Rick_V

Is there anyway to determine if my '79 is a early or late production model?

79L48

There were rolling changes along the way. I don't know at what VIN spots the changes occurred, but you are early if you have a straight turn signal switch, chrome headlight switch bezel, 145 MPH speedo, 3 compartments in the luggage area and incandescent headlamps.
Later cars began to employ the angled turn switch, 2 compartments, black headlight switch bezel, 85 MPH speedo and halogen headlights.

Rick_V

I guess mine is a rolling changes one. I have 145 MPH speedo, 3 compartments in the luggage area, incandescent headlamps (changed over the weekend to halogen), angled turn switch and black headlight switch bezel.

BKarol

According to the NCRS Judging Guide the supply of 140 mph speedo was depleted sometime arfter s/n 44598 and before s/n 48940.

Storage compartments changed sometime between s/n 53202 and 53677.

79 vette head

s/n 428931. angle switch. 3 comparments,black switch bezel,headlamps????

Easy Mike

"Early" and "late" usually refer to specific running changes made on the assembly line. The NCRS Judging Guide might list VIN numbers for some of these changes. You can also check page revision dates in the AIM as a hint for an approximate date of a change. Be aware changes could have already been in production by the time revised AIM pages arrived at St. Louis.

C3 4ME

Mine is serial #15xxx something. I have a 140 mph speedo, 3 compartments, HAD an angled turn signal lever, till the original one needed replacing, now I have the aftermarket replacement straight one. I'd love to find a new, non cruise angled turn signal lever.

gbvette62

The change to the turn signal lever only effected 79's equipped with both cruise control and tilt/tele. Cars without either, or just cruise, used the same levers throughout all of 1979. Also, it was the other way around, as early cars had the bent lever, later ones used a straight lever.

I don't know exactly when the change took place, but I believe it was prior to June 79. My June 1979 Corvette Parts Book lists the levers this way:

78-79 w/Cruise Cont, & T&T (1st Design) Part # 25030522 (see note 1)
Note 1: 1st design lever has a 30 degree angle bend toward driver.
79 w/Cruise Cont, & T&T (2nd Design) Part # 25030492 (see note 2)
Note 2: 2nd design lever has a straight shaft.

I am not aware of any chrome headlight switch bezels being used in 79. I've only ever seen black ones, with white letters, that say "LIGHTS". All of my 78-82 Parts Books only list one headlight bezel for 78-82, part number 473225, the black one.

All 79 Corvettes used conventional low beams, these were "Guide Power Beams". This is the same low beam that was used in all Corvettes from 1973 to 1982. 79's built prior to November 78, used Guide Power Beams for the high beam also. Starting in November, all Corvettes used halogen's, but only as the high beams.

I've always disagreed with the VIN the NCRS shows for the switch to 2 door rear compartments.

My old Corvette club use to do a show in late August every year. In 1979, our show was held in Philadelphia, and was sponsored by Matt Slap Chevrolet of northeast Philly. They provided a red 79 to display at that show. I'm sure that car had the 85 mph speedometer, and the 2 door rear compartments. I remember that car quite well, as many of us noticed the changes, and also we were disappointed, as the dealer had hoped to have a 1980 for us to display.

Based on the VIN's provided by the NCRS, the the 2 door compartments shouldn't have showed up until late September, but I know that Slap's 79 had them, and it was before Labor Day, 1979.

My June 79 Parts Book, only lists the 3 door rear compartments, while my September 79 book, lists a 79 1st design (the 3 door units) and a 2nd design (the 2 door units). For that book to be published in Sept., I think the 2 door units had to be in the GM pipe line before that.

The 85 mph speedo was first used sometime in late July 79, and according to the NCRS, the 2 door compartments went into production in September 79. I think that it's possible that cars with the 2 door units, may be out there with a little earlier build date. As they used up certain color units, they probably started substituting the 2 door ones.

corvette kitty

I believe there is also a change in top radiator hose size. Early being 1.5 inch id and very late being 1.25 inch id, the same as 1980. Also if you have the L82 model there were two different casting numbers for the aluminum intake manifold. 458520 is all 1978's and early 1979"s. and the late casting number being 14007378. I should add even the L 48 cast iron manifold has two casting numbers 14007376 is early and 14014433 is late.

