livinlife1

Just purchased a 69 427 car from the 4th owner. It came with the original owners manual and Protect o Plate. I understand how to decode the driveline but is there any way to decode if the car originally came with the factory sidepipe option? There is an R , a 2
and a small bowtie all vertically placed on the left side. Can anyone tell me if these codes are for the sidepipe option or what they mean? And other than the rear valance panel, is there any way to determine a factory equipped sidepipe car? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Mike Ward

There's no sidepipe info on the protectoplate. The rear valance panel and rear fender cutouts are a quick, easy and sure way of telling the difference. What does that indicate?

Easy Mike

Original factory documentation with the car. Do you have a copy of the Corvette Order? Window Sticker? Dealer Invoice? Car Shipper? Tank Sticker?

gbvette62

There are a couple things you can look for.

Under the trans mount, there should be a rectangular spacer plate. It was installed there by the factory, in place of the center exhaust hanger, to maintain the driveline geometry. When people add side exhaust, they often miss this spacer. Actually, many people just leave the center hanger in the car.

You can also check the rear cross member, where the rear muffler hangers attach. On a car that has had an under car exhaust on it, the cross member often shows marks or wear, where the hangers were attached.