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...I'm gonna wait til the OP posts the VIN#(pic would be the best)and the engine suffix(again, pic would be the best)
Originally Posted by Bikespace
I'll check the engine code tonight. I'm sure it will say ZAM. I was told that externally, the engine will look exactly like an L48, with L82 internals. The heads and block are the same casting in 1980:
Do you have the rest? A trailer hitch, air shocks, and FE7 suspension? You already got the overt L82.
I replaced the rear spring with a monospring years ago. The original one has a unique broadcast code not used on regular production. Special broadcast code
...haven't seen the car's VIN# or engine suffix posted yet, but since I've seen 2 1980 L-82 4spd cars in person, they all had this device circled in red pencil, whatever it is. 1980 L-82 4spd also did not come with ignition shielding as this car shows.
Looks like a racing fuel filter to me ... looks like Fram HPG1 ... obsolete now. Dunno where the bracket came from ... an ol' bed rail?
The numbers on the block match the numbers on the VIN: 1Z878AS... The second 8 is for the "Base Engine", L48. Engine suffix is ZAM.
It proves that the 4-speed is original. I'll try the borescope next.
OK, now I'm confused. You said it's supposed to be an L-82. The 5th digit denotes it's an L-48 car. A 5th digit that is a "6" denotes L-82 car. A true L-82 would have that "6" in the VIN# and ZBD for the engine suffix, not ZAM which is 190hp L-48.
...even a true L-48 4spd car has some quite unique original features on it I'm sure 99% of people aren't even aware of. I had one for 7yrs & looked at a couple survivor, low mileage original ones
so I know what I'm talking about.
No clue as to the l82. GM has built low run models that qualified to be emission exemption vehicles. Example would be the 83-84 Hurst Olds and some 81 Buick Federal Law Enforcement sedans. A Corvette seems like there would be documentation. The VIN will have the correct character for engine.installed,
OK, now I'm confused. You said it's supposed to be an L-82. The 5th digit denotes it's an L-48 car. A 5th digit that is a "6" denotes L-82 car. A true L-82 would have that "6" in the VIN# and ZBD for the engine suffix, not ZAM which is 190hp L-48.
...even a true L-48 4spd car has some quite unique original features on it I'm sure 99% of people aren't even aware of. I had one for 7yrs & looked at a couple survivor, low mileage original ones
so I know what I'm talking about.
Did you miss the first part of the thread? The story I was told buy the guy who sold me the NOS emblems was that for 1980 4-speed cars, racing teams could order the ZN1 option package, and get a race-prepared C3 with an L82 engine (internals only). The car otherwise appears to be an L48, to get around the emissions at the time. So, not quite a Z06, but the best GM could sneak out the door.
That said, I opened up the Ziplock bag holding the emblems (I don't know how I missed that). I think someone has egg on their face. The emblems appear to be 3D printed plastic, painted silver, and the paint was still tacky and unevenly applied, as if someone had hastily painted them in the dark the night before. I'll get a picture in a bit.
No clue as to the l82. GM has built low run models that qualified to be emission exemption vehicles. Example would be the 83-84 Hurst Olds and some 81 Buick Federal Law Enforcement sedans. A Corvette seems like there would be documentation. The VIN will have the correct character for engine.installed,
So it is still possible! The VIN doesn't match this anecdote, but it does match the story I was told.
Did you miss the first part of the thread? The story I was told buy the guy who sold me the NOS emblems was that for 1980 4-speed cars, racing teams could order the ZN1 option package, and get a race-prepared C3 with an L82 engine (internals only). The car otherwise appears to be an L48, to get around the emissions at the time. So, not quite a Z06, but the best GM could sneak out the door.
...yeah, I did miss this part, had to go back and look at this a few times with all the posters comments. I had a similar story. Back in 1967 according to even the sales brochure, you could not get a '67 Chevelle SS 396 w/L-78 375hp engine. I had an original 42,000mi car that had more than a few people scratching their heads over my L-78 396 '67 Chevelle. It wasn't until sometime in the early to mid '80s that it was "discovered" GM did originally build 612 L-78 Chevelles in 1967, the 4th rarest RPO Chevy at the time of that discovery. Mine even had the rarer yet underhood cowl induction. True '66/'67 Chevelle enthusiasts know what I'm referring to. Owned that car from '77 to '84 and it's always been the one that got away from me. Wish I'd never sold it. To this day I still remember the VIN#, 7B200110 and the engine # was TO 607 EG(Tonawanda, June 7th, L-78 396/375 SHP(special high performance)).
Last edited by Paul Borowski; Apr 1, 2019 at 10:38 PM.
I used a bit of scotch tape to mock-up the emblems on the fender of the car. The guy who made them did a really half-assed job painting them.
Good night everyone. A sincere thank you to everyone who participated and did their best to answer my questions, play along, call me out, or just read the thread and enjoy it!
I used a bit of scotch tape to mock-up the emblems on the fender of the car. The guy who made them did a really half-assed job painting them.
Good night everyone. A sincere thank you to everyone who participated and did their best to answer my questions, play along, call me out, or just read the thread and enjoy it!
...one unique feature that true 1980 4spd cars had were that the black plastic grilles had NO HORIZONTAL bars in between the vertical bars on them, so your car was originally an automatic car to boot.
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