1978 Chevrolet Corvette

Pace Car Other

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

1Z87L8S904738

Gasoline

My friend and I were returning from a day in the wine country and we started blasting thru small farm towns in my sports car. The towns were so small they didn't even have a stop sign much less a stop light. As we blasted out of yet another small village, we both spotted a familiar shape, faced each other, and shouted, "Pace Car!" As it turns out, I had seen this car advertised in the local want ads months before and my interest was once again piqued. A couple weeks later I tried in vain to find the pace car but to no avail. I had to use the phone and ring the gentleman at his residence. We made an appointment to meet the following sunday. Once I saw it, I was hooked and knew some sort of deal had to be struck so I could sit in the seat of this historic vehicle. Yes friends, it is indeed flashy and quite an attention getter. Back to the story... In the summer of 1980 the gentleman was tooling down the main blvd in City of Angels. He was on top of the world. His father had purchased him a brand new TransAm loaded with every option. He had spent the summer racing up and down the streets and showing off to his chums. As he drove by the Chevrolet dealership, this pace car caught his eye. It was high up on a rotating pedestal and the young man had to have it. He screeched into the dealer and traded straight across. That was 32 years ago. Fast forward to present day, the man had a family and was soon a grandfather. He hung on to the vette as a symbol of the machismo of youth but today at this very instant I would take the keys and never look back. He swore up and down that he had only driven this car 33,000 miles. They had gone to Arizona for a spell and tooled up towards Canada on an epic adventure. The vette had never let him down and truthfully, since I've owned it, it hasn't let me down one iota. My first cruise to the coffee shop had a mix of firemen and businessmen clustered around the pace car. One of them exclaimed, "I haven't seen on of these in 30 years!" Indeed they are an iconic collectible, rarely driven, always coveted. In fact, I have never seen one in this condition for this price in my lifetime of cars. The condition of this car could be described as a diamond in the rough because it is a little rough. The farm town on the outskirts of the wine country is hot and dry. The dashboard was the first to go. The steering wheel literally deteriorated in my hands. There is a dull spot on the middle of the hood. The T Top seals are dried out and cracked. The passenger side window is chipped a little and the windshield is cracked. The passenger T Top has a crack in it. The nose needs some sculpting. It has some paint damage there. The brakes were bled and a new caliper was put on the front right. However, the master cylinder will need to be replaced shortly. The hood latch cable is stretched and only locks down the driver's side. The man lost one of the rims in his travails. The carpet and interior will need a serious hand. It's all here and it's all original. I don't think much has been changed over the years. I'll tell you. This vette is a pleasure to drive. The engine roars in your ears and it's truly a seat of your pants ride. This car definitely feels like a 30K, 34 yr old sports car. It takes off with a satisfying rumble and roars up to 70 mph. The transmission downshifts like a tiger and there's no disappointments in the results of pressing the throttle. If you like attention, you'll be in car guy heaven. I know this isn't the hottest model corvette but the paint scheme is a hoot. You really can't beat all the care that was taken to make this a sharp ship. Just needs a new captain. Is it you?