I have a late build 70 LT1 - # 16662. The driver side front grill is the correct 70 and the pass side is a 71 (72). I thought it must have been changed even but when I was at fall Carlisle I saw another 70 LT1 late build and it also had the same later grill on the pass side.

Anyone out there with a late build number that could check to see what is on your car???

Thanks

 

I have an early build 70 (Dec 69) with a 71 grill on the passenger side. I doubt it came that way from the factory. 70 grills were one year only. Replacement grilles when available came with the holes for screws(71-72 style). I looked underneath for evidence of repairs and could not detect any. It probably wouldn't take much to damage the grill and 20+ years ago no one was too concerned with originality. You can probably bet the ranch that yours is a replacement like mine and many others.

 

Both grills on my 70 (also early, Jan 27) have been replaced with the 71-72 style. Original 70's are very expensive if you can even find them.
Glenn

 

I guess I must be lucky on that front. Both of mine are still of the studded style. My buddies 70 has both grills and both are replacement style.

 

spf72,

1970 Corvettes, as early as S/N 13656 have been seen with '71 style front grilles. Early 1971's to S/N 1447 have been seen with 1970 style grilles.

It's possible that your grilles are original to your car, as well as the '70 late LT-1 you saw at Carlisle.

 

There were actually three different grills used during the 1970-1972 time frame.

The first style used three studs (with speed nuts) along the lower horizontal grill bar as well as a single screw in the upper outboard corner to retain the grill to the body (there was an additional screw on the upper inboard side of the grill that mounted to a bracket, but not directly to the body). This version was used for most of 1970 production and also on very early 1971 cars as well (Warren gave the VIN breaks).

The second style used two screws in place of the three studs along the lower horizontal portion of the grill. This grill was used for most of the 1971 model year as well as on very early 1972 cars... It is also the style that was used as a service replacement for many years.

The third style was identical to the second except that hole for the fiber optic plug was not machined (fiber optics were discontinued late in the 1971 model year).

The assembly plant at St. Louis, being a production environment, would have had little concern for these minor variations during the manufacturing process. I have personally seen two very original, late 1970 cars with one first design and one second design grill. I have seen several early 1972 cars with one second and one third design grill. It wasn't common, but it did happen.

Your car is relatively late in production. Is it possible that it came with two different grill designs? Yes, but it certainly wasn't typical and you're probably going to have to do some research in order to determine what was actually installed on your car.

Regards,