hOW TO IDENTIFY A L88
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2005
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hOW TO IDENTIFY A L88
Hi,
don't know to much about C3s we've got a 59,know alot about them, so I need some advice on a 69. Someone approuched me this evening at local cruise night, our son was driving our 68 chevelle convertible and we had the corvette and asked me if I would consider trading my chevelle for a supposed 1969 corvette coupe, that was a L88 car. The car now sports a 69 427 and muncie m20, My question is how can I tell if this was an orginal L88 if it no longer has the engine in it? My chevelle is in very nice shape and probably worth about $24,000. I'm going to look at the car tomorrow and would like to go with a little knowledge as to what I'm looking at.
don't know to much about C3s we've got a 59,know alot about them, so I need some advice on a 69. Someone approuched me this evening at local cruise night, our son was driving our 68 chevelle convertible and we had the corvette and asked me if I would consider trading my chevelle for a supposed 1969 corvette coupe, that was a L88 car. The car now sports a 69 427 and muncie m20, My question is how can I tell if this was an orginal L88 if it no longer has the engine in it? My chevelle is in very nice shape and probably worth about $24,000. I'm going to look at the car tomorrow and would like to go with a little knowledge as to what I'm looking at.
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 203
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From: El Cajon CA
Sounds like a regular 427 car or less. The L88 would have the M22, TI ignition, no fan shroud, no radio antenna, radio block off plate, J56 dual pin front calipers and 6500 redline tachometer, single fuel line from tank to carb..
You can check to see if it's an original BB 390 HP car--large front sway bar, rear sway bar, brass radiator with overflow, 5600 redline tach, caps on side yoke u-joints. The rear end is coded differently for the BB cars too.
By the way, real L88's are ast least $200,000 and driver quality 390HP big blocks are in the 20's or more.
You can check to see if it's an original BB 390 HP car--large front sway bar, rear sway bar, brass radiator with overflow, 5600 redline tach, caps on side yoke u-joints. The rear end is coded differently for the BB cars too.
By the way, real L88's are ast least $200,000 and driver quality 390HP big blocks are in the 20's or more.
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Unless they have REAL paperwork to confirm the car as an L-88 I would assume that it is not. They are just so rare and extremely valuable; but no one is going to pay the big dollars for a claimed L-88 absent the paperwork to confirm it's authenticity.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by capevettes
Unless they have REAL paperwork to confirm the car as an L-88 I would assume that it is not. They are just so rare and extremely valuable; but no one is going to pay the big dollars for a claimed L-88 absent the paperwork to confirm it's authenticity.
Check and recheck before you write a check.
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Originally Posted by Netsvet59
Would the tank sticker be any good for documentation? He says he has that. Haven't seen it yet though.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Huntersville NC
Originally Posted by Netsvet59
Would the tank sticker be any good for documentation? He says he has that. Haven't seen it yet though.
That would be a very interesting document to look at, but the tank sticker didn't have the car's vin on it, so aside from the question of whether it is genuine or not, you don't know if the tank sticker came off of that vette. However, it would be quite a trick to have an original L-88 tank sticker but not the car!
The first and easiest thing I would check for is a fuel return line along the passengerside frame. If you find a fuel return line, it's not an L-88. If there is no fuel return line you can begin to check the other stuff.
