1964 interior trim panel color guidance

[Scott P.]

I am a recently new owner of a 1964 convertible (June 1, 1964 final assembly date) and would appreciate inputs if you are knowledgeable about trim panels / radio access side panels. Interior color is dark blue (trim code 490K) with Silver Blue exterior paint (paint code 912A).

1. The Judging Guide says that these trim panels were painted "low gloss interior color". My panels are currently low gloss black, though they show blue overspray on the back side. Could my panels have originally been black, or would they only have originally been dark blue (i.e., they may have originally been blue though were painted black at some point)?
2. If they should only be dark blue and if trying to match original, do you have any reference spray paint manufacturer/color that you can recommend if I was to re-paint these panels to most closely match the original color?
3. Any idea what the uneven numbers shown in the closeup photo below might be for?
4. Anything stand out for this panel to not appear to be original (other than perhaps paint color)?

Thank you for inputs on any or all of these questions!

2025-02-24 1964 Corvette left interior trim panel front.jpg

2025-02-24 1964 Corvette left interior trim panel back.jpg

2025-02-25 1964 Corvette left interior trim panel numbers.jpg

1964 Corvette trim tag.png

[Don H.]

Hello Scott
welcome to the club and the Tech Discussion Board (TDB).
Here is a photo of my 64 Trim 490 right side radio side panel. Original interior car.
Dark Blue, the same color as the overspray on the back of your panel.
IMG_4617.jpg

[Scott P.]

Don H., thank you for that helpful photo from your car! Inadvertently, your photo has now brought up something much bigger: The entire front section of my interior is black, not dark blue: instrument panel, radio/clock area, dash, glove compartment, etc. Everything else including door panels, seats, etc. are blue. Could this even be a possible color combination? My car had a frame-off restoration done prior to my ownership. I am now wondering if they completely replaced literally the entire front section of the interior with black? Seems a bit extreme, though certainly possible.

1964 Corvette interior.jpg

[Joseph S.]

Don H., thank you for that helpful photo from your car! Inadvertently, your photo has now brought up something much bigger: The entire front section of my interior is black, not dark blue: instrument panel, radio/clock area, dash, glove compartment, etc. Everything else including door panels, seats, etc. are blue. Could this even be a possible color combination? My car had a frame-off restoration done prior to my ownership. I am now wondering if they completely replaced literally the entire front section of the interior with black? Seems a bit extreme, though certainly possible.

1964 Corvette interior.jpg

Hi Scott, If your trim tag states that your interior color is blue, everything should be blue. There was no Black/Blue combination option. I would think that if you sanded or stripped the black paint off your radio side panels, you will find blue under the black. It's obvious that the panel you showed has been painted since there is paint over heavy scratches.
I would think that it's safe to assume that the dash was changed or dyed during the last restoration.

Regards, Joe

[Scott P.]

Joseph S. / Joe, thank you for sharing that. I am experiencing unexpected newbie learning, indeed!

[Bob R.]

You could try removing the glove box to get a better look at the back side of the dash pad. As Joe said if the code for the interior is dark blue it should all be dark blue. There are a couple of Corvette vendors that sell interior color dye. My 63 Daytona blue with dark blue interior had the original dash painted brown I used Corvette Americas interior dye to spray it dark blue. I could see the original dark blue color behind the glove box.

[Scott P.]

Thank you, Bob R.. Since my original post, I have come to an egg-on-face realization: My dash / console is actually dark blue, not black as I thought. It is so dark that I had thought it was black, though when looking at it in better lighting and with something that is truly black against it, it is actually dark blue. I have now seen photos of other dark blue interior C2s online and they have dashes/consoles that also look nearly black.

The lower shifter console piece and the two side trim panels are black, however, and presumably they should not be black. The shifter console actually looks as old and original as everything else, though it is of course possible that it got switched at some point during a prior restoration for some unknown reason. The side trim panels are clearly painted black. I received one recommendation on a color to use for spray painting those side trim panels back to dark blue, though any other spray paint color recommendations from anyone are always welcome, too.

I wonder if the dark blue dye will work on the lower shifter console like it would on the upper dash/consoles. I will need to check into that. Thank you for the dye recommendation.