[stingray]

Re: A little history lesson ... C2's

History:

1963 - Complete new body and chassis designs. Named the "Sting Ray," and inspired by Bill Mitchell's earlier show car designs. First year to offer a Coupe model. The coupe's rear window design featuring spilt rear window glass, only used in 1963, resulted in that year's nick-name of "Spilt Window Coupe." The chassis featured an independent rear suspension. The body featured hidden headlights. The optional Fuel Injection unit was redesigned. This was the first year for air conditioning and power brakes options. Cast aluminum "knock off" wheels were sold over the dealer counter this year. First year for leather seats option. The 1963 hoods had a pair of fake hood vent panels.


1964 - The coupe's rear window glass was a solid piece. First year for transistor ignition option. Top engine choice was the 327/375 hp F.I. option.


1965 - First year for disk brakes which were standard on all models. The side fender louvers were changed to three functional vertical slots. A power antenna, the first one for Corvettes, was standard equipment. First year for side mounted exhausts and teakwood steering wheel options. Corvette buyers could order the optional 396/425 h.p. engine. This was the last year for Fuel Injection until 1982's "Cross-fire Fuel Injection."

1966 - Introduction of the 427/425(450) h.p. engine option. Backup lights became standard equipment. The 427 engine equipped cars came with a special "bubble" hood, first seen on 1965's with the 396 engine option. The "Corvette" script was changed in 1966. The non-functional side roof vents on the coupe models was deleted.

1967 - The last "Sting Ray" model. Chevrolet had wanted to bring out the design that appeared in 1968 but changing federal safety regulations and production problems forced an extension of the basic prior model design. Many consider this the cleanest of the "mid-year" designs. Top engine choice was the 427/435 h.p. model. Purchasing any of the "big block" engine choices resulted in receiving a new designed hood featuring an aggressive hood scoop, non-functional in all but the very rare L-88 engine equipped cars. The parking brake was activator was relocated to between the seats and appeared as a pistol grip handle.

Specifications:

# produced: 1963: 21,513 10,594 Coupes 10,919 Convertibles

1964: 22,229 8,304 Coupes 13,925 Convertibles

1965: 23,562 8,186 Coupes 15,376 Convertibles

1966: 27,720 9,958 Coupes 17,762 Convertibles

1967: 22,940 8,504 Coupes 14,436 Convertibles

A good report Patrick there is also some information that corvette people might not know is on the 1964 corvette. Is how do you tell the early 64 from the later 64 at a clance. The early 64 had a raised pad for the door handle to mount the later one's didn't, also the early 64s had two different coloured shocks front being grey and the rear shocks being black. Just a little more info.

 

[stingray]

Re: Re: Re: A little history lesson ... C2's

Good Info Ray

Also, the hood on the '64's was different from the '63's. The "pieplate" inserts in the '63 hood were eliminated in '64.

Other running changes during the year:
- early '64 hubcaps were polished - later ones had frosted paint applied.
- early '64 sill plates had 4 hold down screws, the later ones had 6 screws.

One of the interesting things about the mid-year vettes was the constant changes that were implimented, even within a model year.

Ya gotta love em !!!!

More great info, I was saving some of that for later. Just seeing what response there is out there. It's hard to bypass that info from one who owns that year. Good follow up Brian.

 

[stingray]

Re: Re: Re: Re: A little history lesson ... C2's

More great info, I was saving some of that for later. Just seeing what response there is out there. It's hard to bypass that info from one who owns that year. Good follow up Brian.

There is another thing that most pass by on and that is on the early 64 inside on the passenger side the hand hold on the dash early 64s had six screws to hold the molded piece on and the later ones only had four, a little more info.

 

[stingray]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A little history lesson ... C2's

Ray,
I know that you really know your stuff, and that the above statment is just a mix up.

Early '64 grab bar inserts had 4 screws, later '64 and all 65-67's had 6 screws.

That's what you meant isn't it??

Brain your right I put it in backwards thanks for catching it. There is a interesting part about the number of screws that are on the grap bar.
1, In the complete Corvette restoration & Technical Guide Vol. 2 page 128 states 4

2, Page 29 in the NCRS judging manual for 63-64 under dash pads say 4 screws are used through mid 1964.

3, In Vette Vues Fact Book states on page 128 early 64's (to about 14,000)
used 6 chrome screws after that through 1966, 4 screws were used.
Interesting to say the lease. But I will stick to the 4 screw theory. Agin thanks for catching my BO BO.:thumbsup: