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Luxury amenities such as power
steering, air conditioning, and leather seats were first
available in the 1963 Corvette.
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The earliest serial number air
conditioned Sting Ray has a production build date in
October, about 6 months before the rest of the A/C cars. It
seems the owner was a GM executive who had the car returned
to Chevrolet for refitting with A/C.
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The 1963 roof panel molds were
built using wrong dimensions, such that all roof panels were
too small. This left a gap seen in the door pillar above the
door latch in all but a few cars. The ones where it is not
found were cosmetically covered up with body filler.
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The famous "split" rear window
for the new Corvette almost never came to be. It seems that
Bill Mitchell and Zora Arkus-Duntov argued over the design.
Bill Mitchell won out for the 1963 Model, but it was removed
for 1964 never to be seen again.
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The 1963 Grand Sports, while
originally looking much like the production coupes, had no
body parts in common. The fiberglass body panels were
roughly half the thickness of production panels to save
weight.
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The 1963 Grand Sports originally
were released without fender flares, using the stock look.
However, they were wider to allow a wider tire 8.25x15
rather than the stock 6.70x15 tire.
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Aluminum knock off wheels only
cost $322 for a set of 5 in 1964.
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Only the driver's side vent on
the 1964 Corvette is functional.
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Side mounted exhaust systems
first appeared in 1965.
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The first major tire size change
in Corvette history occurred in 1965. Tire size changed from
6.70x15 to 7.75x15
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While the 427 was developed
first, the 396 went into the Corvette, Chevrolet, and
Chevelle in 1965 due to a GM policy restricting them to less
than 400 cubic inches.
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The 1965 396ci 425hp engine
option lasted only one year.
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1965 was the first year to have
two separate hoods - the smooth small block hood and the big
block hood with a "power bulge."
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1966 marked the last year for
knock off wheels but the first for shoulder harnesses and
headrests.
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The 1966 Corvette was not
eligible for the SCCA Trans Am, due to the upper limit of
5.0 liter on engine displacement. Chevy's only eligible car
was the Corvair.
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Only 20 RPO L88 427 engines were
opted for in 1967. To discourage street use, GM rated these
engines at a conservative 430 hp (5 HP less than the L71
engine option) although they actually pumped out well in
excess of 500 ponies.
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1967 was the first year to have
three hood styles: the small block hood, the big block hood,
and the L-88 hood, even though externally the L-88 looked
like the regular big block hood.
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In late February/early March,
1967, some small blocks received the big block hood due to
an manufacturing problem with the small block hood mold.
These were not given the hood stripe.
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The "GM Mark of Excellence"
sticker appeared, placed on the inside driver's door jamb,
appeared in 1967 only.
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Federal law mandated the removal
of spinners from wheels in 1967, so the knock off wheel of
1963-66 was replaced with a bolt on wheel.
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1967 was the first year "vinyl"
was offered as an optional exterior covering for the
hardtop.
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The '67 model was the first to
have the "tank sticker", or the build sheet, attached to the
gas tank.
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A 36 gallon fuel tank, the
largest ever offered, was available as an option in the
Corvette from 1963 to 1967.
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The speed warning indicator
option lasted for only three production years... 1967, 1968
and 1969.
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The '67 LeMans Racer was "DRIVEN"
to the track from the airport (in place of being trailered)
because the trailer was chuck full of parts!