I have a1981 corvette which I've owned since 1986. Bought from original owner
Vin # is 1G1AY8764B5108707 and color code is 74L.
Based on information in the Corvette Black Book and the Vin number I believe this vehicle was one of the last 81's built in Bowling Green in 1981. According to the Black Book only 432 were built with the color code 74. This care is absolutely original with the exception of the tires and has never been painted.
On the right rear bumper, just below the outer most tail light there is a small italicized "7" painted on the bumper. The "7" is about 1 inch in height and the same color as the pin striping.
Can anyone confirm the significance of this number?
Was once told years ago that the last few 81's were not built on the assembly line, they were built by teams off the assembly line and that the number 7 indicates it was built by team 7.
Would love to know if anyone could shed any light?
Thanks,
Tom

 

You've asked this question in the recent past. I realize you're curious about your 7 (I looked at your pic in the previous post.), but it isn't factory and Corvettes were not built by teams.

The time/build code on your trim tag will tell you the month and week of the month your car was assembled. IIRC, 81 production at Bowling Green run into October.

 

There were no hand assembled 81's. Even the pre-production pilot line cars, were built using the assembly line. There would be no reason to hand assemble them. It took about a day to assemble a car on the assembly line, it could take a couple weeks to do it by hand.

You stated that the car has pin striping and that the "7" is the same color as the stripes. The two-tone 81's came with tape stripes to separate the upper and lower colors, but no solid colored 81's, ever came with pin stripes.

I assume the pin stripes are painted on, since you said the 7 is painted on, and the stripes and 7, are both the same color. I would guess that the 7 has something to do with the person who painted the stripes. I have seen all kinds of little marks, symbols, letters, etc., painted on cars that have been pin striped. Pin stripers, like most "artists", like to sign their work, and I'd say it was a safe bet that the 7 is probably how the pin striper that striped your car, "signed" their work.

The Dark Bronze is a pretty rare when used as a solid color. I've only seen two other 81's painted Dark Bronze, but Dark Bronze was also used as the lower accent color on the most popular 81 two-tone combination, Beige over Dark Bronze.

Actually any solid colored Bowling Green 81 is pretty rare, as the majority of BG cars came with the D84 Two-Tone Paint option. Of the 8,995 BG 81's, 5,352 were finished in one of the 4 Two-Tone combinations. This left about 3,500 solid colored 81's, split up among the 7 available solid colors (Beige, Dark Bronze Metallic, Charcoal Metallic, Silver Metallic, Dark Blue Metallic, Claret Metallic, and Dark Claret Metallic).

Chevrolet wanted to promote the new plant, and pushed the two-tone combinations. From research I did years ago, working on the NCRS 80-82 judging manual, it appears that most early BG cars were two-tones, while the solid colored cars seem to have been built later and have higher VIN numbers. My 81 was built about 2 weeks before yours (October 7), and it is one of 613 solid Charcoal Gray BG 81's.

 

Mike is much more knowledgeable than I am, as I have only researched my own car, but from what I have found, October was the last month of 81 production as he said. Mine is #5107089 and from the trim tag, was started the last week of September. I have the build sheet, dealer invoice, and original window sticker for my car and as best I can ascertain rolled off the line on approximately 10/2 based on the time line of these documents. I have also found nothing to indicate anything other than a normal production line assembly.

 

I think somebody is yanking your chain with that hand-built nonsense.. that "7" was done afterwards by somebody

 

Thanks for your input Gentlemen.
This car definitely has the pin striping that seems to match the color of the "7" on the rear bumper so if they didn't produce any solid colored cars with pin striping in 81, maybe that's the answer. The original owner must have added it before I bought it in 1986. Sure does look original.
The team built thing was told to me by someone years ago. Does seem like a stretch. Since there were not many built with this color and based on the late 81Vin #, I thought there might be something to it.
This car is willed to my youngest son and I thought I'd try to find out as much as I could about it.
Appreciate your comments. Have a nice weekend.