I have a 1970 LT1 that has no documentation. Are there sources out there for determining what options might have come with the car originally? I think there is a chance this car may be a ZR1 and would love to substantiate that somehow. Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

You might contact NCRS to see if that car had been entered for judging anytime in its past. Don't know if they retain records of such details, but it would be a start. Otherwise, the next best approach is to see if you can back-trace the various owners of the car and glean info (or perhaps documents) from them. There are probably folks with some expertise in doing this kind of research, but I bet it would get very expensive, very quickly.

 

NCRS has no such info as stated on this site many times nor do they authenticate cars or anything close.

Carry on.................

hre-mike

Does the car presently appear to be an original LT-! or did it 'used to be'? Post some pics, particularly the engine stamp pad. The ZR-! had a unique engine code.

 

Hi hre,
As Mike suggested checking the stamp pad on the engine, and also the stamps on the transmission, would certainly be a first step in seeing if this car was/is a ZR-1 car.
It would be pretty terrific if it is!!!!!
Regards,
Alan

Maybe you've already done that?

 

Did you check to see if there is a tank sticker?

 

ZR1s had M22 Transmissions, transistor ignition, heavy duty power brakes, metal fan shrouds, special aluminum radiator and NO rear window defogger, A/C, power windows, alarm or radios according to my material.

 

Alan71 or Mike Ward....
Are you saying that NCRS retains no records of a car that has previously received an NCRS judging award? That seems mighty strange to me....

 

Hi 7T1,
Your thought is right, NCRS can provide info on previously Flight Judged cars. This ability is for judging events dating back to about the mid-eighties.
Car Award Confirmation Service. It is not cheap. $$$ Low 3 digits. A lot for a $10k car, maybe not for a $50k car.
Regards,
Alan

 

That makes perfect sense. You seem mighty strange to me too.

Sorry to disagree with Alan, but the only records NCRS keeps are the of Flight Level it achieved, date and meet location. Since (once more time with feeling) there is no attempt to authenticate a car or it's components, whether a car appeared as an LT-! or not at a given meet and was recorded as such would have no bearing on whether it was born that way.

Even if the previous owner had some original judging sheets (he is given the originals, no copies are made) and there was no deduct for the engine or chassis, this is not a statement of authenticity. Might be good clone that had everybody fooled.

Things would be a lot simpler and more pleasant here if you stopped making statements like the one above, or that poor confused guy with the cylinder heads, or, or, or.

 

Hi,
As the Service description says... it can provide an important piece of, or be a link in, determining a car's history.
Nothing more, nothing less, but I'd think it would be mighty attractive to someone tearing their hair out trying to track a car's history.
Regards,
Alan

 

Thanks for the responses. The engine does have the CTV code but I don't believe its the original block. Also has metal fan shroud. Further evidence was when I pulled the dash to fix the tachometer and found that while the gauges were all original the radio was clearly aftermarket. Car had been hit in the rear at some point and the tank sticker wasn't in place.

 

Hi Mike,
Now I'm curious.
Since it has a CTV broadcast code what is it about the block that makes you feel it's not original to this car?
Regards,
Alan

 

Me too.

Post a pic?

 

I did some digging and perhaps it is the original motor. The block code matches (3970010) and the date code is J239 which I believe means the block was manufactured October 23, 1969. My vehicle's VIN is 194670S405403 which I think puts the car's manufacturer around March 2, 1970. Does this make sense?

I also took a picture of the engine compartment and the metal fan shroud. Will next figure out how to post it here

Thanks again, Mike

 

Easiest place I could find to place the picture was in My Garage here. Thanks again for your insights.

 

Best Lt-1 list I have seen from this forum

There are a few things that only a LT-1 would have , some are pretty easy to change out and some are not very easy at all.in no piticular order.

1st. No 1970 or 1971 LT-1 had A/C

2nd. Emmission sticker on fire wall behind master cylinder should have letters AX on upper left corner for a 71.

