"64" Question

[Edward C.]

Can anyone give me a theory on why my "64" #40867s118812 has so many "63" parts i.e. transmission, guages, rocker panels, exhaust bezels, glove box door, turn signal lever, console, gas cap door, etc.?

[Harry S.]

Re: "64" Question

That's a rather late 64 to have 63 parts. Can you post some pictures. Unless some prior owner wanted it to look like a 63??????

[Dick W.]

Re: "64" Question

Did Johnny Cash work at St. Louis during that era????

[M W.]

Re: "64" Question

Being the current owner of a late model 64 I would say that it was bubba who worked on it. Most of my components are original and have been verified with previous owners. I guess someone had 63 envy.

Cheers

[John D.]

Re: "64" Question

Probably nice top flight car too.
Yeah Edward in the old days we butchered the crap out of our midyears and could have cared less what was original. Today we worry about logos on the bolts. Yesterday was much more fun.
Meanwhile those 63 parts are worth a fortune so don't give them away. JD

[Alan D.]

Re: "64" Question

Well Ed, have a Mar64 car (14,XXX) with all 64 parts (relative to those you list) So as others have said, bubba.
If you plan to have judged best to start the changes - just remember to document everything before removal just in case. As JD just said the parts are worth $$$.

[Stuart F.]

Re: "64" Question

As I recall, the 63 exhaust bezels are larger which I think work better with some repro exhaust systems for aligment (or is it the other way around). Either way, I'd say you have a hybred and you will want to upgrade to all 64 parts if you want it to be more original.

Stu Fox

[Tom R.]

Re: "64" Question

Why remove any of the parts described? Just have it judged and lets see...

Couldn't it happen that 63 parts ended up on a 64. Heck when the bin was getting empty they just put more parts in the bin.The people on the line didn't care if it was going to be judged. They just wanted to have a part on it before it left there station.

[Bob R.]

Re: "64" Question

I doubt you would find 63 parts in a late 64. I found a lot of 64 - 67 parts on my 63 when I purchased it. When cars were repaired before all the reproduction parts were available the only fix was to look for parts in a salvage yard and make do with what you found. I had a 66 - 67 grill and hood on my car that must have been installed after some front end damage. My exhaust panel had the 66 - 67 bezels on it. I lot of things can get damaged on a 47 year old car. At least when they repaired the fiberglass they found 63 - 64 parts because you can find the repairs and the glass is all 63 - 64.

[Jim T.]

Re: "64" Question

Edward your 64 does have quite a few 63 parts for a 64 built in June 1964.
I did a seach recently for my wife's 64 40867S 8040 (this is how the VIN/Serial no. is shown on the Corvette Owner Card she still has) which was later sold in MO. She was the original owner and has pictures showing the car was Riverside Red.
Found the current owner in Florida. He purchased the car needing work and knowing the engine was not original. He did a complete body repaint and had experience with previous Corvettes. When I told him about the original color he replied he found no evidence in putting in new carpet and doing the body paint that the 64 was ever Riverside Red. I did not ask him if he had verified the frame's stamped VIN number matched. He painted the 64 white.

[Alan D.]

Re: "64" Question

Exhaust holes in 64 are larger just for reasons Stuart mentioned.
Judge first or after updates or just drive it depends upon what you desire, enjoy.
Is more of the interior also 63??

[Lynn H.]

Re: "64" Question

Edward your 64 does have quite a few 63 parts for a 64 built in June 1964.
I did a seach recently for my wife's 64 40867S 8040 (this is how the VIN/Serial no. is shown on the Corvette Owner Card she still has) which was later sold in MO. She was the original owner and has pictures showing the car was Riverside Red.
Found the current owner in Florida. He purchased the car needing work and knowing the engine was not original. He did a complete body repaint and had experience with previous Corvettes. When I told him about the original color he replied he found no evidence in putting in new carpet and doing the body paint that the 64 was ever Riverside Red. I did not ask him if he had verified the frame's stamped VIN number matched. He painted the 64 white.

While certainly not wanting to imply anything, Jim brings up a very valid point on verification of the frame/vin/trim markings. With a very large number of 63 parts on that late of a built 64, the possibility of someone putting something together has to be considered (verified). For instance, it could be very easy to take the tags off a totaled 64, and put on a mysterious 63.
Lynn

[William C.]

Re: "64" Question

Just for a point of reference, I once owned '64 S/N 838 and there were NO carryover '63 parts on the car, circa 1978 original car without any mods.

[Michael H.]

Re: "64" Question

Just for a point of reference, I once owned '64 S/N 838 and there were NO carryover '63 parts on the car, circa 1978 original car without any mods.

I agree. That didn't happen at the St Louis plant. We bought a new 64 (8763) and none of the mentioned 63 items were on our car.

At the end of a model year, most of the parts in the assembly plant that are unique to a previous model are normally removed and returned to the GM warehouse. This would be especially true for obvious items such as trim etc.

[John H.]

Re: "64" Question

At the end of a model year, most of the parts in the assembly plant that are unique to a previous model are normally removed and returned to the GM warehouse. This would be especially true for obvious items such as trim etc.

That's correct - the traditional 3-5 week shutdown for "model change" had little to do with the product, except for a major change that involved significant process and tooling changes ('62 to '63, '67 to '68, etc.). The main reason for the downtime was to conduct the Annual Physical Inventory of parts to reconcile the records vs. actual on-hand, and to segregate "E&O" (Excess and Obsolete) material from the previous model year that was not carried over to the new model year, for disposition and shipment per Central Office instructions.