* Periodical Magazines: Road & Track, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and other automotive magazines from 1981 would be your best bet. Check their online archives (often subscription-based) or visit libraries with extensive magazine collections. These provided contemporary road tests and reviews.
* Consumer Reports: If the organization reviewed the '81 Corvette, their archives might contain information, though access to older issues might require a subscription or library visit.
* Used Car Guides: Kelley Blue Book and similar guides from 1981 or shortly thereafter might offer some commentary on the car's performance and reliability. Again, finding these might require library access or online archive searches.
* Online Forums: While reviews wouldn't be from 1981, forums dedicated to classic Corvettes (like CorvetteForum.com or others) might have discussions and owner experiences with 1981 models. You can search for threads discussing that specific year. Keep in mind that owner experiences can be subjective and vary widely.
In short, your best chance is to explore automotive magazines and consumer reports from 1981. Online forums offer a more modern perspective but lack the immediate contemporary analysis you're likely seeking.
