Corvette: Year By Year

    

About The Corvette

    

Corvette Specs

    

1965 Corvette

1965 Chevrolet Corvette

1965 Chevrolet Corvette

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1965 is an important year for Corvette. A long desired and needed upgrade - disc brakes - became standard equipment. The good news is that they appeared on all four corners, not just the front as was common practice of the day. Racers were particularly happy with this latest development as they had long been suffering with drum brakes. Although special sintered metallic linings had been available, fade under racing conditions was still a problem. Jaguar had been offering four wheel disc brakes on their more expensive E-Type and it wouldn't do for the Corvette to be playing second in any area. The unloved drum brakes were still available as a deletion credit (RPO J61, -$64.50) and 316 1965 Corvettes were so equipped.

Corvette C2 Front Disk Brake

Corvette C2 Front Disk Brake

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Above is the front Corvette C2 disk brake, below is the rear Corvette C2 disk brake. The rear disk brake also incorporated the parking brake which was actually a conventional drum brake. The parking (or emergency brake) was a problem in the development of early disk brake systems so a drum system was the solution.

Corvette C2 rear Disk Brake

Corvette C2 rear Disk Brake

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1965 Corvette Coupe Disk Brake Advertisement

1965 Corvette Coupe Disk Brake Advertisement

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GM was proud of their 1965 disk brake upgrade and let the world know about it in their marketing efforts.

Year - 1965

High Caliper Braking is a technical paper released by GM and authored by Zora Arkus-Duntov, Arnold R. Brown and Arthur R. Shaw. It is a fascinating scientific / engineering look at how and why disc brakes came to the Corvette in 1965. The introduction, by Zora Arkus-Duntov, is interesting as Zora defends the use of drum brakes in the Corvette.


1965 Chevrolet Corvette 396 Cubic Inch Engine

1965 Chevrolet Corvette 396 Cubic Inch Engine

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A new Corvette era was ushered in when a leading edge class of engine, fondly known as the "Big Block" was introduced late in the 1965 model year. At the time a huge horsepower race was taking place industry wide and the 396 cu. in. Turbo-Jet was the Corvette's ticket to the party. Rated at 425 hp, it furthered the Corvettes' Bad-Boy reputation. It also represented the first time a Corvette motor was rated at over 400 hp.

1965 Chevrolet Corvette 396 Cubic Inch Engine Print Ad

1965 Chevrolet Corvette 396 Cubic Inch Engine Print Ad

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1965 Chevrolet Corvette Big Block Hood

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Big Block Hood

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1965 Chevrolet Corvette Big Block Hood

1965 Corvette Big Block Hood

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A new hood was required to clear the massive motor and a handsome new "bubble hood" design (above and right) was introduced. Below: Functional vents in the side nicely broke up the area. Indications are that due to supply problems at the time, a number of small block Corvettes left the factory with the big block hood.
1965 Chevrolet Corvette Big Block Hood

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Big Block Hood

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Most of the horsepower advantage in the new motor could be found in the design of the heads which were nicknamed "porcupine heads", a reference to the way the valves were located at odd angles similar to the quills on a porcupine. The entire big block Corvette was thus sometimes known as the "fiberglass porcupine". The physically much bigger engine required an enhanced cooling system. There was another drawback; approximately 150 lbs. of added weight, all of it on the front wheels. The weight distribution changed to 51% front / 49% rear, a handling disadvantage compared to the better balanced small block alternative.

1965 Chevrolet Corvette 396 Engine Emblem

1965 Chevrolet Corvette 396 Engine Emblem

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396 side emblems signified new respect for impromptu Grand Prix stop light contestants.


1965 Corvette: Fuel Injection Swan Song

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injection Emblem

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injection Emblem

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1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injected Engine

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injected Engine

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A close examination of the specifications and the options list reveals an interesting fact that makes the 1965 'vette particularly interesting to car collectors. 1965 was both the first year for all wheel disc brakes and the last year for the fuel injected engine. The two magic performance features would not appear together until 17 years later in the 1982 Corvette.
1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injected Engine David Kimble Cutaway Drawing

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injected Engine David Kimble Cutaway Drawing

Close1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injected Engine David Kimble Cutaway Drawing

In 1965, fuel injection cost an extra $538.00, adding over 13% to the price of a convertible. The 396 cu. in. motor added only $292.70 to the bottom line yet was rated at 425 hp; 50 more than the fuelie. With the fuel injection system's reputation for complexity and maintenance requirements well known, the days were numbered for the option that first shook the automotive high performance world in 1957.

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injected Engine

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injected Engine

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1965 Corvette Part Two

C2 Corvette Photos


1965 Corvette Options