Chevy/Corvette Parts Catalogs

[Kevin Whiteley]

Please excuse the elementary nature of this question, but I want to seek exact clarification. I have been searching, on and off, for a Chevy parts catalog on ebay. I have seen the following:

Chassis and Body parts catalogs
Body and Trip
Parts and Illustration

and other combinations.

Can someone please explain the differnces. I don't necessarily have to have a be all - end all catalog, but I would like to know if I may have to buy one or two or three catalogs to get a Complete set.

Thanks

[Dick W.]

Re: Chevy/Corvette Parts Catalogs

I believe that the catalog you are hunting is the P&A 30. Has parts listing and illustrations from 53-82. Depends as to what vintage Vette you have try to get one with a pringting close to your car. One year later preferably

[Christopher R.]

Re: Chevy/Corvette Parts Catalogs

It'll be titled, "Chassis and Body Parts Catalog." The Corvette one is "P & A 30B."

What are you going to use it for?

1. The latest paper one came out in the early 80s - over 20 years ago. Lots of parts have been discontinued since, and lots of parts have had their numbers superceded since.

2. An early one, near your model year, will have more (but now discontinued) part numbers for your car, but the AIM will have more.

3. The parts breakdown illustrations are great. But they come from the AIM which has more.

That said, I still use mine. But probably out of habit. Consider Chevy passenger car parts catalogs from the period also. You can use them as a Hollanders. Check out a p/n in the Corvette catalog, and also see if it is listed in the Impala/Nova/Camaro catalogs.

They're on EBay all the time. $25 to $75.

If you're infrequently looking for limited part number research, many of the posters here will help you.

[Kevin Whiteley]

Re: Chevy/Corvette Parts Catalogs

Chris,

I thought perhaps I could use it for two purposes: 1) to get bolt data (i.e., threads per inch/length/diameter), and 2) to see if the questioned Corvette part was used in other applications, in case I run across a junk yard item.

I have asked people on the Board in the past, but I can't lug the computer with me to junk yards, shops, etc. So, I thought the book might come in handy.

With that said, is it worth spending a few bucks for a book? I found one that is the Chassis and Body Parts one, but there are so many otherS with different titles, I wasn't sure.

[Jack H.]

Re: Chevy/Corvette Parts Catalogs

Chassis & body parts will contain specifically that information and not provide data on engine, Etc. You see, vehicles other than Corvette were Body by Fisher, so a LOT of body documentation came from a separate division of GM....

On using the parts books to hunt 'correct' fasteners in the scrap yards, there are two drawbacks. First, the parts books only sometimes list the generic dimensions of specific fasters. Second, service folks didn't give a hoot about 'correct/original' head markings, so you'll get no visibility there.

Perhaps a better resource for your restoration support is Fred Oliva's Corvette Interchange Manual (available for mid-year Corvettes either in print or on CD). Fred took the time to lay ALL the mid-year era Corvette AIM books along with their counterparts for Chevy passenger cars (omits Corvair & truck) into a common data base. You can search on a particular PN and see if you get a 'hit' to the AIM pages (where used) of other similar Chevy passenger cars....

[Christopher R.]

Re: Chevy/Corvette Parts Catalogs

Yeah, that plus you'd get grease and dirt all over the keyboard.

Sometimes the catalog gives the dimensions of the fastener. I have found that helpful. But not always. The interchange is also useful. But it sounds like others have compiled that data in a more useful way. 'Course if you have to carry all those catalogs to the junkyard, maybe a dedicated junky old Pentium laptop'd be easier.