1978 Chevrolet Corvette

Indy 500 Pace car Coupe

L82 350 4 bbl

Automatic

1Z8748S900873

Clear

This is a fully documented, NUMBERS MATCHING 1978 Corvette Indy 500 Pace car (there are many copies out there but this car is documented ORIGINAL Pace Car) optioned with the desirable L82 engine (350 CID 4-Barrel / 220 HP). Only 6,502 Pace cars were built (one for each Chevrolet dealer in the U.S.). Only approximately 20% (1,300) came optioned with the larger displacement L82 motor making these the most rare and desirable. Go to the Hemmings Motor News site and search for the Pace Car Buyer's Guide (May, 2012). This gives you a great history of this iconic car and under the engine section states: "Without question, the L82 is the more desirable of the two engine options!". This also greatly effects investment value and future appreciation. Speaking of investment value, history and documentation are crucial, especially with Corvettes. This car comes complete with the very rare ORIGINAL WINDOW STICKER, ORIG Owner's Manual, ORIG Warranty card info with the dealer and signatures matching the ORIG Owner info and VIN #'s, ORIG wheel care instructions, ORIG battery care info and the very rare ORIG cardboard visor slide that explained how to adjust the sport mirrors, operate the turn signals / headlight dimmer lever and the ignition key removal. You never see these still with the car 37 years later! Also included are the ORIG owners LEASE agreement which is also very interesting as how many people leased cars back in 1978 - Much less a Corvette Pace car - for $468 / month! Multiple documents included showing this owner history. VIN# is 1Z8748S900873. It decodes as follows: The "Z" = Corvette, "87" designates Coupe, the "4" = L82 motor option, the "8" = 1978, the "S" = St. Louis assembly plant and the "9" = PACE CAR (a regular non Pace car Vette would have a "4" here). The "00873" is the production # so this is the 873'rd Pace car built out of the 6,502 total built so it is an early production #. The car has 64,432 original miles. It was only driven 6,300 miles in it's 1st year of ownership and only has had 2,000 miles over the last 10 years. The car has: A/C, PS, PB, PW, PL, Polished ALLOY wheels - these cars were fully optioned from the factory. Additional options added by the buyer were Cruise Control and the L82 engine which was a hefty $525 up charge. The GOOD: New tires, New Brakes including Master cylinder, New Radiator, New Battery with warranty, New Urethane Bushings underneath with all receipts. Car has been thoroughly gone over mechanically and all fluids flushed and replaced. New plugs, oil change and filter, rear end and transmission fluids checked, timing adjusted, brakes bled and adjusted,etc. Car runs great, shifts smoothly through all gears, has none of the normal creaks and groans (can go over a speed bump and not hear a rattle or sound of any kind) - very tight. Power steering is effortless. Rear end is silent / no noise , roar or popping as some older Vettes have . The courtesy lights work, the power windows work great, power locks work perfect, tilt and telescoping wheel works smoothly as it should, gauges all work,etc. The glass is EXCELLENT all around. Windshield is clear. The T-Tops are the M1131 coded originals and the most desirable "blue glass" versions with no cracks or scratches. These were often broken by leaning them on a wall,etc. Comes with the original T-Top protective covers as well. I had the car inspected and put up on a rack (see pictures) before I acquired it. No history of any wrecks or frame damage of any kind. Body seams are great and all body line gaps are as they should be. Doors close with a solid easy click and have no hinge noise or creaks at all. The dash has no cracks, the steering wheel looks fantastic (see picture). Look at other cars and you will see the leather cracked and discolored. Many will have "covers" to hide this. This one is perfect. Console is good, door panels are good, carpet is in great shape for it's age. There is a wear spot under the driver's heel but this is covered by the mats so goes unseen. A full new OEM type carpet set for a Pace Car (full 13 piece set that is EVERY piece including the back tray,etc. can be obtained for $285. I can get you the info. The Alloy wheels are in GREAT shape and polish to a high shine. New tires also! The engine compartment looks great. Very clean and tidy - This tells you a lot about the rest of the car. The BAD: A/C does not work. The radio does not work (the rear speakers were removed so it may just need speakers). It has an aftermarket radio but nothing was cut so an original could be put back if desired and they are easy to find on EBay for about $125 or a Custom Auto Sound new radio with -Ipod,etc. can be done for about $225 made to fit in the original space with Corvette logos,etc.. The headlights do work but don't lift. I had a Vette specialist look at it and he tested the vacuum lines which is the normal culprit. He had strong vacuum and the lights popped up at each test till he got to the switch at the dash. This is a $38 part from Corvette America but I never got around to doing this. They are easy to close manually and can be lifted easily with a ruler- they just need a little help. The car has been painted and the body looks very good with great gloss, no side dings,etc. You can see this from the pictures. The two areas that need attention are the typical trouble areas (the rubber nose and tail sections). The nose shows some crazing or spider webbing at the tip and around the tail lights the paint has been touched up poorly. (see pictures). I took the car to American Corvette in Powder Springs, GA who specializes in C3 Corvettes and got a quote to repaint the nose and tail. The quote broke down as follows: $200 labor to remove the front and rear bumper sections, $300 to soda blast and prep for painting, $600 to prime and paint in the correct two tone as original, Total for the job = $1.100 which is all the paint needs. I thought this was very reasonable. The driver's seat has a tear in the bolster (see picture) and the seam is just beginning to separate. Passenger seat also has a seam just beginning to pull away but not really noticeable yet. The foam is excellent and the problem area could have a new panel sewn in and dyed to match. It is definitely not a perfect car but is a very solid HONEST car, never wrecked, great mechanically, very tight with none of the normal squeaks and groans many of these have, new tires and brakes, battery, and radiator. The paint looks very good (other than the above mentioned areas on the nose / tail) Cranks immediately with a turn of the key and idles great. Has a "hot rod" kind of lope to the motor that is awesome. The side pipes were added by the previous owner and although not factory authentic are very CORVETTE and look good (and sound good - not loud but throaty). The good news is that the original side moldings are still in place and nothing was modified so the side pipes can easily be removed and straight original exhaust run if desired. These cars are rising in value. Look the value up on the Hagerty Classic Car Value guide - Average Pace Car value is $22,500. The lowest value (condition 4) is $13,100 and that is a car in much worse shape than this car, not an L82,etc. The NADA guide shows a LOW retail at $14,350. Both guides show the values rising. The Pace Car will outperform the other Vettes of the 'late '70's in appreciation and collectibility due both to the limited #'s made (especially the rarer L82 version) and the iconic color combination that many feel is the best looking ever on a Corvette. Arranging transport of the car is the responsibility of the winning bidder but I will be glad to assist in any way I can. The car can be picked up in Atlanta and I could also arrange to have the car delivered in a 150 mile radius. I would be glad to show the car to anyone who can come out. I am located in the Suwanee / Johns Creek area about 30 minutes north of Atlanta just off of I-85. Feel free to call, text or e-mail with any questions. I am a private individual - not a dealer. Bret Baker - (678) 735-0154