By 1963, the Chevrolet Corvette had solidified itself as a bona fide sports car. Believe it or not, in the mid-1950s, GM considered to stop producing the then slow-selling two-seater, but sales picked up each year. By 1960, GM stylists had a clay model that very much resembles the production 1963 model. The '63 was so carefully planned in advance, as far back as 1959, and tested and re-tested; the final product paid off and it shows. With the William Mitchell-inspired controversial rear window, the split-window coupe has become an American icon. Sales jumped from 14,531 in 1962 to 21,513 in 1963.
Although the power trains available remained the same in 1963, Chevrolet introduced a dynamite package of styling, still more beautiful than anything produced since or today, a new chassis with independent rear suspension. The new car also gave buyers the choice of luxury items never before offered in America's Sports Car, such as leather seats, tan only, air conditioning, AM/FM radio, power steering, power brakes and aluminum knock-off wheels.
HISTORY
Before 1963, the Corvette was criticized for its outdated chassis, then 10 years old, and inconsistent styling. Automotive journalists of the time raved about the 1956 and 1957 models, but didn't care for later models from 1958 through 1962. Styling can be subjective, but complaints of the chassis were justified. Some enthusiasts thought the first Corvettes were built around a chassis that already was dated. However, Mitchell, Larry Shinoda and their design team hit a grand slam with the 1963 model. High fender peaks, hideaway headlights, the trademark four taillamps mounted just above gorgeous rear bumpers and, of course, that split-window were some of the highlights. Critics found little to complain about and the 1963 chassis was so good that it remained basically unchanged for 19 years. The '63's design actually had a history before their introduction and resembled the Mitchell racing Sting Ray of the late 1950s. When Mitchell first saw Shinoda's split-window design, he fell in love with it and wanted it to stay. Zora-Arkus Duntov hated it. He said it blocked rear vision. Years later, Mitchell agreed with Zora, but he just liked it.
In 1961 and 1962 models, the wheelbase was 102 inches. In 1963, it was shortened to 98 inches, where it remained for many years. Tire size remained the same at 6.70 X 15 inches, but the front and rear track dimensions changed slightly. Mechanically, the new Corvette shared the same engines and transmissions from 1962. The base engine was the 250-hp 327 cu.-in V-8. There were three optional V-8s, all 327s, with horsepower ratings of 300, 340 and 360 in the top gun fuel-injected version, which added $430.40 to the price. The base 327 engine had a 10.5:1 compression ratio and 250hp at 4,400 rpm. Torque was 350 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3,200 rpm. The bore was 4 inches and the stroke was 3.25 inches. The high-performance fuel-injected engine had 360hp at 6,000 rpm. The bore and stroke was the same for all engines, but this engine had an 11.25:1 compression ratio and 352 lbs.-ft. torque at 4,000 rpm. All Corvette engines had hydraulic lifters. A 1963 Corvette with fuel-injection could cover the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 102 mph, according to a May 1963 Motor Trend test. The base transmission in 1963 was a floor-mounted 3-speed manual. Optional were a Powerglide automatic and several four-speed manuals, either Borg-Warner or Muncie boxes.
Comfort and convenience also were popular in 1963 with a plethora of options available. A base Corvette coupe in 1963 was $4,257. If a buyer ordered all possible options on a coupe, the sticker price jumped to more than $6,200. A convertible's base price was $4,037. Ironically, with the beautiful new coupe design, nearly as many convertibles were sold that year. Chevrolet records show that 10,592 coupes and 10,919 convertibles were built. In 1964, GM built 8,304 coupes and 13,925 convertibles. Although the Corvette had a spectacular new chassis, disc brakes would not appear until 1965. The front drums were 11 x 2.75 inches and the rear had 11 x 2-inch shoes. Drums were cast iron.
