I was just browsing ebay for the heck of it and found this. Maybe it's just me and I'm a :conehead , but this car doesn't seem right.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6168

A 1981, put away in 1983 with only some 2000 miles on it. But the speedo/odometer is from a 1982? hmmmmm. Also, are those stock rims for a 1981 (or an 82), how about the exhaust tips? And did GM even make a grey paint in 1981?? His price seems high too.

:confused: :confused: :confused:

 

Those rims :U NOT factory. The color was made in 81, I think they called it charcoal.

I do have to question this though, not saying it's not true, just questioning it; "THIS CAR IS SO LATE THAT IT HAS A 82 DASH CLUSTER AND 82 REAR WINDOW TRIM."

What is meant by '82 rear window trim? Does he mean it got the CE hatch? Or just some "rare" trim, if it's just some trim part then who gives a sh.... More reason to dispute this guy is that '82's were made at the Bowling Green plant...so why would the St. Louis plant have any 82 parts in stock if they were shutting down? Hmmmmmm?

My 81 was built July 22nd (in the last 500 or so from what I can tell) and so far the only part that wasn't "correct" so to speak was that I got a 4-speed drive shaft(different u-joints) instead of an auto drive shaft, which could have been the result of running out of parts and using what was available.

Then you have; "CAR HAS BEEN GONE OVER. FLY IN DRIVE HOME." OK, a car that has sat since 1983 I can just jump right in and drive home.

Let's check his VIN against mine shall we. His-1G1AY8763BS430756, MINE-1G1AY8767BS431xxx. So now that I've figured mine to be off the line AFTER yours why didn't I get that 82 dash cluster and window trim? Hmmmmm?

Forgot this; "Buy It Now for US $24,900.00"

eBay car sellers :rolleyes:


[Modified by C3 Shark Tank, 12:39 AM 5/15/2003]

 

I wonder if the gas has been stored that long too? :skep: :rofl:

 

E-Bay :rolleyes:

 

Good Point Shark Tank! The first "Red Flag" I see on many cars listed on e-bay, Trader on Line, etc. that almost everyone overlooks: MISSING LICENSE PLATES. There's a message there. :skep:

 

That car seems really shiny everywhere except the rear bumper, Or is that just some weird light effect????

To bad its fishy, Looks like a nice vette. :mad

 

From what I can tell it's one of those 9th digit numbers. According to a program I downloaded off the Corvette Museum web site the standard VIN for 1981 vettes had a 4 as the ninth digit, while this one has a 3...I don't know what it means though. It's not a Bowling Green 81 cause those VIN numbers have the last 6 beginning with a 5, and not a 4 like this one. I can't see that clearly, but it looks like the car has an 8-track instead of a cassette...maybe the seller has never seen an 8-track and just figured it was for stuffing two cassettes in there at a time or something. :crazy:

Also, as pointed out earlier...the rims are not stock, the only option in 81 was for the aluminum rims instead of the steel rims with spoke looking covers. My guess is that this car was delivered to the dealer and it got stolen and stripped, hence the 82 parts when the dealer recovered the vehicle and restored it using 82 parts and the rims were gone so he just installed some nice chrome rims...this is just a guess...it wasn't worth the $5 getting a history of it.

 

Here's the 1981 VIN breakdown;

1 = United States
G = General Motors
1 = Chevrolet Passenger Car
A = Manual seat belts
Y = Corvette
87 = Body type
6 = Engine type, L81
7 = Check digit, correct VIN
B = Model year
S = Assembly Plant
4xxxxx= Production Number

According to the Black Book the "check digit" seems to be only a 4. The production numbers for St. Louis are 1G1AY8764BS400001 THRU 1G1AY8764BS431611. So that check digit doesn't make sense to me unless any number could be used, his is a 3 and mine is a 7. The catalog of Corvette ID numbers only states, "Ninth Digit: Identifies the check digit (used to verify that the VIN has been correctly recorded)," so that must be some GM thing, maybe our famous NCRS judge Paul B can shed some light on that.

The way to get the production date is off the "Paint & Trim" tag not from the VIN number, other than model year, mine being; L22 - 19C - 75L

L22 = Build Date, July 22
19C = Trim Color, Black Cloth
75L = Paint Code, Red

According to VIN numbers mine was the 342nd car AFTER his. So, why didn't I get any 82 parts he claims are on this one? Questions remain. Looks like an email is in order, more to follow......

 

I'd also expect that engine bay to appear spotless with all painted surfaces like new. Things just look a little too 'used' for only 2300 miles on the odometer.

Also, looks like aftermarket exhaust system/tips.

And that price, way too much for an 80-82 vette unless fully restored and documented.

 

Well this is the second time I have seen this car on E-bay. It was up for sale about a month ago, or so as I recall, and I ran across it when I was looking for a Vette to buy. It was out of my price range then and still is now. E-bay can be awfully scary when it comes to cars unless you can find something in your area that you can go and put your own eyeballs on. Somehow those pictures always look better than the real deal.

CVT4ME

 

What would St Louis plant be doing with 82 parts. They were being shut down at the end of their run. So they would not have any upcoming '82 parts. Those would be at the Bowling Green plant.

tom...

 

By definition, the check digit should change based on the vin. it should not be the same for all cars/vins. A check digit is the result of a calculation/function that takes some portion of the vin number and puts in through an algorithm.

Assuming the computer that the vin is being entered into also knows the algorithm, it provides a check that the number was entered correctly ( ie. not missing a digit, no digits transposed ). All credit cards have them as well as most long numbers where they are manually entered into computer systems.

If anyone knows the algoritm, and can post it, we could then determine whether the check digit "checks out".

 

Shark Tank,
Now that you've mentioned the check digit, I might have the answer! A couple of years ago I bought a corvette out of Canada that had an odd number in the check digit position also. I always check serial numbers on my cars and this one REALLY got my attention at the time. The Canadian origin would also explain the speedometer change from km's to miles. Remember what I said earlier about missing license plates? The windshield also has the same type of crayon writing that tow yards, insurance adjusters or border brokers use.

 

Just another grossly overpriced car on e-bay. same-ol same-ol

 

"FLY IN DRIVE HOME"? If the car IS legit and driveable, I doubt anyone who bought it would want to drive it anywhere, since most of the asking price seems to be in the low mileage on the car. As soon as the odometer starts turning the value starts dropping.

 

Thanks for the explanation :thumbs: I thought it was kind of strange that the Black Book only showed a 4 as the check digit. It really doesn't matter though, I'm not buying the car even if it is in nice shape, still I'm curious about those 82 parts. Still haven't heard back from the seller, kind of doubt I will too.

 

I think the last time this car was on e-bay someone called and asked about the wheels the response was "that was what the dealer put on"

I think it's all :bs

Steve :steering:

 

Run ! don't just walk away from this one.

 

Ignoring the non-stock wheels, the car appears to be pretty clean. But 25G's? No freaking way. Nope. Not even if the car was perfect, would I spend that much for that car.

And I just can't get past the wheels. If you are looking for that kind of cash, you need to have full documentation, and originality. An NCRS survivor would be nice. Something.

And the color makes it tough. Not a good resale color. Not bad, but grey doesen't "POP" like other colors do.

This kind of a crap is a dime a dozen on e-Bay. :rolleyes: