clawdog6

My brother-in-law has a '79 hatchback and recently ran into the daughter of the original owner. She swears that only 3 of these factory hatchbacks were made, making it extremely valuable and a more likely candidate for restoration. We would like to know how to find out if this is true. Can we possibly confirm via the VIN and/or can get a copy of the original window sticker? He heard rumors that copies of the sticker might have been placed under or around the gas tank from a few other guys, but this sounds like a fairy tale to us.

Any advise is welcome as we are new to this.

Thanks!

79L48

I think it is a fairy tale. The hatchback was intended originally for the 1978, but development problems plagued it. It was put off again and again. Finally, it was added to the 1982 CE only as a way make the distinct and to minimize cloning of them. Apparently this was in response to a lot of Pace Car buyers being pissed at the number of clones lowering the value pf their cars (which they paid too much for off the lots).
I have never even heard of a factory hatchback rumor before reading your post.
I'd like to have one, though... I wish someone would come up with a good kit.

Raphiki

From what I understand some of the aftermarket companies like Ecklers used to sell a conversion kit for the rear glass but it was never a factory option.

Mike Ward

The conversion parts were available at GM dealers for many years. There were no factory hatchbacks in '79.

vettebuyer6369

Not true. Never made in '79. People make up stories all the time on these cars.

Aftermarket add-on.

srs244

there were aftermarket kits that were available to convert your rear glass to what the factory tried and tried to get to fit properly. they also eventually leaked and the gasket seals were obviously non standard and ultimately became impossible to find when they gave out. there have been a couple of threads here from people who either equipped their lat 70's early 80's with the kit and the troubles they continued to have and some of the "creative" means by which they tried to replace and replicate the gaskets when they couldn't buy or find the correct replacements. the leaking problems that GM encountered with the conversion kept them from putting into production until the very end of the C3 run.

mikejpss

I have seen two 1981 models with this factory installed option. They were both very late in the model year cars. One was a 4 speed car, the other an auto. ....... Had pictures on the old pc that was fired last summer.....

gbvette62

All Corvettes built since 1967 have had a "build sheet" or "tank sticker", attached to the top of the gas tank. This sticker is a variation of the window sticker, and does list all the original options and colors. It could be still on your brother-in-law's 79, if no one has ever replaced the tank.

There were NO 78-81 GM factory built hatchback Corvettes.

The hatchback was a conversion kit made by a company called "Cars & Concepts". Cars & Concepts was an aftermarket maker of auto sunroof, t-top and convertible conversions, much like Hurst Performance.

Cars & Concepts had authorized dealers, that sold and installed the kits. You could arrange through your dealer to have the hatch installed in a new Corvette, or you could take your car to an installer and have it done. I don't think they were ever sold as a do-it-yourself kit, and I don't believe they were ever available directly through GM.

The sale and installation of the kits was handled the same as having a vinyl top or sunroof, installed on a car, that didn't leave the factory with one.

I think Cars & Concepts did have a factory with an assembly line for the production of automobile conversions. I think they use to do low volume convertible conversions for automakers. When Ford and Chrysler first reintroduced convertibles (the Mustang and LeBaron), there wasn't enough volume to justify building them in house, so they sent them to C & C to be turned into convertibles. They didn't do any production Corvette work though.

GM did install the hatchbacks in a number of Corvette show cars, such as the 1980 Turbo-Corvette. There was also a 79 and an 80 built with them, that were raffled off by the NCCC to benefit Spina Bifida Association. Though the NCCC cars came from Chevrolet, I'm pretty sure that Cars & Concepts sponsored the give-a-ways, and did the hatch install.

Below is a Cars & Concepts ad from 1980 for the "Hatch Vette", and a list of authorized installers. The car in the add is a 79, and may actually be the one raffled by the NCCC in 1979, as I think it was a beige over brown car.



