brake light CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1964 Owners Manual

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 .

10
Pushing and Towing Tips
PUSHING CAR TO START
Should it ever beco me necessary to start the engine by
pu shing the car (towing to start is not recommended as car being towed may accelerate into tow car), pro­
ceed as fo llows: Turn off all e lect rical loads su ch as radio, heater
and, if possible, lights until the engine st arts.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION - T
urn ignition switch
to "on." Place shift leve r in high (3rd on 3-spee d
transmissions, 4th on four-speed) and depress clutch. When car reaches 25-30 miles per hour, slowly re­
l ease clutch to sta rt e ng ine.
POWERGLlDE TRANSMISSION -
Turn ignit io n
switch to "on" and place sel ector lever in "N." W h e n
car reac hes a spee d of 25-30 mph, place th e selecto r
l ever in l ever in uD." TOWING
A DISABLED CAR
If your Corvette must be towed, the following pre­
cautions must be observed:
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
-Release parking brake
and place shift lever in neutral.
POWERGLIDE TRANSMISSION -Release
parking brake and place selector lever in "N." DO NOT TOW IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH. II the transmission is inoperative, or not operating properly, the pro­peller shaft must b e d isconnected or car must be
towe d with rear wheels off the ground.
TOWING WITH REAR WHEELS
RAISED-When a
vehicle is being towed on its front wheels, the steer­
ing whee l shou ld be secured to maintain a straight
forward position.
Do
not use tire chains on the rear wheels of your Corvette . Clearance between
USE OF TIRE CHAINS
AND SNOW TIRES
• tire and wheelhouse is insufficient to permit operation with chains insta!led.
Many [ire manufa cturers market tires for the Corvette which have specialized
tread designs for mud and snow use.

CLUTCH AND STEERING ADJUSTMENTS-Your Chevrolet deal!!! '?I.n make these 'adjustments for YQu: • A linkage adjustment to reduce clutch pedal travel to permit .fast release and more rapid gear shifting; • An adjustment to move the steering wheel forward or rearward; _ A linkage IIdjustment to permit
"faster" steering
response.
TRAILERS and their EFFECT on CAR OPERATION
The Corvette is designed primaril y (or passenge r
co nveyance . H owever , it is well known that many owners do pull trailers and have experi e nced very
sa tisfacLOry serv ice.
When a trailer is attached to a car, the car becomes
not only a l oad-carrying vehicle, but a load-pulling vehicle . The d e m a n ds of this type of operation are
very different from those (or which t h e automobile is pri ma rily designed and may present probl ems, such
as spring and tire loading, braking, coo ling, lighting, and steering. Howeve r, careful driving practices will
better s atisfy the requirements of trailer hauling.
If in the opinion of the manufacturer a part or com ­ponent of a motor vehicle has been advers ely affected
by misuse of the vehicle with trailer loads, such part or
com
ponent will not be covered by the manufac­turers warranty .
The size o f and equipment for trailers, including
su ch ite ms as hitc hes and safe t y ch a ins, brakes, ligllls, pO\ve r- wei ght ratios a n d over-all length, are gen erally
su bject to safet y regulations in all states, and i t is the responsibility o f the u ser to m a ke certain that h e is in full compliance with th e regulations of the states
in which h e plans to opera te with a traile r and of t h e Interstate Commerce Commission, i f applicable,
before doing so . Furthe r , when opera tin g a car with a traile r attached, the drive r must realize tha t the performance, steering characte ri stics , a n d brakin g distance of his ca r h ave been altered , and that h e mlls t exe r c ise greater caution t o safe ly handle his
ca r and trailer.

HOOD
RELEASE •
The brakes usually adjust themselves as necessary. The optional heavy duty metallic brakes adjust on forward stops, others adjust on reverse stops. Should
brake pedal travel become excessive, drive the vehicle
back ward
and forward several times applying the
brakes to stop. Pedal travel should return to normal after several stops. To apply the parking brake, pull straight out on the T-shaped handle. To release, turn the handle slightly and push in. The red "BRAKE" warning light in the instrument cluster will remain on when the brake is applied and the ignition key is on. POWER BRAKES-Optional power brakes make use of engine vacuum to help you bring your car to a stop with much less braking effort than needed with regular brakes. Should the engine stall. a vacuum
reserve supplies three power assisted stops, after
which additional foot pressure will be needed for
brake response.
Pull the hood release handle out to release the hood lock and then raise the hood manually until it locks
in the open position . With the hood in this position, insert a bolt through the hood prop hole and secure
with a nut to prevent the hood from being acciden­
tally released. Before closing, remove the safety nut
and bolt and lift up on the hood panel to unlock the
support mechanism . then lower and close firmly.
• BRAKES
POWER STEERING-Optional power steering sup­
plies about 80 % of the effort needed to turn the front wheels while the engine is running. Should the engine stop or the power steering cease function ­ing the regular steering mechanism will allow you
to safely guide your Corvette.

