wheel 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.

The retractable dual headlights contribute much to the long, low appearance 01 your Corvette and also
serve to protect the headlights when not in use . Two switches are necessary for headlight operation.
• Pull
the light switch knob out to its first stop to operate the parking lights, tail lights and instru· ment panel lights, fully "out" to substitute head·
lights lor parking lights. Regulate th e intensity 01 the instrument panel lights by rotating the
knob; turn fully counterclockwise past the
"detent" position
to turn on the interior lights.
• Move
the headlight motor switch toward you to
rotate the head lamp assemblies into the open
position. The headlamps may be lelt in the open
position even WiLh the lights turned off. To close
the assemblies move the switch away from you.
LIGHT SWITCH AND
HEADLIGHT MOTOR SWITCH
• A flashing red "LIGHTS" indicator on the in·
strument panel, gives warning whenever the
headlights are
turned on but not fully opened.
OPERATING HEADLIGHTS MANUALLY
Each headlamp assembly may be opened manuaJly, if necessary, as follows:
• Raise
the hood and, reaching under the body panel, turn the wheel disc on the headlamp door motor in the direction you wish the door to move. Continue until the door is fully open or closed .
• See
your Chevrolet Dealer as sOOn as possible.

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.

AUTO JACK PLACEMENT
CHANGING
YOUR
CORVETTE'S
WHEELS
1. Remove the hub cap by prying off with the finger provided on the end of the jacking wrench. 2. Using the jacking wrench, loosen the wheel nuts about one half turn. 3. Set the parking brake and block diago­
nally opposite wheel.
With Powerglide transmission place se­lector lever in PARK position. With manual transmission place the
shift lever in:
FIRST when jacking front wheels. REVERSE when jacking back wheels. 4.
Position the jack under the car
as shown
in the illustration above. Be sure that
the
load rest of the jack contacts the frame as shown. 5. Raise car using the jack until the tire
clears the ground. 6. Remove the wheel nuts and wheel, place spare wheel on studs and replace all
whee l nuts. Tighten moderately. 7. Lower car until the tire just touches ground, then tighten nuts fully. 8. Lower the car fully , replace hub caps
and res-tow tire. jack and handl e .
Using the mallet supplied with vehicl e knock
off locking nut and remove wheel. Left whee l
nuts are removed in a counterclockwise direction. Right wheel nuts are removed in a clockwise direction.

Parking Brake Cables and Linkage -Every 6,000 miles-Apply lubricant specified in Note I, page 39.
STEERING GEAR
Every 36,000
miles-Check lubricant level as follows: l. Remove the forward and the outboard cover at­taching screws. 2. Inject steering gear lubricant into the forward
cover attaching screw hole until
lubricant begins
to come out of the outboard screw hole. 3. Replace both screws.
POWER STEERING PUMP
Check fluid level
in pump reservoir every 6,000 miles
or 6 months. Fill as required with Automatic Trans­
mission fluid "Type A" with AQ-ATF-A mark. Oil should be at operating temperature and wheels in straight ahead position when checking or filling
operation is performed to ensure against overfilling.
FRONT SUSPENSION
Every 6,000 miles
or 6
months, lubrica te 4 fit­tings (2 fittings on each side), with lubricant specified in Note I, page 39. I
STEERING LINKAGE
Ev ery 6,000 miles or 6 months-lubricate fittings
shown below with lubricant specified in Note I ,
page 39.
Manual-Fitting at each tie rod end and at relay rod (5 fittings) .
Power
-Fitting at each tie rod end and at power
steering valve adapter and cylinder (6 fittings).

