71 LT1 I thought

[Vincent F.]

I need to track the history of a car I think I got screwed on.The body,motor,trans,frame all have matching vin#,But there are things that don't jive.I think the body was changed to convert,and retagged with original vin tag.Is there a way to tell,also I think car had original title in Illonios,could I get info from DMV there or any other way to trace car?

[Robert S.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

If I understand your post correctly you think you have a convert body with a coupe VIN...if it is a coupe VIN the first 5 digits will be 19437, if its a convertible they will be 19467. Hope this helps.

[Drew P.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

Hello Vincent,
Have you checked the following items. (1) The frame for the VIN Stamping? (2)
The trim tag for date of build? (3)The driver door blue lable info? (4) The glass date codes? This is just a start to look at the whole car to understand what you bought.
Regards,
Drew Papsun

[Vincent F.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

Thanks yes all the dates are correct,no blue label on 71 doors,the buid date of car and moter are correct,frame has vin stamped on it,problem is car has auto trans hole cut in floor factory,No T.I.ignition

[Chuck S.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

Converting a coupe to a convertible would be more trouble than it would be worth IMO, so I'm skeptical about such a conversion. The rear deck panel would have to modified (I don't know if this is even possible) or replaced; the rear plenum and drain system is totally different...to match the factory design in those areas would be a LOT of work.

Remove enough of the interior trim panels to expose the body frame ("birdcage") where the halo support would be in a coupe. Examine the drawings of the birdcage in the AIM, UPC1...in the 70 AIM, the convertible lock pillar is shown on page A5, and the coupe lock pillar and side bow is shown on page A10. If a yokel sawed off that halo support, it's going to be a rough cut; not smooth sheared edges with a finishing cap (Item 7).

The NCRS 1968-1982 Corvette Specifications Guide does not mention TI on ANY 71 engines, but spells it out on several 70 engines (L46, LT1, LS5)...I'm thinking it didn't exist on 71s, BWDIK.

[Vincent F.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

Thanks chuck,I have seen some 71LT1's with T.I.ignition.

[Mike E.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

In 71, LT-1 cars came with TI.

[Chuck S.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought...More on TI

Oops...Checked the judging manual...In 71, TI on LT1 and LS6. If the TI is just missing, there should still be some mounting holes in the driver-side behind the grill.

[Anthony F.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

Vince,

Last time I checked with Missouri the farthest they could go back was 1968. I don’t know about Illinois but you might search the Internet for Illinois DMV to see what they say.
It may cost you a few dollars just to find out that they can not tell you anything but at least you will have tried.

Secondly you can put an ad in the Driveline for information wanted about your car.

Maybe somebody else might have a good idea to help you.

[Vincent F.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

thanks tony,will do

[Jack H.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

One alternative people often overlook in tracing their car's ownership history is hiring a private eye. The vehicle data bases of some states are closed to the public (privacy legislation), but open to law enforcement officials. Since most states require PI's to be registered/licensed, they often qualify for data access priviledges akin to bona fide cop shops.

The typical PI sees business cycles and sets his 'rack rate' based on peak demand. But, you can often get a 'deal' by shopping their services on a 'time available' basis meaning they work your case when there's nothing 'hot' in the job jar...

[Vincent F.]

Re: 71 LT1 I thought

Thanks Jack,great idea,I have tons off money into this car,need documentation