Along with the knock-out styling, the new 1963 changed everything about what a Corvette was. Out front were independent coil springs, unequal-length upper and lower control arms, direct-acting tubular shocks and anti-roll bar. The rear featured a fixed differential with a transverse nine-leaf spring, lateral struts and universally jointed axle shafts, radius arms and direct-acting tubular shocks. Standard wheel was a five-lug steel wheel. Curb weight of the coupe was 3,150 pounds. Overall length was 175.3 inches, overall height 49.8 inches, and width 69.6 inches. The 1963 and 1964 Corvettes were typical of GM cars of the early 60s and build quality, while not great, is certainly better than most and holds up very well, restorers say. They are quite popular with nearly 30 appearing for sale in this magazine's "Corvette" section of Hemmings Motor News.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The Corvette's forte was acceleration and good balance of handling and, for its time, braking. The new chassis and suspension made it handle much better than previous Corvettes. The seats offer little support, but there is something about watching that mechanical tachometer hooked to the distributor jostle up and down at idle that makes driving a mid-year Corvette a real experience. The ride, as expected from a short-wheelbase car, is a little choppy, but for a car now on the high side of 40 years, the handling is still good in contrast to some of today's cars despite the skinny, bias-ply tires which came on these cars. The brakes aren't all that bad either, but do have fade and, unlike new disc systems, tend to heat up quickly. Handling on wet roads leaves much to be desired. Even new, a Corvette's handling was quite questionable on wet or snow-covered roads. That might explain why many are still low-mileage originals.
MAINTENANCE/SUPPORT
No doubt, it is likely easier to get seat covers for a 1963 and 1964 Corvettes than going to Chevrolet looking for new skins for your C5. The loyalty to this marque is second to none and Corvette owners are fastidious about maintaining their vehicles. Virtually every part needed to rebuild or restore these cars is available. And even scarce NOS parts surface, albeit be ready to pay the piper. However, there are some bargains. An NOS antenna was advertised in the October 2004 Hemming Motor News for $100. Also available are remanufactured dated alternators for less than $100. Price one for an import lately? There are a number of restoration shops and parts warehouses dotted across the nation which cater to Corvette aficionados. Many of these businesses can be found in the pages of Hemmings Motor News and Hemmings Muscle Machines. If you're going for that factory overspray, paint drips and different shades of chassis black look, turn to the National Corvette Restorers Society.
CONSIDERATIONS
As most Corvette enthusiasts know, Corvettes can still get cancer, as in rust. True, the body panels will never rust, but the inner door frames, base of windshield and frames can rust. However, the most rust-prone areas on these cars is the frame. Frame rust builds up particularly on the side rails, most commonly on the driver's side. The trailing arms also rust, said Richard Prince, of Suffolk County, New York, who has restored many older Corvettes and now writes about and photographs Corvettes for a living. He said "birdcage" rust, the steel structure surrounding the interior on which the Fiberglass is built around, is not as prone to rust as the later '65 to '67 cars. Another area prone to rust is the gas tank which, while not all that hard to replace, is no picnic either. To check if a car was in a front-end collision, this can get tricky. Richard says there are nine body panels that make up the front fenders and header panel. All were held together by bonding strips that overlap the edges from the inside. He says to look up inside the inner wheel wells. "The glue they used shouldn't be oozing out from everywhere. The Fiberglass used on 1963 and 1964 cars is light gray in color." Other areas of concern are the trim tag and VIN affixed beneath the dash under the glove compartment. In 1963 and 1964, the VIN plate only was welded on. The trim tag was attached in St. Louis using rivets, Richard says. These tags are being reproduced, so beware. Those outside the Corvette world may not know that a car's VIN also was stamped twice into the top of the frame. The first location will be on the driver's side, somewhere in the area where the door handle would be. The second location is forward of the left rear wheel close to the body mount. "It's hard to read, but can be done. You'll likely have to clean it off with fine steel wool and then get a small mirror, like a dental mirror, up in there, but you can see it." Mechanically, Richard says to look at the rear transverse spring and check to see if it's sagging. Other rear bushings usually get flattened out and always need replacing. Turning to the front of the car, make sure the aluminum radiator, every '63 and '64 regardless of engine option, had one. "If it isn't leaking when you look at it, it will soon, and a correct replacement is probably $1,500." He says missing items, such as a spare tire bucket and correct jack, could add up to about $1,000. "Many of the cars I've seen over the years either had a broken spare tire carrier or it was missing altogether. The factory jack was stored behind the seats in a compartment." Prince's overall advice: "Just because it's a 250-horsepower car, don't take it for granted that it's real. If you're not sure, have a professional look at it."
