TIME CAPSULE: 34K ORIGINAL MILES, NO HIT, ORIGINAL PAINT, #'s MATCH, COLD A/C

1980 Chevrolet Corvette Leather Description

Every so often we run into a very original low miles car that has been pampered. This 1980 Corvette was manufactured thirty-nine years ago this month and was purchased new at Green Chevrolet in Peoria, IL by the owner of one of the largest local private insurance companies there spending most of its life garaged in Peoria Heights, IL. After the original owner passed, his family was reluctant to sell and the dealer wanted to buy the car back (from what I was told.) I purchased it from the son of the second owner who was a family friend of the original owner and sparingly drove the car himself, only using it the last few years to travel with his wife back and forth between Pekin and the Chicago suburbs on Summerdays: where his son lives who recently sold us the car. This time capsule has only had two titled owners in almost forty years and it shows!Please feel free to call us with any questions: (815) 373-8888.
EXTERIOR
The exterior body shows mostly original paint (I believe the front bumper has been repainted at some point) and the front bumper has a few blems which have been touched up. The factory paint's metallic still shows beautifully in person. It's been my experience that factory paint on original polyurethane bumpers wears differently over time because of the material difference from fiberglass panels. Of course all of the body panels still have their original bonding strips and no repairs or cracks are evident. Even the original nose and gas door cross flag emblems are a 9 out of 10 in appearance (still look close to new.)
The headlights pop up and down well and all of the exterior brake lights and turn signals work. The wipers work as well. All of the factory weatherstrip remains soft to the touch. The doors open and close with ease. All of the original glass remains in place and isn't scratched up. I did replace the front rubber sweep under the air dam with a new reproduction because the car needed and deserved it. It's remarkable how well the paint has been maintained for nearly forty years.
I have not tested the windshield wiper washers and was told by the previous owner that the rear window defroster switch doesn't work: but I haven't had an opportunity to test it either and that's simply because the rear window hasn't been fogged up to know the difference.
New mufflers have been installed on the car, otherwise the exhaust system is still in great shape and remains quiet. The last owner said he never got around to removing the catalytic converter and I was so glad he didn't modify such an original car! The original spare tire carrier still looks great too and no one has ever put a jack underneath it.
You'll notice the oil change stickers in the door jamb documenting the low mileage over the years.
INTERIOR
The interior is all original and looks like the original low miles car it is. The seats, door panels, carpet, dash and headliners show no rips, tears or holes. (I missed cleaning the lower passenger side door panel for pictures but it isn't scuffed.) The power windows and power door locks still work like new. The steering column is nice and tight and both the steering wheel as well the brake pedal show very little to no noticeablewear.
Even the gauges still look like new and all of the original silver striping around the bezel and shift plate has held up amazingly well as you can see in the pictures. All of the gauges work except for the clock. (Corvettes came with clocks so you know what time they left the factory.) The car had an aftermarket stereo in it when I purchased it (that did not require any modification/ cutting of the gauge bezel) but I reinstalled the original 8-track (didn't connect it), rather we installed a wireless Bluetoothamp that connects to any smartphone for directly playing music and apps.
The original jack and handle remain underneath the rear compartment tray which currently stores the original black vinyl t-top bags. You'll also notice the factory optioned t-top holders in their correctcolor coded factory original valise.
I tried the cruise control but all three times, I had to brake shortly thereafter so haven't yet confirmed whether it's working. The horn button had a scratch in the plastic emblem, so I purchased a new horn button assembly, applied the correct Corvette America color dye and replaced the brush with spring but the horn still isn't blaring. I haven't yet gotten around to checking the horns out but I still may. (I placed the original horn button into the rear compartment with the t-top bags in case the new owner wants to polish out the scratch keeping the car so original as possible.)
MECHANICALS
This may be the most original motor compartment I have ever seen/ had on an 1980. The numbers matching 350 Cubic Inch motor has plenty of get up and go (I think these cars were detuned from the factory/ HP ratings were re-calculated using different metrics for emission's standards compliance.) Regardless, the drive-trainis spiritedand will put you back in your seat.
The car has received a complete tune up including all new wires, plugs, cap, rotor, belts, hoses, filters, valve cover gaskets and complete fluids change.The carburetor has also received a high end rebuild.Regardless, the compartmentis so largelyuntouched that even the original air cleaner baffles are intact and have never been replaced (and don't need to be.) The car also brakes great with four replacement brake calipers including new pads now again stopping the car with ease. You'll also notice the four newer BF Goodrich radial TA's on the polished factory optioned slotted aluminum wheels.Even the A/C has been charged and blows cold!
The car received a four wheel alignment and it tracks straight down the road but I would imagine a bushing kit would be a good next step as a preventative maintenance measure. The undercarriage is very solid with no rust to speak of as we would expect on a low mileage car which has been garaged all of its life: but I would gently wire brush, mask off and rattle can the underside metal components unless original patina is the new owner's preference. It's my understanding from friends who are more active in the Corvette scene than myself that the original cars without underside repaints have been bringing more money? To each his own!
Please feel free to call us with any questions: (815) 373-8888. The car is located in Rockford, IL (about 60 miles Northwest of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport) and I can help arrange shipping anywhere in the lower 48 States for less than $1000 or anywhere in the world for that matter.
Please enjoy the below pictures and details about this classic 1980 Corvette!

