Well i might be able to help some. I restored my 79 L-48 and had it entered in a number of corvette shows and one NCRS judging meet. I don't have any 81 photos, but I can offer this: The engine block and heads, intake, valve covers and manifold are painted in light blue (Plasti-kote GM Corporate Blue No: 221, and this IS NOT the absolutely correct color, HOWEVER, you will not be deducted points as the original paint color is more closely between Pontiac blue, (which is too light, and Chevy Blue, which is too dark. Corporate Blue #221 is the closest available and NCRS acknowledges is as close as can be attained. Also the Air cleaner, fan, pullys, brackets and power steering pump as well and the steering P/S slave cylinder and hoses are in Engine heat paint the color is slight or satine flat black. On the air cleaner is a 'GM Keep it all GM' sticker, the firewall is the same satine flat black. The chassis and supension are uncoated parts and the power steering control unit is in it's silver aluminum color as well as the fuel pump. Hoes should be bought from either ZIP products or Eklers as these different parts come with the correct stenciling or part no. and color stripes on them. One the air condintioning box is a sticker stating it a harrison unit. Use engine Heat paint throughtout the engine compartment. as well the radiator and support is flat black and the Brake booster is in nutural color and the brake master cylinder is unfinished, (I clear coated mine in engine heat clear flat) The fenders and the lips and overhangs are paint in the cars exterior color and the steering shaft is in unfinished color. The carburator is in aluminum unfinished, and the bumber brackets are in semi-gloss black. After this the main thrust should be to get the correct hoses, ducts and connections in the black color. I myself visited a few local Corvette showrooms. Where you are, there is Joe Conte's dealership in Millville. Joe is truly a great guy and is always happy to let you go and use you digital camera to take photos of any 80 or 81 corvette engine compartments as well as County Corvette in West Chester, PA The owners names are Jim Jorden and Jim Stuempfle, he's alway a great help if you want to restore a corvette. Lastly I'd get a set of NCRS judging manuals for the 1981 corvette, they outline to the very last degree what the car should look like when presented to be judged. But If you go the NCRS route, make sure that absolutly everything electrical and mechanical works as it's suppose to. You can lose or gain parts by having everything working. I had my 79 judged at a NCRS meet and was able to win a second flight award for my car, which if you saw what I started with, is amazing. Good luck.
HI ALL , WELL I REALLY ENJOYED MY FIRST SEASON WITH MY 81 VETTE (FIRST CORVETTE). I AM READY TO DETAIL MY STOCK ENGINE COMPARTMENT, HOPING TO ENTER HER IN SOME SHOWS/CRUISES NEXT SEASON. DOES ANYONE HAVE SOME PICS OF A CORRECTLY DETAILED STOCK 81 ENGINE COMPARTMENT THEY COULD POST OR E-MAIL ME. ANY HELP W/ PICS AND CORRECT COLORS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
