I looked at the 81 i have, and noticed a spec trim tag. The owner before my said it was a two tone autumn red on dark claret. I do not have a build sheet. Is this rare or unusual? What does this mean?

 

"SPEC" indicates a car painted in some color, other than one of the standard available colors offered for the model year.

Claret Metallic over Dark Claret Metallic, was a regular two-tone combination offered in 1981, on all Bowling Green built 81 Corvettes. If my memory is correct, an 81 Two-Tone Claret/Dark Claret car would have a trim tag marked something like 98U 98L 80A or 80A 98L 98U. "80" being Claret Met. and "98" being Dark Claret Met. There were no two-tone 81's built at St. Louis, as an RPO or as a special order.

If the car still had the tank sticker, it may have given an indication what SPEC, or special color, the car originally was painted. You might also be able to get a copy of the build sheet (tank sticker) through Chevrolet. If it is a Bowling Green car, you can get a copy of the window sticker and build sheet, through the National Corvette Museum. The GM Heritage Center may be able to supply some records for St. Louis built cars, but their records are not as complete as the Bowling Green records.

You can determine whether it's a Bowling Green or St. Louis car, by checking the VIN. A Bowling Green car will have a "5" as the 11th digit of the VIN, while St. Louis cars will have an "S" in the 11th position.

 

Post a pic of your trim tag. What are you calling "SPEC"? Two toned Bowling Green cars will show three paint codes on the trim tag. Look for 80U, 80L, and 98M. Here's a Bowling Green 81 red/claret tag.