1978 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car

Description

With just 648 original miles, the optional L-82 V8, and every option you could throw at a Corvette in 1978, this pace car is a blue chip investment masquerading as a Corvette.

Yes, you read that correctly, 648 original miles. This car is new in every sense of the word, from the original sticker clinging to the side window, to the undercarriage that still looks assembly-line fresh. Wearing its distinctive black over silver paint scheme with red stripes, the 1978 pace cars are instantly recognizable even from a distance. 6502 were built in 1978, enough to put one in every Chevrolet showroom in the country, and the public responded by snapping them up, usually for thousands over the sticker price. No question that these have been collectible from the day they showed up. Perhaps because of all that, this one has been expertly preserved and maintained ever since it was new. The paint is 100% original, but lovingly waxed and shined regularly. There is no road rash, no paint chips caused by stones thrown up by a wayward truck, no grit clinging to the corners of the inner fenders. It's likely that this car has never even seen a garden hose, let alone a rain shower, and the paint is as nice as the guys in St. Louis could possibly make it in 1978.

Inside, you'll find supple, smooth, unblemished silver leather. Surely someone has been in the driver's seat once or twice but there's no real evidence of it. Carpets are that '70s luxury pile that GM used in all their high-end cars, and it isn't dirty or crushed down like it would be in a car that was even gently used. And the last time anyone touched the leather on the steering wheel, it was probably almost still shaped like a cow. The gauges, the optional AM/FM/8-track radio, the power windows, everything is still as it was from the factory, although after years of storage, the A/C probably needs a recharge. And judging by the condition of the weather seals, it's also possible that the T-tops have never been removed.

Making this pace car even more desirable is the optional 220 horsepower L82 V8 under the hood. 220 horsepower was pretty impressive in 1978, and that made the Corvette one of the best performing cars on the road, and it is a big upgrade over the stock 185 horsepower L48 engine. It's obviously very correct, as everything on it is OEM aside from a few routine maintenance items. The engine is backed by a reliable TH350 3-speed automatic transmission, as were most of the pace car replicas. The only noteworthy replacements this car has received are fluids and a battery. Even the tires are vintage Goodyear GTs, which are probably worth a significant pile of money by themselves.

Documentation includes the aforementioned window sticker, showing almost every available option was added to this Corvette before it left the factory. This car would be highly competitive at events like Bloomington Gold, where its authenticity and preservation would easily earn it Gold status, and it will be an invaluable archive to organizations like the AACA's HPOF (Historical Preservation of Original Features) class. Without any sign of deterioration, no weeping seals or saturated gaskets, and all the factory labels and markings fully intact, this is a reference-quality vehicle. Call today!