1978 Chevrolet Corvette

Notes

Jettisoning the flying buttress B-pillars, Corvette for 1978 unveiled its new taillift; a fastback, wraparound rear window that improved aerodynamics, rearward visibility and cargo space over previous C3s. This example, however, is one of the still highly desirable 6,501 Indianapolis Pace Car Replicas sold that year, which came with nearly all available options and helped mark the Corvette's 25th Anniversary. In 1/2020 we sold this low milage 25th anniversary Vette to a local buyer. With 7,722 miles on the clock. At 7,962 miles he took the car to a local repair shop to have the car service. By the time they were done he spent $6,324 on a tune up, up dates from the cars long slumber. The following larger items were new edelbbrock carb and intake (original parts come with teh car) new radiator, power steering control valve, A/C idle compensator, new hoses and bits all around, new main bearing oil seal, valve cover gasket, spark plugs and wire set, the list goes on. He wanted the car to be drivable and not leak as so many that sat do. So the car is now ready to be enjoyed by the next custodian as the he only put 150 miles on the car in the last 3 years. Car comes with a new satin car cover as well. Right side view mirror is missing. Randy Hamilton of Kansas was the car's second owner. "That was the first year they were Indy pace cars," Hamilton told his local newspaper in a 2015 article about his Corvettes. "They made one for every dealership - special serial numbers and everything. It was truly a limited-edition Corvette." "When they came out, they hit the market at under $15,000 and then they instantly went up to $25,000, everywhere," he said. "We went down to Moundridge to buy this car like the 1st or 2nd of July in '78. I remember talking about it at the Fourth of July party at the neighbors'. The (car) had everything I wanted except it was an automatic. I like a clutch." But when the Moundridge dealership asked for the $10,000 price upgrade, Hamilton walked away, at least temporarily. "A guy in Elyria bought it six months later," Randy said. "He took it home, trailered it to a couple of car shows and never even put the center caps on the wheels." The original owner also requested the Indy Pace Car decals not be installed and the optional Citizens' Band radio was not connected. The decals, in their original box, and CB remain with the car. Hamilton heard from the mayor of Galva that the vehicle was up for sale. "He called me up one day at work and said, 'Are you looking for a pace car?' I said, 'Oh yeah?' He told me where it was. We went down there and it had 22 miles on it. The guy had it covered and he needed money real bad. It only has 8,000 miles on it now. I take it to car shows." This example, like all 1954 through mid-1981 Corvettes, was made in GM's Saint Louis, Missouri assembly plant (VIN code S). It left the factory with the following options two-tone paint, rear spoiler and front air deflector, aluminum wheels, sport sideview mirrors, contoured bucket seats, dual rear speakers, rear window defogger, anti-theft audio alarm system and more. It was delivered to Midway Chevrolet, Inc. in Moundridge, Kansas, north-northwest of Wichita. The black (code 19) over silver (code 15) paint and red trim are in overall very good condition. That famous Coke bottle-shaped fiberglass bodywork is straight and solid, the cargo area behind the seats looks great and the body colored Endura bumpers still fit tightly. This 'Vette has the optional Gymkhana suspension package (code FE7), which provided a heavy-duty, 1 3/32" front sway bar with heavy-duty mounting hardware, special front springs and shock absorbers, seven-leaf leaf springs in the rear, special rear shocks and a 7/16" rear sway bar with heavy-duty mounting hardware. This car rolls on Goodyear GT radials, size 255/60R15 at every corner, and each tire is mounted to an original, factory aluminum wheel. The wheels and tires are all in good, original order. That year, the Corvette converted to metric tires with the P225/70R15 as standard. Wider P255/60R15 tires were available as an option and required fender trimming from the factory for clearance. Under the hood is Chevy's renowned 350 CID V-8 engine in L82 trim. A dual-snorkel cold-air intake combined with larger diameter and less restrictive exhausts yielded more power. For 1978, gone was the chrome-plated ignition shielding over the distributor, replaced with a metal-lined black plastic unit. L-82 engines were also fitted with an aluminum intake manifold that saved 24pounds compared to the cast iron unit of previous years. Backing that motor is a Turbo Hydramatic 350 three-speed automatic transmission with a low inertia, high stall torque convertor (code MX1) and a 3.55:1 rear end. Driver convenience features included air-conditioning, power steering, power four-wheel disc brakes, Cruisemaster cruise control, power windows, power locks, rear window defroster, mirror tint T-tops and tilt/telescopic steering column. Inside, a silver interior greets the driver. The special, lightweight, highback contoured leather sport bucket seats are in good shape, as is the matching silver carpet and slim headliner not covered by the T-tops. The factory three-spoke steering wheel original inner door panels, center console and shift lever all echo the condition of the rest of the interior. Fitted within the padded dashboard are redesigned tachometer and speedometer to match the new "aircraft-styled" center console and gauge cluster first seen in 1977. Longer description on our website...