L82 #'s Match, EXCELLENT CONDITION, Blue-Green/Saddle, Auto, PRICED TO SELL!!

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Please call Matt directly at 513-708-1468 with any questions about this car.

Seven Hills Motorcars is very proud to offer this beautiful completely numbers matching 1973 Corvette Stingray Coupe in fantastic condition with the high performance L82 engine and only 73,095 original miles. This Corvette looks great, runs well, and is an excellent driver. It is finished the beautiful and highly desirable color combination of Blue-Green (945) over Medium Saddle (415). This is the correct and original color scheme as verified by the codes on the trim tag, which is pictured in this ad.

I have personally driven this car about 50 miles. During that time that car was completely reliable, has no issues, and was a true pleasure to drive.

Besides the correct paint and trim codes, this Corvette is "Numbers Matching" meaning the engine and transmission in the car are the correct and original units that were installed in the car new at the factory in 1973. The last six digits of the VIN, 414336, are stamped on the engine pad, which is pictured in this ad, and the engine is original to the car. The transmission is also original with the last six digits of the VIN stamped on the main case and pictured.

This car is verified as an original L82 in a number of ways. First, on the engine pad is stamped “CLD.” This suffix code denotes an L82 with an automatic transmission. The car is also confirmed as an original and authentic L82 by the fifth digit of the VIN. Only the L82 Corvettes with have a “T” in this spot like this car does, a base motor L48 car will always have an “J” in the fifth digit of the VIN for 1973.

We have this car priced to sell and are offering an excellent opportunity to own a very desirable Corvette Stingray at an unbeatable value. The high performance models like this L82 draw a great premium over the standard Corvettes. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price in years to come as the market on early C3 Corvettes is very hot right now and on the rise, this is especially true for the 1973 model year as it was a one year only body style. Please peruse all of the photos, video, numbers, and other information below to get a true sense of how nice this Corvette really is.

As a side note, this Corvette is not a dealer auction vehicle. We hand pick each car after careful inspection. Our Corvettes come from owners who expect their car to go to someone that will give the vehicle the same care and attention as they did. We invite and encourage you to examine the car in person or have the car inspected. Please take the time to scrutinize each picture. We photograph each vehicle to the greatest extent so you can feel confident about your purchase. If you have a question about the Corvette, just give us a call.

Model Description

The 1973 Corvette was truly the end of an era. 1973 was the last year to feature a chrome bumper and is considered by some to be the last year of truly classic Corvettes. Model years after were more at the mercy of insurance companies, fuel prices, and emission concerns, 1973 is considered the last "good" year by many enthusiasts. The 1973 model year is also considered a special and different year for Corvette enthusiasts as it was the only model to have chrome in the back and a rubber bumper in the front. It is representative of the transition Corvette was making at the time. As in investment, the 1973 will always have an advantage and out perform other years because of its precedence as the end of a a very great period for Corvette and muscle cars as a whole.

Exterior

The Blue-Green (945) exterior is in very nice driver condition. As one can see in the photos, the finish has dazzling gloss, deep shine, and smooth finish. The wheels and center caps are in excellent condition with a brilliant finish and no curb rash. Please note that this Corvette has the correct and original 4-clip style beauty rings, not the cheaper foreign made aftermarket replacements. The raised white letter tires are brand new and are correctly sized 225/70R15. The chrome and other brightwork looks good. There are no major blemishes that have been intentionally excluded from the photos. There is some small spots and tiny imperfections around car that were too small to show up in photos, but nothing that is really noticeable from about five or ten feet away. As one can see in the many photos and video of the underside this car is very clean underneath and has NO RUST ISSUES at all. The frame is totally solid around the "key hole" area in front of the rear tire and we have seen no evident of corrosion around the windshield or “birdcage” area, which are the most common spots for rust on a C3 Corvette. We have included specific photos of the areas most prone to rust to show how nice this car looks.

Window Date Codes

Please note that almost of the glass on this Corvette, both "Astro Ventilation" door windows and the rear window, are all date coded and original as each piece predates the car's body build date of September 26, 1972 (B26). Original glass is a good indication that this car has had no major accident history and never sustained significant damage.

Interior

The Saddle (415) interior of the Corvette is in outstanding condition. The seats look virtually brand new with no split seams or signs of wear. The seat is not worn in the typical spot on the bolster where the driver gets in and out. The carpet also looks like new with no stains, rips, or holes. This includes the rear carpet, which is often neglected. The gauge faces are clean and crisp. The dash is in great shape with no cracks, fading, or sun damage. The door panels also look they like they are brand new. The car still has an original radio and most importantly the dash has never been cut or modified for an aftermarket installation. This Corvette has never been smoked in; there are no burns marks and no aroma of cigarettes.

Corvette interiors from this era are not known to wear well and the excellent condition of this interior is a huge testament to the meticulous care and attention this car has received throughout its life and another great verification of the very low original mileage. The interior looks just as good in person as it does in the photos.

Mechanical

This Corvette seems to be in very good mechanical condition. The original numbers matching L82 engine starts right away every time, runs well, and idles smooth. This Stingray drives great and feels nice on the road and at highway speeds. In the video below one can observe the car accelerating on the highway up to about 70mph, shifting through all the gears, braking to stoplight, and going through some curves. Please note that there are no strange noises or vibrations and the car performs quite well overall. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. The transmission shifts well throughout the power band. The car runs cool and does not overheat. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully clean, detailed, and correct as one can see in the photos.

