What Year C3 is This Corvette?

[Mike E.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

Must have been an extremely late car.

[Darryl D.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

I can't remember, was 1971 the only year that had the fiber optics?

[Patrick B.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

My July 3 1970 has studs not screws in the grill and has fiber optics. I think the fiber optics were discontinued in 1972 model year.

[Darryl D.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

My July 3 1970 has studs not screws in the grill and has fiber optics. I think the fiber optics were discontinued in 1972 model year.

So just 70 & 71 both had fiber optics?

[Terry M.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

So just 70 & 71 both had fiber optics?

1969 also.

[Jim T.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

My July 3 1970 has studs not screws in the grill and has fiber optics. I think the fiber optics were discontinued in 1972 model year.

Does your 1970 have its original front grilles?

[Patrick B.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

Does your 1970 have its original front grilles?

Absolutely Jim. I have owned it since 1972 when it had only 8,000 miles on it and it has never been hit.

[Terry M.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

Absolutely Jim. I have owned it since 1972 when it had only 8,000 miles on it and it has never been hit.

Our research back in the early 1990s indicated 1970 MY grilles (with the studs) were used in production for the first 1000 or so 1971s. We thought we had a 1970 about serial number 13,000 with the 1971 grilles, but we were later able to establish it had suffered front end damage early in its life. Based on my own experience, I doubt the 1970 style grilles were ever available in SERVICE.

[Joe L.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

Our research back in the early 1990s indicated 1970 MY grilles (with the studs) were used in production for the first 1000 or so 1971s. We thought we had a 1970 about serial number 13,000 with the 1971 grilles, but we were later able to establish it had suffered front end damage early in its life. Based on my own experience, I doubt the 1970 style grilles were ever available in SERVICE.

Terry------

Both the "stud type" and "screw type" front grills were available in SERVICE. The "stud type" were GM #5962939, left side, and GM #5962940, right side. These were both discontinued from SERVICE in December, 1971 and replaced by the "screw type", GM #5964683, left side, and GM #5964684, right side. The date of discontinuation of the "stud type" grills does not necessarily imply anything about when this type ceased to be used in PRODUCTION; they could have been sold in SERVICE long after that style grill ceased to be used in PRODUCTION.

By the way, the part numbers for the grills shown in the 1970-72 AIM's were PRODUCTION-only part numbers and were never available in SERVICE. That's because the grills used in PRODUCTION were complete assemblies which included the lamp sockets, fiber optic lens (70-71 only), and parking lamp lens. GM did not offer such assemblies in SERVICE.

3 different sets of PRODUCTION only grills were used over the 1970-72 period. One set was used for 1970 and, possibly, early 1971. A second set was used for 1971 (I believe same as 1970 except for "screw type" studs), and a third set was used for 1972 (I believe same as 1971 except for amber lenses and delete fiber optic provisions).

[Terry M.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

Terry------

Both the "stud type" and "screw type" front grills were available in SERVICE. The "stud type" were GM #5962939, left side, and GM #5962940, right side. These were both discontinued from SERVICE in December, 1971 and replaced by the "screw type", GM #5964683, left side, and GM #5964684, right side. The date of discontinuation of the "stud type" grills does not necessarily imply anything about when this type ceased to be used in PRODUCTION; they could have been sold in SERVICE long after that style grill ceased to be used in PRODUCTION.

By the way, the part numbers for the grills shown in the 1970-72 AIM's were PRODUCTION-only part numbers and were never available in SERVICE. That's because the grills used in PRODUCTION were complete assemblies which included the lamp sockets, fiber optic lens (70-71 only), and parking lamp lens. GM did not offer such assemblies in SERVICE.

3 different sets of PRODUCTION only grills were used over the 1970-72 period. One set was used for 1970 and, possibly, early 1971. A second set was used for 1971 (I believe same as 1970 except for "screw type" studs), and a third set was used for 1972 (I believe same as 1971 except for amber lenses and delete fiber optic provisions).

Thank you Joe. As usual, you are able to shed light on the darkest corners of Chevrolet's production practices.

[Terry B.]

Re: What Year C3 is This Corvette?

Just to be exact, fiber optics started with the 1968 model