Vehicle Description
As a somewhat limited production car, at 6,502 having been
produced, this one takes that to another level, as we don't think
there are many out there with the specs that this car has. It seems
that there are always a few 1978 Indy 500 Pace Car Edition
Corvettes on the market at any given time, many of which are very
low mileage examples. While this particular example looks as though
it's one of the many bone stock, low mileage Pace Cars on the
market, some tasteful modifications have been made to the car. This
car has been in the same family since 1980, and has the original
paint and bodywork, along with an original build sheet. The car has
been well kept and admired since the family purchased it. The car
you see here is a 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car
finished in the black and silver Pace Car livery over a gray
interior. The mechanical odometer shows approximately 20,341
miles.
Since most Corvette connoisseurs are well aware of the exterior
styling and interior looks of the '78 Indy Pace Car Corvette, we
will first tell you about the modifications completed to this car.
A 6.0 Liter LS2 has been neatly installed under the hood. Many
folks wouldn't take a second look at the engine bay, as the engine
itself is not all dressed up with chrome or decals. The car
originally had a carbureted 350ci V8, which at the time that the
car rolled off the showroom floor, had approximately 220
horsepower. The LS2 engines were used in the Chevrolet SSR, Pontiac
GTO, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Trailblazer SS, and of course the C6
Chevrolet Corvette. The horsepower ranged from 390 to 400
horsepower depending on the application.
Any proper engine swap, especially one in which power is greater,
has the ancillary parts upgraded as well. Fortunately in this case,
the brakes, suspension, and even the transmission have been
upgraded providing greater stopping power, better handling, and
power delivery. The engine management comes in the form of a Holley
Sniper EFI system with the Holley throttle body being the dead
giveaway when peering into the engine bay. Smooth power is on tap,
and in a car as small and light as this one in comparison to the C6
Generation Corvette, this car can really rip.
Setting the car apart from other Corvettes of the era is the two
tone paint job, and obligatory Indianapolis 500 decals on the doors
and rear quarter panels. The car is comprised of a combination of a
numbers matching body and chassis. The paint itself does show age
with chips and light scratches visible, however the body panels
line up as they should and the trim is in great condition. The
alloy wheels on the car are in beautiful condition, and are wrapped
in white letter BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires.
A close look at the interior makes it apparent that the car has
spent quite a lot of time just sitting. The interior is in very
nice condition, with the dashboard being free of cracks, and the
trim showing very well. Those who know Corvettes of this era should
not be too surprised that there are spots of discoloration in the
carpeting, the combination of thick pile, light color, and age make
it a tricky thing to keep looking brand new. Otherwise the interior
looks very similar to the way it left the factory. Large instrument
cluster, Delco radio, three spoke steering wheel, tilt steering
column, and the center-of-dashboard-mounted auxiliary gauges are
other interior highlights.
This is a car that is unique, and may even be one of a kind, thanks
to being a limited edition that has been tastefully modified. A car
that has classic, original looks with a nice boost of power sounds
like a fun car to us! Please call if interested or e-mail with
specific questions. Thanks for looking.