1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

[Danny H.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

Danny,

The previous posters have totally ignored the fact that you bought the car 15+ years ago and that we don't know how much you paid for it and have in it. They also assume that you will do a frame off restoration.

I disagree with Paul. It IS worth restoring to original and whether or not you go upside down depends on how much you have invested in the car to date, how far you go with the restoration, how much work you do yourself, and how long you keep the car before it is sold (if it is ever sold). The only good comment I've seen was that you will not be able to drive the car during most of the restoration, which can take years.

You must first decide what you want from the car. Do you want a nice driver? Do you want a Top Flight car? Will you take it to NCRS judging or concours judging? These types of questions will tell you how much you will spend on any restoration, and also set the market value for the car once you have completed whatever you're going to do to it. It will help you decide if you want to restamp the block (which I think you should do).

I've owned my 64 for 37 years. When I bought it it was not original, and I always said that I would restore it some day. But it was fun to drive and I enjoyed just owning it and driving it. By the time that the internal engine problems started, the rear end had issues and the time was right to restore it. The kids were now older and life had stabilized enough to allow me to start the restoration, which is ongoing. Besides, I finally had enough functioning toys to do without the Vette for a while.

Good luck with whatever you do with the car.

Paul

Paul,

Thanks for your prospective, looks like it is a win-win for me either way. All I wanted last month was a quicker car from 0-60 and my 2-speed powerglide is just not cutting it... now I am part of the NCRS family and talking about restoration I still have a very long way to go.

It will be another 10 years or so before all my kids can either help or be on their own, so I probably won't start the restoration till then. Except maybe doing the 4-speed ASAP.

Thanks,
Danny

[Dick W.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

As to the question of "worth" or "value" or "desirable", I would refer you to a 1965 Red/White CV, 350/365, A/C that appeared at B-J in January 2010 and the new owner left with the car but abandoned something like 165 or 175 Big frogskins.
I can't recall the actual amount because I have one of those cars and was told that I went into a coma when the gavel dropped.

HS Batman! And I sold a 365 AC coupe for $6,500 a few years ago. Wrong block but the heads, intake carb, hi redline tach, etc were all there. Needed quite a bit of bodywork and an interior.

[Loren L.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

I just google it, it is actaully $170,500!!! It got to be something special about this car, and I bet it is not because of the AC, but one can only hope...

-Danny
12591965CORVETTECONVERTIBLE 327/365HP$170,500.00
12591965CORVETTECONVERTIBLE 327/365HP$170,500.00

RED with WHITE interior & softtop, A/C and up grade motor in a mid-year (I haven't found ANYONE that doesn't think they look as good as _____________.). All the Bling in the world - and I remember it because whoever put it together used mid-66/7 valve covers with the casting flaw.
If there was something special about the car, no claim was made. Get used to it - when you go back 45 years, A/C, FI & High performance SB/BB do create a valuation gap - and it is out there,

[Jim T.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

Jim,

Please see the attached image for the AC knobs and center outlet, the battary is on the driver side.

The engine is on the way, will try do it myself (or save it for the kids) when the time is right, not going to rush it and get stress out over it anymore.

Thanks,
Danny

The attached image is what my 64 convertible with factory air looked like as well. To bad that you do not have the evaporator and housing and other ducting for air conditioning you mentioned. Do you have two individual holes in the right inner fender wall that line up with the front two spark plugs?

[Danny H.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

The attached image is what my 64 convertible with factory air looked like as well. To bad that you do not have the evaporator and housing and other ducting for air conditioning you mentioned. Do you have two individual holes in the right inner fender wall that line up with the front two spark plugs?

Jim,

There is no attachment in your reply, attached is the pic of the right inner fender, it does have two holes, but not sure if this this the right location since they don't line up w/ the spark plugs.

Also Do you have a 4 speed? can you also attached a pic or two of the linkage from the firewall to the transmission? trying to replace that powerglide and put back the original 4-speed config.

-Danny

[Danny H.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

RED with WHITE interior & softtop, A/C and up grade motor in a mid-year (I haven't found ANYONE that doesn't think they look as good as _____________.). All the Bling in the world - and I remember it because whoever put it together used mid-66/7 valve covers with the casting flaw.
If there was something special about the car, no claim was made. Get used to it - when you go back 45 years, A/C, FI & High performance SB/BB do create a valuation gap - and it is out there,

My trim is 491DE & 923AA paint, riverside red w/ red/white interior, the paint is decent & correct same as the the red dash, but everything else is black now, carpet, seats, softtop. Man, if I can get half of that, I will pay someone to restore it to white in a heartbeat...

