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 nice 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 75,276 title
verified actual miles. That's just 1,750 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!
Exterior
Classic White shines bright, 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 white continues on the lower sides, bathing the
added body cladding, giving the car a lower and meaner overall
look. The chrome door handles are flush with the ascending curves
of the long doors and are classic "push down" style actuators,
which our consignor states are new. The long nose, sport mirrors,
and curved rear window are epic Corvette and this one wears it
well. There are a few spots of some paint imperfections, but you
really have to look close to find them. Keeping the car grounded
are correct 15-inch aluminum wheels wrapped in deeply treaded thin
white stripe radials.
Interior
We open the long doors to reveal new red leather door panels 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 our also consignor
states are new; the red leather buckets look to be in good shape
with no tears. They retain the two piece configuration that started
with the 1979 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/Bluetooth radio take up dash
central 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, and power window toggles, 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 as well.
Drivetrain
The consignor-stated numbers matching L81 350ci V8 is tucked in the
big nose of this car with a single 4-barrel carburetor and tied to
a consignor-stated numbers matching TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission. Out back, 2.72 gears with Positraction turn the rear
wheels. 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 are all around and bring this nimble warship to a
confident and commanding halt.
Undercarriage
Driver quality undercarriage includes surface rust on frame,
driveshaft, and suspension parts. Residual oil film on the pan, but
overall the underside is dry. From the Y pipe back, you'll find
dual exhaust which begins with a splitter piece, and terminates
with dual-dual tips after passing through muffler delete piping.
Independent suspension is on front and back with coil springs under
the nose and an independent suspension 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're happy to report that all functions work as they
should, including the pop-up headlights, which have
consignor-stated new actuators.
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!
1G1AY8762BS401717
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
401717-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
B09-September 9th
752-Medium Red Leather
10L-Classic White
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
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