Looking at a 67 BB L71 with L89 heads for sale. What is the best way to determine how the car was born? I’ve got the VIN but would like to ensure the car was born a BB car. I do know there are some suspension tell tale things but I’d really like to know other ways.

thanks in advance.

 

These things will get you started:

F41 Suspension Package larger front springs and struts. 7 leaf rear spring
"LB" sticker on back of cluster

Although these items are not a guarantee of an original L71, some of the obvious things that the car must have include:
- M21 tranny; no M22; no M20
- K66 transistorized ignition with amplifier below driver's headlight bucket
- 6500 rpm redline tach
- G81 positraction
- no evidence of ever having air conditioning
- no evidence of ever being an automatic
- battery tray on passenger side
- hood support on driver's side
- date/tag on back of Console
-job numbers that correlate to estimated build dates
- Rear hub markings (X or O)

It is very unusual to have all the original paperwork for these cars....It just was not important back in the day for a 4-5K Corvette

 

Tank Sticker available?

 

There are things that were unique to a big block car, such as tach, fuel line, springs, sway bar, stub axles, etc, but none of these things can't be added to a small block car. A tank sticker, window sticker or original sales order are about the only real proof, but even they are being counterfeited. Your best bet is paying someone extremely familiar with 67 427 cars to inspect the car and review any documentation included with the car.

 

Contact member DKM-106 by private message or search the forum for L89 registry, which he owns. That is where you will probably find your answer the fastest, before you need to start poking around the car.

 

A "LB" Original sticker on the rear of the cluster with a date corresponding to the car's build date is very difficult to duplicate. BUT will take a camara and body positioning to capture. BUT anything can be duplicated!
Good Luck!

 

A real POP, window sticker, or sales order from the dealer is about the only way. Also a real L89 value is going to be over 250k. So anything less is most likely a fake

 

Ken - has the seller provided any pics you can share? Maybe some of the block and head castings and date codes? Are you only questioning whether this is a factory L89
or asking whether this 67 actually started out as a factory high horse L71? Since this, I believe, is a running/driving car, a quick way to determine it's an L71 4-bolt block is
to put your camera down alongside the engine at the drivers side rear, just above the oil filter pad. Four bolt blocks had a large oil passage that could have been
used for an oil cooler and it's noticeably different from a 2-bolt block. Next time you see this 67, reach down to take that pic and post it.
My 66 L72 lost it's original 4-bolt 427 a long time ago and is currently running a 396. About a year ago, I bought some parts from a local friend here in Prescott and
in that stash of bigblock parts were a set of 1967 L88/L89 Aluminum Cylinder Heads. The head casting number is visible with the valve cover removed but the date
code is on the underside and would require more parts removals. Pic attached is of my 67 L88/L89 head casting number and date code.
Good luck on this 67 and do keep us posted.
Mike T - Prescott AZ

 

I have a set of the 392 heads with an early 1966 date. They used to be plentiful and not real expensive. Since you didn’t say it was advertised as an L89, just that it had L89 heads, it seems you are trying to ensure it was originally a big block car not an L89. All the tells have been listed above. If it has all of them and the seller doesn’t have the original documentation, then no one can prove or disprove it was originally a big block. Did you google the vin?

 

Does the engine have the correct stamps on the pad? If so, consider posting a clear picture if possible.

 

The car was not advertised as an L89. I did a search of the VIN and it came up as an L71 so I’m pretty sure it’s an original BB car. The owner said the block is a 66 with the correct carbs, aluminum heads, etc.

thanks for the replies. I’ll verify some of the items above and hopefully have it in my garage in the future.

 

Ken - Since the VIN on early Corvettes will really only tell you if it was a Coupe or Roadster and then the sequential production number, and doesn't indicate
any options, curious as to how you looked up that
this 67 started out as a factory L71? These days, most folks are gun-shy about accepting anything without proof. That proof is usually written documentation but if that
isn't available, then it's detective work to look for the tell tale signs but since they can be added along the way, that's not a bullet proof way to verity authenticity either.
Mike T - Prescott AZ

 

your question of is it an original BB car vs some posters interpreting your question here of is it an original L71/L89 car are 2 massively different questions.
for example: lots of air conditioned 390 HP cars can be out there.
another example: small block examples of transistor ignition exist. and lots of big block samples of no transistor ignition also exist.
and most everything can be purchased in the aftermarket... leaf springs, axel stubs, radiator support, stickers behind the instrument cluster, fake tank sheets.. etc....
with only 16 examples of a L89 option. the odds are pretty much overwhelming that the car is not an original L89. which of course I don't think you are asking this anyway.
finding any readable doc proving an original anything is pretty much a crap shoot anyway and would be extremely rare... and expensive.

 

No tank sticker that I am aware of.

 

Mike, I ran the VIN and it came back as a Corvette L71. That was it with no options identified as I believe the only true way would be with a tank sticker?

 

rhe owner is not advertising the car as an L89, he simply states the build is an L89 with the aluminum heads.

 

the owner is not advertising the car as an L89, he simply states the build is to L89 specs with the aluminum heads and tri power.

 

Where did you "run the VIN" to get this information? The VIN doesn't tell you anything about what engine came with the car...or any other options for that matter.

 

I ran the VIN on Wednesday on Bumper.com. The listing came back “1967 Chevrolet Corvette Singtay Series 19400 L71.”

 

Just ran my '67 L79 through Bumper.com...here's the results...look familiar?? Bogus information.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Series 19400 L71