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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 07:20 PM
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What do the ls1 ls7 zr1 l88 zl1 and all the others mean?
Do they mean anything?
I never bothered to memerize them figured if I needed to know what it meant could look it up, that and they don't seem to follow a scheme of anykind.

L= what?
88= what"

L=? S=? 1=?
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 11:25 PM
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 11:38 PM
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They are the option codes for the engines. I do not think they mean anything on a per character basis.
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Old Sep 13, 2005 | 09:34 PM
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ttt
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Old Sep 13, 2005 | 09:59 PM
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Old Sep 13, 2005 | 10:00 PM
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always thought they were just option numbers no idea how they picked them.....always thought the camaro cop car option was cool B4U
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Old Sep 13, 2005 | 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Techno
What do the ls1 ls7 zr1 l88 zl1 and all the others mean?
Do they mean anything?
Basicly they are the RPO (Regular Production Option) code. In "general", and there are always exceptions, an RPO that starts with an "L" is an engine (LS1, LT1, LT5, L82, L98, etc). An RPO that starts with a "Z" is a package (ZR1 was a performance package on the C4 that included the LT5 engine).

tom...
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 12:25 PM
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I'll elaborate a little further, and answer your specific examples.


LS-6.....1970 Chevelle 454cid/450hp or 1971 Corvette 454cid/425hp (although this is an anomalie, as these two engines are quite different and confuse a lot of people, by using the same RPO to designate them)

L-88.....1967, 1968, 1969 Corvette 427cid/430hp (a factory disguised racing engine to get into the public hands for sanctioned racing events)

LT-1.....1970, 1971, 1972 Corvette 350cid/370hp, 330hp, 255hp (last ditch effort by Duntov to provide a street lethal small block, that in ZR-1 attire was raced and won the SCCA B production category championship in 1970, 1971, 1972).

ZL-1.....1969 Camaro or Corvette 427cid/?hp (some say 430 factored) Built to homologate engine for Super Stock drag class, an all aluminum big block, awesome power, engine won the CanAM series several years, rarest power plant to be sold to the public in a musclecar.
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 05:16 PM
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Well the L & Z make more sense but the examples by early shark don't say why. Why is 427cid/430hp an L-88 and not a LS-6? it came before it so how did an early model get 88 while a later get a 6?
Or why is the LT-1 still used today since its a whole different animal?
Which just brings up the further question of whats the T and S for?

Did a group of peoples sit around a table and say " well LS-2 just don't sound as mean as LS-6"

Maybe this question should be E-mailed to GM? They did answer my question on the chevrolet song. By Dina Shore.

And the L in ZL-1
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 05:41 PM
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Techno
Or why is the LT-1 still used today since its a whole different animal?
Today's motor is the LT1, no dash. I think they did it so people would think "holy crap, remember how fast the old LT-1's were?" and then they would hand over the money without a second thought.

trw
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 08:59 PM
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I could not find any reference to why Chevrolet uses a "L" for the motor name instead of any other letter. One reference or suggestion was the the L could stand for Louis, as in Louis Chevrolet who was the person that helped start the Chevroet part of the General Motors in the 1910's. But that sounded like a stretch to me.

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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 09:04 PM
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Along the same lines,.......does the Z in Z06 stand for Zora....as in Zora Arkus Duntov?


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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 09:10 PM
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could not find any reference to why Chevrolet uses a "L" for the motor name instead of any other letter. One reference or suggestion was the the L could stand for Louis, as in Louis Chevrolet who was the person that helped start the Chevrolet part of the General Motors in the 1910's. But that sounded like a stretch to me.
Maybe a stretch but, remember the Pontiac Grand Prix's 'Model J & SJ. The 'J' was for John Deloren...
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 09:33 PM
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There's an article in the current Corvette Enthusiast that describes the makeup of the assembly manual. Each "option" section is coded by engineering group.

A Body Interior
B Body Exterior
C Heating, Ventilation, & AC
D Exterior Ornamentation
F Suspension
G Rear Axle
J Brakes
K Ignition
L Engines
M Transmission
N Steering
P Wheels & Tires
T Electrical
U Electrical
V Electrical
Y Seat Belts
Z Special Equipment Packages

It doesn't mention any particular derivation of the digits after the initial RPO letter, but it does say that each section is then alphabetized by RPO.
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 09:41 PM
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Kind of interesting that they skipped some letters.

Skipping I and O makes sense (they look like numbers) but W?
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 10:02 PM
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The alphabetical guide as the answer makes pretty good sense to me.

kdf
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 10:12 PM
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I think so too. Before 63 they called them engines and after Ls as an option. Checked my wall poster.

Ok now what about the 2ndary letter? S & T

Races? S? T- tourismo or something like that?
Sebring?
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 10:20 PM
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Originally Posted by CA-Legal-Vette
Kind of interesting that they skipped some letters.

Skipping I and O makes sense (they look like numbers) but W?
Since some codes were hand stamped on the parts using indivdual dies certain letters were not used to avoid confusion:
an "E" backwards could be mistaken for a "3" and an "S" for a "5" .
"W" was used in the late (1994-96) C4 era for tires, specifically the "extended mobility" (run flats) WY5


Quote: mtfvw
"Maybe a stretch but, remember the Pontiac Grand Prix's 'Model J & SJ."

I think J & SJ were model designations for the Duesenberg. John DeLorean just had visions of grandeur.
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