3rd. All LT-1's are 4 speeds. (M20 was std , M21/M22 were optional)

4th. Tach has 6,500 RPM red line on 1970 & 1971 and on 72's w/o AC

5th. All 71 LT-1's came with A.I.R. system. If removed should still have manifolds with holes for the tubes, Car may have headers and if so ask to see old manifolds.

6th. LT-1's had copper radiator W/O a overflow canisiter on the passanger side fenderwell. There should also be no holes whers one had been mounted.


7th. All 70 / 71 LT-1's had Tranisitor Ign. system. That may have been removed. But if it is removed look for the 3 holes on the front face of the driver side inner fender well where the Amplifer box was mounter.

Take a flashlight and look in front of the front wheel or open hood and look at it from the front side. 2 holes on bottom and 1 on top.


8th. Should have a Winters snowflake intake manifold with casting # 3959594


9th. LT-1's had a Holley carb. so there is only 1 fuel line , no return line like a quadra-jet carb. Look along frame rail on passanger side for the single line. Also the fuel tank is different. There should be no nipple on the passanger side, side wall for a return line.

If you lay on your back under the rear wheel you can reach your hand up and feel for an indention on the passanger side. If there is a nipple that is capped off , then beware.

Also the single fuel line on a LT-1 was not the same line that was used to feed fuel on the 2 line set up. So if someone removed the return line the look of the 3/8 line is still different. Not a big difference but if you can look at a car with a 2 line set up then you can see what you do not want to find.

10th. LT-1's had solid lifters , but if the car does not then that is not to big a red flag. Many people do not like them and may have replaced with HYD. lifters during a rebuild.


11th. The hardest to fake and most expensive would be the 4 bolt main block. No # on the outside of the block can verify this.

Only way to verify is to remove the pan or have a lighted optical viewer and remove the drain plug.


12th. LT-1's use 2.5" exhaust pipes like the big block cars. But the manifolds were still 2" set up. So the pipes flair from 2 to 2.5" about 6 inches from the manifold. The exhaust hangar at the trans is also different. Look on line at the Corvette Central site and you can see both 2" and 2.5" hangars.

13th. As I recall the highest rear end gear was 3:36 if trans was a M20

And id Trans was a M21 or M22 the 3:55 was highest gear

M20 3:36 Economy

3:55 Standard

3:70 Performance


M21 / M22

3:55 Economy

3:70 Standard

4:11 Performance

14th. The 71 /71 LT-1 Aluminum valve covers should have a rubber oil cap not a twist in. These covers are very hard to find. All the catalouges sell the twist in cap style.

15th. LT-1's have the same heavy duty half shaft retainers as big block cars. look at the rear end side yokes, there should be caps with bolts. Base cars used U bolts with nuts.

16th. The rocker arms have a letter O stamped in them.

17th. The balancer on the crankshaft is an 8" unit not a 6"

That is all I know of. and you could not fake all of this and sell a car for a mid 20's price and be worth the effort / expense.

So until someone finds the lost records from St Louis anyone buying a no base model car will be going out on a limb at little unless you are buying from the original owner.

 

Thanks 20Mercury...gives me a lot to investigate. Reading your list I don't see anything inapplicable to my car though there are a lot of question marks. I do have the 6500 RPM redline and I think the gauges are all original based on their manufacture date stickers. My car is a 4 speed with no accessories to speak of. Has transistor ignition, Holley carb...nothing contrary to the list. Will dig into the less obvious ones.

Much appreciated. Mike

 

Hi,

You can join NCRS and for about 45 dollars they will send you informatiion on what dealer sold the car. Go to the NCRS site and check it out. Then If the dealer is still in bussines you might get more information.

Ron

I'm also a LT-1 owner

 

Very nice list, maybe add:

18th. '72 cars will have an 'L' as the 5th character of the VIN.

 

The NCRS can provide shipping data information only if they have your VIN in their records. The available records are not 100% complete, so some folks could be disappointed.

HRE: what are the numbers on the pad on the block at the front of the passenger's head? The engine assembly date will include the CTV suffix.