#12 Pilot Line Car, EXCELLENT CONDITION, Convertible, #'s Match, White/Black

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

Seven Hills Motorcars is very proud to offer this beautiful “Pilot Line” 1971 Corvette Stingray Convertible in fantastic condition. This Stingray has is finished in the beautiful and highly desirable color combination of Classic White (972) over Black Vinyl (400). This is also the correct and original color scheme as verified by the codes on the trim tag pictured in this ad.

This Corvette is "Numbers Matching” meaning the engine and transmission that are in car are the correct and original units that were installed in the car at the factory in St. Louis in August of 1970. The last six digits of the VIN, 100012, 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.

According to an expert on early VIN Corvettes, the “Pilot Line” Stingrays were the first 20 to 25 cars made each model year as a test for any changes to the production line made for the new model year. The Pilot Line cars are special and unique and draw a good premium over a standard Corvette. The VIN sequence for this car is 00012 meaning that is this the 12th Corvette made for 1971 and is therefore a Pilot Line car.

We have this Stingray priced to sell and are offering an excellent opportunity to own a very desirable classic Corvette Convertible at an unbeatable value. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price in years to come as the market on C3 "chrome bumper" Corvettes from 1968 to 1972 is absolutely red-hot right now and on the rise. The original mileage is verified not only by the condition of the car, but also the clear Ohio title, which is also pictured in this ad, that shows the mileage as “Actual.” Please peruse all of the photos, video, list of numbers, and other information in this ad 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.

Exterior

The Classic White (972) exterior is in excellent condition. As one can see in the photos the finish has dazzling gloss, smooth finish, and deep shine. The rally wheels and center caps are in great condition with a brilliant finish and no curb rash. The Michelin white wall tires compliment the Classic White very well and have plenty of tread left. The soft top is in good condition overall and the rear window is not yellowed or foggy. It does show it age here and there and there are a couple spots of wear on the right side of the soft top behind the passenger window. There are no major blemishes that have been intentionally excluded from the photos. There is one small spot that has been touched up on tip of the nose and some other tiny imperfections around car that were too faint to show up in pictures, but nothing that is really noticeable from about five feet away. This Stingray has no rust issues. As one can see in the many photos of the underside this car is very clean underneath. The frame is solid with no rust around the "key hole" area on the frame in front of the rear tire and we have seen no evidence of corrosion around the windshield or “birdcage” area, which is 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.

Interior

The Black Vinyl (400) interior of the Corvette is in absolutely outstanding condition. The seats almost look brand new with no rips, split seam, or excessive wear. The seat is not overly worn in the typical area on the bolster where the driver gets in and out. The carpet is also in like new condition with no stains, rips or holes. The gauge faces are crisp and clean and the lenses are clear. The dash and console are in excellent shape with no cracks, fading, or sun damage. The door panels are in great condition and unlike many Corvettes from the era they fit well and tight to the door. The door panel is not worn in the typical area where the driver's elbow sits. The jack and jack handle are still with the car, stored correctly in the storage compartment behind the passenger seat. This Corvette has not been smoked in; there are no burns marks and no aroma of cigarettes.

Corvette interiors from this era are not known to wear well, especially for a convertible, and the excellent condition of this interior is a huge testament to the meticulous care and attention this car has received throughout its life and another great verification of the original mileage.

Mechanical

This Stingray seems to be in very good mechanical condition. The original numbers matching engine starts up right away every time, runs well, and idles smooth. It drives great on the road and feels nice at highway speeds. In the video 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 strange noises or 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 well throughout the power band. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully clean and detailed as one can see in the photos. The original valve covers, air cleaner, and even the upper ignition shielding are all still in place.

The radio works as do all the exterior lights, interior lights, dash lights, horn, and wipers. All of the gauges work and even the clock runs. The blower for the heater works on all speeds. Both manual air vents work, which is a very common problem on early C3 Corvettes. The entire vacuum system for the headlights and wiper door works correctly. The headlights and wiper door go up quickly, evenly, and with no effort or binding the mechanisms. Please note that the vacuum system works properly from both the respective switches on the dash and the override switches under the steering column. The entire operation from both switches can be viewed in the video. Most of the fiber optics work. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car, especially with the top down on a beautiful day.

A note on the fiber optic light monitoring system, we consistently receive many questions about the purpose of this system; exactly what it is and what it does. The sole and main idea behind the fiber optic light monitoring system is to simply confirm that all of the exterior lights, headlights, indicators, tail lights, etc., are working and to make the driver aware of a burned out bulb. Each lamp on the outside of the car has an actual fiber optic cable the runs to an indicator on the center console. There are nine small indicators on the console and each has its own finer optic cable. When the bulb goes on the light travels through the fiber optic cable and illuminates the corresponding indicator on the console. If someone does not remember to plug the cable end into the lamp housing, does any work to the center console, or if there is a break in a connection or anywhere along the cable, that indicator no longer works. As one can image, over time this is very common.

