dhauser

I'm going to look at a 69 vette 427 4 speed car that is supposed to have factory air. Did such an animal exist? If so, wouldn't that be a pretty rare bird?

Also, where is a good place to find VIN, data plate, and casting number decoding information?

Sorry if these are tired questions, but they're new to me. Thanks!

RHD '68 L89

The only 427's which weren't available with air were the 435 L71/L89 and L88.
Everything was an option except where it might break with the extra performance. They probably aren't that rare unless its a Vert.
The VIN is on the windscreen pillar on the driver's side. It is also on the top of the chassis rail near the driver's rear wheel. the second one is hard to read. try a mirror.
The motor has a partial VIN on the number pad. Oh, you want the information to decode the numbers. Try the Corvette Black book.
BTW, the VIN has no information relating to the motor in 69.

corvgreg

The 390 and 400 horse 427's were available with AC. There were 10,531 390 horse cars(close to 30%) and 11,859 cars had AC in 69(30% of the total cars built). About 80% of the cars were 4 speeds in 69, so that's not rare.
If you go by these percentages then you'd be at about 3,000 cars with this combo....but this can only be a guess. Anyways, a very nice conbo to have.
The vin will tell you year, coupe or vert, and the sequence. Get the Corvette black book to start.
Greg

Larry B.

I have an original 390 hp with A/C. The only way to know for sure how you car was built is by the tank sticker. Sometimes they hide another copy behind the dash.

JB

If by data plate you mean the plate with paint and trim codes, that's inside the driver's side door frame at the front. '69 verts with air might be a little rarer than coupes, but I don't think they're all that rare (I've seen as many with as without, & mine's got it).

JB

Larry B.

I see quite a few with A/C myself... I have never seen an A/C BB automatic though. They say they do exist.... I've just never seen one

dhauser

Thanks for the replies guys. I didn't realize AC was such a common option on the big block 4 speed cars as it apparently is....

And I think I confused you all a bit....I know where the VIN and dataplate are on the car, I was talking about where to find the information "out there" that tells what codes mean what....like a site for decoding information. Most other makes and models have them, but my search has not been as productive for the vettes. I don't have time to obtain a Corvette black book as I'm leaving town tonight to go see the car. If anyone has a good website I can reference, please post. Thanks again, you guys are always so helpful!

Larry B.

I think common is a relative term here.. You don't see 427's on every corner much less with A/C. People seem to think that 4 speed A/C cars are rare but then when you realize that 80% of all 69 corvette were 4 speeds.... Early in the production run BB 4 speed with A/C wasn't available (automatics were though). Then I have a brochure that says A/C BB automatics were not offered (but A/C with M-20 was). Who's got a BB A/C automatic?




[Modified by Larry B., 10:07 AM 6/24/2004]

JB

Have to admit, I don't know of such a site. Even Corvettefaq.com doesn't have that sort of info. You may just want to give us the codes & we'll look 'em up for you.

Larry, I have to admit I've never seen an auto BB with a/c, either, at least not that I remember.

JB

Wrencher

I think the 3K number is about right, and allowing for attrition and all the ones that had it removed (god awful to work around on a BB!), there aren't many with it still rolling around, much less in working order. That was the main reason I bought mine in the sorry shape it was in.

Hans

Marks69BB

I have an L68 (427-400) 4 spd coupe with AC. On the BBs with AC, there is an expansion tank shaped like a long can (with a Harrison metal tag on it) up under the pass side fender where the radiator cap is located. As far as I know, it is unique to BBs with AC as the SB tank is a smaller tank with rounded ends. This should tell you whether it is an original BB car with AC or a converted small block car. Do a search on BB cars to find other clues (tack, half-shaft clamps, etc.) to look for. Also, other options like sidepipes, PW, Tilt, Stereo, etc. will help with the value. Sounds like a nice find, especially if it's the 400hp car with the original oval port Tri-power set-up!

Also, the VIN #s on these cars doesn't tell you what options they had. The only way to find out is if there are orig docs with the car or if the tank sticker is still on top of the gas tank. So, even if you had the option codes, they aren't going to do you any good without docs to prove they were delivered on the car. To check for originality in absence of docs, only the engine and tranny case will have the last part of the VIN stamped on them.


[Modified by Marks69BB, 12:03 PM 6/24/2004]

dhauser

Thanks, that's the kind of info I'm looking for. Supposedly, the car is all numbers-matching and drives well, but needs a proper strip/prep/repaint to put it where it needs to be. Assuming it's a #s car, what would be a fair range of price to pay for such a car. He's asking $17k, but again, I won't any verification on condition or numbers until I look it over.

Should the numbers on the front of the block match with the VIN? Or is there a certain set of letters/numbers I should look for to verify it's a legit 68 427?

corvgreg

The last six of the vin number will be in one of the sets of numbers on the front engine pad. The other set of numbers will start with a "T", then 4 numbers(the assembly date) then a 2 digit code. This code should be LM or maybe MH(if it has TI ignition).

Good luck.

JB

'68 or '69? You said '69 in your original post. '69s tend to pull a bit of a premium over '68s.

Assuming numbers matching (drivetrain, of course, not all numbers matching) and assuming it really does need nothing but paint, I'd say $17K is a fairly good price for a vert, but on the high end for a coupe.

IMHO, a nice original '69 427/390 with reasonable milage (under 90-100K), good interior & drivetrain, no rust, and crappy paint should go in the $13K-$16K range for a coupe, $16K-$19K for a vert. Your part of the country may vary.

JB


[Modified by JB, 7:18 PM 6/24/2004]

gkvetteuno

The $13k to $16k sounds right for a coupe, but from what I see here in Florida, tack on another $10k for a decent matching numbers 427 vert with AC.

dhauser

Well, it turned out to be pretty rough for the money. Body needed a total redo, wrong colors, but it was all there. Had aftermarket side exhaust, engine numbers matched but the tranny did not. Interior needed a total redo as well, so we passed on the car. Plus, it had an AC dash, but NONE of the AC components under the hood at all. He says he sold it to another broker for $16k, but I think the guy would've been an idiot to pay that if he didn't have someone waiting in the wings with cash in hand. Too bad.

Pat 69BigBlock

Sorry to hear that.
My car is a factory AC car which comes in handy during the summer months.

Engraver

>The only way to find out is if there are orig docs with the car or if the tank >sticker is still on top of the gas tank

What is the easiest way to check and get to the top of the gas tank to see if the tank sticker is still there?