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Hi, I'm looking at a 1972 LT1 with A/C. Currently owned by the second owner, just over 80K miles. Numbers on transmission and engine match. Alternator and Holley numbers are correct, starter has been replaced, as has the water pump. Current owner may still have the original water pump. Has window sticker that shows options of:
VC5010 Rear Window Defroster
VC6010 4-Season Air Conditioning
VJ5020 Power Brakes
VLT120 255HP Turbo-Fire Special 350 V8
VN4010 Power Steering
VPT710 F70 X 15 White Stripe Tires
VT6010 Heavy Duty Battery
Fathom green with tan vinyl interior. Seat covers have been recently replaced with tan leather, door panels replaced, but owner may still have originals. Carpet replaced. For the most part, the paint is original with the exception of a few areas that have been spotted. Current owner says bumpers are original. It's hard to believe, as they are really nice. Underside has not been detailed and is completely rust free (some light surface rust, NO rot).
Verify the VIN number as it will tell you if it was originally an LT-1. That price is just about half what it should be gong for. That and a window sticker that looks a little too good would get my suspicions up.
Verify the VIN number as it will tell you if it was originally an LT-1. That price is just about half what it should be gong for. That and a window sticker that looks a little too good would get my suspicions up.
Hi ls,
Looks like an interesting car!
It appears the A.I.R. system has been removed…. it would be nice if the owner still had it.
It looks the rear suspension has been aligned by bending the strut rods… things like that make me nervous about a car.
Rubber fuel lines from pump to carb make me wonder too.
I guess just what you'd do with/to it would have an impact on what you should be willing to pay for it.
Regards,
Alan
Looks like a neat LT-1. Appears it might have original paint. Would like to know more about the selling dealer & ship to dealer as it looks like it went overseas.
I don't know...I've seen some real CRAP on these pages passed off as LT-1's. I don't see anything here that would immediately tip me off. There's none of the obvious re-touch, over-restoration, and black bomb over-spray that is the hallmark of someone trying to cover up the fact that they're over-representing something.
An honestly aged LT-1 sticker properly placed on the right hood!
Flecks of rust on the correct ignition cover!
Road scrapes and factory stickers on the spare tire carrier!
Correct dual metering block carb!
No obvious re-stamp!
Factory blemishes galore!
It even has 'properly bent' rear strut rods!!! (To the OP: They're supposed to be straight...this is a popular place that mechanics who don't know any better put jacks to lift the corner. Or worse, jack stands. Or the most AWFUL way to perform a wheel alignment there is...)
The factory plates appear unmolested and properly riveted, it looks like original paint, and the VIN indicates LT-1.
The most obvious "fouls" I see are the missing PCV connection, the incorrect oil filler plug thingy, and the lack of a factory sticker on the top of the air cleaner. And as Alan points out, the fuel hoses look a little wonky.
Looks like an honest car to me at a "it's solid but needs some work to be amazing" price.
Last edited by keithinspace; 09-21-2016 at 10:35 AM.
Hi ls,
Looks like an interesting car!
It appears the A.I.R. system has been removed…. it would be nice if the owner still had it.
It looks the rear suspension has been aligned by bending the strut rods… things like that make me nervous about a car.
Rubber fuel lines from pump to carb make me wonder too.
I guess just what you'd do with/to it would have an impact on what you should be willing to pay for it.
Regards,
Alan
As you know back in the day some alignment shops didn't have a clue or the bolts were rusty & the easy way the align the rear was to heat the struts. What do you think about the hood stripe & decal? Don't get the hotrod fuel line either.
Hi k,
Here's what I've been led to believe is an original stripe. If only the camera had been moved a couple of inches to the left!
I think the stripe in the photo ls posted looks pretty similar.
Regards,
Alan
Alan, that picture seems to tell the story pretty darn well. You can see nearly identical blemishes in the 'joining' of the upper stripes around the corner.
Combining this thread with an earlier thread showing VERY significant drips and runs in the doorjamb of an original factory paint job, I could easily forgive the slight "under-tape bleeding" that is evident in the first picture.
I'm not sure how to feel about the sticker position. In your picture, Alan, it appears that the difference is split between the two lines. In the first picture, it looks like they held the bottom of the LT-1 sticker even with the bottom stripe and the "1" is nearly touching the upper stripe.
Given that these were hand-applied by different folks (presumably), some variance would be in the cards, I would think. It'd be interesting to know if the NCRS has any thoughts with regard to sticker placement in this particular case.
I will offer, though, that the sticker in the first picture looks old as hell to me. Not in a bad way...in a "you can't reproduce that" way.
I still call it legit...almost even MORE legit because of the little things you need a magnifying glass to see.
