I am having trouble looking up information on my vehicle by VIN for my 1979 L82.  All the sites I've tried don't come up with anything.  I have been led to believe that I have an extremely rare model.  Any advice on where I could dig up more information would be appreciated.

My VIN is:

1Z8749S434689

Thank you.
James.

Go to the "research" section on the main menu of this site.  There is a VIN decoder there.  About all it will be able to tell you is that your car has an L82 engine.  Not especially rare in 1979.  You can see the various options and numbers for each option in the C3 Corvette Statistics section under research.

Thank you for the response.  So here is what the VIN decoder said:
Division (1): Chevrolet
Car Line (Z): Corvette
Body Style (87): Two-Door Coupe
Engine Type (4): L82-350ci,225hp
Model Year (9): 1979
Plant (S): St. Louis, MO
Sequence Number: 434689
Here are a bunch of photos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/10752280@N08/sets/72157615418921499/
I am still trying to get all the details, but a couple of things that were pointed out: 
- Original manufacture spoke wire wheels
 - One piece front end 
- No smog pump, engine racing tuned
Frankly, I am new to the Corvette scene and am trying to get a lay of the land with what I am dealing with.  I am trying to determine if this car is in fact as rare as I am led to believe.  I really appreciate your response.James.

(made link clickable)Adams' Apple2009-03-17 19:43:42

I had a yellow 79 before I sold it to buy a silver anniversary 78. GM set a sales record for vettes in 1979 that is unsurpassed today. You have become a member of a special club. I recommend researching some vette history. There are several good books on the market. I recommend "Corvette, Sprots Care Superstar."

Welcome to C3VR!!!
That's a SWEET lookin '79, for sure!
Now...the "bad" news...
The rims are not factory...they look like Tru-Spokes, which are super nice, good quality rims.
ALL Corvettes basically have a "one piece front end". It is possible the front body was replaced somewhere along the way with an aftermarket, complete one-piece front, but you would need to look under the fenders to see if it has the "bonding strips" along the fender, or if the underside(back side) of the fenders were rough. The factory fenders were smooth, and were basically glued together.
As for the smog pump and engine tune, that is probably true, but it wouldn't mean it was like that from the factory, IF that's what the people were telling you.
It appears to have some Eckler's body parts, such as the side ground effects, and the rear wing. It's pretty much just a really nice, mild custom.
While the folks you got it from may have "embellished" a thing or two, it's still a sharp looking car!. "Rare"?....don't know about that. The real problem is GM didn't really keep any records to be able to tell how many cars had "this paint and this interior with this engine/trans combo."
Enjoy it! Drive it! Have fun with/in it! Adams' Apple2009-03-17 19:47:10