I have a question about an LT-1 I'm looking at. It appears to have all the signs of a legitimate LT-1 except for the TI. Not only is it missing but it does not have the 3 holes for mounting in front of the driver's side front wheel.
All other things seem to check out ok. The numbers on the frame match the trim tag and also match the engine pad. The engine pad does not appear to be restamped as the broach marks are still intact and look good. All the dates on the block, engine pad, body are correct too. It has all the other signs too like the heavy duty radiator, no overflow (dimples still there on the passenger side fender), single fuel line, heavy duty rear yokes, 6500 redline tach, CGZ suffix code...etc.

What are your thoughts about the TI holes not being there? Big issue? Seems like if someone went out of their way to fake the car they wouldn't have overlooked that. The car is a '71. Thoughts?

 

Ken,
I'm much more familiar with the transistorized ignition module mounting location for the big block 'vettes, but I thought that the small blocks had their mounting in a different location, thus looking for the three mounting holes in the forward side of the left front inner wheel well was not where they mounted. I believe you could see the module from inside engine compartment when the hood was open.

 

Hi Ken,
Did you know that 72 LT-1's didn't have TI. Is the car in fact a 71?
Is it really late? I don't think that matters but it might make sense.
What the number on the coil? 270 or 272.
Regards,
Alan

 

Hi,
Thanks for your responses.

I'm not familiar with where the big blocks had them mounted. I may not have described it well, but what you describe sounds like where I was looking. I was standing in front of the car with the hood open looking to the right. Is that where they were typically mounted on the LT-1's? Does anyone know if they were always mounted in the same place?

The car is definitely a '71. It's an April car. I'm not sure about the number on the coil...will look into it. Where can that be found?

Thanks,
Ken

 

All 71 LT-1s should have TI. The holes and usually the actual amp should be located as you described. (pic below). The only way I can think that the holes wouldn't be there is if they had been filled in somehow or there was body damage at some point that led to that panel being replaced. The TI coil should have raised numbers 272 on the side.

 

Ken,

Page 159 in the 1971 Corvette section of Dobbins 1968 -1972 Stingray Fact Book shows the position of the T.I. amplifier in the same position on an LT-1 as mstanton does above on his LT-1.

 

Ok got an answer to the ignition coil question - the number is 272...so more evidence that it's an LT-1. However I don't recall seeing any holes for the TI amp and the pictures mstanton posted confirm I was looking in the right place. Thanks mstanton for posting the picture. As soon as i get some pictures of where the TI amp is supposed to be from the LT-1 in question i will post them

 

I have a 71 LT-1 with 30k miles, and it is 148 cars from the end of production (2nd-last day) It has the TI, so I'm pretty well convinced that they used TI right up to the end of production.

 

According to the NCRS technical manual the amplifier " It may be mounted close to the hood opening or well to the outboard side of the opening. Those in the latter position are very hard to see." Did you look for the three bolts from the wheel well side.

 

I suggest another method of confirming a true LT-1 is to look at the side wall of the fuel tank. Pretty easy to remove the retuen line on a base car that someone is trying to clone into a LT-1

But I do not think it would be likely that they would change the fuel tank. Too much trouble for such a small difference that most people would not think about.

Lay on the ground behind the right side rear wheel. reach up and feel the side wall of the tank. There is a sunk in area toward the front of the side wall.

A base car with a return fuel line has a nipple protruding for the hose on the return line. A LT-1 tank has no nipple. This is one time you do not want to touch a nipple.


Also if you know someone with a flexiable bore scope viewer you can borrow. Drain the oil and look thru the oil darin hole to see if there is a 4 bolt main.

I know that is a lot of work and trouble , But you sure dont wont to find a 2 bolt main 6 months after you bought the car.


You have to look for very hard to fake items when looking at a LT-1.

The tach face is not that hard to replace nor is the data plate on the shifter.

Also cars other than a LT-1 has the copper radiator w/o the over flow. That is not conclusive.

This last one is a real bear to check. But a 71 LT-1 used an 11" clutch like the 454 cars. The base car had a 10.5"

They both used the same bell hsg. so the # on it won't help.

As for the TI, lost of these were removed over the years. Car could have a replacement inner fender skirt.

Look for the emmission label on the firewall, 71 LT-1 is code AX

If you find AX , stil could be a repo sticker. But if you find something else , then OPPS someone did not know to replace that sticker.

If the AIR is missing , do the manifolds have the holes for the AIR tubes plugged off?

Also , how far back can you confirm with previous owners was the car a LT-1? I suggest that it was way too expensive to do a full cloning of a LT-1 20 years ago. way too much money to do it all on a car that sold for maybe 5K more than a base car. Just a guess on the 5K. But why would someone do it. If a previous owner just wanted the lT-1 look , they would stop at the hood and maybe the intahe / valve covers.


Good Luck on your opprounity

David

 

Also check the universal joints on the half shafts as the LT-1's had a cast clamp in lieu of a U-Bolt to secure them. Ed

 

Thanks.

The exhaust manifolds still had the smog lines. The gas tank checked out too, no nipple for a return line. The emission label on the firewall is AX. The universal joints on the half shafts checked out too...they were the heavy duty ones, not the u-bolt style. All good signs. The only thing that was troubling was the TI amp. I had him send pics of the area in question where it should be mounted and as you can see no TI amp and no holes where it would have been....the dimples are still there.

I also had him send a picture of the inner wheel well and there are three screws to the left of the 2 bigger bolts that you can see from the engine compartment picture posted below (first pic). If the TI was where i would have expected it to be, these three screws would have been to the RIGHT of the two big bolts when looking from the wheel well in front of the tire. Perhaps the TI is mounted on the other side and is just not visible with the hood open looking from the engine compartment. I will have to go back and check it out. Perhaps there was some inconsistency from the factory on the mounting location?

 

I think that is the TI amp screws

I do not know of anything else that uses three screws at that location.

Also , the TI amp does have 1 screw at top and 2 at bottom as the photos shows.


The car is starting to come together. Just keep looking. In the end you have to be the one that is comfortable.


Good Luck


David

 

Those are the bolts for the TI amp. I bet if you could inspect the 71 that the amp is still there. There is variation on where the amp is located. Some are easy to see, like mine, and others are not.

 

Thanks. You guys are the best

 

My 71 LT-1 had the amp mounted way to the outside--could not see it from hood. Those are definitely the amp screws and the right pattern. Check your ignition harness as it runs along the drivers side firewall--you will probably find the wires or where they were cut when the TI system was discarded. If you are lucky it still has the original distributor that has been converted to a nonTI otherwise very expensive to replace.

 

Ken,

That pattern in the wheel well shows the transistorized ignition amplifier to be mounted as the big blocks were. You will have to be on your back and look up thru the drivers side air inlet for the radiator. With a pen flashlight you will be able to see the amplifier partially up in the furthest area.