The missing and modified items wouldn't bother me so much. Sure, the AIR system would be great if judging was a goal of the purchaser, but this was the first thing to get yanked from probably 90% of the cars out there. I would think ESPECIALLY so on a performance oriented LT-1.
Last edited by keithinspace; 09-21-2016 at 12:37 PM.
Alan, that picture seems to tell the story pretty darn well. You can see nearly identical blemishes in the 'joining' of the upper stripes around the corner.
Combining this thread with an earlier thread showing VERY significant drips and runs in the doorjamb of an original factory paint job, I could easily forgive the slight "under-tape bleeding" that is evident in the first picture.
I'm not sure how to feel about the sticker position. In your picture, Alan, it appears that the difference is split between the two lines. In the first picture, it looks like they held the bottom of the LT-1 sticker even with the bottom stripe and the "1" is nearly touching the upper stripe.
Given that these were hand-applied by different folks (presumably), some variance would be in the cards, I would think. It'd be interesting to know if the NCRS has any thoughts with regard to sticker placement in this particular case.
I will offer, though, that the sticker in the first picture looks old as hell to me. Not in a bad way...in a "you can't reproduce that" way.
I still call it legit...almost even MORE legit because of the little things you need a magnifying glass to see.
The missing and modified items wouldn't bother me so much. Sure, the AIR system would be great if judging was a goal of the purchaser, but this was the first thing to get yanked from probably 90% of the cars out there. I would think ESPECIALLY so on a performance oriented LT-1.
Here's a photo of the other side. Blemishes seem consistent.
Interesting how completely different the "LT-1" sticker placement is from side to side of the hood.
The driver's side one is even with the bottom line to the point that the "1" is driven into the top stripe.
In the passenger's side one, it looks even with the TOP stripe to the point that it looks crooked.
I'm not saying that is good or bad. I'm not saying it questions the legitimacy of this car as an LT-1. I'm not saying it is or isn't factory.
I just find it very interesting.
Stripe looks factory to me, though. It has some age on it. Or applied with the same widget that they used at the factory with the individual applying the stripe "adjusting" at the corners of the scoop the same way they did at the factory. If that isn't a factory set of stripes, then the person who did them should start doing factory-style LT-1 stripes on restorations...
Last edited by keithinspace; 09-21-2016 at 01:30 PM.
I should also add that my original assessment on the price was based on it being a convertible. No reason for me to think that, I just did. Oops.
I still think it's a pretty good value at that asking price. If you wanted to restore it NCRS style, the missing smog pump would probably set you back, if you could find one. Otherwise, the fuel rod and hose from the pump would be priority items. Otherwise looks pretty good.
I should also add that my original assessment on the price was based on it being a convertible. No reason for me to think that, I just did. Oops.
I still think it's a pretty good value at that asking price. If you wanted to restore it NCRS style, the missing smog pump would probably set you back, if you could find one. Otherwise, the fuel rod and hose from the pump would be priority items. Otherwise looks pretty good.
If I take the plunge from C6 to C3, I most likely would NOT head down the NCRS road. The car appears to be in pretty nice original condition, with the exceptions noted. I'd probably just tidy things up and enjoy it as a weekend car. Having read a ton of postings, I realize how easy it is to get off track and end up with a frame off restoration. Hopefully, I'd be able to avoid that.
I'm still confused about the smog pump. I tried to look for plugs in the exhaust manifolds, but didn't see any. I had a '72 GMC Sprint (GMC's El Camino) many years ago that came with a 350 with smog pump. I removed the system and plugged the holes in the manifolds, so I know what to look for. There's still a bunch of information online that indicates that the CKY engine did NOT have the K19 smog equipment and that those with the smog equipment were CRT engines. Also, would inclusion of smog equipment not have been listed on the window sticker? You guys know better than me, so I'm probably wrong. Seems like popular opinion has smog pumps installed on all '72 LT1's.
Hi ls,
You can be confident that all LT-! cars that left St.Louis had all the A.I.R. equipment on them.
The 'break' in the stripe, and the bleeding of the stripe paint under the mask used to do the stripe, is quite well documented. While the CRT suffix is listed in Chevrolet records, Flint didn't report any as being produced.
The 72 LT-! with a/c is quite a rare and desirable car. It is possible though to get too much money even in an unusual car, depending on what you plans for it are.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
These photos are from the Corvette News issue that introduced the 71 models.
You can see why the break in the stripe was typical….the mask was 3 pieces that were put in place independently.
This is a VERY early LT-1/C-60 car... Build date around early February 1972.
Lots of good things to see in the photos... Would like to see a better photo of VIN derivative on pad as well as corresponding photo of transmission stamp.
If all checks out, would be a great car for the money.
09-21-2016, 09:18 AM
Opinions on '72 LT1 with A/C
