Eckler’s 1978 CR-II Hatchback C3 Corvette
In an era of street style paint jobs and body kits, Eckler’s CR-II merged style with practic
When Stingrays Ruled the World
The 1970s was the decade of the Corvette. Stingrays zipped along the nation’s highways, rolled down the boulevards on sticky summer nights and cruised the beaches from the side streets of Cape Cod to Santa Monica. Even Hollywood glamorized the sexy curves of the Corvette. Mark Hamill took a vacation from the Star Wars universe to chase down his stolen ride in the 1978 film, Corvette Summer and we saw David Carradine scoring points in a modified Stingray in Death Race 2000 (1975).
An Era of Mods
An Era of Mods. similarity in the presentation of the Corvettes. Hamill’s character tracks down his stolen wheels and finds that his Corvette has been heavily accessorized with a wild raised hood, flared wheels, custom headers and a flame paint job. Carradine’s Vette looks like a Crocodile that swallowed a V8 engine. When considering the '70s pop culture take on the Corvette, it’s no surprise that real Stingray owners where modifying their own rides in radical, unexpected ways.
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Game Changers
Eckler’s Automotive Parts is an aftermarket parts dealer based in Titusville, Florida. Today, the company deals in restoration and replacement parts for all kinds of American-made cars. In the 1970s, they were only concerned with Corvettes. By the mid-seventies, Stingray owners were feeling the frustrations of owning an aerodynamic two-seater when it came to taking a road trip. You could fit your significant other snuggly next to you in the cockpit but it was pretty hard to carry a picnic basket for a trip to the country or extra luggage for a weekend getaway.
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Room in the Hatch
In 1976, Eckler’s released their first hatchback conversion kit for the Corvette. Shortly after, Eckler’s Corvette Custom Designs division rolled out an extremely limited run of 15 CR-IIs. The CR-IIs screamed 70s design. The cars boldly showcased the Eckler hatchback, a wide body kit and wore an array of 70s color scheme paint jobs. One can only imagine loading up the hatch and heading down the highway listening to your favorite 8-track tape.
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Sole Survivor
In 1990, Jesus Piña purchased a ’75 Eckler CR-II with 21,000 original miles clocked on the odometer. The car was still in fantastic shape and required only minor maintenance and repairs. The sunrise yellow paint job with orange accents makes the car look like it leaped out of a 1970s car magazine. In fact, Piña’s research into the car’s history has led him to believe that the vehicle was used as a showcase for the Eckler Corvette modifications. The yellow 78 was featured in various publications during the 70s and driven around the country to feature in different car shows, which is undoubtedly the source of the original 21k miles. Piña has driven the car sparingly over the last twenty-eight years, only adding another nine grand to the original twenty-thousand-miles the car already had when he bought it. As one of only 15 custom Corvettes produced forty-years-ago, this a real chance that Piña’s yellow hatchback is a soul survivor.
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