Overall Condition

Overall, this 1971 Corvette Stingray Convertible looks fantastic and is in outstanding driver condition. The fact that this is the #12 Pilot Line Car, the beautiful color combination, excellent condition, the convertible body style, and the great extent to which the numbers match make this Stingray especially important and nearly impossible to duplicate. The convertible body style draws a great premium over the stander coupe body style. Numbers matching is extremely important in Corvette pricing and as one can see, this car is quite correct. There are photos of the in this ad of the VIN stamp on the engine block, suffix code, engine assembly date, transmission code, transmission date, and transmission VIN stamp. In my opinion and based on our experience the "Chrome Bumper" cars from 1968-1972 are the most collectible and hottest in the entire Corvette market right now. The value of these cars has gone up exponentially in recent years. 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.

Other sellers are not taking the time to show the car is in such great detail to give you all of the numbers, options, photos, and video. As stated above, numbers matching is extremely important in Corvette pricing, especially for an exceptional example like this car, and will become even more important as time passes and this car becomes older and even more rare. This information is very valuable and important for pricing. Any perspective buyer, for any of our vehicles or from other sellers, should ask for all the numbers and information before he or she makes a purchase.

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

As a licensed and registered dealer in The State of Ohio we are required to collect sales tax for residents of Ohio with a rate based on the buyer's county. Additionally, Ohio has a special sales tax relationship with buyers who are going to register their car in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, or South Carolina so we are also required to collect sales tax. Please keep in mind the you will not be paying additional tax and you will not be taxed twice. Buyers from those states will simply pay of portion of their sales tax to Ohio and they will then be credited with that amount when they transfer the title in their home state. Buyers from all other states will not owe any sales tax to The State of Ohio.

item
number
description

VIN
194671S100012
The first digit, "1," indicated the Chevrolet division of GM. The "94" is the series, Stingray V8 Corvette. The "67" is the body style, convertible. The sixth digit, "1," indicates the model year, 1971. The "S" is the plant where the car was produced, St. Louis. The last five digits are a sequence number so this is the 12th Corvette made for 1970.

Body Build Date
A17
"A" corresponds to August, and the "17" is the seventeenth day of the month meaning this Corvette's body build date is August 17th, 1970.

Engine Code
V0803
"V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant.  The "08" is the eighth month of year and the "03" is the third day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on August 3rd, 1970.  This is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.

Suffix Code
CJK
This means the motor was intended for a 350ci 270hp Corvette with an automatic transmission, which is correct for this car.

Engine VIN Stamping
100012
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 100012, are stamped on the engine pad and pictured in this ad meaning this engine is original to this car.

Engine Block Casting Number
3970010
The engine block has a correct 3790010 casting number a small block 1971 Corvette.

Engine Block Casting Date
C 8 0
"C" is March, "8" is the eighth day of the month, and the "0" is the last digit of the calendar year so the engine block was cast on March 8th, 1970. Which is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.

Intake Manifold Casting Number
3973469
The intake manifold has a correct 3973469 casting number a small block 1971 Corvette.

Intake Manifold Casting Date
G 28 0
"G" is July, "28" is the twenty eighth day of the month, and the "0" is the last digit of the calendar year so the intake manifold was cast on July 28th, 1970. Which is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.

Distributor
1112050
The alternator is correct for a 1971 Corvette with 1112050 stamped on the housing.

Distributor Date Code
0 F 10
The "0" is the last digit of the calendar year, the "F" is June, and the "10" is tenth day of the month so this alternator is dated June 10th, 1970.

Transmission
71-CK
The "71" is the model year, 1970. The "C" means the transmission was made for a Chevrolet vehicle, and the "K" means is was intended for a Corvette with a 350ci engine, which is correct for this car.

Transmission Date Code
184
The assembly date code for the 1971 model year starts with the first day of the calendar year in 1969 and continues through the calendar year in 1970. This means "184" is the 184th day starting with January 1, 1970, which indicates the transmission was assembled on July 2nd, 1970

Transmission VIN Stamping
100012
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 100012, are stamped on the main case of the transmission and pictured in this ad meaning this transmission is original to this car.

Driver's Window
IT
The "I" is June and the "T" is 1970 so this window is original, made in June of 1970. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

Passenger Window
NT
The "N" is January and the "T" is 1970 so this window is original, made in January of 1970. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

exterior color code

972
Classic White

interior color code

400
Black

 

 

 

 

 

rpo code
description

19467
Corvette Convertible

M40
Turbo Hydramatic Automatic Transmission

N40
Power Steering

PT7
White Stripe Tires

U79
AM-FM Stereo Radio