Only 36,370 Miles, STUNNING CONDITION, #'s Match, Charcoal Metallic/Charcoal

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Please call Greg directly at 513-200-9226 with any questions about this car.

Seven Hills Motorcars is proud to offer this beautiful numbers matching 1981 Corvette in spectacular condition and only 36,370 original miles. This Corvette is a premium example and truly an investment grade classic, it is one of the nicest 1981 Corvettes on the market right now. It is “turn key” and ready to be driven and enjoyed immediately. The car looks fantastic, runs great, and is an excellent driver. The Charcoal Metallic (39) paint over Charcoal Leather (18I) interior is a attractive color combination that looks stunning on the car. It is also the correct and original color scheme as verified by the codes on the trim tag which are all pictured in this ad. Only 613 Corvettes were made in Charcoal Metallic in 1981 so it is also a very rare color. The paint and trim codes are verified as well by the original windows sticker, which is also included with the car and pictured in this ad.

We have driven this Corvette over 30 miles recently, during that time it was complete reliable, had no problem or issues, and was a pleasure to drive. This Corvette is absolutely loaded with great and highly desirable options such as FE7 Gymkhana high performance suspension, N90 aluminum wheels, CC1 glass T-Tops, and power locks. All of these sought-after options are verified as original to the car by the windows sticker. The car also comes with the original owner's manual, radio book, 1981 Chevrolet Consumer Information booklet, Goodyear Tire booklet, Warranty booklet showing the original owner's name, 1981 GM Maintenance Schedule booklet, and a neat little feedback form from GM stating that this is one of the first Corvettes bult at the new Bowling Green plant. The car also comes with a couple dozens of receipts and records for maintenance and repairs over the years. The receipts total almost $10,000 so the car has been very well maintained.

Besides the correct paint and trim codes, this Corvette is completely "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 Bowling Green, KY in 1981. Virtually every part we checked on the car is correct with the proper part numbers and appropriate date codes. We have run the numbers on literally hundreds of Corvettes over the years and there are very few that are so correct and original. Even very detailed parts like the distributor, carburetor, and starter are all date coded and original. The last six digits of the VIN, 106058, are stamped on the engine pad and 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 is an excellent opportunity to own a classic Corvette that is ready to be used and enjoyed at an unbeatable value. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price in years to come as the market on the 1980 and 1981 Corvettes is strong right now and on the rise. In our experience the 1980 and 1981 model years draw a good premium over other late C3 Corvettes; this is especially true for very low mileage and premium examples like this car. The low original mileage is verified not only by the condition of the car, but also the clear Ohio title, pictured in this ad, showing the mileage as "Actual." Please peruse all of the photos, the extensive list of numbers, video, and information to get a true sense of how nice, clean, and original 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.

Exterior

The Charcoal Metallic (39) exterior is in fantastic condition. As one can see in the photos the finish has a dazzling gloss, deep shine, and smooth finish. Both doors open and shut nicely. The original N90 aluminum wheels and center caps are in beautiful condition with a brilliant finish and no curb rash. The BF Goodrich Radial TA raised white letter tires have plenty of tread left and are sized 255/60R15. There are no major imperfections that have been intentionally excluded from the photos. As one would expect from a paint job with this many years on it the bumpers show some of the typical fading seen on rubber bumper C3's and a couple spots around the car that were too faint to show up in the pictures, but nothing that is really noticeable from about five feet away. This Corvette has absolutely no rust issues. As one can see in the many photos of the underside of the car, it is exceptionally clean underneath. The frame is totally solid with no rust around the "key hole" area in front of the rear tire and we have seen no evidence of corrosion around the windshield frame or “birdcage,” which are the two most notorious 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 all of the glass on this Corvette, both door windows, the rear window, and even both glass T-Tops are all original as each piece predates the car's body build date of the second week of August, 1981 (B08). Original glass is a good indication that this car has had no major accident history and never sustained significant damage.

Interior

The Charcoal Leather (18I) interior in this Corvette is in absolutely outstanding original condition. The gauge faces are crisp and clean and the lenses are crystal clear. The seats look just as great in person as they do in the photos with no holes, split seems, or excessive wear. The seat is not overly work in the typical area on the bolster where the driver gets in and out. Please note that these appear to be the original seats and leather skins, not some cheap aftermarket covers or replacements. The carpet is also original and in excellent condition with no stains, holes, or tears. This includes the rear carpet, which is often neglected. The dash and console look great with no major cracks, fading, or sun damage. The door panels are in great shape overall and the door pulls are solid and intact. Unlike many other Corvettes from this era, the door panels fit well and tight to the doors. The original radio is still with the car and gets good reception. Most importantly the dash has never been cut or modified for an aftermarket installation. Both seat belts work and retract properly. This is a common problem on C3 Corvettes and an issue many buyers do not think to check. This Corvette has never been smoked in; there are no burn marks and no aroma of cigarettes. The jack and jack handle are still with the car, stored correctly in the compartment behind the passenger seat. The original spare is still with the car and has never been used. This Corvette has never been smoked in; there are no burn marks and no aroma of cigarettes.

Corvette interiors from this era are not known to wear well over time and the excellent condition of this all original 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.

Mechanical

This Corvette seems to be in very good mechanical condition. As stated above we have driven the car over 30 miles with no issues; also it has almost $10,000 in receipts so it been well cared for and maintained. The numbers matching L81 engine starts right away every time, runs well, and idles smooth. It drives great and feels nice on the road and at highway speeds. In the video in this ad 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 vibrations or strange noises and the car performs quite well overall. This Corvette has plenty of power and is quite fast. The transmission shifts smoothly throughout the power band. The car runs cool and does not overheat. There is no blue smoke when starting or driving the car. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully clean, detailed, and correct as one can see in the photos. The original smog pump, ignition shielding, catalytic converter, air cleaner, and finned aluminum valve covers are all still in place.

