Vehicle Description
1979 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
"Here it is again folks, the new Corvette, back for the eleventh
encore of its 1968 act. The well known routine is still playing to
sellout crowds, lined up around the block waiting for the curtain.
Look behind the smiling faces in the crowd and you'll find guys
that made it big in the cement business. They're dumping year old
Grands Prix for Corvettes so they can live out high school dreams
before their hairlines go over the horizon. And women are making up
a solid 15 percent share of the audience at last count. Freshly
liberated ladies who try the pick up ritual from the driver's seat
of a Corvette find it not so demeaning after all." Car and Driver,
Dec 1978
For consignment, a 1979 Chevrolet Corvette coupe showing 84,156
miles, but the true miles are unknown. Owned by our consignor for
12 years, this Vette sports a numbers matching drivetrain and a
black over doeskin leather configuration that is a favored mix.
Exterior
Single stage black paint is doing its best to hold on to a shine
and it's doing a great job, but not without some flaws. The typical
feature here, the coke bottle body, the long, pointed shark nose,
and quad tail light configuration are enhanced by some custom
touches that set this car, produced in greater numbers than any
previous Vette, apart from others. A decal with that creates a 3
dimensional illusion fills the fender vents and looks like a
straked filler, a large rear spoiler creates a ducktail profile,
and under it, vintage Monza style exhaust twin tips escape in
upturned aggression out the back. T-tops rise above and 15-inch
Chevrolet Rally wheels are right at home wrapped in 255/60R15
tires. Imperfections include some orange peel, slightly misaligned
decals, lots of peeling paint, cracking paint, scuffs, scratches,
flex cracks, faded emblems, and bubbling in the paint.
Interior
Light Doeskin and beige begins on the door panels where a carpeted
bottom absorbs some of the wear even as the vinyl and plastic
uppers are in good condition though showing some age. The doeskin
leather bucket seats are robust and sporty, but also show age
mostly evident via discoloration and wrinkles and worn paint from
the shell. The three spoke steering wheelleads to a dual gauge pod
with tach and speedometer in a black faceplate and behind
plexiglass and the surrounding beige dashboard is in nice shape.
The center stack is the nerve center with four gauges and a clock
in a jet-like layout while a Sanyo AM/FM/Cassette player is perched
just below. Covering the transmission hump is the center console
with wood applique is a 4-speed shifter with some patina, and the
A/C panel in typical late 70's style. Varying tan carpet covers the
rest of the hump, the floor, and the rear cargo area in decent
condition and rubber Corvette branded mats fill the footwells.
Drivetrain
Under the hood is a driver quality, numbers matching 350ci L48 V8
topped by a 4-barrel carburetor and rated at 195 horsepower. It's
mated to its numbers matching T10 4-speed manual transmission which
sends power to 3.36 gears outback where Positraction is supplied.
Power disc brakes are employed front and back.
Undercarriage
Driver quality underneath with its fair share of surface rust,
residual oil on the pan, and a coating of oil on steering
components and underside of engine. There's also grease build up on
the knuckles and surrounding area. A single exhaust splits into two
tailpipes with no mufflers on board. Independent front suspension
softened by coil springs while the rear has a multi link
independent suspension with tubular axle drive shafts, transverse
strut rods, torque control arms and transverse leaf springs.
Drive-Ability
It's hard not to like the vintage cockpit of a 1979 Corvette, or
any Corvette for that matter! Designers hit the nail on the head
with seating position and the race car inspired environment. Kids
and kids at heart will immediately exclaim "Vroom vroom!" once they
take a seat. But we're professionals, so it is said under our
breath. The 350 fires up with a mighty roar and we row this black
Vette out, noticing right away that the shifter is sloppy. But she
handles well, tracks straight, and 195 horsepower at 12" off the
ground feels like a lot more. We note the power windows don't work
nor do the power locks, especially with the switch missing from the
passenger side, the A/C does not work and neither does the clock.
Beyond those things, all operational items work as they should.
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.
Here's a driver with good bones if you want to take it to the next
level. Why would you? Because it's an uncommon numbers matching
example and that holds a lot of weight in the collector world. That
said, it could also serve well as a drivable classic car that will
still turn heads regardless of its bruises. The shape and style of
this car will look good 100 years from now, but you don't have to
wait that long to find out!
1Z8789S438033
1-Chevrolet
Z-Corvette
87-Coupe
8-350ci 4bbl L48 V8 195hp
9-1979
S-St. Louis, MO Assy Plant
438033-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
K04-June 4th
TRIM 592-Light Doeskin Leather
PAINT 19L-Black
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.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
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
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
