Side pass mirror was NOT an option from the factory untill 1969 i think ?

 

 

Thank you for all of the information and the photos and production numbers of your corvettes! I have been watching ebay and several other sales and fan sites simply adding up visible clues on the mirrors and frames and such. Here is some data on the mirrors collected to date...

Aft mirrors on cars... (trim tags would have been great to log here but late February is the best we can guess. Snowstorm?)

seen earliest on 12388, 12568, 12591, and 12612

then a shift back..to forward mirrors

12812, 12954,

12989 aft,

13095 fwd and a fwd seen on 14037 an NCRS resto car and 14222 (from the board thank you!) and subsequent cars only appearing aft or not looked at at the time they were spotted. 14326,359, 395 and 511 were not "spotted" in the time I was collecting mirror data. We can only assume they were "aft" as I tended to mark the fwd cars as early. The neat thing is that its nearly at the halfway point of production, and I'm wondering of the body delivery schedule and trim tag date information on this block.

I generally just list things in an excel format, with just basic information on what I can see or whats on the web. I saw an L-89 from Australia and was wondering if its close to # 4200-4400 where it appears there were a few made. In any case don't hesitate to PM me if you want to throw your numbers in to my database. I can keep your email or not and once in simply have a researchable list for this stuff.

Mine for the record is #1272 a convertible that is a 978 car with the blue interior. The car had a rough life, was painted between 9 to 11 different times, had a couple minor dings and then had a roll cage put in in the old SCCA way. Most of her original trappings were modified or removed, but the original headlights and frame was still there under the 1 Day painted red body. I drove her for a couple years after I bought the car (89') and then stored the car for 12 years for a flying career. Now the full body off resto to "stock" and conversion to a Richmond 6 speed is in the final stages. Hopefully the end of the year will be close to the beginning of the rebirth.

Interestingly the earliest car I have logged is #2, the one on display at McDormans. Was the first car that silver coupe in all the press photos? Were 68's built by engineering and as part of preproduction not vinned? I have seen #267 years ago and on several of the body panels, "pilot car" was stamped, leading me to believe that very early cars were not released. Out there Ive logged, 15, 42, 76, 93 ect...so they are out there. The latest seen was 28533, 33 from the end and built on the last day. The most interesting ones to find would be the factory development and engineering serials. Remember the Aerovette, or the Ultimate!!! the White Zora ZL-1 hardtop roadster and the black or dark racing development L-88 coupe that were all 68 cars (look at the doors) ... What were their identities and when were they destroyed? Oh well, some things are lost to time.

 

If you are talking about my L89 it's serial is 420068.
There is also a blue on blue convertible 68 L89 in Melbourne but i have no idea of it's serial.

Weren't there two body builders which could explain the jump back to the fwd position? Or was it two chassis builders?

 

April 20, 1968 build date for my '68 convertible #16660. Left hand mirror only mounted rearward.

Passenger side mirrors were not an option in '68.

 

Mike do you remember what year it first became a dealer option?

I'm still thinking 1973.

 

RHD 68, I had logged your car from an internet site earlier, and its a fine example from the pictures. There are no other L-89's around your car that I have logged yet, 20051 is a L36 and 20085 a 435 car. Those are the nearest I have. Its interesting to see that perhaps some options that were special 88's 89's or others, may have come out in loose "groups" based on what Tonawanda was producing or had available. Neat stuff, and please keep the info coming! Late cars in the 23000-25000 cars may have late 69 ish frames, certainly most by 24000? Earlies one I have is 23568 with a "late" frame.

Interestingly 28533, built on the last day is a L-36 Polar White 407 interior project on EBAY and may go for a song... Anyone in the midwest for a bookend vette?

 

To install the mirror you have to drill two holes in the door on a horizontal line. In the recent Paragon catalog, they say for early 68's, drill the first hole 3 1/2 back from the door front edge.

 

Nope. Don't know. I went back through the Blackbook and the passenger side mirror isn't listed anywhere until you get to the D35 Sport Mirror option on the '77s.

Good question because I know I've seen Sharks with a pair of chrome mirrors.

 

I'd be willing to bet that's correct. My car has the mirror mounted further rearward and it has an April build date.

 

Would a dealer-installed accessory show up on the option lists?

 

Curiously then what is the NCRS judging position on passenger side mirrors pre 77?

 

All chrome rightside mirrors were a dealer installed option. No cars came from the factory with them. 1977 was the first year for factory installed rightside mirrors and they were the sport mirrors.

 

What he said.

 

No, but the dealer installed goodies were listed on a new Corvette order form. At the time you were ordering your Corvette-to-be, you could opt for items off the dealer installed list. RH Mirror, luggage rack, tissue dispenser, compass, emergency road kit, fire extinguisher, etc. were on the list. If I'm not mistaken, the '69 dealer installed items are shown on a new Corvette order form in Rick Bizzoco's 1969 Corvette Guidebook. Other years would have been similar.

Of course, if you had a Corvette, any of the dealer installed items could be added by your local Chevrolet place.

 

Hi

Here some details of both my 68 convertibles :

VIN 16530 build 19th April being a L36 car = late car presently having ugly sport mirrors installed, still require some measurements for installing the correct mirror(s) further back as original for late 68th.
VIN 1391 build 05th Oct being a L71 car , early car presently having both mirrors installed. Don't know when the R/H one was added.

Günther

 

Gunther! Thanks for the information! Any Info on options and specifics like odd numbers wriiten on the underbody and or production items of interest are helpful! Are your cars original export cars and if so how are they different from the "standard"?

Please keep the info coming and anyone can email at anytime!

Oddly ,my car #1272 has no date on the body tag. I thought this was strange until I found #1271 in the midwest with no date on the tag either. Did someone call in sick?

JOE

 

Do you mean the trim tag? No date code? Just paint and trim but no A28 or whatever??? That is odd. Mine is a D13, it is the blue one on the right in the pic above (and now below) . Both are in the 4000 range. Both are Intl blue/dark blue. The one on the left (not mine) is earlier. It is a 435 hp fully restored to showroom condition (except I think his mirror is too far rearward! ). Mine is a driver that was restored as a driver about 15 yrs ago and it has original L-36 engine, M-20 and 3.36 rear, but lots of non original and not correct stuff. It also has the mirror too far back, as brought to my attention by Paul B.



NOT MINE!!!:

 

Not being the NCRS type myself (at least not the original NCRS...), I'm curious as to what the judging position would be on dealer-installation accessories produced by GM, or purchased for resale by GM from other companies? In terms of this thread, if you could walk into a Chevy dealer and have them install the RH mirror in your year of manufacture, would that be cool with the originality police?

 

Hi Joe

Both cars where imported from USA in the eraly 90th , so USA standart. This is great as Europe never had 4 brake lights.

The red early L71 car is a no optioned car, no PB, no PS , no PW , no AC. Was British green with standart interior. Came without hardtop .
3.70 rear end, M21 close ratio.

The white late L36 car has PS, PB, PW , no AC. 3.07 rear end , 3 speed auto tranny. Was british green as well with standart interior.
Had a hardtop .

I do not have a tank sticker for the early L71, so no proof of it being a L71, but everything on the car points to this option.Unfortunately , the engine block and rtipower setup are gone. Only the L71 heads are still there !

The late L36 car I haven't checked yet for the tank sticker, but this car has it's original engine with the IQ suffix.

The eraly one has the date on the trim tag being a C05 , so 5th of Oct 67.

Do you need more info ?

Günther