Many of the utility components on the 1981 Z28 originally came with an
unpainted shell. One example of this is the starter. The starter on a 1980 or 1981 Z28 was not painted. This
is confirmed by the attached photos of the 5,400 mile Black 1981 Z28 which maintains its original starter. It s also described
in Cars & Parts Magazine Matching Numbers Series as having a finish which is “Raw Bare Metal”.
If you buy a new starter, even in an AC Delco box, it will be painted black. Additionally, any reproduction starter
purchased from your local parts house will be a rebuilt starter and will be painted black. The original
was not painted. The starters WERE painted through 1979, but not 80 & 81. The
part number on the original 81Z starter is 1109065. The date code is easy to remember as the first number
represents the year, 1 would mean 81, the next letter represents the month meaning A would be Jan. etc, the last 2 or 3 numbers
mean the day of the year is was built, like 235 etc. It is very difficult to compile an original starter with appropriate
numbers, finish, and date code.
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