Vehicle Description
This 1978 Chevrolet Corvette 25th Anniversary model helped GM
celebrate in a big way. With distinctive two-tone paint, a
beautiful blacked-out interior, and a smooth-running 350 V8 under
the hood, it's a great entry-level 'Vette that will get you into
all the big events and put a smile on your face every time you
crack the throttle.
1978 was the first year of the fastback styling, and combined with
the two-tone paint, the results are a homerun. Wearing a slick,
top-driver quality paint job with great depth and shine, this
Anniversary 'Vette is perhaps the most handsome American car built
that year. More understated than the pace cars, but emphasizing the
bulging fenders, there was no doubt that this was a
high-performance machine. Decades spent in the warm southern US
means that it hasn't had to contend with the elements, and this is
a car that gets attention simply because of what it is. Sure, it's
not a trailer-queen, and the discerning eye might find a little
light orange peel to complain about on the hood, but there's really
nothing else that could be listed as a real flaw and the curb
appeal is undeniable. For all that drama and styling, the price is
certainly right, and if you don't mind a car that looks like it's
got stories to tell, this is a great place to start your Corvette
adventure.
Most of these 1978 two-tone beauties got Oyster or Silver
upholstery inside, but in our opinion black is the perfect
complement to the exterior Anniversary livery. Wearing clean seat
covers, the buckets are supportive and comfortable, and the
contrast between the dark upholstery and two-tone paint is
extremely appealing. The door panels, carpets, and dash pad are
also in great shape with few signs of use, even on the plush
carpets below, which are protected with Corvette vinyl floor mats.
Loaded with options including A/C with an R134a conversion, power
windows, and a tilt/telescope column, it's as comfortable as any
car you can buy today but infinitely more stylish. The
leather-wrapped steering wheel feels great in your hands, and the
two sculpted buckets are split by a factory center console that
houses the shifter for the automatic transmission below. An
upgraded Blaupunkt AM/FM/CD head unit replaces the original, which
probably included an 8-track, and it was neatly installed with no
hacking or cutting, and the gauges in front of the driver and in
the center stack look so good they could easily be NOS
replacements. T-tops mean open-air cruising is just a few seconds
away, and out back the cargo bay is protected by tinted hatch glass
and has just enough room for an overnight bag or two.
A smooth-running, responsive 350 cubic inch V8 is still under the
hood, and in just about every way it looks like it did in 1978.
With a chrome open-air cleaner up top and blue engine enamel on the
valve covers and actual block, it looks like it's supposed to, and
you don't get an engine bay that clean without years of continued
service. There's still a 4-barrel carburetor atop a stock intake
that feeds the engine, and with plenty of chrome dress-up and newer
and hoses and belts throughout, it's ready to be shown off. It's
quite clean, with conscientious maintenance and no radical mods to
ensure reliability. Underneath, there's a TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission, plus a set of highway friendly gears in the original
rear end that make it a comfortable cruiser. The exhaust system
still features a catalytic converter, which is rare to see, and
even with the stock setup it sounds great. The undercarriage is
very clean even though it's unrestored, suggesting a car that has
not seen much in the way of inclement weather. The original
machined aluminum wheels wear 245/60/15 Cooper Cobra white-letter
performance radials that really stuff the fenders and finish off
the look.
Distinctive Corvettes don't have to be expensive and this '78
Anniversary model is a great way to get into the Corvette hobby for
not a lot of money. Call today!
