| VIN Range | 1G1YY2182J5100001 – 1G1YY2182J5122789 |
| 1 (First Digit) | 1 – United States |
| G (Second Digit) | Manufacturer. G – General Motors |
| 1 (Third Digit) | Manufacturer Division. 1 – Chevrolet |
| YY (Fourth & Fifth Digits) | Make of Car. Y – Corvette |
| 2/3 (Sixth Digit) | 2 – Two Door Hatchback Coupe, 3 – Two Door Convertible |
| 1 (Seventh Digit) | Type of Restraint System. 1 – Passive Restraint System. |
| 8 (Eighth Digit) | Type of Engine. 8 – L98: 5.7 Liter, 350CI Engine with Tuned-Port Injection |
| 2 (Ninth Digit) | Check Digit. |
| J (Tenth Digit) | The Model Year. J – 1988 |
| 5 (Eleventh Digit) | Location of the Assembly Plant. 5 – Bowling Green, Kentucky |
| 1XXXXX (Twelfth thru Seventeenth Digits) | Production Sequence Numbers. |
The last six digits begin at 100001 and run thru 122789, accounting for each of the 22,789 Corvette Coupes/Convertibles built in 1988. Each Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is unique to an individual car. For all 1988 Corvettes, the Vehicle Identification Number was stamped on a plate on the inner vertical surface of the left windshield pillar visible through the windshield.
The Check Digit is used to calculate the characters in the serial number and gives it a single-digit code that can be used to verify the serial number is legitimate. (Note: The Check digit number varies depending on each specific VIN number.)
