#'s Match, STUNNING CONDITION, Silver/Midnight Blue, A/C, PS, PB, Tilt/Tele

Description for Chevrolet Corvette 1973

....

Please call Matt directly at 513-708-1468 with any questions about this car.

Seven Hills Motorcars is very proud to offer this beautiful completely numbers matching 1973 Corvette Stingray Coupe in fantastic condition and with the high performance L82 engine. This Corvette looks absolutely amazing with a very rare color combination. The Silver Metallic (914) over Midnight Blue Vinyl (413) color combination is highly desirable, truly striking, and looks great on this Corvette Stingray body style. It is also the correct and original color scheme as verified by the codes on the trim tag, which is pictured in this ad. The Midnight Blue with Silver is unique. Most cars in Silver came with Black interior and occasionally Red; this car is the only C3 Corvette we have seen optioned in these colors.

This Corvette is "Numbers Matching" and 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, this is especially true for the earlier C3's. Even very detailed parts like the distributor, carburetor, alternator, and even all the windows are correct and original. The last six digits of the VIN are stamped on the engine pad, which is 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.

We have this car priced to sell and are offering an excellent opportunity to own a very desirable Corvette Stingray at an unbeatable value. The high performance models like this L82 draw a great premium over the standard Corvettes. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price in years to come as the market on early C3 Corvettes is very hot right now and on the rise, this is especially true for the 1973 model year as it was a one year only body style. The very low original mileage is verified not only by the condition of the car, but also the clear Ohio title pictured in the ad that shows the mileage as "Actual." Please peruse all of the photos, video, and other information below to get a true sense of how nice 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.

Model Description

The 1973 Corvette was truly the end of an era. 1973 was the last year to feature a chrome bumper and is considered by some to be the last year of truly classic Corvettes. Model years after were more at the mercy of insurance companies, fuel prices, and emission concerns, 1973 is considered the last "good" year by many enthusiasts. The 1973 model year is also considered a special and different year for Corvette enthusiasts as it was the only model to have chrome in the back and a rubber bumper in the front. It is representative of the transition Corvette was making at the time. As in investment, the 1973 will always have an advantage and out perform other years because of its precedence as the end of a a very great period for Corvette and muscle cars as a whole.

Exterior

The Silver Metallic exterior is in excellent driver condition. As one can see in the photos, the finish has dazzling gloss, deep shine, and smooth finish. The chrome and other bright look great with and a nice finish. The wheels and center caps are in excellent condition with a nice finish. The tires have about 90% tread left and are correctly sized 225/70R15. There are a few tiny blemishes, touch ups, and blotches around car that were too small to show up in pictures, but nothing else that is really noticeable from about five or ten feet away. As one can see in the many photos and video of the underside this car is very clean underneath and has NO RUST ISSUES at all. The frame is totally solid around the "key hole" area in front of the rear tire and we have seen no evident of corrosion around the windshield or "birdcage" area, which are the most common 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 ALL of the glass on this Corvette, the windshield, both "Astro Ventilation" door windows, and even the pop-out rear window, are all date coded and original as each piece predates the car's body build date of December 2, 1972 (D02). Original glass is a good indication that this car has had no major accident history and never sustained significant damage.

Interior

The Midnight Blue Leather interior of the Corvette is in outstanding condition. The seats are in excellent shape with no excessive wear, rips, or split seams. Please note that these appear to be the original seats and skins with the original dry foam, not some cheap aftermarket covers or replacements. All of the seat belts retract and operate properly; both lap belts and both should belts. This is a very common problem on early C3 Corvettes, but an item most buyers do not think to check. The carpet, which is also original, is also in great condition with no stains, rips, or holes. This includes the rear carpet, which is often neglected. The gauge faces are clean and crisp and the lenses are clear. The original radio works well, gets good reception, and most importantly the dash has never been cut or modified for an aftermarket installation. The dash and console are in great shape with no cracks, fading, or sun damage. The door panels are in great condition overall. The jack and jack handle are still with the car and stored correctly behind the passenger seat. The spare is also still with the car. This Corvette has never been smoked in; there are no burns marks and no aroma of cigarettes.

Corvette interiors from this era are not known to wear well and the excellent condition of this 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. The interior looks just as good in person as it does in the photos.

Mechanical

This Corvette seems to be in very good mechanical condition. The original numbers matching L82 engine starts right away every time, runs well, and idles smooth. This Stingray drives great and feels nice on the road and at highway speeds. In the video below 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 and the car performs quite well overall. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. The transmission shifts smoothly throughout the power band. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully clean, detailed, and correct as one can see in the photos. The original L82 specific valve covers, air cleaner, and ignition shielding are all still in place. This Stingray is unmolested and even the smog pump is still on the car and working.

The radio works as do all the exterior lights, interior lights, dash lights, interior lights, wipers, and indicators. The a/c works and one can see the a/c compressor turning on and engaging properly in the video. Please note also in the video that even very detailed items like the seat belt buzzer that is activated from the drivers seat belt, "Door Ajar" light, "Headlamps" light on the dash, and the key buzzer all still work. The blower for the heater and a/c works on all speeds. The entire vacuum system for the headlights works correctly from both of the respective switches on the dash and the override switch under the column. The headlights go up quickly, evenly, and with no binding in the mechanism. The entire operation from both switches can be viewed in the video. All of the gauges work with the obvious exception of the clock. The car has a very health exhaust note from the sidepipes. If a future owner wanted, the original style exhaust could easily be reinstalled on the car. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car, especially with the extra power from the L82 and the T-Tops out on a beautiful day.