The radio works as do all the exterior lights, interior lights, dash lights, wipers, and indicators; even the key buzzer still works. All of the gauges work including the clock. Even detailed items like the “door ajar” light and seat belt buzzer still work properly. The entire vacuum system for the headlights works. The vacuum system also correctly from both of the respective switches on the dash and the override switch under the column. The entire operation from both switches can be viewed in the video. The blower for the heater and air conditioning works on all speeds but high. There is some play in the tilt joint in the column. The a/c does not blow cold. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car, especially with the extra power from the L82 and the T-Tops out on a beautiful day.

Overall Condition

Overall, this 1973 L82 Corvette Stingray looks fantastic and is in terrific driver condition. The beautiful original color combination, the high performance engine, and the great extent to which the numbers match make this Stingray especially important and very hard to duplicate. Numbers matching is extremely important in Corvette pricing, especially for rare and high performance examples like this Corvette, and as one can see, this car is quite correct. There are photos in this ad of the VIN stamp on the engine block, suffix code, engine assembly date, transmission date, and transmission VIN stamp. The L82 engine draws a great premium over the standard Corvette. This Stingray is a solid investment for a collector. One could easily enjoy this vehicle for several years and sell it for more than the purchase price with minimal effort.
Other sellers are not taking the time to show the car is in such great detail to give you all of the numbers, options, photos, and video. As stated above, numbers matching is extremely important in Corvette pricing, especially for an exceptional example like this car, and will become even more important as time passes and this car becomes older and even more rare. This information is very valuable and important for pricing. Any perspective buyer, for any of our vehicles or from other sellers, should ask for all the numbers and information before he or she makes a purchase.

Thank you for looking and please do not hesitate to email or call with any questions.

item
number
description

VIN
1Z37T3S403222
The first digit, "1," indicated the Chevrolet division of GM.  The "Z" is the series, Corvette.  The "67" is the body style, convertible.  The fifth digit is the engine, T, correct for an L82 car.  The sixth digit, "3," indicates the model year, 1973.  The "S" is the plant where the car was produced, St. Louis.  The last five digits are a sequence number so this is the 3,222nd Corvette made for 1973.

Body Build Date
B26
"B" corresponds to September and "26" is the twenty sixth day of the month meaning this Corvette's body build date is September 26th, 1972.

Engine Code
V0921
"V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant.  The "09" is the ninth month of year and the "21" is the twenty first day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on September 21st, 1972.  This is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.

Suffix Code
CLD
This means the motor was intended for a 1973 L82 Corvette with an automatic transmission, which is correct for this car.

Engine VIN Stamp
403222
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 403222, are stamped on the engine pad and pictured below, meaning this engine is original to this car.

Engine Block Casting Number
3970010
The engine block has the correct 3970010 casting number for a 1973 Corvette.

Engine Block Casting Date
F 12 2
"F" is June, "12" is the twelveth day of the month, and "2" is the last digit of the calendar year so the engine block was cast on June 12th, 1972. 

Intake Manifold Casting Number
3997771
The intake manifold has the correct 3997771 casting number for a 1973 L82 Corvette

Intake Manifold Casting Date
H 31 2
"H" is August, "31" is the thirty first day of the month, and "2" is the last digit of the calendar year so the intake manifold was cast on august 31st, 1972.

Alternator
1100544
The starter is original and correct for an L82 Corvette with A/C with a 1100544 stamping.

Alternator Date Code
2 H 17
"2" is the last digit of the calendar year, "H" denotes August, and "17" is the Seventeenth day of the month so the distributor was made on August 17th, 1972

Carburetor
7043212
This carburetor is correct and original for a L82 corvette with an automatic transmission with a 7043212 stamping

Carburetor Date Code
2272
"2" is the last digit of the calendar year, and "272" is the day since January 1st, meaning this carb was built on September 29th, 1972

Left Exhaust Manifold Casting Number
3932461
The exhaust manifold is original and correct for an L82 Corvette with an automatic transmission with a 3932461 stamping.

Right Exhaust Manifold Casting Number
3932461
The exhaust manifold is original and correct for an L82 Corvette with an automatic transmission with a 3932461 stamping.

Transmission VIN Stamp
403222
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 403222, are stamped on the transmission main case and pictured in this as, meaning thtransmission is original to this car.

Transmission Code
73-CZ
The "73" is the year, 1973.  The "C" is for Chevrolet and the "Z" indicates it was intended for the L82 engine

Transmission Date Code
229
The "229" means the transmission was made on the 229th day of the year so the build date of this transmission is August 16, 1972.

Driver's Window
UY
"U" denotes the month July, and "Y" denotes the year 1972, meaning this window was made in July of 1972.

Passenger Window
UY
"U" denotes the month July, and "Y" denotes the year 1972, meaning this window was made in July of 1972.

Rear Window
UY
"U" denotes the month July, and "Y" denotes the year 1972, meaning this window was made in July of 1972.

exterior color code

945
Blue Green Metallic

interior color code

415
Medium Saddle

 

 

 

 

 

rpo code
description

1YZ37
Corvette Sport Coupe

A31
Power Windows

C60
Air Conditioning

L82
350ci V8 Engine

M40
Automatic Transmission

N37
Tilt and Telescopic Steering Column

N40
Power Steering

QRZ
White Letter Tires

U69
AM-FM Radio