1964 'Vette Two-Tone Interior 491BA

[Katrina LaRocque]

I have recently purchased a '64 coupe with a two-tone silver and blue vinyl interior, Code 491BA. I am having trouble determining if all of the interior components are correct as I have been unable to find a picture of what it should look like. I am hoping someone at NCRS can help.

The seats, dash and console are dark blue. The door panels, headliner, sunvisors and side panels behind the doors are silver. I have one blue and one silver armrest (obviously this is taking two-tone too far). The carpet is black. Clearly one of the armrests is not right, but which one? I also suspect the carpet is not correct. Can someone tell me what the correct colours should be?

Thanks a lot,

Katrina

[Wayne P.]

Re: 1964 'Vette Two-Tone Interior 491BA

Seats should be silver and carpet should be gray.

[Andy F.]

Re: 1964 'Vette Two-Tone Interior 491BA

I too have a two-tone 64, but mine is blue and white combo...the correct colors for your interior should be silver door panels with blue carpet inserts, silver arm rests, silver sun visors, silver seats. Carpet, and dash pads are blue. The painted portion of the console is blue, but the vinyl pad will be silver to match your seats. Seatbelts are something I am not 100% sure on...I've read they should match the carpet color (Noland Adams Complete Corvette Restoration & Tech Guide, Vol 2) , however I've seen vendors advertise white and silver seatbelts for 64-67, but I suspect they are more correct for 65 and later cars...not 64 I am no judge, but have done a lot of research to verify my interior's configuration.

[Michael H.]

Re: 1964 'Vette Two-Tone Interior 491BA

I believe Andy has it correct. I also owned a (brand new) 64 with white/blue interior and the seat belts were definitely white so I have to assume your's would be silver to match the seats/door trim etc.

[Wayne P.]

Re: 1964 'Vette Two-Tone Interior 491BA

I agree with your comments on the white/blue combo. I had one also. However, you cannot tranlate this to the silver/blue combo. The silver cars had silver or gray carpet. The seat belts match the seat. White seats = white seat belts,etc.

[Michael H.]

Re: 1964 'Vette Two-Tone Interior 491BA

Wayne,

Yes, I agree, that is correct. The seat belt color matches the seats/door trim, at least for the colors we were discussing. White/blue interior, white belts. Silver/blue interior, silver belts.

Silver would have been the primary interior color and the second color would be the accent color so no matter what the accent color, the belts would match the primart interior color.

Not sure but I think all that changed for 65 and the belt color then would have matched the accent color.

Michael

[Andy F.]

Re: 1964 'Vette Two-Tone Interior 491BA

Katrina, Michael is right, I assumed the blue/silver combo would be the same as the blue/white. I looked in the Chevrolet documentation on 1964 Corvette Color and Trim Combinations, dated 15 Dec 1963 and it does show blue instrument panel and gray carpeting. Look at the bottom of your door panels, there is a carpeted insert...this should match your carpet's color.

Michael,how sure are you of the seat belt color? Noland Adam's book says the white interior's seat "belts should contrast--not match--the seat color" "The seat belts mounted through the carpet, and thus matched the carpet"(page 200). I've found no other references on seatbelts. I have a friend with a saddle and white interior and his are saddle colored. I've also seen red belts in the red and white interior...

Thanks for the help!

[Joe R.]

Re: 1964 'Vette Two-Tone Interior 491BA

Katrina,

Michael is correct about the seat belts on a blue and white 64's as I have seen several and ALL the original examples had white seat belts to go with the seat color of white.

These are AO Smith cars and maybe they did not adhere to the same standards that the St. Louis cars did. I don't know about running changes at either facility so checking out your 64's past from previous owners becomes very important to you.

Regards,

JR

[Michael H.]

Re: 1964 A.O. Smith

Joe,

Is that why I had what I consider one of the worst fitting bodies I've ever seen on a 63-67 Corvette? My car was a mid December car and I always just assumed it was a St. Louis build but your probably right. That body was terrible. Nothing fit well, especially the doors. I usually like a little "unalignment" on a Corvette but this car was awful. I vividly remember looking at the fit when I first saw the car come into the dealer but I really didn't care about it enough to put off the delivery. I wanted that car NOW!

Do you know when the first Smith bodies started coming into St. Louis? Bet mine was one of the first.

Michael

[John H.]

Re: 1964 A.O. Smith

Noland's survey showed that the second A.O.Smith convertible body (#A-0002) had a body build date of A27 (January 27th), and it was S/N 10609, produced at St. Louis on February 6th.

[Michael H.]

Re: 1964 A.O. Smith

That would mean that my 8763 car was most definitely a St Louis build then. If I remember correctly, it was mid December 63. Wow, St Louis was responsible for that misfit? Thanks John...