This is a 1980 Internal GM letter listing changes and other pre-production specs for the 1981 Corvette. Under significant changes for 1981, the first line says the "Rear Hatch Glass Option Cancelled". I also have an April 1980 letter that states that the hatch option had been submitted for management approval. I don't know the reason it was canceled, and none is given. Other paper work I have says that GM considered a special edition to celebrate the opening of the new Bowling Green plant. I think they toyed with the idea of including the hatch as part of the special edition, and killed the hatch when the special edition died.

Easy Mike

Correct. Zip. Zero. None.

BKarol

If you cant find the build sheet or window sticker, you can get a copy of the invoice here : http://www.gmmediaarchive.com/.

Give them the vin and $50.

KapsSA

I believe member 'Red 69' has one of these. Maybe he'll chime in with some info.

Earthquake Driver

The13Bats

Everything I saw stated The cars and concepts kit used the GM bubble rear glass and hardware from the 82CE
So if you say they made them in 80 cars and Concepts had a different special rear bubble window and different special hardware than GM did for the 82CE or did GM give C&C the stuff before they used it in 82?
Lets see proof of this or that.

What no one mentioned was the Hatch vette kit Ecklers and others sold,



It made use of the Monza fastback rear window...of course it was not factory but did wind up on some "new" at the time cars....

gbvette62

It was actually the other way around. Cars & Concepts developed the conversion kit in 1979, and GM used it on the 82 Collectors. The ad I posted, was from the April 80 issue of Vette Vues, but looking around just now, I found the same ad in the November 79 Vette Vues. When I get a chance, I'll look through some Corvette News, the NCCC magazine and other mags from the era, as I know the kits were covered by many publications in the 79-80 time period.

I am sure that C & C developed it in conjunction with Chevrolet. As I said in my previous post, Chevrolet did use the kit in some show cars, including the 1980 V6 turbo-charged show car, the Turbo-Vette. Both the 79 & 80 NCCC Spina Bifida raffle cars used it. The 1980 raffle car was a silver replica of the Turbo-Vette show car, with a V8, in place of the V6 turbo in the show car.

It's very common for the automakers to use outside compaies to develop parts, and do these kinds of conversions. Many of the T-Tops done in the 70's & 80's, were developed by companies such as C & C, American Sunroof Corp. and Hurst for the automakers. The reverse flow cooling system used on 91 and later LT1's, was developed in the 80's by a Conn. company, MECCA Development. It's often cheaper and quicker, for a big company to pay someone else to develop parts, especially low volume ones.

When I bought my new 81, I looked into having the kit installed in it. We had a local authorized installer, Auto T-Tops of Maple Shade, NJ. They installed the kits in a number of Corvettes around here, and a couple are still in the area.

The kit's parts appear identical to the 82 CE hatch, and all parts are interchangeable between the C & C conversions and 82 CE's.

Alan 71

Hi Bats,
Where have you been?
Do you have a custom project underway?
I miss your take on things!!!!
Regards,
Alan

The13Bats

So if C&C made the kit for GM that explains many things...

Alan,
I could make excuses but I have been lazy and busy when it comes to the projects, I got motivated when a local just bought a kit car I like and have the same,
I wanted a buddy to help me on the 69 and he is free now so who knows with the wife off and buddy free....might whip that front clip off next week, but it has been fun driving the car the way it is.....

lowe.7842may

Hi Clawdoge6- I just found info on the hatch back. It is an aftermarket kit that came from a company called "Cars & Concepts Company". I have a 78 Vet and would like info on how to get the kit. In 1982 Corvette installed the hatch back on the Collector Edition model. Made 6,759 of them. I found the info in the May 2019 edition of "Vette" magazine, page 37. Have not been able to locate this company yet. There is a post on the Forum by Drifter36 who just baought an 82 CE and the hinges on the hatch back are sprung. He says this is common and is looking for better hinges. Now you know where the hatch back came from. Al - lowe.7842may

Easy Mike

Lowe: this thread is from 2011.