1980 Chevrolet Corvette for Sale

Body and production

Chevrolet built 40,614 Corvettes for 1980, every one a T-top coupe from St. Louis. The year's changes are easy to see and to check:

• Integrated spoilers: new front and rear bumper covers with the spoilers molded in. The drag coefficient fell from 0.503 to 0.443.
• Less weight: an aluminum differential housing and crossmember, thinner hood and door skins and lower-density roof panels.
• 85 mph speedometer: required by a federal rule, and fitted to every 1980.
• Standard equipment: air conditioning and the tilt-telescopic steering column were now included.

Engines and transmissions

Three engines were listed for the first time since 1974. Ratings are net.

• L48 350, 190 hp: the base engine outside California, in roughly 32,300 cars.
• L82 350, 230 hp: 5,069 built. This was its last year.
• LG4 305, 180 hp: 3,221 built. It was required on cars sold in California, where the 350 was not certified, and came only with the automatic.

The automatic (RPO MX1) went into 34,838 cars and the four-speed (RPO MM4) into 5,726. The close-ratio gearbox was gone. Most references say the four-speed was sold only with the L48 and that the L82 was automatic-only, although a few early L82 four-speeds are reported. Treat any 1980 L82 four-speed as a car that needs paperwork.

Reading the VIN and engine codes

A 1980 VIN begins 1Z87, and the fifth character names the engine: 8 for the L48, 6 for the L82 and H for the California 305. The sixth character is A for 1980, the seventh is S for St. Louis, and the sequence runs from 400001 to 440614. The plate is on the driver's windshield pillar.

An H-code car that now has a 350 was built as a California 305 and has had an engine swap, so price it as a modified car. On the engine itself, the pad on the front passenger side of the block carries a suffix: ZAK for an L48 automatic, ZAM for an L48 four-speed, ZBC for an L82 automatic and ZCA for the 305. The partial VIN beside it should match the car. The trim tag above the driver's upper door hinge carries the body build date with the paint and interior codes.

What to inspect before you buy

• Bumper covers: the one-piece urethane covers with their molded spoilers degrade in sunlight and are costly to replace and paint to match.
• Birdcage: rust at the bottoms of the windshield posts means major work under the fiberglass.
• Frame: check the kick-ups where the trailing arms mount, with the car raised.
• Roof panels: look for leaks at the weatherstrips and for cracks in glass panels.
• Vacuum headlamps: both should rise together. Hoses and actuators are the usual fault.

The Corvette buyer's guide covers the checks common to every generation.

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