where did they hide the build sheets in the C3 models?

and if mine isnt there how can i find out just exactly what came from the factory in my car?

thanks

 

Top of the gas tank but if it is missing then It won't be easy finding out what was original because GM didn't keep records of every car.

 

If your car was built at Bowling Green, you can obtain a copy of your build sheet from the NCM. If your car was built at St. Louis, the question becomes Is your car more or less original? There have been reports of Corvette order copies being found in the wiring behind the dash, behind either of the kick panels, under the carpet in the rear storage area, and tucked up in the springs of a seat bottom, but only on the more original cars. If Bubba has been in it, he has likely found and tossed out whatever might have been there. The tank sticker is your best bet but, as has been stated, it may or may not be there. If something is there, it may not be complete or it could be illegible after years of accumlated road gook. Good hunting.

 

the seats dont look as though they have been pulled out
so i may find one there especially since it seems to be all original inside

i believe my 78 was made in st louis. i could be wrong but i thought i read somewhere that everything from 81 on was made in bowling green.
someone please correct me if i am wrong.

the one on top of the tank, is tank removal involved to get to this?

there were none behind the kick panels as i pulled them out last night.

 

You might find a copy under a seat bottom, but it will be hit or miss. Likewise there could be a copy under the carpet in the rear, but again, no guarantees. These copies were never meant to be kept. They were supposed to be tossed into the trash on the assembly line as the cars were built and that's exactly where most of them went.

All Corvettes 54-80 were assembled at St. Louis. Most 81s were built at St. Louis, but Bowling Green was up and running on June 1 and built 81s. The line at St. Louis continued through the end of July, 1981, so for a period of a couple of months, Corvettes were built at two different locations.

As for the tank sticker, it depends upon where it was placed. Some folks have been able to get to them and remove them without dropping the tank; others have only been able to access them by dropping the tank. Get a flashlight. You can probably manipulate the rubber gasket around the fuel fill enough to possibly see the sticker with the aid of the flashlight. If you don't see it, it doesn't mean it isn't there. It only means it might be out near the corner of the tank, if it's still there. If you do find something, go very very slowly trying to remove it. There's not a whole lot of glue holding these things on, but what little is there, combined with road gook, is enough to shread the thing if due caution is not used.

 

Factoid: The 1981 Corvette was the only model year to be built simutaneously in two locations. The first Corvette rolled off the new Bowling Green, Kentucky assembly line on June 1, 1981. The last Corvette to be built at St. Louis was completed on August 1, 1981. Straight from the Corvette Black Book.

 

The last St. Louis C3 is alive and well and in private hands. Is the first Bowling Green C3 in the NCM? I'm thinking it is, but not completely sure.

 

i used the extendable mirror and the flashlight trick. don't have a spare tire so i 'm sure that made it easier to look for...

 

Need to keep in mind what the intent of the build sheet was. It was glued to the top of the tank to assist in the assembly of the car. It was a multi-part carbon form. Copies were all up and down the line to assist the workers in what to install on the car. Once the workers were done with their part they would throw their copy of the build sheet into the trash. But if they were rushed or running behind, they would sometimes just stash their copy somewhere out of sight in the car. So you have the possibility of finding a copy anywhere. Just have to look.

tom...

 

I witnessed an owner with a very low mileage 78 discover a build sheet folded and tucked into the driver's side strut bracket at an NCRS event held at the Charlotte speedway. It smelled of differential fluid and had an oily feel to it but it was all there. The irony is that the owner had a 78 Pace Car also being judged that he had found a build sheet in the same spot the previous week (strut). Of course this also was a low-mileage Pace Car (like five miles). I've got copies of both and an article pending publication about late model C3 build sheets.

So Tom73 is right on...they can be found almost anywhere but as highlighted in this thread...these are the most popular locations.

 

wow!!! now i just want to tear the whole car apart and see what i can find... just kidding, but i will look above the tank,under the seats
and back carpeting when i do the interior.
its not imperitive but it would be nice to have when showing the car.
mine does have the glass t-tops though so is there any way other than build sheet to find out if they came factory or were added by a PO?

by the way , you guys and this site are a big help to a corvette ignorant person.

 

I have also read of owners finding them between the instruments, specifically the speedo and tach, folded up. This is usually found when the upper dash pad has been removed. On my low mileage 72, I have the original sheet from the tank but nothing else has turned up. OTH, I have numerous locations where the chalk build number has been written on the body.

Gary