The horn works as do all the exterior lights, interior lights, dash lights, indicators, rear window defogger, wipers, radio, power locks, power antenna, glove box light, and the underhood light. All of the gauges work. Very detailed items that many buyers do not even know to check like the spare tire light and interior delay light timer all work; even the key buzzer still works. The blower for the heater and a/c works on all speeds. The a/c also works and blows cold. One can observe the a/c compressor clicking on and engaging properly in the video. The vacuum system for the headlights works correctly with no effort or binding in the mechanism. Also, the headlights go up properly with either the headlight switch or vacuum override switch under the column. Their complete operation from both switches can be viewed in the video below. One can see how the lights go up quickly and evenly. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car, especially with the T-tops out on a beautiful day.

Also, for any 1981 Corvette you may look at, be sure to verify that the "check engine" light is working correctly. The light should go on when the key is turned on as a confirmation that the light is working, then quickly go off when the car is started. A great number of these 1981 Corvettes have had the bulb removed to mask other problems. As one can observe in the video the "check engine" light on this car operates just as it should, going on with the car as a check and then going off when the engine is started.

Overall Condition

Overall, this 1981 Corvette is in magnificent condition. The originality, the very low mileage, the documentation, the beautiful and very rare original color combination, the excellent overall condition, and the great extent to which the numbers match make this car especially important and hard to duplicate. Numbers matching is extremely important in Corvette pricing, and as any buyer can see this Corvette is correct. There are photos in this ad of the VIN stamp on the engine block, suffix code, engine assembly date, transmission casting number, transmission casting date, and transmission VIN stamp. This Corvette always gets a ton of attention driving down the road. It is apparent that the vehicle has been well taken care of by its previous owners. The prices of C3 Corvettes have increased considerably over the past several years. They are secure and wise investments 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 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
1G1AY8765B5106058
The first digit, "1," indicates that the US is the country of origin. The "G" is the manufacturer, GM. The third digit, "1," is the make, Chevrolet. The fourth digit, "A," is the restraint system, manual belts. The fifth digit, "Y," is the series, Corvette. The "87," is the body style, 2-door sport coupe. The eighth digit "6" is the engine, L81. The ninth digit is a check that car vary from car to car. The tenth digit, "B" is the model year, 1981. The "5" is the plant where the car was produced, Bowling Green, KY. The last five digits are a sequence number so this is the 6,058th Corvette made for 1981 in Bowling Green, KY.

Body Build Date
B08
"B08" denotes that the car was built during the second week of August of 1981.

Engine Code
V0707
"V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant.  The "07" is the seventh month of year and the "07" is the seventh day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on July 7th 1981.  This is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.

Suffix Code
ZDD
This means the motor was intended for a 1981 Corvette with an automatic transmission, which is correct for this car.

Engine VIN Stamp
106058
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 106058, are stamped on the engine pad and pictured in this ad, meaning this engine is original to this car.

Engine Block Casting Number
14010207
The engine block has the correct 14010207 casting number for a 1981 Corvette.

Engine Block Casting Date
F 19 1
"F" is June, "19" is the ninteenth day of the month, and "1" is the last digit of the calendar year so the engine block was cast on June 19th, 1981. 

Intake Manifold Casting Number
14033058
This Intake manifold is correct and original for a 1981 Corvette.

Distributor
1103343
This distributor is correct and original for a 81 corvette with a 1103343 stamping.

Alternator
1101075
This Alternator is correct and original for a 81 corvette with a 1101075 stamping.

Starter
1998217
This starter is correct and original for a 1981 corvette with an automatic transmission

Carburetor
17081228
This carburetor is correct and original for a 1981 corvette with an automatic transmission

Carburetor Date Code
2081
"208" is the 208th day from January 1st 1981, and "1" is the last digit of the calendar year meaning this carburetor was made on July 27th, 1981.

Transmission Casting Number
8641319
The transmission has a correct 8641319 casting number, which is correct for a 1981 Corvette with an automatic transmission

Transmission Casting Date
7-81 20
The "7" seventh month of the year, the "81" is the year, and the "20" is the day of the month so this transmissino main case was cast on July 20, 1981.

Transmission VIN Stamp
106058
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 106058, are stamped on the transmission main case and pictured in this ad, meaning this engine is original to this car.

Driver's Window
TX
"T" is August and "X" is 1981 so this window is original, made in August of 1981.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

Drivers T Top
IX
"I" is June and "X" is 1981 so this window is original, made in June of 1981.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

Passenger  Window
TX
"T" is August and "X" is 1981 so this window is original, made in August of 1981.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

Passenger T Top
XX
"X" is February and "X" is 1981 so this window is original, made in February of 1981.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

Rear Window
UX
"U" is July and "X" is 1981 so this window is original, made in July of 1981.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

exterior color codes

39
Charcoal Metallic

interior color code

18I
Charcoal Leather

 

 

 

 

 

 

rpo code
description

1YY87
Corvette Sport Coupe

AU3
Power Door Locks

A31
Power Windows

CC1
Removable Glass Roof Panels

C49
Rear Window Defogger

D35
Sport Mirrors

J50
Power Brakes

FE7
Gymkhana High Performance Suspension

K35
Cruise Control

N37
Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column

N41
Power Steering

N90
Aluminum Wheels

QXH
255/60R15 White Letter Tires

UM6
AM/FM Radio, Stereo with Cassette

U75
Power Antenna

U81
Dual Rear Speaker