Overall Condition

Overall, this 1973 L82 Corvette Stingray looks fantastic and is in terrific condition. The beautiful original color combination, excellent condition, the low original mileage, and the great extent to which the numbers match make this Stingray especially important and very hard to duplicate. Numbers matching is extremely important in Corvette pricing and as one can see, this car is quite correct. There are photos of the VIN stamp on the engine block, suffix code, engine assembly date, transmission date, and transmission VIN stamp. The 1973 model is a one year only body style so they are rare and the value of these cars has gone up exponentially in recent years. The L82 engine draws a great premium over the standard Corvette. They are all solid 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.

Thank you for looking and please do not hesitate to email or call with any questions.

itemnumberdescriptionVIN1Z37T3S406410The first digit, "1," indicated the Chevrolet division of GM. The "Z" is the series, Corvette. The "37" is the body style, sport coupe. The fifth digit is the engine, T, correct for a L82 car. The sixth digit, "3," indicates the model year, 1973. The "S" is the plant where the car was produced, St. Louis. The last five digits are a sequence number so this is the 6,410th Corvette made for 1973.Body Build DateD02"D" corresponds to December, and the "02" is the first day of the month meaning this Corvette's body build date is Decemeber 1s, 1972.Engine CodeV0905"V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant. The "09" is the ninth month of year and the "05" is the fifth day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on October 5th, 1972. This is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.Suffix CodeCLDThis means the motor was intended for an L82 Corvette with an automatic transmission, which is correct for this car.Engine VIN Stamping406410The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 406410, are stamped on the engine pad and pictured below meaning this engine is original to this car.Engine Block Casting Number3970014The engine block has a correct 3790014 casting number a small block 1973 Corvette.Engine Block Casting DateF 1472"F" is June, "14" is the forteenth day of the month, and the "72" is the last digits of the calendar year so the engine block was cast on June 14t, 1972. Which is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.Intake Manifold Casting Number3997771The intake manifold has the correct 3997771 casting number.Distributor1112150The distributor is original and correct for a 1973 corvette with a 1112150 stamping on the bandDistributor date code2J17"2" is the last digit of the calendar year, the "J" denotes September, and "17" is the seventeenth day of the month meaning the distributor was made on September 17th, 1972.Alternator1100544The alternator is original and correct with a 1100544 stampingAlternator Date Code2 K 9The "2" is the last digit of the calendar year, the "K" is October, and the "9" is the ninth day of the month meaning this alternator was made on October 9th, 1972, which is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.Starter1108430The starter is original and correct for a 1973 with a small block engine and automatic transmission with a 1108430 stampingCarburetor7043212The carburetor has the correct number for a 1973 L82 corvette with an automatic transmisson. The "70" is a code used on all the Rochester carbs from 1965-1975. The third digit "4" indicates that it was made in the 1970 to 1975 production run. The forth digit "3" is the model year, 1973. The fifth digit "2", indicates that it is a 4BBL Quadjet carb. The seventh digit "1" means it was built for the Chevrolet division of GM. The last digit "2" means it was intended for use in an automatic transmission car such as this corvette.Carburetor date code2272The carburetor date codes for the 1973 model year start from January 1st, 1972 so "227" is the 227th day since Jan 1, 1972. The "2" is the last digit of the calender year so this carburetor is dated August 14th, 1972.Left exhaust manifold casting number3932461The left side exhaust manifold has the correct 3932461 casting number for a 1973 corvette with a L82 engine.Right exhaust manifold casting number3932461The right side exhaust manifold has the correct 3932461 casting number for a 1973 corvette with a L82 engine.Transmission73-CZThe "73" is the model year, 1973. The "C" means the transmission was made for a Chevrolet vehicle, and the "Z" means is was intended for a Corvette with a L82 engine, which is correct for this car.Transmission Date Code224The assembly date code for the 1973 model year starts with the first day of the calendar year in 1972 and continues through the calendar year in 1973. This means "224" is the 224th day starting with January 1, 1972, which indicates the transmission was assembled on August 11th, 1972.Transmission VIN Stamping406410The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 406410, are stamped on the main case of the transmission and pictured below meaning this transmission is original to this car.Rear DifferentialAA W 293 E 1The "AA" indicates a 3.55:1 axle ratio with positraction. The "W" is the plant code where the rear end was made. The "293" is the 293th day of the year. The "E" is the source of the positraction, Eaton, and the "1" is the shift so the rear differential was made on October 19th, 1973 in Warren, MI during the first shift.WindshieldYYThe "Y" is October and the "Y" is 1972 so this window is original, made in October of 1973. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.Driver's WindowAYThe "A" is September and the "Y" is 1972 so this window is original, made in September of 1972. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.Passenger WindowAYThe "A" is September and the "Y" is 1972 so this window is original, made in September of 1972. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.exterior color code914Silverinterior color code413Midnight Bluerpo codedescription1YZ37Corvette Sport CoupeC60Air conditioningJ50Power BrakesL82350ci, 250hp EngineM40Turbo Hydramtic Automatic TransmissionN37Tilt/Telescopic Steering ColumnN40Power SteeringORZWhite Letter TiresU69AM-FM Radio