Central West Car Club

By Jeff McClurg

With the Corvette Nationals coming to Parkes this weekend it was timely to run a local story, and the timing couldn’t have been better, with Parkes man Dusty Powter getting his own car back from the workshop with only days to spare.

For those who already know Dusty, or who regularly read these stories, you’ll know that he is already passionate about his Shelby cars, having featured with his Cobra, GT 40 and Daytona coupe.

But his other boyhood dream, to quote the artist formally known as Prince, was the “Little Red Corvette”.

“I remember as a kid in the late 60’s and the 70’s absolutely drooling over the styling and the lines of the early Chev Corvettes," Dusty said.

"And then there was the performance, the power and the sound of them, so it’s safe to say they’ve been on my radar for quite a long time."

In October 2024 Dusty’s boyhood dream finally came true when he bought this 1963 Chevrolet C2 Corvette Sting Ray which had only two years earlier undergone a full two-year nut and bolt restoration at the hands of a specialist Corvette company here in Australia.

Prior to that it had been imported in 2019 after being discovered in storage in Southern California for some 30 years – a true ‘barn find’ as they call it.

“The standout feature for me, and for many others, is definitely the split rear window,” Dusty said.

"With the Sting Ray name coming from the centre spine down the bonnet, over the roof and down through that iconic rear window."

Dusty’s car features the original 327 Chevrolet L76 V8 with 4 speed manual transmission, power steering and power assisted drum brakes.

It’s a designated two seater and as was always Dusty’s want – it’s finished in Riverside Red.

Dusty is a member of the Central West Car Club based in Parkes, but if you can’t wait until their annual car show in October to check out his Sting Ray, you will have the chance to see it, and a host of other amazing Corvettes, at the four-day Corvette Nationals right here in Parkes this weekend.

For the general public the best time to see the cars is Saturday morning when they’ll be cruising Clarinda Street and Cooke Park around 8.30am and then at their show ‘n shine from 9:30am at the Parkes Showground.

For more details about the Central West Car Club, you can find us on Facebook, or look up our website www.centralwestcarclub.com.