38
TRANSMISSION
3-Speed and 4-Speed-Every 6,000 miles-Check at operating temperature and fill as nec essary to level
of filler plug hole with lubricant specified in Note 2, page 39.
Powerglide-Every 6,000 miles-Check fluid level on dipstick with engine idling, selector lever in neutral
"N" position, parking brake set and transmission at
operat ing temp erature. Add Automa tic Transm ission
fluid
"Type A" bearing the mark AQ-ATF, followed
by a number and suffix letter "A" to "full" mark on dipstick. DO NOT OVERFILL.
Lubricate shift linkage with lubricant specifie d in Note I , page 39.
WHEEL BEARINGS
Every 36,000
miles-Clean and repack front and rear bearings with a high melting point wheel bearing lubricant.
REAR
AXLE Eve ry 6,000 miles-Check and keep filled to level of
filler plug hole with lubricant specified in Note 2, page 39.
With Positrac-tion, use only the special Positrac tion
Rear Axle Lubrica nt available from your Chevrolet
Dea ler.
CLUTCH CROSS
SHAFT Periodic lubricatio n of the clutdl cross-shaft i s not required. At 36,000 miles or sooner, if necessary,
remove plug, install lubrication fitting and lubricate
with lubricant specified in NOTE I Page 39.
ENGINE TUNE-UP
Every 12,000 miles
have engine tune-up operations performed for maximum engine performance.

TECHNICAL DATA AND SPECIFICATIONS
Serial and Unit Numbers -Stamped on identifi cation
plat e located on instrument panel brace under glove
box.
Bore Engine Compo Disp. Fuel Cyls. X Exhaust Name Ratio (Cu. In.) Induction Stroke
Corvette V·8 4' x 3~' 10.5 327 4 Bbl. Dual Corvette V·8 4 .... x J~1;. 10.5 327 H.B.4 Bbl. Dual Corvette V·8 4" x 31;4 ~ 11.1 327 Holley 4 Bbl. Dual
ENGINE IDENTIFICATION - Stamped on righ t
front engine boss next to water pump.
Gross Trans. Octane Horsepower Ufters Torque ReQ'menl
350 @ 2800 RPM 250 @ 4400 RPM Hyd. 1·2·4 99·101 360 @ 3200 RPM 300 @ 5000 RPM Hyd. 1·2· 4 99·101 360 @ 4000 RPM 365 @ 6300 RPM Mech. 1·3 100·102
'I. 3·speed 2. 4·speed regular 3. 4·speed close ratio 4. Powerglide
CHASSIS DIMENSIONS
Wheel base Length (Overall) Width (Overall)
Height Loaded-Folding Top Up. Loaded-Hard Top Loaded-Sport Coupe
Tread Front Rear 98"
175.3"
69.6"
49.8" .. 49.3" 49.8"
56.3"
57.00"
ENGINES Firing Order 1·8·4·3·6·5·7 ·2
AMA Horsepower-51.2 Distributor :
Dwell
Point Gap Breaker Arm Tension Spark Plugs .016"
used-
.O 19" new
19·23 oz.
AC
45 or AC 46-City Driving Only AC44 (Orig. Equip.) -Town and Country Driving
AC C43 COM-Heavy duty and h igh output AC C42·l COM-Extended and extreme high output Plug Gap .035"

Four speed (Close Ratio)
Powerglide Positraction (Available
with all
Transmissions)
(Available
with 4-speed
Transmissions only)
(Available
with 4- speed
Close Ratio Transmission only)
STEERING
Steering Gear Ratio Overall Ratio (with Fast Steering Adjustment)
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
3.70:1
3.36:1
3.36:1
3.08:1
3.55:1,
3.70:1,
4.11:1, 4.56:1.
16.0:1
20.2:1 17.6: I
{ Caster
.
Front Camber
Toe In (Total)
Rear
{Camber. . . . Toe In (Per Wheel")
Pos. 1%0 ± y.o Pas. %' ± y.' %6" to %6" . Neg. y.0 ± y.o (y'to JAG'" "Each whee l must be adjusted independently . Size
Pressures
Front and Rear
TIRES 6.70 x 15-4 ply rating-tubeless Cold" Hot" 24 29 • After car has been parked for 3 hours or mOTe or driven less than one mile. ··Pressures can rise as much as 7 pounds above cold
figures, depending on loads carried, length of
driving and car speed prior to check.
Fuel Tank Crankcase refill
CAPACITIES
250 and 300 h.p. engines Without filter With filter
365 h.p_ engines Without filter With filter Cooling System Without heater With heater Transmissions Three speed Four speed
Powerglide
Rear Axle
20 gallons
4
quarts 5 quarts
5 quarts 6 quarts
18 quarts 19 quarts
2 pints 2Y. pints 9 quarts 3.7 pints