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'81 with '82CE rear glass

mljones13

Active member
Joined
Aug 2, 2012
Messages
40
Location
Howell, MI
Corvette
1981 Red Coupe
Hi guys. I need some help. I have a 1981 coupe with a 1982 Collector Edition kit rear hatch glass. The kit trim parts for the package shelf, in my '81, consist of 7 pieces. I damaged the large rear most piece taking a suitcase out of the rear storage area. I have purchased a package shelf from a true 1982 Collector Edition. So here's my question, will the 1982 Collector Edition rear package shelf fit in my 1981 Coupe that has had a CE kit installed? One more question, will it be a straight bolt in installation, or am I going to encounter some issues?

Thank you in advance of any comments. You guys are great!!

Mike Jones
Cadiz, KY
 
Hi guys. I need some help. I have a 1981 coupe with a 1982 Collector Edition kit rear hatch glass. The kit trim parts for the package shelf, in my '81, consist of 7 pieces. I damaged the large rear most piece taking a suitcase out of the rear storage area. I have purchased a package shelf from a true 1982 Collector Edition. So here's my question, will the 1982 Collector Edition rear package shelf fit in my 1981 Coupe that has had a CE kit installed? One more question, will it be a straight bolt in installation, or am I going to encounter some issues?

Thank you in advance of any comments. You guys are great!!

Mike Jones
Cadiz, KY

Mike-

The Collector Edition glass & hatch was an add-on feature. There's nothing radically different about the structures underneath the trim pieces for 78-82 cars. That said, if you have a rear glass conversion that uses CE parts- you should be just fine and it should all bolt in.

If I remember correctly... there were some aftermarket kits that looked similar to the CE cars. Some may have used CE parts- others could have been proprietary. You'll want to make sure you don't go out and buy a lot of parts that don't fit together. The best way to do that is to compare your parts to the parts on another CE car.


Hope that helps! :thumb
 
Mike-

The Collector Edition glass & hatch was an add-on feature. There's nothing radically different about the structures underneath the trim pieces for 78-82 cars. That said, if you have a rear glass conversion that uses CE parts- you should be just fine and it should all bolt in.

If I remember correctly... there were some aftermarket kits that looked similar to the CE cars. Some may have used CE parts- others could have been proprietary. You'll want to make sure you don't go out and buy a lot of parts that don't fit together. The best way to do that is to compare your parts to the parts on another CE car.


Hope that helps! :thumb


Mike.... my '81 had the pop up glass in it for over 30 years. I spent years doing extensive research into those window kits. ALL the glass packages including the hatches in the '82CE cars were made by a company called C&C (Cars and Concepts) and were delivered to the factory to be installed by the factory in the 82CE's. The hatch kits were NOT GM fabricated parts/kits. That's said C&C (obviously) had all the replacement parts/kits for the CE's but they also would fit nicely with some professional installation in any 78-82 C's. The shelf on the rear on standard 82's are slightly different in shape but essentially fit the exact same space in the rear and you should not have any problems with a replacement. However........ bare this in mind; C&C went out of business many years ago and replacement kit parts, even if you can find any, command a huge premium. I spent years searching for a spare rear seal/weatherstrip and the pull cord; pistons, hinges very tough to find. But the glass......forget about it!! Some years ago a complete with installation instructions C&C kit was discovered in a warehouse and the kit went on eBay and sold for almost $4K!!! Finding a replacement glass from a salvage yard might get darn near that much assuming you'd ever find one. Once my pull release wire started to stretch and the glass didn't just "pop" open when I pulled it, I stopped opening it.

As you found out the hard way, this option was much more of a show piece than a functional option. I was always scared that a belt buckle or even a zipper would damage the paint when I tried to get anything out of the rear with the glass open. Enjoy your '81. I loved mine for many years until I upgraded to a C5 convertible. The hatch gets a lot of attention at shows and you will be in a very rare class of C3's with the aftermarket hatch kit.

enjoy................... nut :D
 
'81 with '82 CE rear glass

Hi guys. I need some help. I have a 1981 coupe with a 1982 Collector Edition kit rear hatch glass. The kit trim parts for the package shelf, in my '81, consist of 7 pieces. I damaged the large rear most piece taking a suitcase out of the rear storage area. I have purchased a package shelf from a true 1982 Collector Edition. So here's my question, will the 1982 Collector Edition rear package shelf fit in my 1981 Coupe that has had a CE kit installed? One more question, will it be a straight bolt in installation, or am I going to encounter some issues?

