A question about VIN sequence
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Race Director
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From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
A question about VIN sequence
I'm in the process of buying an 81 and I'm trying to determine what sequence the car falls as far as when it was built,when I looked at the car I forgot to get the build date. The car is a BG car and the build sequence is 106949. Thanks for any info.
Melting Slicks
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From: Minnesota
As you noted the sequence number starts with a 1 instead of a 4 meaning it was built in Bowling Green rather than St. Louis.
Based on the sequence number it would have been built around October 1st, 1981, a very late car!
Based on the sequence number it would have been built around October 1st, 1981, a very late car!
Race Director
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From: Shamong, NJ
As Piersonpie said the C3 Birthday Calculator puts it's build date at approximately October 1, 1981. The NCRS Spec Guide shows the last car built in September was VIN 06896, only 53 cars before your's so I would say that October 1 is a pretty accurate. My BG 81 was built about 500 cars after yours on October 6th, the build sheet shows it was scheduled on September 28th.
Last edited by gbvette62; Feb 5, 2025 at 05:14 PM. Reason: Changed 5000 typo to 500.
Race Director
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If you have the VIN, you can get the dealer invoice from GM for $50-. The link is in my signature.
The body build date is coded in the trim plate, and is usually within a few days of the sequence date.
https://corvettec3.ca/numbers.htm
The body build date is coded in the trim plate, and is usually within a few days of the sequence date.
https://corvettec3.ca/numbers.htm
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 14,055
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From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
If you have the VIN, you can get the dealer invoice from GM for $50-. The link is in my signature.
The body build date is coded in the trim plate, and is usually within a few days of the sequence date.
https://corvettec3.ca/numbers.htm
The body build date is coded in the trim plate, and is usually within a few days of the sequence date.
https://corvettec3.ca/numbers.htm
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I just got the car home and it does have a build date of 10/81. Cars got 4600 miles 4-speed but the car run really bad,I do know it's got old gas in it. A tune up is in the works. I just washed the car,that's a reflection in the door.
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Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
As Piersonpie said the C3 Birthday Calculator puts it's build date at approximately October 1, 1981. The NCRS Spec Guide shows the last car built in September was VIN 06896, only 53 cars before your's so I would say that October 1 is a pretty accurate. My BG 81 was built about 5000 cars after yours on October 6th, the build sheet shows it was scheduled on September 28th.
Race Director
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From: Shamong, NJ
Good catch, 5000 is a typo, my car was built about 500, not 5000 after yours. My 81 is VIN 7471, total Bowling Green production in 1981 was 8,995. I'll go back and fix my faulty math.
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Race Director
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From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Race Director
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From: Shamong, NJ
Bowling Green production of 1981 Corvettes ended Friday October 23, 1981, and 82 production began Monday October 26th. There was no break in production between the two model years, once the last 81 was built Chevrolet went right into building 82's.
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Race Director
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From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
This is getting a little confusing. I've got a photo copy of the invoice that has a date of 10-5. Did BG build 2000+ cars in less than 4 weeks?
Race Director
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From: Shamong, NJ
By September 81 they were taking orders for 82's, and they still had existing orders on hand for 81's that they had to build out. Bowling Green built a lot of cars at the end of 81. We were looking for a new Corvette in the fall of 81 and I can tell you that most dealers around me had at least 5 or 6 in stock. With all the dealers having them in stock and the 82's coming in a matter of days, there were some great deals to be made on new Corvettes that October and November.
Thread Starter
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From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Yes. By October Bowling Green was up and running at full capacity. The last car built in September was VIN 6896 and the very last BG 81 built was VIN 8995, that's 2099 cars built in October. If you figure 17 days of production between the 1st and 23rd (assuming they weren't building cars on Saturdays, which they sometimes did) that works out to about 124 cars a day. I think even the old St Louis plant had no problem building 125 a day.
By September 81 they were taking orders for 82's, and they still had existing orders on hand for 81's that they had to build out. Bowling Green built a lot of cars at the end of 81. We were looking for a new Corvette in the fall of 81 and I can tell you that most dealers around me had at least 5 or 6 in stock. With all the dealers having them in stock and the 82's coming in a matter of days, there were some great deals to be made on new Corvettes that October and November.
By September 81 they were taking orders for 82's, and they still had existing orders on hand for 81's that they had to build out. Bowling Green built a lot of cars at the end of 81. We were looking for a new Corvette in the fall of 81 and I can tell you that most dealers around me had at least 5 or 6 in stock. With all the dealers having them in stock and the 82's coming in a matter of days, there were some great deals to be made on new Corvettes that October and November.