Vehicle Description
1980 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
"You've got to give Corvette engineers credit for their staying
power. Year after year they come back from budget meetings with the
same old car and a whole new bunch of government regulations to
meet. This season brings the usual mix of good and bad news. The
L82 4-speed was gone for 1980, but there are a few nice touches to
make up for the loss. Goodyear finally discovered how to build a
fat tire that works; the new, fully integrated spoilers cut a
cleaner hole in the wind; and a significant number of pounds have
been spared from the chassis. So the old girl feels noticeably more
nimble than we left her last year." Some positive excerpts from Car
and Driver, May 1, 1980
For consignment, a 1980 Chevrolet Corvette with a stunning green on
Oyster white combination we rarely see, although exact combo
statistics are hard to cull from Chevrolet. That said, dark green
was the least common exterior color in 1980 with just 844 leaving
Bowling Green in this color. All other colors were well into the
thousands with 7,780 coming out white. This T-top car has a numbers
matching transmission.
Exterior
Two stage Dark Ivy Green Metallic now coats this car and sorry
British sports car fans, it looks darn good on this American two
seater. Aerodynamic spoilers were integrated into the body for 1980
and not only does it cut through air better, but it just looks darn
cool, giving the C3 a wider, lower looking stance, meaner and more
aggressive, like a vicious Sting Ray trolling the ocean floor. The
hidden headlights, raised hump on the hood, side vents, and
upturned tail are all part of the special profile that can be
mistaken for nothing else. Rising front fenders and a wide shoulder
line with flush door handles adds to the sumptuous flow of the car.
Yes...we're fans! Ginormous twin double exhaust tips exude from the
back and mimic the shape and layout of the Vette tail lights
between which Corvette is spelled out as lower case letters, just
in case you don't know what you're behind. Reflective T-tops sit on
high and are easily removed and stowed. The YJ8 wheels are polished
in this case and look great. The paint is also very good with a few
imperfections that include a scratch near a gap and another random
one. The lower front air dam is scraped and partially
dislodged.
Interior
Oysteris an off white and starts on the vinyl door panels that are
simple and based on an oyster carpeted footer. The two piece deep
bucket leather seats are in decent condition showing some patina
creases but no tears. Seat tops lean forward for access to the
cargo area which is overlaid with the oyster carpet in good
condition with some signs of use. Our steering wheel has a stitched
aftermarket cover and the oyster colored column leads to a simple
dual gauge pod with an 85 mph speedometer and a tachometer that
redlines at 5,000 rpms. Embedded in the textured oyster dashboard
is the center stack with a fighter jet array of gauges that include
a clock. Below them, a Kenwood AM/FM/CD/Aux/USB radio followed by
the climate controls in typical GM configuration. A manual shifter,
chrome-knobbed and booted in black leather, is housed in the center
console which wears a jacket of smooth black plastic, all in very
good condition. Oyster carpet is up front and is protected by
carpeted mats.
Drivetrain
For the mileage, this is a very clean engine bay under the hood
where we find the 350ci L48 V8 that is fueled by a 4-barrel
carburetor and rated at 190 horsepower. A numbers matching T10
4-speed manual transmission which sends power to the rear axle and
3.07 gears. Power disc brakes are standard on front and rear.
Undercarriage
Clean underneath with no surface rust, no invasive rust, no heavy
grease or road dirt build up. The only fluid we see is some blow
back on the right side and it appears residual as no active leak is
apparent. The dual exhaust joins at the cat, then splits again to
find stock style mufflers which deliver twin chrome tailpipes out
the back. Coil springs are up front for suspension and the rear is
Corvette's complex system of a frame mounted differential, tubular
axle drive shafts, transverse strut rods, torque control arms, and
transverse leaf springs.
Drive-Ability
By now, the C3 cockpit is a familiar place for us and that's not a
complaint! It's actually a cool place to sit and pilot a car with
that long nose ahead and legs outstretched. The 350 turns over and
rumbles under our seat and just like that, we're doing the loop!
Surefooted and agile, the 1980 might not be the quickest Vette in
their lineage, but that doesn't take away from the cool factor of
the car itself. The AC compressor cycles on and off but beyond
that, all other functions including lights, horn, radio, and gauges
work as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these
functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot
guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your
purchase.
A rare color, a numbers matching transmission, some service records
included, and an oyster interior. This Corvette has a lot going for
it and let's not forget about those removable T-tops! This car is
44 years old and looks good and we suspect this shape will look
good 44 years from now, in 2068, so with some continual TLC, you'll
have a show car for the foreseeable future.
1Z878AS438075
1-Chevrolet
Z-Corvette
87-Coupe
8-350ci V8 L48 4bbl 190hp
A-1980
S-St. Louis, MO Assy Plant
438075-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
J31-July 31st
TRIM 122-Oyster White Leather
PAINT 58L-Dark Green Metallic
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
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