Thank you in advance of any comments. You guys are great!!

Mike Jones
Cadiz, KY


Thanks to those who replied to my inquiry. I received and installed my rear package shelf with no problems. Thanks again!!

Mike
 
Thanks to those who replied to my inquiry. I received and installed my rear package shelf with no problems. Thanks again!!

Mike


Mike.... I did some picture transfers off a memory stick tonight and here's a pic of the rear glass on my old '81.

nut... :D bob pics 009.jpg
 
'81 w/ '82CE rear glass

Mike.... I did some picture transfers off a memory stick tonight and here's a pic of the rear glass on my old '81.

nut... :DView attachment 15188
Hey, thanks. Looks a lot like mine. I got the replacement rear package shelf installed with no problems. I have a question. When I bought this car, there was some mention of an '81 in Arizona that was a unique color. Nutmeg Bronze to be exact. This picture looks like it could be that color. Coincidence??? Just wondering if this might be THE car.

Mike
 
Hey, thanks. Looks a lot like mine. I got the replacement rear package shelf installed with no problems. I have a question. When I bought this car, there was some mention of an '81 in Arizona that was a unique color. Nutmeg Bronze to be exact. This picture looks like it could be that color. Coincidence??? Just wondering if this might be THE car.

Mike[/QUOT

You are indeed looking at the (infamous) Nutmegbronze primer '81. cinnabar_leather_sm.jpgright_rocky_small.jpgtrim-paint_tag_01.jpg
 
'81 w/'82 CE rear glass

Hey, thanks. Looks a lot like mine. I got the replacement rear package shelf installed with no problems. I have a question. When I bought this car, there was some mention of an '81 in Arizona that was a unique color. Nutmeg Bronze to be exact. This picture looks like it could be that color. Coincidence??? Just wondering if this might be THE car.

Mike[/QUOT

You are indeed looking at the (infamous) Nutmegbronze primer '81. View attachment 15200View attachment 15201View attachment 15202

You have got to be kidding me! The advertisement for the car I bought listed MY car as your car on EBay. They took an email that you had sent to one of the previous owners, copy and pasted most of it for the descriptive listing for my '81. AFTER I flew out to Colorado and drove the car home, I read all of the documentation included with the vehicle. It was only then that I realized what mistake they had made in the EBay listing. I'm still very happy with the car, but I must admit, t was the storied history that initially intrigued me. My regular email address is 1divineaccident@att.net. Lets stay in touch. Mike Jones, Cadiz, Kentucky.
 
The SPEC designation on the trim tag (St. Louis) indicates something other than a stock color. Unfortunately, SPEC does not tell us what the color was. It could have been the Nutmeg; it could also mean primer only at the plant if the car was to be color coated at a different location.

Interesting and worth following up on.

:thumb
 
The SPEC designation on the trim tag (St. Louis) indicates something other than a stock color. Unfortunately, SPEC does not tell us what the color was. It could have been the Nutmeg; it could also mean primer only at the plant if the car was to be color coated at a different location.

Interesting and worth following up on.

:thumb


Mike6880 is correct here. SPEC could mean anything from Primer only to another color that was approved. I never heard of any "SPEC" cars in a delivered color other than Primer.

Mike (KY).... MANY years ago when I talked to the original shipment dealer O'Rielly Chevrolet in Tucson, AZ, they told me that they had ordered 3 "Primer" cars in late 1981. All 3 were purchased by a local (Tucson) leasing company and he had them all painted differently (his wife picked the color mine was painted). Over the next 20 years I was pretty sure I talked to a fellow that had one of the two other AZ cars. His Build Sheet was similar to mine and that sold me. Look for an email soon.

bob :D
 
Sorry, completely OT, but..

Bob, so nice to see a pic of the NutMobile.. Always got a kick out of it.. :thumb

OT Off.

Mike (KY), glad you got that fitted. As others have said, go easy on the glass. Mine stays shut for most of the time, but, there is some hope for it, once i find time to install some other "aftermarket" arms i got from one of my friends from here, that the glass lifts on that shouldnt stretch the struts back. But functional, not really.

:w
Stefan
 

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