If you are a dedicated Corvette owner, and want the most complete reference for identifying and verifying andmdash; by part casting number andmdash; the correct engine and drivetrain components of your 'Vette, Corvette by the Numbers: 1955-1982 is the book you'll need by your side! Compiled from original data from General Motors archives, no other book comes close to this Bentley guide. Photos, factory engineering blueprints, technical service bulletins (TBS), and Corvette build sheets. Part numbers only tell you that a part fits, but they can't tell you what part your car was originally fitted with. Only casting numbers provide that information, all the way to when the part was manufactured, and in which plant it was built. Corvette by the Numbers: 1955-1982 shows you where to look for casting numbers and how to decipher the codes, so you can insure you have the right part for your car. This is crucial if you're building a Corvette to original factory specs. Buying a classic Corvette? You'll want to know if that beauty really is a "matching numbers" car. Whether you are new to the Corvette hobby, or a 15-year Bloomington Gold judge, you will learn something new from Bentley's Corvette by the Numbers: 1955-1982.
Book Excerpt: 1955-1982 Corvette by the Numbers: The Essential Corvette Parts Reference... VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION

1980-1982 CORVETTE VIN DECODING 1980 DECODING All 1980 Corvettes use a VIN containing 13 alpha-numeric characters. This is the same as 1972-1979 vehicles, however, the 1972 and later VIN changed to include a letter code for the model series and a letter code for engine usage. The 1st digit in the VIN represents the General Motors division for that particular car. In Chevrolet vehicles the division number will always be a "1". The 2nd digit represents the vehicle series. The digit is always a letter code designating the Corvette. The 3rd and 4th digits represent the body style of the car. These digits will always be number, usually "87," designating a 2 door sport coupe. The 5th digit is the engine designation. It will be one of the following: 8 = L48, 6 = L82 or H = LG4. The 6th digit is the model year designation. This digit, in this case "A =1980," specifies the model year, not the calendar year in which the car was actually built. For example, all early 1980 model year vehicles built prior to January 1, 1980, would still have the digit "A" on the VIN plate.

CARBURETOR

HOLLEY CARBURETOR IDENTIFICATION All Holley carburetors are stamped with a series of numbers. These numbers are found on the air horn. All factory supplied carburetors will have a Chevrolet part number, usually followed by the letter code Chevrolet assigned to that specific application. This letter code is referred to on Chevrolet blueprints as a customer code and is the same code which is designated on late model assembly line build sheets. Below this factory part number, the "LIST" is stamped followed by a four-digit number. This is the Holley list number, which designates the specific parts that will make up that carburetor and its CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating. The suffix digits and/or letters that many times follow a list number have several designations. The letter "A" suffix is shown on nearly every carburetor in the Holley numerical guide, but is almost never seen on a carburetor.

Subject: Transportation: Car Collecting: Restoration: 1955-1982 Corvette part casting numbers reference guide. 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 | ISBN-10: 0837602882 | ISBN-13: 9780837602882 | Bentley GCCN