C3 L-82.....What engine size?

[DustyC]

Or were there options?

What does the L-82 badge mean?

Has anyone heard of a C3 named (by a previous owener), "White Lightning"?

Strange questions I know but saw it and just wondered.

Thanks!

[LuS1fer]

L82 is an engine designation fitted to 1973-on Vette C3's. It's a 350 (5.7) producing 250bhp/285lb ft torque using the 4 barrel carb in 1973. In 1975, power dropped to 205bhp/255lb.ft, went back up to 210 in 1976 and 220 from 1978 to 1980. It was supplanted by the 190bhp L81 in 1981, the L83 200bhp replaced that in 1982 and that was the end of the C3 although the L83 found itself in the 1984 C4 before the long-serving L98 took over.

[vetteheadracer]

DustyC said:

"White Lightning"?

sounds like a cider drinker to me

[yellowvette]

As LuS1fer says, it's just a model designation. For a few years there were 2 main models - L48 and L82. L82 was the performance option - but in reality there was little difference and certainly nothing that couldn't be recovered very easily in an L48.
Haven't heard of "White Lightning" (Certainly heard of White Diamond though Nige - many times in fact :LOL) is it a customised Vette ?
Forgot to say that L82 should be a 350ci (5.7 L)

>> Edited by yellowvette on Thursday 13th October 17:09

[L81]

yellowvette said:

L82 was the performance option - but in reality there was little difference and certainly nothing that couldn't be recovered very easily in an L48.

Sort of. The L48 (& L81) had 2 bolt mains & the L82, so I've read, had 4 bolt mains. Better pistons in the L82 as well? Having 4 bolt mains is a big advantage if the engines are going to be tuned to any degree. The cam used in the L82 was far, far better than that in the L48 & L81 & some "performance" cams sold these days aren't as good. Like all late C3's the L82 suffered mainly from crappy smog heads & exhaust system, low CR, restrictive cats & poor intakes. Sort that lot out & they can (& do) beat C5's in the 1/4 mile (but this wasn't really the place to say that ). Go to:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=3&page=1&sort=lastpost&order=&pp=70&daysprune=-1
as there was recently a post on the differences.

White lightening does sound like a cider, but it could also be a variant of the BSA A65? If somebody has called their C3 "Lightening" then they've either got some front, or they've done a decent job in tuning the engine (and the L82 would make a good base motor to do it to).

[anonymous-user]

vetteheadracer said:

"White Lightning"? - sounds like a cider drinker to me

There's something about living West of the river Severn that leads to rapid knowledge about cider!