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KISMET
My 1964 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible
1964 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible 327 cu. in. / 300 hp V8 • 4-Speed Manual • Numbers Matching Silver Blue Metallic • White Leather Interior • Original Blue Carpeting Factory Upgrades include • Power Steering • Power-Assisted Drum Brakes • Knock-Off Wheels |
I have always loved C2 Corvettes and wanted one for many years. Of all the C2 model years, 1964 held special significance for me because it’s also my birth year. Last year I decided it was finally time to find the right one!
With the help of my cousin (Chucky) in California, we located a 1964 Sting Ray Convertible in Beverly Hills that matched most of what I was looking for. Unfortunately, what should have been an exciting beginning ended in heartbreak when my (new to me) Corvette was TOTALED in transport on its way to me!
After the trucking company's insurance claim was finally resolved, the search began again. My cousin and I were determined to find another '64 Vette that was every bit as special - and preferably one equipped EXACTLY the way I had always envisioned it.
Within five months, we found it!
The Corvette was remarkably similar to the first car, but even better equipped, with desirable factory options including power-assisted steering, power-assisted drum brakes, and the iconic knock-off wheels. It was the combination I had hoped to find.
Then came the coincidence that made this story even more remarkable!
The gentleman who owned the Corvette had grown up in Granada Hills, California - the same community where I grew up - and attended the same schools I did. He now lived in the next community over… Northridge. After searching across the entire country looking for the right ‘64 Vette, the car I had been looking for came from someone whose roots were essentially the same as mine!
Kismet seems like the appropriate word!
The Corvette is finished in its original Silver Blue Metallic, with its white leather interior and factory blue carpeting, and retains its numbers-matching 327-cubic-inch, 300-horsepower V8 and 4-speed manual transmission… This was what I hoped for and God and the Universe provided!
Since acquiring it, my cousin and I have continued its restoration with an emphasis on preserving its authenticity. Together, we have restored the engine compartment and replaced all components with OEM parts. We also replaced the interior seating and refinished the front clip, using factory-correct components, finishes, and original manufacturer paint codes.
Today, I consider myself less the owner of this Corvette than its current caretaker. At more than 60 years old, it remains something to be driven, enjoyed, and preserved - and eventually passed along with its history intact.
This is the first show for “Baby Blue” (as my wife Tanya & I call her) under our ownership, and perhaps the most fitting part of its story is that after a VERY disappointing beginning and a second search across the country, the car that ultimately found its way to me was the one that somehow felt closest to home.
Sometimes the right car isn't simply found… Sometimes it finds you!