First Post & Seat Question

[racsluos]

Hey everyone at the CAC,

Just wanted to introduce myself - I'm Andrew, from North Vancouver, BC, currently shopping for a C4 Vette. This forum has been truly amazing for research - you guys have definitely given me confidence that I'll be able to tackle small to medium projects and fixes.

I have one question that could make the difference on an '87 Vette I'm looking at. It has cloth seats, both power, and they're in such nice looking shape that I wonder if they're not the original seats. Does anyone have any pictures of 1987 or similar cloth seats that I can compare to?

thanks and cheers,
Andrew

 

[22229stingray81]

I don't have a picture, sorry (or even own a C4), but I don't know of any aftermarket place that sells cloth seats. The previous owner may have had an upholstery shop make a set, however all the major parts vendors only offer leather, vinyl, or fake leather replacements. Hope this helps a little.

-Tatortot

 

[racsluos]

Thanks Tatortot, if aftermarket cloth is not common, that increases the chances that they are original...

I don't have a picture, sorry (or even own a C4), but I don't know of any aftermarket place that sells cloth seats. The previous owner may have had an upholstery shop make a set, however all the major parts vendors only offer leather, vinyl, or fake leather replacements. Hope this helps a little.

-Tatortot

 

[JonM]

The seats in a C4 are interchangable in most years...so they could have come from another year...I don't think 87 had cloth seats...

 

[racsluos]

Looks to be as I feared then, think it had RPO AR9 = base seats leather...

Thanks so much for the quick responses!

The seats in a C4 are interchangable in most years...so they could have come from another year...I don't think 87 had cloth seats...

 

[tyrel]

I just looked through the Corvette Black Book and saw that cloth seats were optional in 1985, so maybe they are seats from an 85.

 

[Toms007]

I don't have my sources available at this time but, I think cloth seats were standard up to 93 or 94 when leather only became standard. Not many in those later years came with cloth, but I believe they were standard.

Check the RPO codes, they should be under the console cover or under the lid of the back compartment or maybe on the glove box lid (I have a 94 and they are under the console lid) andd I think they should be under the console lid on an 87. I know there is a list of the RPO's somewhere here at CAC but I can't find them so here is a link to them on another Corvette site http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=956104

 

[Ezmunie]

If the car had cloth seats, which were available as an option in 1987, it will have one of these RPO codes....12C, 15C, 21C, 62C, 65C.

 

[racsluos]

Thanks for the responses guys!

Ezmunie, it has AR9 and 62C, which looks to me like:
AR9 = base seats(some places say leather but maybe just base?)
62C = saddle cloth interior (means seats too?)

Thoughts?

I found an amazing GM RPO document which I'll post in a separate thread.

Thanks again!

If the car had cloth seats, which were available as an option in 1987, it will have one of these RPO codes....12C, 15C, 21C, 62C, 65C.

 

[racsluos]

Just an update, looks like they might be the original seats!
This was found on a different forum...

"I think there are some slight errors in the meaning of codes AR9 & AQ9 in the Black Book and Cor-'Vette Specs main option tables. I've "code whipped" over 200, '87-'89's over the past year and find that AR9 only means european style, reclining seats (i.e. "base" seats) and AQ9 only means "sport" style, reclining seats. Neither tell you whether it's leather or cloth (or nagas' hide, 19R/19W ). The seat covering material/color is given by a code torward the end of the label list starting with a number like 19C for black cloth and 192 for black leather."

This is what I hoped.

Thanks for the responses guys!

Ezmunie, it has AR9 and 62C, which looks to me like:
AR9 = base seats(some places say leather but maybe just base?)
62C = saddle cloth interior (means seats too?)

Thoughts?

I found an amazing GM RPO document which I'll post in a separate thread.

Thanks again!

 

[Ezmunie]

Just an update, looks like they might be the original seats!
This was found on a different forum...

"I think there are some slight errors in the meaning of codes AR9 & AQ9 in the Black Book and Cor-'Vette Specs main option tables. I've "code whipped" over 200, '87-'89's over the past year and find that AR9 only means european style, reclining seats (i.e. "base" seats) and AQ9 only means "sport" style, reclining seats. Neither tell you whether it's leather or cloth (or nagas' hide, 19R/19W ). The seat covering material/color is given by a code torward the end of the label list starting with a number like 19C for black cloth and 192 for black leather."

This is what I hoped.

I think you are right. Looks like they might be the originals according to the RPO's you were showing. Hope so!

 

[racsluos]

Well I got the Vette!

Thanks so much for your help guys, hope to learn much more here in the coming months...

cheers
Andrew