This is a nice 1978 Indy 500 Pace Car limited edition Corvette. It looks great, runs great, and is a conversation starter just about anyplace you park. The interior is very nice. The seats are not worn and are actually comfortable. It still has the retractable cargo shade that unrolls like a window shade in the back. Power windows, air conditioning, tilt/telescopic steering wheel are all working. It still has the factory AM/FM 8-track radio which works. The power antenna is not working but strong radio stations are still picked up without an issue. The car has a new engine from Blueprint engines with around 25 months or 49,000 miles left on the transferable warranty. Before any purists shoot me, the car did not have the original motor in it when I purchased it. I do not have the original motor. I'm actually okay with that because now it has a new, under warranty engine, that runs great, sounds great, and was dyno'd at Blueprint to put out 365hp instead of the factory 165hp. This car now has the horsepower that a 350 engine should have. Blueprint engine BP3501CTC1 if anyone wants the specific model. When the engine was replaced, I had a more efficient aluminum radiator put in and had the clutch replaced. It was working fine but that was the time to do it. I also had the shifter rebuilt as it had some play in it. The car shifts very smoothly and the clutch is easy to work. It was originally a 4-speed L48 which appears to be a rarer combination. Everything I have read indicates that Chevy does not have the production numbers anymore from back then. The only reference I could find was a December, 1978 edition of Vette Vues Magazine. I included a scan of page 15 from that edition and while they cannot certify the data to be 100% accurate, they did say the data came from Chevrolet. Based on the data, there were only 70 L48 engine, 4 speed limited edition Corvettes produced. This Corvette is identified as an original authentic Pace Car Edition by the special VIN sequence introduced in 1978 for Corvettes. Only Pace Cars have a "9" in the eighth digit of the VIN. All other Corvettes have a "4." Headlight doors work smoothly. Pull the headlight switch out for the actual lights and then pull the vacuum override switch to open the doors. Gauges are all working. The speedometer and tachometer needles are steady, not bouncy like you might see on some older cars. The speedometer does read about 30% high. When it says you are going 65, you are really going 45. It needs to be recalibrated but that means removing it from the dash which means not driving the car during that time and I enjoy driving it. It's a minor thing to me and just second nature anymore to convert what it shows to my actual speed. The North Carolina title is clear and clean. Some people might notice the Indiana license plate. North Carolina, like many States, allows an owner to put an older plate on their car as long as the car has a current registration and plate. I wanted a 1978 license plate to go with the car. This plate is even better suited as the first 2 numbers are "49". In Indiana, "49" denotes Marion County whichis where the Indy 500 is held so I now have a license plate from the year and county of the Indy 500. Tires are in very good condition. One of the pictures of the front will show minor cracking in the paint on the bumper. It's nothing serious but I want to make sure I mention everything about the car that Iam aware of. I do have a shop manual and assembly manual to go along with the car. Other than the transferable warranty on the engine, there is no warranty with the car. Please ask any questions. I have tried to be overly descriptive but as anyone will tell you, it is a used, 41 year old car. If you decide to have the car shipped versus coming to see it and drive it back, the shipping will be paid by the buyer. I drive the car 4 or 5 days a week since it runs so nicely so the mileage will be going up slightly. Mileage on odometer is 21,400. The odometers in older cars only have 5 digits. There is no way to determine if the odometer rolled over. In other words, it could be 21k, 121k, or 221k. However, based on the good condition of the car, I think it is either 21k or 121k and not 221k. The new engine only has 1,000 miles on it. |