….Please call Matt directly at 513-708-1468 with any questions about this car. Seven Hills Motorcars is glad to offer this numbers matching 1981 Corvette in nice condition with...
….
Please call Matt directly at 513-708-1468 with any questions about this car.
Seven Hills Motorcars is glad to offer this numbers matching 1981 Corvette in nice condition with only 67,225 original miles. This car is absolutely priced to sell and we feel as if the asking price is very reasonable. We first purchased this car about four years ago from a women who lives about five block from our dealership. Her father purchased the car brand new in 1981 and it had been in her family's possession every since. We then sold it to a local gentleman who owned the car for a few years until he sold it back to us. He used the car sparingly and it now has only 67,620 original miles.
There is also a copy of the AutoCheck report in this ad. The report is totally clean, shows no accident history, and verifies the low original mileage.
This Corvette is finished in the highly attractive color combination of Charcoal Metallic (84) over Charcoal Leather (192). In our experience this is one of the most desirable color scheme offered for the 1980-82 Corvettes. These are the correct and original colors as verified by the codes on the trim tag, pictured below. Everyone who sees this car comments on and loves the color. Besides the correct paint and trim codes this Corvette is "Numbers Matching" with the proper part numbers and appropriate date codes. Even very detailed parts like the starter, carburetor, and the distributor are all correct and original. The last six digits of the VIN are stamped on the engine pad and the engine is original to the car.
This 1981 Corvette is totally solid with no rust issues and straight lines. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price in years to come. The low original mileage is verified not only by the condition of the car, but also the clear Ohio title, pictured in this ad, showing the mileage as "Actual." Please peruse all of the photos, numbers, and video to get a true sense of this Corvette.
As a side note, this Corvette is not a dealer auction vehicle. We hand pick each car after careful inspection. Our Corvettes come from owners who expect their car to go to someone that will give the vehicle the same care and attention as they did. We invite and encourage you to examine the car in person or have the car inspected. Please take the time to scrutinize each picture. We photograph each vehicle to the greatest extent so you can feel confident about your purchase. If you have a question about the Corvette, just give us a call.
Exterior
The Charcoal Metallic exterior is in decent driver condition. As one can see in the photos, the paint has a great gloss and deep shine. Both door open and shut easily. The Western aluminum wheels are in great condition with a very nice finish. They actually look great on the car, especially with the Charcoal paint, and they are period correct. There are no major imperfections that have been excluded from the photos. There are some paint flaws around the car that are visible in the photos, but others are too faint to show up in the photos. There are some blemishes around the front bumper and on the right headlight with some specific photos of the area below. Some of the weather-stripping is old and should be replaced. The car now has a one piece clear removable roof panel. The underside of the car is clean and this Corvette has no rust issues. The frame is solid around the "key hole" area in front of the rear tire and we have seen no evident of corrosion around the windshield or “birdcage” area, which is the most common spots for rust on a C3 Corvette.
Interior
The Black interior of the Corvette is in good condition overall and is especially nice for being totally original. The seats look just in persona as the do in the photos with a worn spot in the typical area on the driver's side where the driver gets in and out and one spot on the bottom of the passenger seat. Please note that these are the original seats not some cheap aftermarket covers or replacements. The gauge faces are clean and crisp and the lenses are clear. The carpet looks good overall. This includes the rear carpet, which is often neglected. There are a few spots where the carpet has been patched, but this is not very noticeable as one can see in the photos and blends in really well being all black. The carpet on the door panels is in good shape and not faded. All of the carpet in the car is also original. The door panels themselves are in good condition, fit well to the doors, and the door pulls are in tact. The dash and center console look good with no splits, sun fading, or cracks. The original radio works, but doesn't get the best reception, and most importantly the dash has never been cut or modified for an aftermarket installation. The antenna works manually. There is no aroma of cigarette smoke in the car.
Corvette interiors from this era are not known to wear well and the nice condition of this original interior is a huge testament to the meticulous care this care has received throughout its life.
Mechanical
This Corvette seems to be in basically good mechanical condition. The car starts right away every time, runs well, and idles well. The car drives great; it is tight on the road and at highway speeds. In the video one can observe the car accelerating on the highway up to about 70mph, braking to stoplight, and going through some curves. Please note that the car performs quite well. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. The transmission shifts smoothly throughout the power band. This Corvette has plenty of power and is quite fast. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully original and complete as one can see in the photos. The ignition shielding is still on the car as is the smog pump and a catalytic converter.
The exterior lights, dash lights, indictors, wipers, the interior delay light timer, and even the small light by the spare tire all still work. The blower works on all speeds but high. The vacuum system for the headlights works correctly with no binding. Also, the headlights go up correctly with either the headlight switch or vacuum override switch. Their complete operation from both switches can be observed in the video below. There are some items on the car that do not work such as the cruise control, horn, temp gauge, and fuel gauge. Please keep in mind that we are trying to be completely upfront, honest, and forthright about this car and the issues we are aware of. Most sellers, and certainly most dealers, would not be so straightforward or go into such detail about each and every function. The power door lock works on the driver's door, but not on the passenger door. It is our understanding from the previous owner that this car had been sitting for a while so it could use a general tune up and some maintenance. All of the components for the a/c are in place and in tact so the system is complete, but there is no belt on the compressor and the a/c does not work. There appears to be a repair on the side of the block. This Corvette is still a pleasure to drive, especially with the T-tops out on a beautiful day.
