CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1964 Owners Manual

CONTENTS
Page Operating Instructions 5
Instruments and Controls 12
NIaintenance and Lubrication 26
:Maintenance and Lubrication Schedule 35
Minor Trouble Shooting 40
Specifications 44 Index 48
AU information contained. in this booklet ill the lalest product informalion available at the lime oj printing. The right Is reserved to make changes ot any time without nalice.

STING RAY
CONVERTIBLE
CORVETTE STING RAY
SPORT COUPE
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A WORD FROM CHEVROLET.
This Owners Guide contains important information regarding the operation and maintenance of your Corvette.
In order to obtain maximum enjoyment and usage from your car , we suggest that you
fam iliarize yourself with the contents of this booklet and follow the recommendations outlined.
Your
Chevrolet deal er has the trained personnel and specialized equipment to properly
serv ice your Corvette. Have him inspect your car and perform any maintenance or adjustment required,
We wou ld like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing a Chevrolet product -and assure you of our continuing interest in your motoring pleasure and satisfaction.
CHEVROLET MOTOR DIVISION
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION DETROIT 2, MICHIGAN

The First
1000 Miles
During your first thousand miles of driving, you can, by
observing a few simple precautions. contribute greatly to a
longer life for your Corvette
and add much to its future per­
formance and economy of operation.
It
is recommended that your speed during these first one thousand miles be confined to a maximum of 60 mph. However, do not drive for extended periods at anyone constant
speed, either fast or slow. During this period, avoid full throttle starts and quick, abrupt stops. The first few hundred miles of driving are especially important to proper brake
operation. Gentle braking during this period will allow proper conditioning of the brake
linings and result in longer brake life and better brake performance.
It
is always best to drive at a reasonable speed until the engine has warmed up. Be par­ticularly careful to maintain the proper oil level in the engine. Check the oil level
fre quently and, if it becomes necessary to add oil, follow closely the recommendations as to
quality and viscosity found in this booklet. Use of the proper engine oil is of great impor­
tance to insure maximum performance and economy.

Operating
Instructions

Starting the Engine
IGNITION SWITCH
•
The five-position ignition switch allows full control of the electrical systems of your Corvette. To start engine turn the switch to START and release as soon as the engine starts. The switch will r eturn to the ON position and all electrical circuits will be ready for use. Use OFF, LOCK and ACC positio ns to stop the engi ne. The ACC position will anow you to use all accessories without e n ergizi ng the ignition system.
NOTE, /(ey cannot
be ,emoved from the ignition ..... itch . ';f;;;.#fi';;'..;;a.;:" i;h~'i4i;C't:;o:N:' accidentally leaving IWifeh OFF but IlOl ladeed. /(fl' 111(" b. nollllOVed 11 position and the switch may be moved between
STARTING
PROCEDURES
Place the transmission selector lever in neutral or park position and, on manual transmission equipped models, push the clutch pedal down while starting engine.
Depress the accelerator pedal to the floor and fully release. Turn the ignition switch to START and hold until the engine starts. During temperatures of 0 ° F, and below, and when the engine is hot, the acce lerator pedal should be held part way down while starting. Start a "flooded" engine by holding accelerator pedal to the floor while o'anking engine. CAUTION: Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced by the engine of any ca?'. It is odorless
so you cannot detect its presence. B e safe. Never Sial"t or run YOW" C01"Velte in a closed garage or park with the windows closed and engine operating.

Driving with the Powerg lide Transmission
The optional Powerglide is a completely automatic transmission which replaces the standard clutch and transmission. After starting the engine with the seIce-
P-PARK R-REVERSE N-NEUTRAL
D - DRIVE
L-LOW
tor !ever in "N" (Neutral) or "P" (Park) position, merely select the range desired and depress the accel­erator. The transmission will do the rest.
Use only
when car is stopped. Car parked
For backing car-from stop.
For
standing-brakes applied. Normal
For
all forward driving -step hard driving
on
accelerator for extra accelera-range
lion below 45 mph.
For
hard pulling at low speeds and Sand, snow, climbing or descending sleep mud and grades. Shift to L
only
below
steep grades 40 mph. ~I_, ~
POWERGLIDE DRIVING CAUTIONS
• Do not accelerate engine in L, D , or R with the brakes engaged. This can cause damage by over­heating transmission.
•
Do not hold car on an upgrade by accelerating engine. Use brakes. •
Do not use Low position except for hard pulls at low
speed or down-hill braking at speeds below
40 MPH.
• Do not shift inw Reverse or Park before coming to a complete stop .
• Always engage
parking brake when parked.
I
J

IDriving with the Manual Transmission-s
Both Corvette
manual transmissions are controlled slowing down, shift into the next lower gear before
by the shift lever located on top of the Hoor tunnel. the engine
"lugs" or labors.
You will find the shift pattern for your transmission Do not "ride" the dutch. Depress the pedal only pictured on a plate just behind the shift lever. Dur- when actually shifting the transmission and then ing acceleration, always shift into the next higher clear to the Hoar. Use your brakes rather than the
gear before the engine
begins to oVeISeeed; and ,;h_e_n~ __ cl_u_ tch_ pedal to hold your Corvette on a hill.
THREE-SPEED •
TRANSMISSION
The optional fouf4speed manual transmISSIOn pro­vides four forward speeds. The closely spaced ratios
make it possible for you to accelerate with a mini­
mum loss of engine rpm at the shift points. You will
en joy the performance and feel of a direct connecte d
engi ne. Since all forward speeds afe synchronized
the transmission can be used to assist in deceleration
by downshifting in the third-second-first sequence.
The Corvette three-speed manual transmission is de­signed to provide high performance under ordinary
driving conditions as well as during high speed opera­
tion. Gear ratios were selected to keep the engine
operating in its high output range as consistently as possible and permit upshifting and downshifting
between second and third speed at high speeds.
• FOUR-SPEED
TRANSMISSION

Downshifting with
Manual Transmission
If you wish to shift from one gear to the one imme ­
di ately lower in ratio, avoid dangerous ly overspeed­
ing the engine by downshifting as follows:
I.
Watch the Tachometer-If your tach is orange­
zoned at 5000 to 5300 rpm, you may downshift to
the next lower gear when it indicates 4000 to 4100
rpm. If your tach is red-zoned at 6300 to 6500 rpm, you may downshift to the next lower gear at 4700 to 4900 rpm.
2. Double-clutching reduces strain on engines and transmissions. The usual method of double ­
clutching is:
Let up on the throttle, disengage the clutch, shift
into neutral, and engage the clutch. Almost si­multaneously, speed up the engine, disengage the
clutch, shift into the next lower gear and re­engage the clutch while depressing the throttle.
With practice , this procedure becomes alm ost
second nature.
Driving with Positraction
The positraction rear axle will give you constant
driving force on both rear wheels, especially helpful in the winter and during other slippery driving con­
ditions which might stop a conventionally equipped vehicle. During turns , the positraction axle applies
the major driving force to the inside rear wheel thus
improving stability and cornering. Normal light throttle application will supply maximum traction.
When starting with one rear wheel on an excessive ly
slippery surface, slight application of the
parking brake may be necessary momentarily to gai n maxi­
mum traction.
Driving with
Metallic Brake Linings
If your Corvette is equipped with optional metallic
brake linings, you will find that somewhat mor e than
normal pedal pressure will be required to stop the car
until you have made several stops to warm up the
linings .