Joe Conte, who has been working on Corvettes for more than 30 years, owns Conte's Corvettes in Vineland, New Jersey. Joe speaks volumes about these cars and said the number one caveat is frame rust. Like Richard, Joe says look out for serious rust along the frame rails. "We were putting knockoffs (wheels) on a customer's '63 once and I was looking around. I saw what appeared to be a new weld. It looked a little thick to me and I started poking around with a screwdriver. It turned out to be silicone spray-painted black. I pulled off the silicone and there was bondo all over a rusted frame." It is hard to detect if it's been repaired properly, but not impossible," Joe says. If you're looking for body damage, Joe says any shrunken dimples along a bonding strip, say four to six inches apart, indicate someone riveted the panels together. It's a sure sign the car was wrecked. He said the most costly repairs are frame repair, paint and engine in that order. "We can replace a gas tank in about an hour and a half, two tops, so that, while an expense, is not that high." Joe adds that repairing an air conditioning system in these cars can get quite costly and some parts are just no longer available, like the suction throttling valve which regulates the flow of Freon into the evaporator. Joe also believes the Muncie transmissions, first available in 1964, are more durable than the Borg-Warner boxes in 1963. He said the 327 engines are durable, easy to work on and last virtually forever. Joe says the hardest parts to find are the stainless steel moldings that surround the rear glass and windshields.
One of the world's largest dealer handling Corvettes is Mike Vietro of California. Known as Corvette Mike, he echoes Richard and Joe's warnings. "Be especially careful also around the trailing arms where they contact the joint box where the rear alignment shims are located. This makes for a difficult challenge to repair or replace them."
On buying parts, Mike said nearly everything for '63s are reproduced and the quality gets better every year. But he warns that '63 parts are mostly one year only and get pricey. Mike says paint quality was not the best, nor did GM put on much paint when these cars were new, but the bodies were well made. On the mechanical side, Mike says to check for broken odometers, gas gauges and amp meters. He adds to check for rattling shifters, headlight motors that stick, worn steering gear and oil leaks from the engine, transmission and rear end.
DESIRABILITY
While the 1964s get a bum rap, they are quite collectible. Meanwhile, the one-year only '63 coupe is an American icon and the thing legends are made of. If you're looking for a beautiful mid-year Corvette and don't want to spend the $100,000-plus needed to buy a '67 435 convertible, which could have a re-stamped truck engine, then a '63 or '64 Corvette is the way to go. Prices of mid-year Corvettes have historically continued to rise, with some slowing in the 1990s, but owning one certainly makes good financial sense. An old Corvette is something you can enjoy and not worry about depreciation. Highly optioned cars, of course, rise more in value, but cost more to buy. They're like real estate; they're not making them anymore. It goes without saying, ask for documentation.
VALUES
Because the 1963 and 1964 Corvettes are not as revered as say '65 to '67 models, their prices aren't crazy yet, except for, say, a ZO6 or a '64 coupe with a solid-lifter engine and factory air conditioning. In most ways, a '64 is as good a car as the '63, but the '64 is caught in an unfortunate squeeze. It followed the lead car in what some purists consider the best of the mid-years, but it preceded the year which brought much-needed four-wheel disc brakes to the car.
Obviously, prices between a '63 and '64 coupe are substantially apart, but much less when comparing convertibles. A top-condition '63 coupe with the ZO6 option is valued at about $130,000, with lesser option cars worth about $54,000. A low-option '63 coupe can be bought on the low side between $19,000 and $21,000. A top condition 1964 coupe can fetch more than $36,000, and prices are rising. With air conditioning and knock-off wheels, the price will zoom to about $42,000. On the lower end you can buy a 1964 convertible for about $17,000.
This article originally appeared in the DECEMBER 1, 2004 issue of Hemmings Motor News.
