Vehicle Description
1981 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
1981 was an interesting year in Corvette lore. As it happens, cars
were being manufactured in two plants, one in St. Louis, Missouri
and the other in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In mid 1981 all
manufacturing would shift to Bowling Green where, among other
things, they had a facility that applied enamels and clear coats
where the Missouri cars only received single stage lacquer. So, it
represents a pivotal year for the make and Bowling Green has been
at the center of Corvette manufacturing ever since.
For consignment, a St. Louis built car with a fresh paint job, new
and improved base/clear this time! It's got a lot of fresh pieces
too, both cosmetic and functional and sits with 99,414 title
verified actual miles. That's just 2,300 miles a year! This 1981
carries over the integrated aerodynamic shape that was introduced
in 1980 and reduced the drag coefficient by measurable amounts. Pop
the T-tops and get ready for your Corvette summer!
Note: Due to modifications of the emissions control devices
installed by the manufacturer, please check your local, state, and
federal laws to determine if this vehicle is applicable for use on
public highways in your area
Exterior
Classic White shines bright and is accented with red stripes the
length of the car and around the hood hump, accentuating both the
curvy hips and the bulbous hood of this Corvette. The T-tops are
white as well. Only the black side vents and lower grille diverge
from the white paint which washes over the wing and rear tail piece
in a clean presentation. The chrome door handles are flush with the
ascending curves of the long doors and are classic "push down"
style actuators. The long nose, sport mirrors, and curved rear
window are epic Corvette and this one wears it well. A few emblems
are missing from the car but the mounting holes are there. There
are a few spots of some paint imperfections, but you really have to
look close to find them. We note a small tear in the body
fiberglass under the car, out of sight, behind a rear wheel.
Interior
We open the long doors to reveal redyed red leather door cards as
the consignor informs us, and they do look fresh. Electric windows
are mixed with door locks and a manual mirror adjuster, along with
the silver door actuator. Moving to the seats, which have also been
redyed, the red leather buckets look to be in good shape with no
tears. They retain the two piece configuration that started with
the '79 models. A red, leather wrapped steering wheel is a three
spoke with a center horn button, dressed in a lighter red. The
tachometer and speedometer are housed in a cowled bezel while five
smaller gauges and an AM/FM/Cassette radio take up the center stack
and are reminiscent of a jet fighter cockpit. The black surround on
all gauges is showing some age and the climate control panel is
slightly askew, but no major cracks or blemishes were observed. The
center console houses the automatic shifter with a round knob and
push down actuator, all on a smooth plastic base and black leather
shifter boot. The carpet is new, very plush and very red! The back
storage area is also covered in loose red carpet and the plastic
bottom side of the t-tops are red and could use a little love.
Drivetrain
The correct 350ci V8 is tucked in the big nose of this car with a
single 4-barrel carburetor and tied to a TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission. Out back 2.87 gears with Positraction turn the rear
wheels. Our consignor informs us that it's hada fresh service and
tune as well as all fluids being replaced. Visually, the engine bay
is driver quality with normal surface rust and patina. Dressing it
up would be an option and there are plenty of aftermarket resources
as Corvettes enjoy one of the most enthusiastic followings of any
sports car in the world. Power disc brakes, with new calipers,
lines, and pads all around will get you to red lights with
ease.
Undercarriage
Driver quality undercarriage includes surface rust on frame,
driveshaft, and suspension parts. More advanced surface rust with
pitting is seen on inner brake components and shock mounts.
Residual oil film on the pan, but overall the underside is dry.
From the Y pipe back, you'll find new exhaust which begins with a
splitter piece, enters two glasspack style mufflers, then out the
back just under the bumper with downturned pipes. We note the
absence of a catalytic converter. Independent suspension is on
front and back with coil springs under the nose and an
independentsuspension with transverse leaf springs and strut rods
are out back.
Drive-Ability
Prime the 4-barrels and crank the motor, and the car awakens with a
growl. Off to the test loop we roll and revel in the jet like
cockpit and driving position of the car. The Vette runs great and
accelerates well, keeping in mind that these were cruisers, not �
mile kings and with that you can really enjoy the roll, and we did.
These short drives allow us to test the workings of the car and on
this ride, we note a few things not working. In particular, the
power antenna, the horn, the A/C, and the power locks were all
inoperable. The pop-up headlights on Vettes' are notoriously
finicky and on this car, the passenger light rotates up when
engaged, then dives back down when the lights are activated. The
new brakes, we're happy to report, work great!
The plastic fantastic never disappoints. The energy crisis, oil
embargo, and smog regs all put a bit of a damper on C3 Corvettes,
but there is no denying they are still cool! There's no way this
white hot car will not get attention because despite not being the
fastest Vette ever made, its lines are still the stuff of boyhood
fantasies and look good standing still!
1G1AY8762BS425564
1-USA
G-General Motors
1-Chevrolet
A-Manual Belts
Y-Corvette
87-Coupe
6-350 ci V8 4bbl
2-Check Digit
B-1981
S-St Louis, MO Assy Plant
425564-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
I14-April 14th
TRIM 752-Medium Red Leather
PAINT 10L-Classic White
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