‘64 Coupe - 327ci/365hp Four Speed
A really nice-looking Sting Ray with many desirable options
I think this ‘64 coupe has, with apologies to Tom Wolfe, “The Right Stuff”: the right color, the right engine and transmission, and the right exhaust. It certainly screams classic Corvette in the many photos accompanying the auction ad description.
It’s powered by the 365hp version of the 327ci engine backed by a four-speed manual transmission. The only engine that offered more power was the fuel-injected version that produced 375hp, but the FI system was finicky and difficult to maintain.
This Riverside Red C2 with turbine-style wheels has had the optional factory side exhaust added at some point by a previous owner. This much-loved exhaust system was not offered as an option until the following year.
A major refurbishment in 1989 involved rebuilding the powertrain, repainting the exterior, and reupholstering the interior. Four-wheel drum brakes were standard equipment in ‘64 and there was no option to upgrade to disk brakes. Disk brakes became standard in the ‘65 model year. Although disk brakes would have been a nice enhancement during the refurbishment, I think it was smart to maintain originality.
The interior looks very tidy. The steering wheel, gauges, radio, and chrome shifter are all correct. The odometer shows about 75,000 miles, but after 60 years, it’s difficult to verify the actual mileage without extensive records and documentation.
The interior was refurbished in 1989 and the seat covers / foam, carpeting, and weatherstripping were all replaced. The cabin looks to me like it’s still in excellent condition.
The original distributor / plug wire ignition shielding is in place and the single master cylinder, air cleaner, radiator overflow tank, and finned aluminum valve covers look original to me. The solid-lifter, high-compression 327ci engine was rebuilt in 1989. I’ve noted before that in the late sixties, a friend had this same 365hp car in convertible form and it was significantly faster than my ‘65 327ci/350hp convertible.
I don’t often include photos of the underside but, although it looks pretty clean, one of the commenters (who apparently has better eyes than I do) noted “The frame has had some repair/reinforcement, wondering how the birdcage looks.” Another commenter stated that “The block stamps are clearly a re-stamp.” There may be nothing nefarious about that: when an engine is rebuilt, as this one has been, sometimes the stamped surface needs to be machined and the numbers re-stamped. (The block stamp is used to prove that a car is “numbers-matching” and can affect the value of a collectible car.)
A dealer is auctioning this Sting Ray after recently acquiring it from the previous owner who owned it about 40 years. It’ll be interesting to see if the negative comments have any effect on the selling price. I find it somewhat humorous that if this car was one year older with the split rear window, it would sell for two or three times as much.
The auction ends on Thursday, June 19 at 3:36pm. Here is a link:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-chevrolet-corvette-284/