mitch123

Hey...dumb newbie here! I'm somewhat puzzled! I was under the impression that the 1981 Corvette ONLY came with an L81 Engine with 190 horse power from the factory. But according to this info it also came with an L82 350-cid V8, 230-hp engine. I'm looking at buying a white one with red interior. The VIN # is 1G1AY8764BS404232, which according to this site http://www.motorera.com/corvette/1980/vet81.htm the VIN# reveals an L82 350-cid V8, 230-hp engine as mentioned above. Or am I misinterpreting something here? Help!!!

Oh...thanks!!!:o

Mitch

Go Vette Go

Only had 1 engine option in 81 and that was the L81 - 350/190 HP

mitch123

Is it possible that an L82 got thru somehow? Am I identifying the VIN number wrongly? Thanks.

spedaleden

No L82's from the factory in 81.

pbcanney

nope. the motera 6 = L82 is a typo

your Corvette was the 4231st to roll of the St Louis assembly line


click the banner below

mitch123

Thanks. Something's fishy then. Maybe I smell! I dunno!! Comparing the VIN # of the car I want to buy with what the website is detailing is just flat wrong, huh? Maybe I need to contact the administration of the above mentioned website.

donnd

1981 Corvette Identification


VIN Tag Information
1G1AY8764BS400001 - 1G1AY8764BS431611 (St.Louis)
1G1AY8764B5100001 - 1G1AY8764B5108995 (B.Green)
Digit Definition
1st 1 = Nation Origin = US
2nd G = Manufacturer = GM
3rd 1 = Make/Type = Chevy/Passenger
4th Vehicle Restraint System: A = Manual Belts, B = Automatic Belts, C = Air Bags
5th Y = Carline = Corvette
6th/7th 87 = Body Type = Corvette
8th 6 = Engine Type = L81
9th Check digit to verify VIN#
10th B = Model Year = 1981
11th Assembly Plant: S = St. Louis, MO, 5 = Bowling Green, KY
Last 6 digits Production Number starting with 400001 and up.

7T1vette

So the car has had an engine change or modded "upgrade" to create a [non-standard] L-82 engine....and the seller is trying to make the car more desirable. I would want to know what was done to the engine and by whom, and when.

Paul Borowski

...the "6" was used in 1980 to denote an "L-82" engine, NOT in '81. All 1981 Corvettes came with a 190hp "L-81" engine.

IrishJoker

That's not quite right but you are close - mine is an 81 and the VIN is 1G1AY8763BS416677. Your examples show the check digit as a "static" "4" which it is NOT. A lot of documentation - I believe even the "Black Book" in the VIN break out has the L82 listed, but in the documentation state only the L81/190hp was available in all 50 states - first time Corvette had a "Universal Engine" which met all 50 states environmental standards. Otherwise California would have been back to the 305 cubic inch Engine from the previous year.

mitch123

Thanks, everyone. I see it must have been a typo. Anyway, I'm not buying it, afterall. The seller lives 3 hours away and is not too forthcoming with detailed answers to my questions. I asked the seller did the car have any rust--(the seller said "none that I could see".) I asked the seller if all the numbers matched--(the seller said "as far as I know".) Etc, etc. The seller has not answered my last two emails. Either the seller is being somewhat evasive or just plain naive...or something! Had the seller answered all of my questions to my satisfaction then I probably would have traveled to check the car out in person before buying. But...

blckslvr79

Run away.
Keep looking!

JeffClark

Hi- I was an avid follower of L-82 cars in '79 and '80. In the summer of 1982 in Madison, WI, I saw a dealer's ad for a 1981 Corvette L-82. I called the dealer and said it was a misprint because L-82 was not an option. He said come see. So I did. Sure enough it was a 1981 Corvette with the L-82 motor option listed right there on the factory window sticker. And, since I owned a '79 L-82, I knew what the motor looked like and it was definitely an L-82. The only thing I can figure is that, as was often the case with Chevrolet, they used up whatever remaining L-82 motors they had laying around in a few early production 1981s. So I can tell you for certain that there was at least one 1981 Corvette made with an L-82 motor because I saw it with the documentation that proved it (and again, knowing Chevrolet, I'll bet they snuck a few more by)!

Easy Mike

Engines were emissions certified per model year. They could not use a 1980 certfied engine in a 1981 model car.

Corvette engines were ordered individually from Flint based upon the Corvette new car order for a specific Corvette. There should have not been engines remaining after the end of the model year run.

Appearance wise, the L-81 looks a lot like an L-82. Same air cleaner, same valve covers, same intake, etc.

pbcanney

uh.
no

toolman1981

During my last trip to the "St.Louis" assembly plant, I did see an LS5 in the corner, under a tarp, beside a stack of magazines.

JeffClark

To the naysayers....the factory window sticker on the car I saw clearly listed "L82" as the motor code. Since this discussion, I've found 2 1981vettes for sale on the internet with L82 motor code in VIN. Also, NADA lists L82 motor as option in its values. Finally, those who say it doesn't exist don't know much about Chevrolet. Just because the factory said they didn't make it, and it isn't in their option book, doesn't mean they didn't produce it. The history of Corvettes, Camaros, Chevelles, and Chevy/GMC trucks bear this out time and again. For example, you won't find 427 motors in the option book for 1968 Camaros but Chevrolet factory produced the cars with that motor for Yenko to build his cars on the condition that he not disclose it. So, it appeared that the 68s had the Yenko option "dealer installed" just like in 1967 but we now know that was not true and the 68 427 Camaro was factory. Similarly, a handful of L88 427 Corvettes "slipped" out of the factory in 1967. Also, have you ever heard of COPO (Central Office Production Order a/k/a Change of Production Order) which was Chevrolet's back door way of geting around performance and option limits. Do some research and you'll find numerous examples of cars that Chevrolet built with available parts that weren't an option. So, I'm not saying the 1981 L82 was a COPO but Chevrolet clearly did things off the options books and these cars do exist.

pbcanney

I would say you were looking at a left over 1980 L82

I worked with a guy in Denver who swore up and down he owned a 1983 Collector Edition.... Couldn't change his mind with a library of books either.

JungleCat

The Corvette Black Book says there were NO optional Corvette engines in 1981. The L81 was it.

guitarcrazy02

1981 = L81
Sure, GM pulled some strings to get some high horsepower motors out onto the streets, but come on, it's not like an L82 is some big horsepower motor that needed to be kept under wraps.