Corvette Build Sheet by VIN — Decode the Tank Sticker & RPO Codes
Every Corvette left the plant to a list of RPO option codes. On C2 and C3 cars that list was printed on the tank sticker glued to the top of the fuel tank, with paint and trim on the instrument-panel-brace trim tag. Enter the VIN to anchor the year, plant, and body, then decode the codes and cross-check them against the NCRS Shipping Data Report. It's free.
Look Up a Corvette Build Sheet by VIN
Enter the VIN and we'll fix the year, plant, and body so the tank sticker and RPO codes decode correctly
Free · No sign-up · Instant result
How a Corvette Build Sheet Lookup Works
The Corvette build record lived on the tank sticker and the trim tag. The VIN points you to the right reference; the RPO codes do the rest.
Enter the Corvette VIN
Type the VIN from the dash, door jamb, title, or registration. It fixes the model year, plant, and body style before you read the codes.
We point you to the tank sticker
The VIN tells you which Corvette reference applies so the tank sticker's RPO list and the trim tag's paint and trim codes decode correctly.
Decode the RPO codes
Each three-character RPO code maps to a factory option, engine, color, or component, and together they rebuild exactly how the car was equipped.
What Counts as a Corvette Build Sheet?
On a Corvette the factory build record survives in a few distinctive places, and read together they rebuild the original order more precisely than almost any other car.
The tank sticker is the famous one. On 1963–1982 Corvettes the St. Louis (later Bowling Green) plant glued a paper build sheet to the top of the fuel tank, hidden under the rear deck, listing the serial number, build date, paint and trim, and the RPO option list for that exact car.
The trim tag on the driver-side instrument-panel brace adds the body build date and the paint and interior trim codes, the source restorers use to prove a Corvette wears its factory colors.
The NCRS Shipping Data Report is the National Corvette Restorers Society document drawn from GM shipping records. It confirms the original options, colors, and ship date and is the authentication collectors and judges rely on.
On the tank sticker
- Serial / VIN reference
- Exterior paint code
- Interior trim code
- Full Regular Production Option (RPO) list
- Build / order date
- Assembly plant scheduling data
Each RPO is a three-character code. Decode it against a Corvette reference for the exact model year the VIN gives you.
What a Corvette Build Record Shows
Between the tank sticker, the trim tag, the drivetrain stampings, and the NCRS report, a Corvette build record documents the car at the component level, far more than the window sticker showed the buyer.
RPO option codes
Every Regular Production Option, from the engine and transmission to packages, wheels, and appearance, as a three-character code.
Tank sticker list
The paper build sheet glued to the fuel tank that captures the full RPO list, serial, and paint and trim in one place.
Trim-tag paint & trim
Instrument-panel-brace trim-tag codes for the exact original exterior paint and interior trim, year-correct.
Drivetrain stampings
Engine and transmission codes and casting dates to confirm a numbers-matching Corvette drivetrain.
Plant & build date
The St. Louis or Bowling Green plant and build date that confirm where and when the car was produced.
NCRS shipping data
The Shipping Data Report that ties the original options and colors to GM's own shipping records.
RPO Codes vs. the Tank Sticker: How They Fit Together
RPO codes are the language; the tank sticker is where Chevrolet wrote them down on the car. Knowing which source holds what saves hours.
The option language
- ·Three-character code for one factory option.
- ·Covers engines, transmissions, wheels, packages.
- ·Meaning is year-specific for the Corvette.
- ·The same codes appear on the tank sticker.
Where the codes lived
- ·Paper build sheet glued to the fuel-tank top.
- ·Lists the full RPO set the car was built with.
- ·Includes serial, paint, and trim for cross-check.
- ·Survives hidden under the rear deck for decades.
Corvette shares GM's RPO system. For the wider division view — SPID label, cowl tag, and RPO across Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Olds, GMC, and Cadillac — use the GM build sheet by VIN.
Decode Your Corvette's RPO Build
Enter the VIN to lock in the year, plant, and body, then read the tank sticker and trim tag and decode every RPO option code. Free, in seconds.
Why Corvette Collectors Verify the RPO Build
For collector Corvettes, the RPO list is the difference between a documented, numbers-matching car and a tribute. A genuine L88, ZR1, big-block 427, or 1963 Z06 with the correct RPO codes commands a large premium over a clone built to look the same.
Restorers use the RPO and trim-tag codes to source year-correct parts and the right factory colors. A 1967 427/435 needs different components than a base 327, so the tank sticker names the exact specs for show-quality and NCRS-judged work.
