, the "Stingray" version, plus there is a stock version.

I took this Corvette a bit further on deconstruction than I originally thought I would.   The engine was deconstructed and now I have glued the halves back together and getting ready for paint.  The interior was stripped of everything in prep for a bath!

More Stingray to come...

[Gramps46]

Wishing you the best on your  project.  I wonder if the kit was used as the basis to make the Penske Racing 1966 kit?   I had used the Street Machine kit to build a Penske Daytona L88 long before the Revell version was released.

PS - My daughter and family live in Nashua.

Edited April 26, 2020 by Gramps46

[NOBLNG]

This was the TV version. It went together pretty good.

[espo]

I'll enjoy watching this rebuild. 

[mrmike]

22 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

Wishing you the best on your  project.  I wonder if the kit was used as the basis to make the Penske Racing 1966 kit?   I had used the Street Machine kit to build a Penske Daytona L88 long before the Revell version was released.

PS - My daughter and family live in Nashua.

I believe it was since my friend had used the Penske 'Vette to build a stock '66 Vette.  He won several awards with it.

[Superbird McMonte]

I was a big fan of this TV show when it was on. I have that model too, two of them actually. One built and one unbuilt. 
 

There was one episode in particular that sticks out in my mind. And I always wanted to do the second model this way. In the episode, he was following somebody at night. He mounted light bar, with various different lights, on the front of the car. Each time he turned a corner, he would flip on a different set of lights to make it look like a different car was behind the person he was tailing.

[mrmike]

37 minutes ago, Superbird McMonte said:

There was one episode in particular that sticks out in my mind. And I always wanted to do the second model this way. In the episode, he was following somebody at night. He mounted light bar, with various different lights, on the front of the car. Each time he turned a corner, he would flip on a different set of lights to make it look like a different car was behind the person he was tailing.

I seem to recall a similiar setup  used on a series called Chase (1973), another Stephen J. Cannell production.

I have been picking away at some of the parts for this Corvette.  I detailed the wheels some Aluminium Metalizer and a little black wash around the lug nuts.  I removed the chrome from the front and rear bumpers, grille and the fog lights.  The engine is in progress.  I wasn't sure how the ignition wires were suppose to be lead out of the box shield, so I just routed them out from under and I'll route them to the cylinder heads.

More Stingray to come... 

[mrmike]

I gave the Corvette a bath tonight with some Dawn Detergent and an old toothbrush.  I got the engine repainted and wired, dash, steering wheel, exhaust tips and rocker panel trim detailed.

More Stingray to come...

[Gramps46]

Looking good.  Please keep the pictures coming.

[mrmike]

Thanks Gary!  Here are some more pictures for you!

I did a little painting and assembly tonight.

More Stingray to come...

[Gramps46]

Coming along nicely for sure.  Thanks for posting the updates.

[mrmike]

Thanks Gary!  I'll keep posting the updates for this 'Vette.

[mrmike]

I have finished my '65 'Vette and it is posted in Under Glass.