Style is E18 64 (what is E18 means? I assume the 64 is for 1964), also what is 5433 Body?

[Joe R.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

Style is E18 64 (what is E18 means? I assume the 64 is for 1964), also what is 5433 Body?

Danny,

The E18 is the code for month and day. What it means depends on whether your body is St. Louis or A.O. Smith. The 5433 is the body number. The style would be something like 64 467 for a 1964 convertible (or 437 for coupe). See web site:

http://www.corvette.net/tech-13.htm

Joe

[Loren L.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

Danny, don't know what your two inner fender holes are for, but let's be clear - the two holes referenced by Jim were NOT factory holes - but 40+ years later, it's a pretty reliable indicator of what used to reside in the engine compartment.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

..... the pic of the right inner fender, it does have two holes, but not sure if this this the right location ......

Danny -- the two holes look OK to me (using my '65 AC car as an example). Measure between the centers and it should be 3.0". This is for the bracket that holds the two freon hoses against the fender [and away from the compressor]. The Assembly Installation Manual ('64 AIM -- you should have one of these on your "to-buy" list) indicates that if you DIDN'T have air, there would be two un-drilled dimples in these locations [ref. C60, Sheet D3 --- references are for '65 AIM, but '64 should be same or close].

AIM also shows the lower heater hoses clamp holes with location dimensions [ref C60, sheet D3] ; yours look OK there too, and this is C60-only thing in '64.

[Paul J.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

Paul,

Thanks for your prospective, looks like it is a win-win for me either way. All I wanted last month was a quicker car from 0-60 and my 2-speed powerglide is just not cutting it... now I am part of the NCRS family and talking about restoration I still have a very long way to go.

It will be another 10 years or so before all my kids can either help or be on their own, so I probably won't start the restoration till then. Except maybe doing the 4-speed ASAP.

Thanks,
Danny

Danny,

One other thing. When you do things to the car, like putting a four speed back in it, spend your money on the correct parts, the ones that you would buy if you were doing a full restoration. That way, you do some of the restoration very gradually. For example, if you buy the correct transmission with the proper numbers and install the correct clutch pedal assembly, the only cost for the future restoration will be a little reconditioning.

Paul

[Danny H.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

Danny,

One other thing. When you do things to the car, like putting a four speed back in it, spend your money on the correct parts, the ones that you would buy if you were doing a full restoration. That way, you do some of the restoration very gradually. For example, if you buy the correct transmission with the proper numbers and install the correct clutch pedal assembly, the only cost for the future restoration will be a little reconditioning.

Paul

Paul,

My trim tag is E18 (Jan 18, 1964) and my VIN's DOB is around Jan 19th. If the date code on the Muncie close ratio is in Dec '63, Is that reasonable?

I still have the clutch pedal in the car, hidding under the carpet, but the linkage from the firewall to the original 4-speed trans is all gone. Hope they are easy to find and no date code to worry about.

-Danny

[Danny H.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

Thanks for the confirmation Wayne, the 2 holes is about 3" apart. Now the hard part begins... searching and installing the actual parts.

-Danny

[Joe R.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

My trim tag is E18 (Jan 18, 1964) and my VIN's DOB is around Jan 19th. If the date code on the Muncie close ratio is in Dec '63, Is that reasonable?

Danny,

December of '63 would be perfect. But anything between six months prior to the car's birthday and its birthday is legal from a NCRS standpoint.

Joe

[Paul J.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

Paul,

My trim tag is E18 (Jan 18, 1964) and my VIN's DOB is around Jan 19th. If the date code on the Muncie close ratio is in Dec '63, Is that reasonable?

I still have the clutch pedal in the car, hidding under the carpet, but the linkage from the firewall to the original 4-speed trans is all gone. Hope they are easy to find and no date code to worry about.

-Danny

I think that date code is reasonable, but there are others on this board much more knowledgable on this than me. When your parts date codes are close to the date of manufacture, you have to think about shipping time, and make sure that it's realistic. NCRS has a "6 month rule" stated somewhere in the literature. It is generally accepted that any part manufactured up to six months prior to the car's DOB is acceptable.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1964 w/ 327/365 AC, worth to restore?

....December of '63 would be perfect. But anything between six months prior to the car's birthday and its birthday is legal from a NCRS standpoint.....

Danny -- here's an extreme date spread example of factory production (per Protect-o-Plate imprint) off the first automobile I ever owned; '65 L79 convertible # 04835. Trans is dated August 29th '64; engine, Dec 12th; differential, Dec 9th ; birthday Dec 17th. --- that's almost 4 months earlier for the trans. Not typical, but still within the 6-month window.