Candle Power Number Circuit Breaker Circuit Ampere Rating or Fuse
HeadJamp-Outer-high. 37\ (watts») 5%" Headlamp. Headlamp Beam} . ..... 15amp. Circuit Breaker Outer-low. 50 (Watts) Indicator. and Parking light. Sealed Beam Inner-high. 311l (Watts) Headlamp Door Motors . . 40 amp. Circuit Breaker Headlamp Beam Indicator ... 1445 Power Window Motors . . 40 amp. Circuit Breaker
Parking
and Directional Signal. 4·32 1157 Parking Brake Alarm & Gas Gauge .. 3AG/AGe 10 amp. Fuse
Tail and Stop-Directional Signal 4·32 1157 Heater .. 3AG/AGe 10 amp. Fuse
Ignition Switch. 1445 Radio. 3AG/AGe 7 amp. Fuse
license Plate lamp. 1155 Instrument, Radio and Clock Ughts. 3AG/AGe 4 amp. Fuse
Back-up lamp. 32 1156 Tail and Back-up lamps . . 3AG/AGe 10 amp. Fuse
Instrument Panel. Stop. license and Courtesy or 1816 Dome lamp .. SAE 20 amp. Fuse Electric Clock . . 1816 Air Conditioning ... 3AG/AGC 20 amp. Fuse Courtesy or Dome lamp ... 90 High Blower Speed 3AG/AGe 30 amp. Fuse (In line)
Radio Dial.. 1816
Cigarette lighter . . 1445 Fuse Panel- All fuses ex-Parking Brake Alarm lamp . . 257 cept the air conditioning b lower in-line fu se are in Headlamp Motor Warning . ... 257 lhe [usc pane l loca ted on Directional Signal Indicators. 1816 t h e {-ire wall just above the
head lamp bea m s witch.

INDEX Page
Page Hard Top Care
. 29 Pushing Tips. .10 Installation .25 Radio .22
Headlight Operation .17 Rear Compartment 24
Page
Heater .20
Seat
Adjustment .23
Air
Conditioning . .21 High Beam Switch .... 18 Spare Tire Stowage .
33
Ammeter 14 Hood Release . 19 Specificat ions .44-47 Automatic Transmission 7
Ignition Switch . 6 Speedometer 13
Batter y Care .. 34
Jack Stowage . .... 33 Starting 6 Brakes . 19
Lighter 16 Steering Adjustments II Bright Metal Care . .... 27 Light Switch . .. 17 Tachometer .13 Changing
Wheels .34 Lighting System Trouble Checks. 18 Temperature Gauge . 15 Cleaning-Exterior .26-27 Locks . .... 23 T h ermostac .32 Interior
.28 Maintenance and Lubrication . .
35-40 Tire Care .
32
C l ock . 15
Manual Transmission .8-9 10 Tire Chains Cililch Adjustments . .... 11 Metallic Brake Linings 9
. . 10 Towing Tips . Cooling System Care . . 31-32 Odometer 13 Trailer Towing II Courtesy Lights. ... 15 Oil Pressure Gauge. . .. 14 Trip Odometer . .13 D e f
roster
20 Oil Requirements .... 30 Troubl e Shooting Guide .41·43
Doors ... 23 Parking Brakes 19 Turn Signal .18 Folding Top Care .... 28
Plastic \oVindow Care . .. 29 Ventilation 20 Operation ... 25 Polishing Your Corvette . .27 Washing Your Corvette .
26
Removal ... 24 Positraction Rear Axle. Waxing Your Corvette .26
Fuel Gauge ... 15 Power Brakes 19 Whitewall Tire Cleaning .27
Fuel Requirements . 30 Power
Steering . . 19 Windshield Washer .
. 16 G love Box
.24 Powerglide Transmission
7 Windshield Wiper 16