Amber parking lense
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Amber parking lense
There was some previous discussions that no one has seen a 71LT1 corvette with amber parking lenses two previous owners claim the car is untouched I now own this car, built in July last vin numbers121322, questions is would this vin be late enough in July to reflect this change in lenses ???
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,117
From: Crossville TN
Unless you can find other 'survivor' cars with amber lenses at or after your car's build date, it would be a 'hard sell' to convince anyone those were installed at the factory. But, there were a lot of 71's whose owners really liked the amber lenses when the 72's came out and bought some at the Chevy Parts place to put on their cars. NCRS would be the best source for finding that kind of data, but I doubt there are any documented examples of a '71 built with amber lenses.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Thats what im finding out its possible some sites say they were changed but the NCRS tech manual does say clear lense. Small detail more research will have to be done makes it that much more interesting
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
it is a documented car tank sticker bill of sale and title transfers haven't been able to reach the first owner yet the second said he did nothing to the car other than maintain it. We love the car in any rate
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 313
Likes: 3
From: North of Boston Ma
One of the restoration guides I have explains that near the end of june going to july in 1971 cars started getting the amber lens and that some no longer had the hole in the grill for the fiber optics cables. Mine has amber lens and fiber optics.(I understood that ALL 1971 had fiber optics????) Not sure that the guide would be correct in saying 1971's july build would not have fiber optics.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Visually, the 1971 Corvette was almost identical to the 1970 model. One way you could spot one was the 1971's front parking lenses were amber. The 1970's were clear although some early 1971's came with the clear lenses as well.
A quote from the Autochannel.com on 71 corvette.
A quote from the Autochannel.com on 71 corvette.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,237
Likes: 4,330
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi Jasper,
Your last post said 'amber' for 71?
I believe it's 'clear' for most of 71 until perhaps the very end of production.
When you looked at the Judging Guide did you notice that the last 71 cars didn't have fiber optics (last month of production) .... perhaps amber lenses were used too.
Regards,
Alan
PS: I'd expect that clear was typical.
Your last post said 'amber' for 71?
I believe it's 'clear' for most of 71 until perhaps the very end of production.
When you looked at the Judging Guide did you notice that the last 71 cars didn't have fiber optics (last month of production) .... perhaps amber lenses were used too.
Regards,
Alan
PS: I'd expect that clear was typical.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Hi Alan 71 thats how I read the manual this car does have a production Date of July 10/71 can't wait to get my hands on the car to be sure of the fiber optics question and I would agree most were clear lense before we bought the car that was one thing that did stand out in my mind, having said that good coffee talk on this issue.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,599
Likes: 837
From: PA
One of the restoration guides I have explains that near the end of june going to july in 1971 cars started getting the amber lens and that some no longer had the hole in the grill for the fiber optics cables. Mine has amber lens and fiber optics.(I understood that ALL 1971 had fiber optics????) Not sure that the guide would be correct in saying 1971's july build would not have fiber optics.
What we do know is that there were three styles of grills, two styles of lights/lenses, and a possibility of having fiber optics or not.
In regard to this discussion, the current consensus is that the switch to amber lenses was made late in the 1971 model year. The switch from the second design to third design grill was made late in the 1971 model year. Fiber optics were used to the end of the 1971 model year and eliminated with the beginning of the 1972 model year.
This is the most accurate information that we have to date. If you gentlemen don't mind, I'd like to add your serial numbers to the mix when the exterior section revision is discussed and see how it works with the other cars we have in the mix.
Regards,
Stan Falenski