Identifying a car or truck can be a difficult job, and an L88 Corvette is no settle for ion, the quite first point you have to appear at, is the price tag of the vehicle. In this working day and age an L88 Corvette can effortlessly operate 100,000 dollars or extra, and if you have situated an Corvette for sale and the particular person advertising the car or truck is symbolizing it as an L88, and the selling price is small “BEWARE” of a rip-off proper up entrance, these are really exceptional and tricky to uncover autos, and even a wrecked one particular can operate 30,000 dollars or a lot more.
Now down to the brass tacks, the 1st point that I would glance at is the motor codes, this kind of as the RPO code and casting figures to make certain that the motor is an L88, there are on the other hand some explain to tail indications, hold in head that not just about every L88 experienced the 3X2 carburetor selection set up on it, this was an add on known as the L71 tri-power choice, now an L88 is a 427 CID engine, that generally came with a single Holley 850 double pumper carburetor, so just for the reason that you do not see a tri-electricity set-up on the motor vehicle does not mean that it is not an L88 427 car.
A correct L88 Corvette is a unusual discover, so you can experience lucky if you happen to locate a person, also obtainable was the L89 aluminum head option, that would shave 75 pounds of the front conclusion body weight of the automobile, if your lucky sufficient that the car or truck that you prepare to acquire has a build sheet with it, you can know precisely what the auto came with from the factory, but once more this is a exceptional obtain in the vintage vehicle earth.
On the engine the RPO code is found on a machined pad in entrance of the passenger facet head, the RPO will convey to you what yr the motor was created, what engine it is, and ordinarily what transmission was hooked up to the engine, it will also expose what manufacturing plant developed the engine, the casting variety will also inform you what year the engine is, how many primary caps it has and the horsepower of the motor, with the pro code you will need to glimpse carefully due to the fact folks have been identified to equipment and re-stamp these numbers, if the RPO code does not match the casting selection in any way, be very leery of the offer that your about to make, ask a lot of questions.
When deciphering the RPO code on the entrance of the engine it assists to know how to read the stampings this is a usual examining for a 1957 – 69 RPO code.
1) The 1st digit signifies the plant that the motor was constructed at
2) The following two digits signify the month that the engine was created
3) The future two symbolize the working day that the engine was developed
4) The past two are the suffix code
The suffix code is what will notify you what engine is in the auto, and what possibilities it has, beneath you may discover a listing of the codes for the 427 Engine.
Horsepower Transmission, Possibilities Suffix Code
390 4-Velocity, Hydraulic Lifters, Exclusive Cam, 4BBL Carburetor IL
390 4-Velocity, Hydraulic Lifters, Unique Cam, 4BBL Carburetor, AIR IM
390 Powerglide, Hydraulic Lifters, Exclusive Cam, 4BBL IQ
390 Powerglide, Hydraulic Lifters, Special Cam, 4BBL, AIR IR
400 4-Pace, L36 Motor, 3X2 Carburetors JC
400 Powerglide, L36 Motor, 3X2 Carburetors JD
400 4-Velocity, L36 Motor, 3X2 Carburetors, AIR JF
400 Powerglide, L36 Motor, 3X2 Carburetors, AIR JG
430 M22 4-Pace, 4BBL, Specific high functionality cam IT
435 4-Velocity, 3X2 Carbs, L71 Motor, Aluminum Heads IU
435 4-Velocity, Mechanical Lifters, 3X2 Carbs, AIR JA
435 4-Speed, Mechanical Lifters, 3X2 Carbs JE
435 4-Pace, L71 Engine, 3X2 Carbs, Aluminum Heads, AIR JH
