Vehicle Description
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 mileage 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 Edelbrock carb
and intake (original parts come with the 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 24?pounds
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, high back 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.
Redesigned interior door panels were also new as well as an actual
glove box was added in front of the passenger seat, replacing the
map pockets of previous years. A shade was installed that could be
pulled forward to cover the rear compartment to protect cargo and
carpet against sunlight. Available options now included power door
locks, a tri-band power antenna, dual rear speakers and a CB
radio.?The optional convenience group included intermittent (delay)
wipers, floor mats and the passenger side vanity mirror were an
upgraded illuminated unit. Completing the interior is a factory
Delco AM/FM stereo with dual rear speakers and the aforementioned,
optional CB radio.
Nineteen seventy-eight was the Corvette's 25th anniversary, and all
'78s featured silver anniversary nose and fuel door emblems. A
new?fastback?rear window was the most dramatic and noticeable
styling change, giving the ten-year-old C3 Corvette?body style?a
fresh lease on life. The fuel tank capacity increased from 17 gal
to 24 gal on all cars. To make room for the larger tank, a smaller
(P195/80D15) space saver?spare tire?was utilized.
Six thousand, five hundred and one Indy-500 Pace car replica
editions were produced featuring Black/silver two-tone paint, front
and rear spoilers, mirror-tint roof panels and contoured sport
seats. Reviewers praised the car's classic strengths including its
impressive straight-line numbers, a 7.8?second 0-60 time and top
speed of 123?mph and noted its more refined ride.
Road & Track?took a 1978 L82 to 60?mph in just 6.6?seconds, 127?mph
flat out and covered the quarter mile in 15.3?seconds @ 95?mph.
Competition to this Corvette in 1978 included Datsun's 280Z,
Jaguar's XJ-S, Lotus' Esprit, Maserati's Merak, Mazda's
new-for-1978 RX-7, Mercedes-Benz's 450 SLC and Porsche's 928.
Fans of third-generation Corvettes, Chevy collectors, Indy Car
buffs or anyone wanting a solid late ...for more information please
contact the seller.
