Identifying a car can be a difficult task, and a Corvette L88 is not acceptable, the first thing to look at is the price of the car. These days, a Corvette L88 can easily cost $ 100,000 or more, and if you’ve found a Corvette for sale and the person selling the car is listing it as an L88, and the price is low “BEWARE” with a Fair-for-Sale scam. Front, these are very rare and hard to find cars, and even a wrecked one can cost $ 30,000 or more.

Now to the brass studs the first thing I would look at is the engine codes such as the RPO code and cast numbers to make sure the engine is an L88, however there are some tail signs, please note that not all L88s had the 3X2 carb option installed, this was an add-on known as the L71 triple horsepower option, now a L88 is a 427 CID engine, which normally came with a single dual pump Holley 850 carb so just Because just because you don’t see a triple power setup on the car doesn’t mean it’s not a L88 427 car.

A true Corvette L88 is a rare find, so you may feel lucky if you find one, the L89 aluminum header option was also available, which would reduce 75 pounds of the weight of the front of the car, if you are lucky enough to have the The car you plan to buy has a build sheet, you may know exactly what it came with from the factory, but again, this is a rare find in the world of classic cars.

On the engine, the RPO code is located on a machined pad in front of the passenger side head, the RPO will tell you what year the engine was built, what engine it is, and usually which transmission was connected to the engine, it will also reveal which manufacturing plant built the engine, the casting number will also tell you what year the engine is, how many main caps it has, and the engine horsepower, with professional code you need to look closely because the people machine and reseal these numbers, if the RPO code does not match the casting number in any way, be wary of the deal you are about to make, ask lots of questions.

When deciphering the RPO code on the front of the engine, it helps to know how to read the stampings; this is a typical reading for a 1957-69 RPO code.

1) The first digit represents the plant in which the engine was built

2) The next two digits represent the month the engine was manufactured.

3) The next two represent the day the engine was built.

4) The last two are the suffix code

The suffix code is what will tell you what engine is in the car and what options you have. Below is a list of codes for the 427 engine.

Horsepower transmission, suffix code options

390 4-speed, hydraulic lifters, special cam, 4BBL IL carburettor

390 4-speed, hydraulic lifters, special cam, 4BBL carb, AIR IM

390 Powerglide, hydraulic lifters, special cam, 4BBL IQ

390 Powerglide, hydraulic lifters, special cam, 4BBL, AIR IR

400 4-speed, L36 engine, 3X2 JC carburettors

400 Powerglide, L36 engine, 3X2 JD carburettors

400 4-speed, L36 engine, 3X2 carburettors, AIR JF

400 Powerglide, L36 engine, 3X2 carburettors, AIR JG

430 M22 4-speed, 4BBL, special IT high-performance cam

435 4-speed, 3X2 carb, L71 engine, aluminum IU headers

435 4-speed, mechanical lifters, 3X2 carb, AIR JA

435 4-Speed ​​Mechanical Elevators, 3X2 JE Carb

435 4-speed, L71 engine, 3X2 carb, aluminum headers, AIR JH