REGULAR PRODUCTION OPTIONS (RPO)
RPO Description Price Production

1YZ87	Base Coupe	$13,140.24	40,614
AU3	Power Door Locks	$140	32.692
C49	Rear Window Defogger	$109	36,589
K30	Cruise Control	$123	30,821
MX1	Automatic Transmission	$0.00	34,838
N90	Aluminum Wheels	$407	34,128
QGB	White Letter SBR Tires, P225/70R15	$62	26,208
UM2	AM/FM Radio, stereo w/ 8-track	$155	15,708
U81	Dual Rear Speakers	$31	36,650
V54	Roof Panel Carrier	$125	3,755

1980 COLOR OPTIONS
RPO Exterior Production

28	Dark Blue Metallic		4,135

RPO Interior Production
292 Dark Blue Leather 2,752

DECODING THE 1980 CORVETTE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:
Total 1980 Corvettes Built - 40,614
Serial numbers: 1Z87xAS400001 through 1Z87xAS440614
The "Vehicle Identification Number" (also VIN or serial number) is stamped on a plate on the inner vertical surface of the left windshield pillar visible through the windshield.
Position Character Description

1	1	Chevrolet Division
2	Z	Corvette
3-4	87	Coupe
5	8	L48 350-cid V8, 190-hp
6	A	1980
7	S	Assembled in St. Louis, MO
8 to 13	405892	Birthdate of this 1980 Corvette: November 12, 1979

ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER: "NUMBERS MATCHING" EXPLAINED
1980 Corvette engines have the last six digits of the VIN stamped on the block after the engine number. The date code the engine was manufactured was also cast into the block. The engine serial number includes a production sequence number starting with 0001001 and one of the suffixes below.
ENGINE: L48 CODE: ZAK

ENGINE SPECS: RPO L48

Block
Displacement	350 cid (5.7 liters)
Bore & Stroke	4.00 x 3.48"
Compression Ratio	8.2:1
Brake Horsepower	190 @ 4200
Torque	280 lb-ft @ 2400
Main Bearing	Five
Valve Lifters	Hydraulic
Fuel Supply	Rochester Quadrajet

STATISTICAL SPECS:

Wheelbase	98 inches (2.489 m)
Overall Length	185.2 inches (4.704 m)
Overall Width	69.0 inches (1.753 m)
Overall height	48 inches (1.219 m)
Ground Clearance	4.5 inches (11.4 cm)
Front Tread	58.7 inches (1.491 m)
Rear Tread	59.5 inches (1.511 m)
Wheel Size	15 x 8 inches
Tires	P225/70R-15 SBR (steel-belted radial)
Positraction	Standard
Steering	Recirculating ball
Front Suspension	Independent, unequal-length control arms with ball joints, coil springs, and stabilizer bar
Rear Suspension	Independent, trailing link, transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs
Brakes	Hydraulic, vented four wheel discs; 11.75-inch diameter, single calipers
Ignition	HEI electronic
Body Construction	Separate fiberglass body and box-type ladder frame with cross-members
Fuel Tank	24 US Gal (20 Imp Gal) (91 liters)