VIN Number ID
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Tiverton Devon
VIN Number ID
Hi everyone
Well this is my first post on here. I live in Devon in the UK and have just bought myself a 1982 vette and have made a note of the VIN number which I mostly understand but the engine identifier is confusing me a bit I'm sure someone on here can explain just one thing as having read in several places and also gone onto VIN decoding sites that the engine identification number doesn't seem to stack up to me.
My VIN number is 1G1AY8788C5119678
Now I believe that the engine identifier number is the 8th digit and as you can see its 8 which is an engine that started production some years later (L98 I believe) As far as I know the car is completely stock with a 350 crossfire engine in it ?
Look forward to you guys out there explaining it to me. Cheers
Well this is my first post on here. I live in Devon in the UK and have just bought myself a 1982 vette and have made a note of the VIN number which I mostly understand but the engine identifier is confusing me a bit I'm sure someone on here can explain just one thing as having read in several places and also gone onto VIN decoding sites that the engine identification number doesn't seem to stack up to me.
My VIN number is 1G1AY8788C5119678
Now I believe that the engine identifier number is the 8th digit and as you can see its 8 which is an engine that started production some years later (L98 I believe) As far as I know the car is completely stock with a 350 crossfire engine in it ?
Look forward to you guys out there explaining it to me. Cheers
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
L98 is correct, according to this information someone else posted a few years ago.
Vadered from C6FirstVette 12/19/11
I can't help you any more than that.
Corvette VIN Decoder 1981 to Present
17 Digit VIN Explanation
Location: Drivers side top of the instrument panel for late model Corvette's or windshield post (A-pillar) for earlier models.
Example: 1G1YY26W485100001
Sequence
Number Code
1 Country of Origin 1 = USA
2 Manufacturer G = GM
3 Make of car 1 = Chevrolet
4 Car Line or Series Y = Y-body series
5 Corvette Specific information "Y" or "Z" Z = ZR1
6 Body style 07=1982 Collectors Edition, 1= Hard Top (99-04 Z06) 2 = Coupe (97-2011+ Coupe, Z06, ZR1) 3 = Convertible (98-2011+)
7 Restraint system 2= Front 3 = late model seat belts warning and air bags 4= Front/Side 5= Front (2007+) 6=Front/Side (2006+)
8 Engine type 8 = L98, P = LT1, J = ZR1, 5 = LT4, G=LS1, S=LS6, U=LS2, E=LS7, W=LS3, R=LS9
9 Randomly generated check digit 0 - 9 Security Code
10 Model year designation from GM B = 1981, C = 1982,
D = 1983, E = 1984, F = 1985, G = 1986,
H = 1987, J = 1988, K = 1989, L = 1990,
M = 1991, N = 1992 P = 1993, R = 1994,
S = 1995, T = 1996, V = 1997, W = 1998,
X = 1999, Y = 2000, 1 = 2001, 2 = 2002,
3 = 2003, 4 = 2004 5 = 2005, 6 = 2006,
7 = 2007, 8 = 2008, 9= 2009, A=2010, B= 2011
11 Final Assembly Plant Location 4= St. Louis (only a few 1981 Corvette's overlapping ) 5 = Bowling Green
12 to 17 Production sequence number 100000-1????? Example: 800001 = ZR1
17 Digit VIN Explanation
Location: Drivers side top of the instrument panel for late model Corvette's or windshield post (A-pillar) for earlier models.
Example: 1G1YY26W485100001
Sequence
Number Code
1 Country of Origin 1 = USA
2 Manufacturer G = GM
3 Make of car 1 = Chevrolet
4 Car Line or Series Y = Y-body series
5 Corvette Specific information "Y" or "Z" Z = ZR1
6 Body style 07=1982 Collectors Edition, 1= Hard Top (99-04 Z06) 2 = Coupe (97-2011+ Coupe, Z06, ZR1) 3 = Convertible (98-2011+)
7 Restraint system 2= Front 3 = late model seat belts warning and air bags 4= Front/Side 5= Front (2007+) 6=Front/Side (2006+)
8 Engine type 8 = L98, P = LT1, J = ZR1, 5 = LT4, G=LS1, S=LS6, U=LS2, E=LS7, W=LS3, R=LS9
9 Randomly generated check digit 0 - 9 Security Code
10 Model year designation from GM B = 1981, C = 1982,
D = 1983, E = 1984, F = 1985, G = 1986,
H = 1987, J = 1988, K = 1989, L = 1990,
M = 1991, N = 1992 P = 1993, R = 1994,
S = 1995, T = 1996, V = 1997, W = 1998,
X = 1999, Y = 2000, 1 = 2001, 2 = 2002,
3 = 2003, 4 = 2004 5 = 2005, 6 = 2006,
7 = 2007, 8 = 2008, 9= 2009, A=2010, B= 2011
11 Final Assembly Plant Location 4= St. Louis (only a few 1981 Corvette's overlapping ) 5 = Bowling Green
12 to 17 Production sequence number 100000-1????? Example: 800001 = ZR1
I can't help you any more than that.
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Tiverton Devon
Yea thanks for that info, very useful. I don't understand how mine has that designation as according to the production information that engine wasn't intrduced until 1985. I will have to dig a bit more
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Tiverton Devon
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
In the section for the 1985 Vettes, the Corvette Black Book says that the 1982 and 1984 Corvette engines had "Cross Fire Injection", but genuine fuel injection returned to the Corvette for the first time in 1985 for the first time in 2 decades.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
Some car parts sales companies also sell it - Mid America does, or did. Ecklers sells it.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
So, in regards to this thread. I have a Collector car. How can one determine what number mine is? Meaning they built 25,407 vettes in ' 82. of those 6759 were collector series cars that were built to order. Let's just say mine falls in line with the VIN saying I have the car that was built at the 15.000 mark.
Was my car the 3rd or 300th collector that was built.
Maybe this information is impossible to find at this point, but thought I would ask.
Thanks for any feedback Clint
Was my car the 3rd or 300th collector that was built.
Maybe this information is impossible to find at this point, but thought I would ask.
Thanks for any feedback Clint
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 25,303
Likes: 1,683
From: The Steel City, Colorful Colorado
Winner 2020 C7 of the Year - Modified
This thread should have been closed over 4 years ago. You should start a new thread in the C3 section of the forum asking the same question.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,324
Likes: 24,777
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
I agree. clintonjensen - please start a new thread in the C3 General section of the forum and ask your question. Thanks.