Color of motors in C3s

[Joe L.]

Re: Color of motors in C3s

A couple of weeks previous to official introduction of '77's I saw a white/white-red L-82, 4 speed with orange. I ordered my L-82 8/6/76 and it arrived with blue, which it still has and no fender flags.

Steven------


It's always been my understanding that the color of the engines changed from orange to blue in very early 1977. I would expect that there was a very definitive change-over date at Flint. In other words, up to a certain day it was all orange. After that day, it was all blue.

However, "inconsistencies" could have occurred due to operations at St. Louis. Parts, including engine assemblies, were first in, last out. As the late Phil Hawkins used to say...."we weren't in the grocery business, we didn't rotate our stock". So, orange-painted engines could have gotten "trapped" in the back of the engine bay and languished there for quite awhile. At some point they got pulled out and installed in cars well after other cars had received the blue engines.

[Sean S.]

Re: Color of motors in C3s

Approximately 7 years ago, there was a 1977 Corvette for sale locally. I looked at it and was excited that it was a 4-speed. It was white on white which was an eye catching color combo. Also cool was the vin number-----00088. I'm guessing 2nd day of production. It had the orange engine. I also recall it had interior parts that were associated with the previous 1976 model year. Price was reasonable and was interested until hearing the front clip was replaced from a Thanksgiving day collision with a deer. Still, was a very neat Corvette.

[Frank K.]

Re: Color of motors in C3s

I under stand Delorean had a lot to do with saving money! He pushed the use of one part to use in all cars including motors. My 77 L-82 is blue my two 1975 were orange and my last El-Camino 3.8 buick motor in a Chevrolet was blue.