questions about my 69

[bluedisgaea]

I have a 69 convertable and I had a question I can't seem to answer. Everyone I ask doesn't know where to find it, so I hope someone here can direct me where I need to go.
Here we go.
My 69 is a 350/350 4 speed. It was a december 68 car. When I bought it, the guy said it was as origional as he knew accept the headers he put on. He had the origional manifolds. It has an aluminum intake and Holley carb. I've read everything I can find and I found that there was an LT1 in 69, but there are only 2 known ones. They have an aluminum intake and Holley carb. My question is how can I find out if mine is supposed to have the aluminum intake or if someone put it on there when they bought it. I've looked in the 1969 Stingray Guidebook by Rick Bizzoco and everyting I read in there says it's right, but I can't beleve it. The tank sticker rotted away in a barn since 1969, so there's no help there. If it helps, it has no power steering, no power brakes, no ac, am/fm radio (not stereo).
I greatly appriciate any one's help here. I can't imagine that I've got an LT1, but it's one of those things I HAVE to know and I don't know how to find out. Most people I talk to think I'm stupid for thinking the LT1 even existed in 69.

[Joe L.]

Re: questions about my 69

bluedisgaea----

There were NO 1969 LT-1 Corvettes built for sale to the public, if there were any built, at all. A few (at least 1, anyway), 1969 L-46 Corvettes were CONVERTED to LT-1 configuration by dealers. As far as originality goes, a dealer conversion is the same as any other conversion.

[bluedisgaea]

Re: questions about my 69

According to the 1969 Stingray Guidebook by Rick Bizzoco, there are 2 known 1969 LT1's. They have pictures of these cars. Now if they were sold or not, they do exist if you believe what Rick Bizzoco says.

This is a quote from his book

"Chevrolet produced one LT1 in 1969 that included the LT1 hood, LT1 stripe, Dzus fasteners and American Mags with race tires. This car was discussed in an article in Sports Car Graphic (Van Valkenburgh 1969) where it was illustrated by Ludvigsen (p.225, 1985) who shows a clear photograph of the LT1 hood stripe. the Chevrolet built LT1 had the N14 side exhaust option. This car was used in the press review of the 1970 Chevrolet models.
Two known documented LT1s were, however, produced in 1969. The second was dealer-prepared and sold by Clippinger Chevrolet in Covine, CA. Bob Wingate of Clippinger Chevrolet in Covina, CA assisted Jeff Butler with the purchase of this LT1; it was offered under warranty. When the car came through it lacked the LT1 hood and distinctive striping, having instead the standard 350 cu. in. hood."

Now I'm not saying I have an LT1, I do think it's very likely it was CONVERTED at the dealer, but there is documentation that one sold in 1969 as long as you believe Rick Bizzoco. I'm not asking to be mocked. I came here for help.

[Terry M.]

Re: questions about my 69

What is the machine code stamped on the passenger front of the cylinder case? Right in front of the passenger side head.

[Joe L.]

Re: questions about my 69

bluedisgaea------

You WERE NOT "mocked". You were provided with the information you asked for. As I previously stated, there were NO 1969 LT-1s built for sale to the public. The first car you described was not built for sale to the public. Whether it ever got finally out and sold is anyone's guess. I expect that it never did.

The other cars you described from Bizocco's book are CONVERSIONS. Anyone could create a conversion then just as they could create one at any time since. No problem, at all.

Think yours might just "defy" what I stated previously and above? No problem. Just produce incontrovertable documentation (window sticker, tank sticker, etc) showing that it's a 1969 model with the RPO LT-1 option. Without that, no one will likely ever accept that it (or any other 1969) is an original LT-1. As far as I know, no one has EVER produced any such documemntation for ANY 1969. You'll note that no copies of such documentation are reproduced in Bizocco's book, either.

[bluedisgaea]

Re: questions about my 69

The machine code on the pass front side of the engine block is V121OHW. I greatly appriciate you helping me. I've tried everything I can think of to figure this out.

[bluedisgaea]

Re: questions about my 69

I'm sorry if you took offence with what I said. I felt you were mocking me when I go through all the trouble to research to find out that there was the possibility that an LT1 existed in 1969, that it had an aluminum intake manifold origionally from the factory. True, there is no paperwork that I have personally seen to back this up, I'm taking just one book for referance. If I'm wrong for using that book as an example, I appologize. I'm very concerned about origionality so much so that I've figured my 69 has the origional spare, one origional fan belt, origional upper and lower radiator hoses among other things. I just feel that if I'm trying to find if something is origional that I would know the difference between from the factory and dealer converted. What I'm trying to figure out is how to know since I don't have a tank sticker if I have even an L-46.

[Chris Ward]

Re: questions about my 69

HW suffix corresponds to 1969 Corvette 350 ci 350 hp, 4 sp. no ac.

[Mark #28455]

HW = 350/350

However, the Clippinger converted car used that engine. On the other hand, you never know where the factory started - spare parts, service (CE) block/short block/long block, or was the factory one even stamped at all?
Mark

[bluedisgaea]

Re: HW = 350/350

I greatly appriciate you giving me this information. I'm still confuded though. How would I fond out since the tank sticker is gone and the window sticker is also gone?

[Chuck S.]

Re: HW = 350/350

Not sure I understand what you've said...Did you drop the tank and confirm the tank sticker is gone? Unless you've confirmed it's useless or gone, it may still be there and readable. Tank stickers are pretty durable, and they are in a sheltered location...they have lasted decades. If it IS there, my advice would be to cover it with a protective clear plastic film and leave it.

I consider NCRS, by far, the most originality oriented Corvette organization in existence, and the fact is, the absence of the tank sticker is not important to assessing the originality of the car in the NCRS. Corvettes are judged for originality on a "What you see is what you get!" basis...tank stickers, or the absence thereof, is not a consideration.

For a buyer, particularly a first timer less well-educated about Corvettes, the presence of the tank sticker is a reeely big issue...the fact is, unless you're trying to prove the car had some option originally that it has now, the tank sticker doesn't change a thing...the car IS the car if it can stand judging scrutiny.

It sounds like you have a very original car...you may want to consider joining up and taking it to a regional for judging and perusal by the 68-69 Team Leader for Bowtie consideration. Best advice for perserving it's orignality...DO NOTHING, but clean it with soap and water...remove nothing, change nothing until someone looks at it.

[Jack H.]

Add-on

While generally considered 'proof' of a given Corvette's factory original configuration in factory concours judging situation, a tank sticker may not 'cut it' with a serious and savvy buyer when the car in question is a high HP/rare vehicle. Why?

Well, many of these 'exotics' were purchased for race competition. The first thing done on delivery was to strip away all non-essential components and ready the car for the track.

That often included removing the factory stock gas tank and installing a fuel cell which freed up the original tank to 'migrate' elsewhere along with its original tank sticker. So, the question a savvy buyer looking at one of these rare high performance vehicles will ask is, "How do you prove the gas tank that's in the vehicle now (or the one the tank sticker came from) was actually original to that car?"