It’s hard to stand out at Caffeine & Octane in Atlanta. Often North America’s largest monthly gathering of car lovers is the epicenter of automotive diversity.
Case in point.
In this month’s “Featured Area,” the promoters parked a rusted flatbed wrecker next to a pristine, one owner, Daytona Blue 1963 split-window Corvette.
Needless to say, this stunning ’63 caught our eye and the attention of a multitude of admirers all morning. But beyond the apparent fiberglass eye candy, the real draw for us was the 83-year-old owner, Cy Strickler.
We had the privilege of spending some time with the former Naval fighter pilot and member of NASA. His story is one we just had to share.
What follows is the edited transcript of our conversation with Cy Strickler. We talked about his life experiences, love of Corvettes, and of course, his show-stopping ’63 split window.
Loved Corvettes From The Beginning
Rod Worley – Editor – Cy, what drew you to the new 2nd generation 1963 model?
Cy Strickler – Well, Rod, I’ve loved Corvettes from the very beginning. In 1953 I was working during the summer in the parts department of John Smith’s Chevrolet in Atlanta when the 1953 Corvette came out.
I saw it there at the dealership, and I just was totally enthralled. So I’ve followed the Corvette brand right along from the first model.
But it was not until 1963 that I could afford to buy one, and it just worked out at the right time.
But the 1963 model was so unique and so different. It was advanced for its time and just tremendously appealing.
Rod Worley – Editor – What was the sticker price of your 1963?
Cy Strickler – Well, mine had a sticker price of $4,800. The price included all the extras, such as leather upholstery, which only came in the saddle tan, and the Daytona Blue, a standard color.
But it had the fuel injection engine, which was a pretty big option. I know many people just removed them because they were trouble.
So finding a 1963 model with the original fuel injections is pretty hard. But, unfortunately, there aren’t many of them left.
Rod Worley – Editor – I couldn’t help but notice those impressive wire wheels. When did you get those?
Cy Strickler – The wire wheels were on the car when it was delivered at the dealership. I had learned that the cast aluminum knock-off wheels had become unavailable, so I ordered the Dayton wire wheels and had them sent to the dealer.
I never even saw the car with its standard wheels.
Rod Worley – Editor – So what did you like best about driving the ’63?
Cy Strickler – Well, the way it handles. I mean, it’s just a dream to drive.
It’s certainly not what you would expect a 1963 General Motors car or any of them of that era to be like on the road. You can just throw it around in the curves.
I just love that split window, and I’ve never had any visibility problems with the bar in the middle of the rear window.
From Flying F-4s to NASA
Rod Worley – Editor – You’ve gone from flying F-4 Phantom jets in Vietnam, to working with NASA, to flying for Delta airlines for 30 years.
When did you apply for NASA, and what did you do for them?
Cy Strickler – I applied to NASA as an astronaut while serving in the Navy.
After passing the tests, they put me in the database for people who wanted to enter the program. Finally, about a year after I had signed up, I got a call from them.
They wanted some volunteers to experiment with for the Apollo space program. Astronauts traveling to the moon were going to be breathing 100 percent oxygen all the way.
Nobody had ever really spent any particular time breathing 100 percent oxygen. So NASA wanted guinea pigs to determine if that would be a viable environment for the astronauts.
So six of us volunteered to do this test for NASA. They put us in a round pressure chamber cylinder about 20 feet long and eight feet wide.
There were six of us in this big cylinder for 35 days breathing pure oxygen. And from that test, they determined that people could live that way.
I could have continued with NASA if I had wanted to, but they wanted me to stay in the Navy another nine years, and I didn’t really want to do that.
So I left flying F-4 Phantom jets in Vietnam to work for Delta airlines.
Daily Driving The ’63
Rod Worley – Editor – When did you buy your ’63? Corvette? And did you say it was your daily driver?
Cy Strickler – I was doing advanced Naval flight training in Kingsville, Texas when I decided to buy it.
At the time, I was driving my 1957 Chevrolet, and I didn’t think I would ever get rid of that car because I loved it.
But, of course, that all changed when I saw the 1963 Stingray. I knew then a replacement had come along.
So, I traded in my 1957 for the Corvette while in Texas. I ordered it from the factory with a fuel injection engine and the special brakes.
Yes, it was my daily driver during my time in the Navy and with Delta airlines. Altogether, about 20 years.
They didn’t offer the air conditioner in the high-performance models, so it would get a little warm in the summer. Eventually, I picked up another car with air conditioning because I realized I would have to do something about not being quite that hot every day as I got older.
Today it’s got about 150,000 miles on it, and it runs exceptionally well. Of course, though, I’ve kept up with the maintenance all along.
I’ve repaired the fuel injection system a couple of times. Also, I’ve had the engine apart several times, but it’s performed very nicely through it all.
I also polished the aluminum on the headers and value covers which is not altogether what some purists would do. But I like the way it looks.
Thoughts On The C8
Rod Worley – Editor – Have you owned other Corvettes over the years? And what do you think of the eighth generation?
And, any plans on getting a C8?
Cy Strickler – I’ve had a 1953 and a ’55 and wish now that I’d never gotten rid of them. I love those very early ones.
Well, I think Chevrolet has been faithful to their base philosophy over the eight generations of being America’s sports car.
For a while there, the Corvette got a little bit big and a little bit soft, but now it’s back to a more angular and meaner stance.
The new ones are great; however, I haven’t driven one or even sat in one yet. Though, not sure I need something with that kind of performance.
But, in the same breath, I’d love to have one.
Rod Worley – Editor – So, any thoughts of selling the ’63 anytime soon?
Cy Strickler – Well, no, not really. I’ve had a lot of offers over the years. There’s a long list of people who want me to let them know when I’m ready.
Though I never paid much attention to the list because I have no interest in getting rid of it.
Somebody else will have to deal with it after I’m gone because I’m going to keep it.
All The Right Stuff
We always say it’s the people that are the real story of the Corvette lifestyle, and the cars are the window dressing. As beautiful as this ’63 is, the heart of this story is Cy’s lifelong love of Corvettes and his selfless service to our country.
It’s not hyperbole to say he has “all the right stuff.” Talk to him for 10 minutes, and you gather as much.
As the crowds assembled around him and the questions started flying, the 83-year-old Naval veteran graciously answered them all.
On this brisk Sunday morning, one thing is true, Cy Strickler and his 1963 Daytona Blue split-window stopped the show at Caffeine & Octane.
Articles We Recommend:
WWII Veteran Enjoys Life With A New 2022 Corvette
Classic Glass Corvette Club Scores Big With VetteStock 2021
Vettes Of Atlanta Magazine Readers Sound Off About New Z06 C8
Don’t Pass Up A Classic
Get Our FREE Newsletter Now