Vehicle Description
In 1982, if you showed up in this Chevrolet Corvette, you were well
and truly 'The Man'. Even today they engender a great deal of
respect among the general public and with collectors. Representing
the end of the C3, this '82 Corvette is one of those nice clean
cars that works well, looks great, and doesn't ask much of its
owner. There's plenty of horsepower on tap and most folks still
recognize these as significant cars. Get in, turn the key, have
fun, that's what this 'Vette is all about.
The two-tone paint job emphasizes the sinister curves of the C3
cars better than any monotone paint job could, and the combination
doesn't look dated but rather clean and chiseled. That's the
original paint (as you might have expected with so few miles), and
the original workmanship is still factory-precise and presents like
a quality survivor; you won't be able to feel the line between the
two colors and because the stripe kit was replaced, it looks
fresher than you might expect. Is it perfect? Of course not, no car
with 76K original miles is, but it's obviously been incredibly
well-preserved and treated like a member of the family since new,
and the signs of use and age that are present are fairly minor when
you consider this car is about to turn 40. There's great gloss and
the end caps actually almost completely match, something GM never
quite mastered on the Corvette but did a great job of it here. As a
clean, unmolested car, all the panel gaps are factory correct and
it fits together in a way that no restoration could duplicate and
the trim on the hood emphasizes the cool shape that usually gets
lost on standard cars. Bottom line, there are signs of use and age
and even a few minor touch-ups here and there, but a weekend spent
buffing and waxing this car will restore some former glory and pay
big dividends at show time.
Light gray leather is a great way to travel in your vintage
Corvette, and the interior of this one is in excellent overall
shape. The power seats show a nice patina and a comfortable look,
and the only defects are a bit of discoloration, signs of use in
the high-traffic areas. The carpets are probably original and
showing some age, and although the black accents on the console and
dash show some nicks here and there, it's a far more modern look
than the faux woodgrain offered on so many of these cars in the
1980s. All Corvettes were loaded, and included things like A/C
(upgraded with modern R134a hardware), power windows, power locks,
power steering, and even a tilt wheel. This one also includes power
mirrors, glass T-tops, and a modern JVC AM/FM/AUX stereo, which is
a nice upgrade that makes it a lot more usable today. There's also
a good-sized cargo bay out back, and because the windows have been
tinted for quite some time it's in good shape overall.
The engine is the original L83 350 cubic inch V8, which sports
first year Cross-Fire fuel injection and making it the first
fuel-injected Corvette in 20 years. With a nice, round 200
horsepower on tap, it was among the most powerful cars you could
buy in 1982, and even today performance is impressive with great
torque available from very low speeds. The engine bay is tidy and
shows signs of regular maintenance, and you just can't miss the
unique dual air cleaners that were part of the Cross-Fire injection
system. 1982 Corvettes also received an all-new 700R4 4-speed
automatic overdrive transmission to boost fuel economy, and it
makes the car a fantastic high-speed cruiser. It's as original
underneath as it is under the hood, with no questionable
modifications or upgrades, and it has the perfect stance sitting on
those shiny slotted aluminum wheels and white-letter BFGoodrich T/A
radials.
This is an incredibly solid, well-maintained Corvette that isn't
ashamed to be from the '80s. Sure, it could be cleaned up for
competition, but if it were mine, I'd just drive and enjoy it.
Whatever you decide to do, this is a no-excuses car looking for a
road and some fun. Call today!
