198plus

I'm planing on buying this 81 on Monday. It shows 19,363 miles, original paint, with no kind of documentation at all. To me it looks like the real deal. Here's a few pictures.

Alan 71

Hi 198,
It looks VERY nice to me!!!
This appears to me to be one of those cars that tells its own story!
Regards,
Alan

71 Green 454

Great looking '81....enjoy!
Nice interior too.

John Ulrich

Nice!!!!
The body flare behind the doors in front in front of the rear tires catch a lot of chips. With 19,000 it should be minimal.

hunt4cleanair

Other than finding photoshop extremely annoying and it just attempted download of some freakin spamware crap...its a nice looking 81.

I start with photos at the bottom and sure enough, we find what I have come to learn about a car's care, maintenance and stated road mileage. This one looks good with some caveats. A Chassis study tells the true story of a Corvettes life.

The rear tire tub looks awfully nice and the rivets shiney. Perhaps replaced but then the mufflers have original part numbers and date coded to 1981 with the pipes looking quite original and the clamps in the as shipped position. Just sayin...

The front chassis view shows some nice features. The brake line that runs across the front crossmember looks black and perhaps a touchup but photos are funny. But then, if someone did that touchup, why would they ignore the original lack of paint on the oil pan? This is an original factory engine paint job which suggests an unmolested 1981 chassis.

I see lots of originality on the bottom side without cobwebs, leaky stuff and miscellaneous collection of debris. This is a worthy 81 of additional consideration.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Alan 71

Hi h4ca,
I looked at the tub strap's rivets too!
But for a different reason… I though they looked (from a distance) like they were original because of the 'set' on the 2 of them that are visible.
I believe a tool was used that made what was usually a dome on a soft rivet into a precise size and shape on these rivets.
I was trying to see that detail by blowing the photo UP!
???
Regards,
Alan

198plus

Couple more pics........

71 Green 454

Did the '81 mufflers come from the factory with clamps, or were they one piece to the center?

billschroeder5842

Any idea on the drips in the last set of photos?

Anyway, 19k or 119k it is a super clean car

198plus

Thanks

I'm sure even with 19k the gaskets need help, from sitting so long. The Stencil marks can still be seen underneath the car and the factory paper tags on front coil springs, factory exhaust would not look like it does with 119k. I could be wrong......

198plus

Yes the date code on these tires are 29th week of 1991, I'm going to order a set of the Kelsey Tire Goodyear Eagle GT's.

John Ulrich

Mine is the same. 19,000 miles when I bought it 25 years ago...now at 50,000

7T1vette

Is this a purchase from a private owner or from a dealer? If from a private owner who demonstrates solid knowledge of car's history, I would tend to believe the story. If from a dealer, I have doubts.

Don't ask me why. Just, because.....

198plus

Her husband is a dealer of earlier high dollar C2 and C3's and she messes around with some later model C3's. I bought another 1981 with 21,000 miles from her a year ago, but it had a lot of documentation. It turned out to be a very nice car.......

7T1vette

Your call.... The mufflers are not stock, but that's not a surprise with a 40 year-old car.

198plus

If you zoom in on the picture, the mufflers are correct GM part number 14018966 date code 3-81

4SPDL81

Are you able to read the oil change sticker date and mileage?...that would provide some documentation...Good Luck!

Easy Mike

That's a beautiful, unmolested 81.

198plus

It reads (8-30-99) with 17,931 miles.

71 Green 454

I'm surprised that there is no documentation for the car, but I think the overall condition speaks for itself. Great looking original '81 for a fair asking price.

Good luck.