Pair the build record with a salvage title check and an odometer check to confirm both the factory order and what happened since.
Corvette verification checklist
- Read the full RPO list from the tank sticker
- Confirm paint and trim on the trim tag
- Verify engine and transmission stampings match
- Cross-check high-value RPO codes (L88, ZR1, Z06)
- Order an NCRS Shipping Data Report for the year
- Pair with a VIN history check for the full story
Start the Corvette build lookup by VIN:
The Corvette VIN, the Trim Tag, and the Tank Sticker
The VIN tells you who, where, and when. The trim tag adds body date and color. The tank sticker carries the full RPO option list.
A modern 17-character Corvette VIN encodes the World Manufacturer Identifier, the descriptor section, a check digit, the model year, the plant, and the sequential production number. Pre-1981 Corvettes use a shorter VIN. Decode those with our classic car VIN decoder.
What the VIN does not carry is the RPO list. That lived on the tank sticker and in GM's production records, which is why the fuel-tank build sheet matters so much. Decode the raw VIN first with our VIN decoder.
Where to find Corvette build data on the car
- Tank sticker on top of the fuel tank
- Trim tag on the instrument-panel brace
- VIN plate (windshield pillar / dash)
- Engine block stamping pad
- Transmission and rear-end codes
- NCRS Shipping Data Report
Tank stickers can be reproduced and stampings can be altered, so always cross-check the RPO codes against the VIN, the trim tag, and the drivetrain.
More VIN Tools for Corvette Owners
The RPO build is the starting point. These checks complete the picture on any C1 through C8 Corvette.
Always check the VIN before you buy
Our free report reveals accidents, title brands, odometer rollback, theft records, and open recalls in seconds.
Corvette Build Sheet: Frequently Asked Questions
The questions Corvette owners and collectors ask most about the tank sticker, RPO codes, and NCRS documentation.
What is a Corvette build sheet?+
A Corvette build sheet is the factory production record for a single car. On 1963–1982 Corvettes much of it survives as the tank sticker — a paper build sheet glued to the top of the fuel tank — plus the trim tag on the instrument-panel brace and the RPO option codes. The National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) can also supply a Shipping Data Report drawn from GM's records. Together they document the paint, trim, drivetrain, and every factory option the car left the plant with.
What is a Corvette tank sticker and where is it?+
The tank sticker is the paper build sheet the assembly plant glued to the top of the fuel tank on 1963–1982 Corvettes, hidden under the rear deck. It lists the serial number, build date, paint and trim codes, and the full RPO option list. Because it is tucked away, an original tank sticker often survives for decades and is prized for authenticating a numbers-matching Corvette. It usually requires removing the fuel tank or a rear panel to read.
What are Corvette RPO codes?+
RPO stands for Regular Production Option, GM's three-character alphanumeric code for a factory-installed option, engine, package, color, or component. Corvette RPO codes include some of the most valuable in the hobby — L88, ZL1, ZR1, and the 1963 Z06 among them. Decoding the RPO list against a Corvette reference for the model year reveals exactly how the car was equipped, in far more detail than the window sticker showed the original buyer.
Where is the Corvette trim tag?+
On C2 and C3 Corvettes the trim tag (body tag) is riveted to the driver-side instrument-panel brace under the dash, not on the firewall cowl like most GM cars. It encodes the body build date and the paint and interior trim codes. It does not list every option the way the tank sticker does, but it is the key source for verifying the original paint and trim and the time the body was built. Decode each field against a Corvette trim-tag reference for the model year.
What is an NCRS Shipping Data Report?+
The NCRS Shipping Data Report is a document from the National Corvette Restorers Society drawn from GM's original shipping records. For many Corvette model years it confirms the car's original options, exterior and interior colors, and the date it shipped from the plant. It is widely accepted for authenticating a Corvette, especially when the tank sticker is missing, and it is the Corvette equivalent of a manufacturer build record tied to the VIN.
Can I get a Corvette build sheet by VIN?+
Yes. Enter the VIN to confirm the year, plant, and body style, then read the tank sticker for the full RPO option list and the trim tag for paint, trim, and body date. For a numbers-matching Corvette, especially an L88, ZR1, or big-block, collectors cross-check the RPO codes, the engine and transmission stampings, the trim tag, and an NCRS Shipping Data Report to confirm the car matches its documented configuration and isn't a clone.
Look Up a Corvette Build Sheet by VIN
Enter the VIN to anchor the year, plant, and body, then decode the tank sticker's RPO list and the trim tag's paint and trim codes.
Related VIN Checks
More tools to verify any vehicle's history