Also, for any 1981 Corvette you may look at, be sure to verify that the "check engine" light is working correctly. The light should go on when the key is turned on as a confirmation that the light is working, then quickly go off when the car is started. A great number of these 1981 Corvettes have had the bulb removed to mask other problems. As one can observe in the video the "check engine" light on this car operates just as it should, going on with the car as a check and then going off when the engine is started.
Overall Condition
Overall, this 1981 Corvette is in good driver condition. We have this car priced very well with its good points and needs in mind. It is hard to find a 1980-81 Corvette that looks this good, drives this well, and is this original correct for anything near our asking price. Numbers matching and originality is extremely important in Corvette pricing and as one can see this car is very correct. In our experience the 1980-81 model years draw a small premium over the other late C3 Corvettes. These are the most refined and modern driving of all the third generation Corvettes, as well as the last years to feature carburation. The 1982 Corvettes came with the "Cross Fire Fuel Injection" system, which has a very bad reputation and is considered to be unsuccessful and unreliable.
The nice original condition, the low miles, highly desirable color combination, and the great extent to which the numbers match make this car especially important and difficult to duplicate. This Corvette always gets a ton of attention driving down the road. It is very apparent that the vehicle has been well taken care of by its previous owners. The prices of C3 Corvettes have increased drastically over the past years. They are secure and wise investments for a collector. One could easily enjoy this vehicle for several years and sell it for more than the purchase price with minimal effort.
Thank you for looking and please do not hesitate to email or call with any questions.
item
number
description
VIN
1G1AY8766BS424109
The first digit, "1," indicates that the US is the country of origin. The "G" is the manufacturer, GM. The third digit, "1," is the make, Chevrolet. The fourth digit, "A," is the restraint system, manual belts. The fifth digit, "Y," is the series, Corvette. The "87," is the body style, 2-door sport coupe. The eighth digit "6" is the engine, L81. The ninth digit is a check that car vary from car to car. The tenth digit, "B" is the model year, 1981. The "S" is the plant where the car was produced, St. Louis. The last five digits are a sequence number so this is the 24,109th Corvette made for 1981 in St, Louis.
Body Build Date
H24
"H" corresponds to March, and the 24 is the twenty-fourth day of the month meaning this Corvette's body build date is March 24, 1981.
Engine Code
V0316
"V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant. The "03" is the third month of year and the "16" is the sixteenth day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on March 16, 1981. This is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.
Suffix Code
ZDD
This means the motor was intended for a non-California 1981 Corvette with an automatic transmission, which is correct for this car.
Engine VIN Stamping
424109
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 424109, are stamped on the engine pad and pictured below meaning this engine is original to this car.
Engine Block Casting Number
10410207
The engine block has the correct 10410207 casting number for a 1981 Corvette.
Engine Block Casting Date
C 12 1
"C" is March, "12" is the twelfth day of the month, and "1" is the last digit of the calendar year so the engine block was cast on March 12, 1981. Which is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.
Distributor
1103443
The distributor is original and correct for a 1981 Corvette with a 1103443 stamping.
Distributor Date Code
1 B 11
The "1" is the last digit of the calendar year, the "B" denotes February, and "11" is the eleventh day of the month meaning the distributor was made on February 11, 1981. This is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.
Starter
1998217
The starter is original and correct for a 1981 Corvette with a 1998217stamping.
Starter Date Code
1 C 9
The "1" is the last digit of the calendar year, the "C" denotes March, and "9" is the ninth day of the month meaning the starter was made on March 9, 1971. This is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.
Carburetor Main Body
17081228
The "170" means the carb was produced after 1976. The fourth digit, "8," means the carb was built in the 1980's. The fifth digit, "1," means it was built for the 1981 model year. The six digit, "2," indicates that it is a 4BBL carb. The seventh digit, "2," means is was built for the Chevrolet division of GM. The last digit, "8," means it was intended for use in an automatic transmission car such as this.
Carburetor Date Code
571
The firth three digits, "057," indicate the 57th day of the year. The last digit, "1," is the year in which the carburetor was produced, 1971. So this carburetor was stamped on February 26, 1981.
Intake Manifold Casting Number
14033058
The intake manifold has a correct 458250 casting number.
exterior color codes
84
Charcoal Metallic
interior color code
192
Charcoal Leather
rpo code
description
1YY87
Corvette Sport Coupe
AU3
Power Door Locks
A31
Power Windows
CC1
Removable Glass Roof Panels
C49
Rear Window Defogger
D35
Sport Mirrors
J50
Power Brakes
K35
Cruise Control
MM4
Automatic Transmission
N37
Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column
N41
Power Steering
UM4
AM-FM Radio, Stereo with 8-Track
QGR
225/70R15 White Letter Tires
V75
Power Antenna