The Corvette Story

Corvette: Year by Year

1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967
1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

People were still catching their breath after the amazing changes in the 1963 Corvette, so updates for 1964 were minimal. The biggest development was the elimination of the split rear window.

Below Left: Even those who advocated the split window concept admitted that it had drawbacks. Confirming that opinion were the many owners of 1963 Corvettes who proceeded to install the single rear window as soon as the parts became available.

Above right: Also gone for 1964 were the fake hood vents. The hood indentations remained however. Perhaps GM figured that the incredible performance the Corvette offered made enough of a statement.

Another change was the added functionality of the air outlet to the right of the driver's door on the coupe. For 1963 they were closed off, represented by a small indentation. A small fan was added to boost airflow but it was only minimally effective and the whole idea was dropped by 1966. Updated body mounting methods and other changes improved interior noise. The overall build quality, long a legitimate Corvette complaint, was improved.

GM brochure courtesy Skip Marketti of The Nethercutt Collection

There were engine improvements for 1964. The base motor (250 hp) and the upgrade L75 mill (300 hp) were unchanged but the L76 went to 365 hp (previously 340 hp) and the top dog L84 fuel injected model was now 375 hp, up from 360 hp due to revised heads, camshaft and bigger valves. All 1964 motors were 327 cubic inchers.

Above left: The Corvette had not had a conventional trunk since 1962. The coupe did have a fair amount of storage space and so did the convertible - as long as the top was up! A popular way to go for ragtop Corvette owners was to remove the soft top completely and take long trips with a hardtop. The hardtop could be removed easily and stowed (in a hotel room, for example) when open motoring was the way to go. Right: A new M20 four speed manual transmission. Built in Muncie IN. and a mid-year update in 1963, the "Muncie four speed" was a welcomed improvement.

A replacement for the conventional points / condenser system arrived in the form of a transistorized ignition system available as RPO K66.

The Z06 may not have been available as a package in 1964 but close examination of the order form revealed that most of the parts were. Competition brakes were available as RPO J56 and featured cerametalix linings, drum cooling fans, finned drums cooling ducting and a special power assist dual action master cylinder. A heavy duty suspension (RPO F40) featured stiffer springs and shocks and a thicker front stabilizer bar.

1964 Corvette: Official GM Photo.

1964 Corvette Options

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Corvette: Year by Year

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