Jim Shea

There was a change in the T&T steering column in 1979. The angle of the dimmer pivot was changed from 21 degrees to 46 degrees.

The 1978-79 Tilt & Telescoping steering column started out with a dimmer pivot that had a lever attaching at a shallow angle of 21 degrees. This meant that all T&T turn signal stalks with cruise control required something like a 30 degree bend in order to bring the end of the lever close to the steering wheel rim for cruise control operation and driver convenience. From researching the service literature, it appears that the turn signal lever without cruise may have been serviced only as a straight lever.

The lever attaching angle of the T&T pivot was revised to 46 degrees sometime during the 1979 model year. By just looking straight down at the column, you should be able to tell if the turn signal lever is coming out of the column head at a shallow 21 degree angle or at the steeper 46 degrees. The steeper 46 degree angle brought the end of the turn signal lever close to the steering wheel rim without requiring a 30 degree bend in the lever.

Jim

IDOXLR8

Okay here you go,,,,,

IDOXLR8

I made a post on the pivot question but do not understand why they are listing first and second design turn signal switches, the pivot I understand. what is the difference?

jim in oregon

Rick..IF you don't already have it..you can get the original factory to dealer invoice from GM Archive folks..Jim

SwampeastMike

Mine is #49225 green/green.

85 MPH speedo.

Bent turn signal/cruise lever.

Halogen high beams (originals still in there!)

Three storage compartments.

1.5" upper radiator hose connection.

Late design hot water cut-off switch.*

No passenger side vanity mirror light despite having the convenience group option. I don't believe that a lighted green mirror was ever made.

*At some point the design of the hot water cut-off switch changed to that used in '80. The early version has a large button; the later version has a small straight shaft. That little straight shaft required what I'll call an "extension condom" to work with the '79 bracket and is, I believe, a very common cause of cabin overheating/poor A/C complaints.

C3 4ME

Mine is #15XXX and has the 30 degree bent lever, 140 mph speedo, and 3 storage compartments Unfortunately my original bent lever broke, and now I have the common straight repro replacement. I'd love to find a 30 degree non cruise lever. I however didn't realize the pivot changed though, so I might consider changing that if I can't find the correct lever.

trukatedave

Wouldn't the date code on the trim tag give an indication of early or late build? My '79 is D22 which (they indicate) is November of '78 build. Thanks

emart78

(First Post!)

Thank you! This post was a huge help in finding out what part fell out of my steering column last week. I don't have the tools yet to disassemble the steering column, so I was flying blind on internet searches -- all I knew was it was a turn signal part.

Now I have a new problem -- I'm 99% sure I'm looking for a 7833704, 78L model pivot... but they seem to be gone everywhere, with no reproductions being made. Any suggestions on finding an appropriate replacement, or should I bite the big eBay bullet?

hunt4cleanair

One can easily disagree with the 78-79 NCRS TIMJG given it's over 22 years old and the original work was anything less than thorough. To conduct a revision is tedious, time-consuming and requires a collaborative process, criteria void with that edition back in 1998.

Even today items are missed. I asked the 1970-72 manual coordinator about the paint (sides not the top) on the door lock ****. It is so worn, the initial view was that it was chrome...but owners have stepped up with images of worn paint on that ****. Now the 7th edition reflects that change after a discussion with the revision team.

I've always appreciated your observations on the 79 early vs. late discussion and will make a note. There is talk of a major revision being taken up for the manual...once NCRS works out their strategic visioning tasks.

bmotojoe

Not sure what part of the assembly your talking about, the plastic that the lever fit's into or the pot metal pivot bracket,
The 7833704 and later used the solid pin to mount the pivot bracket, earlier pivot brackets 1977 - E1978 used a shoulder style bolt.
The pivot bracket alone is nothing special and GM used them in passenger cars and trucks through the mid 1990s...
If you only need the pot metal pivot bracket here are a few GM part numbers...
Simply drive out the 1/8" pin, remove switch assembly and pin your plastic lever part into new bracket...
Drop of loctite on each side of the 1/8" pin...
I have many more part numbers if needed...
7837279
7837281
7840892
7844954