Chevrolet 1964 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible User manual

CONTENTS
Page
Operating Instructions 5
Instruments and Controls 12
NIaintenance and Lubrication 26
: Mainte nance and Lubrication Schedule 35
Minor Troub le Shooting 40
Specifications 44
Index 48
AU information contained. in this booklet ill the lalest product
informalion available at the lime oj printing. The right
Is reserved to make changes ot any time without nalice.

STING RAY
CONVERTIBLE
CORVETTE
STING RAY
SPORT COUPE
11 111 1 1111 11 111 11 1 11 1111 1111 111 11 11 1 111 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 1111 111 11 11 1111 11 11 11 11 11 11 111 11 1 11 111 11 11 111 1 11 111 1"''''''' '' '''''' '' ''''''"'''"''''''"'''''', ,,, ,, , ,, ,, ,,,,, ,,,,,,

A WORD FROM CHEVROLET.
This Owners Guide co nt ains im portant information regarding the operation a nd
maintenance of your Corvette.
In order to obtain maximum enjoyment and usage from your ca r, we suggest that you
familiari
ze yourself with the conte nt s of this booklet a nd follow the recommendations
outlined .
Your
Chevrolet dealer has the trained personnel and specialized equipment to properl y
service yo
ur Corvette. Have him inspect your car and p erform any maintenanc e or
adjustment required,
We would like to take this opportuni ty to thank you for choosing a Chevrolet product
- and assure you of our co ntinuing interest in your motoring pleasure and satisfaction.
CHEVROLET MOTOR DIVISION
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION DETROIT 2, MICHIGAN

The First
1000 Miles
During your first thousand miles of driving, you can, by
observing a few simple precautions. contribute greatly to a
longer life for your Corvette and add much to its future per-
formance and economy of operation.
It is recommended that your speed during these first one thousand miles be confined to a
maximum of 60 mph . However, do not drive for extended periods at anyone constant
speed,
either fast or slow. During this period, avoid full throttle starts and quick, abrupt
stops. The first few hundred miles of driving are especially important to proper brake
operation. Gentle braking during this period will allow proper conditioning of the brake
linings and result in longer brake life and better brake performance.
It is always best to drive at a reasonable speed until the engine has warmed up. Be par-
ticularly careful to maintain the proper oil level in the engine. Check the oil level
freq
uent ly and, if it becomes necessary to add oil, follow closely the recommendations as to
quality
and viscosity found in this booklet. Use of the proper engine oil is of great impor -
tance to insure maximum performance and economy.

Operating
Instructions

Starting the Engine
IGNITION
SWITCH •
The five-position ignition switch allows full control of
the ele ctrical systems of your Corvette. To sta rt eng in e
turn the switch to START and release as soon as the
engine starts. The swit ch will re turn to the ON position
and all electrical circuits will be ready for use. Use OFF,
LOCK a nd ACC positions to stop th e engin e. The ACC
position will anow you to use all accessories without
energizing the i gnition system.
NOTE, /(ey cannot be ,emoved from the ignition .....itch . ';f;;;.#fi';;'..;;a.;:" i;h~'i4i;C't:;o:N: '
accidentally leaving IWifeh OFF but IlOl ladeed. /(fl' 111(" b. nollllOVed 11
position and the switch may be moved between
STARTING
PROCEDURES
Place the transmi ss ion se lector lever in neutra l or park position and, on manual
transmission equipped models, push th e clut ch pedal down while s tarting engine.
Depress
the accelerator pedal to the floor a nd fully release. Turn th e ignition switch
to START and h old until the engine starts.
During temperatures of 0° F, and below, and when the engine is hot, the accel erator
pedal should be held part way down while starting .
Start a "flooded" engine by holding accelerator pedal to the floor w hil e o'ankin g engine.
CAUTION: Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced by the engi ne of any ca?'. It is odorless
so
you cannot detect its presence. Be safe. Never Sial "t or run YOW" C01"Velte in a closed garage or
park with the windows closed and engine operating.

Driving with the Powerg lide Transmission
The optional Powerglide is a completely automatic
transmission which replaces the standard clutch and
transmission. After starting the engine with the seIce-
P-PARK
R-REVERSE
N-NEUTRAL
D- DRIVE
L-LOW
tor !ever in "N" (Neutral) or "P" (Park) position,
merely select the range desi red and depress the accel-
erator. The transmission will do the rest.
Use only when car is stopped. Car parked
For backing car -from stop.
For
standing-brakes applied. Normal
For all forward driving -step hard
driving
on
accelerator for extra accelera-
range
lion below 45 mph.
For hard pulling at low speeds and
Sand, snow,
climbing or descending sleep
mud and
grades.
Shift to L only below steep
grades
40 mph.
~ I _,
~
POWERGLIDE DRIVING CAUTIONS
• Do not accelerate engine in L, D, or R with the
brakes engaged. This can cause damage by over-
heating transmission.
• Do not hold car on an upgrade by accelerating
engine. Use brakes.
• Do not use Low position except for hard pu ll s at
low speed or down-hill braking at speeds below
40 MPH.
• Do not shift inw Reverse or Park before coming
to a complete stop .
• Always engage park i ng brake when parked.
I
J

ID riving with the Manual Transmission -s
Both Corvette manual transmissions are controlled slowing down, shift into the next lower gear before
by the shift lever located on top of the Hoor tunnel. the engine "lugs"
or labors.
You will find
the shift pattern for your transmission Do not "ride" the dutch. Depress the pedal only
pictured on a plate just behind the shift lever. Dur- when actually shifting the transmission and then
ing acceleration, always shift into the next higher clear to the Hoar. Use your brakes rather than the
gear before the engine begins to oVeISeeed;
and ,;h _ e _ n ~ __ cl_u_tch_ pedal to hold your Corvette on a hill.
THREE-SPEED •
TRANSMISSION
The optional fouf4spe ed manual transmISSIOn pro-
vides four forward speeds. The closely spaced ratios
make it possible for you to accelerate with a mini-
mum loss of engine rp m at the shift points. You will
enjoy the performance and feel
of a direct connected
engin
e. Sin ce all forward speeds afe synchronized
the transmission can be used to assist in deceleration
by downshifting in the third-second-first sequence.
The Corvette three-speed manual transmission is de-
signed to provide high performance under ordinary
driving conditions
as well as during high speed op era-
tion. Gear ratios were selected to keep the engine
operating in its high output range as consistently as
possible and permit upshifting and downshifting
between second
and third speed at high speeds.
• FOUR-SPEED
TRANSMISSION

Downshifting with
Manual Transmission
If you wish to shift from one gear to the one imme-
diately lower in ratio, avoid dangerously overspeed-
ing the engine by downshifting as follows:
I. Watch the Tachometer-If yo ur 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 s i-
multaneously, sp ee d up the engine, disengage the
clutch, shift into the next lower gear and re-
engage the clutch while depressing the throttle.
With practice, this procedure becomes almost
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 w hi ch might stop a conventionally equipped
vehicle. During turns, the positraction axle applies
the major dr iving force to the inside rear wheel thus
improving stability and cornering. Normal light
thrott le application will supp ly maximum traction.
When starting with one rear wheel on an excessively
slippery surface, slight application of the parking
brake may be necessary momentarily to gain maxi-
mum traction.
Driving with
Metallic Brake Linings
If your Corvette is equipped with optional metallic
brake
lining s, you will find that somewhat mo re than
normal pedal pressure will be required to stop the car
until you have made several stops to warm
up the
linings.