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Here's the story...
Chevrolet had all the bases covered for 1966. The bar had been significantly raised at both ends of the performance spectrum. The base Corvette engine was now a 300 - horsepower small-block, while the top position was held with the 425 - horsepower, big-block 427. Performance took a quantum leap.
The 1965 big-block 396 was bored out to 427 cubic inches for 1966, taking the street- driven Corvette to undreamed of high performance. The factory power rating was 425 horsepower at 5,600 rpm. However, the real redline was more like 6,500 rpm, producing over 450 horsepower! This was 75 horsepower more than the 1965 fuel- injection setup. Duntov joked that 31 cubic inches of cast iron is a significant weight savings. The Corvette was now at the top of the performance feeding chain.
Subtle changes for the 1966 Corvette made it stand out from previous cars. The egg-crate grille and hub caps were obvious on coupes and convertibles. "Corvette" script on the hood was new and the roof vents on the coupe were gone. The interior trim was changed, in addition to new optional head rests and hazard lights. If you could tolerate the exhaust noise, side pipes were a bargain at $131.65.
Racers and wanna be's had plenty of hardware to choose from. The L72 427/425 engine cost $312.85. The M-22 "Rock Crusher" four-speed was $237, and the special heavy-duty brakes cost $342.30. The F41 special front and rear suspension was a super deal at $36.90.
Although the base Corvette cost $4,295, down $26 from 1965, total production for 1966 was 22,940, down from 1965's total of 27,720 cars. GM didn't mind, since the press was gushing all over the new 427 Corvette. Tests from 0 to 60 mph ranged from 4.8 to 5.7 seconds with quarter mile times of 12.8 to 14 seconds. Some saw top speeds of between 130 and 152 mph, depending on gearing and the driver's guts.
1966 was supposed to be the last year for the Sting Ray design, but making the Mako Shark styling streetable for '67 was a big challenge. As hot as the '66 Corvette was, the '67 was about to get even hotter.
Be sure to check out the NEW Illustrated Corvette Series Portfolio.
This portfolio of Scott Teeters' "Vette Magazine" series, covers every production Corvette from 1953 to 1996. Also included are all of the major Corvette show cars, engineering prototypes, concept cars, and several Corvette racers.
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