Highly Sought After Edition - 3rd Off Assembly Line

1978 Silver Anniversary Corvette  A CODED CAR!! 

1978 was a big year for the Corvette: It was the marque's 25th Anniversary. As well. the Corvette was chosen to be the official pace car of the Indy 500. Chevrolet must have been very proud of its sports car. for all 78 Corvettes received special commemorative emblems.  

The 10-year-old third-generation body was subtly updated with a new fastback. a large wraparound back light. and a widened rear fender area. (This latter detail was discovered by customizers when they were busy converting '78 and newer coupes after convertible production ended in 1975. ) A 220 hp. 350 CID L-82 engine was made available. some with 4-speed transmissions. the rest with automatic.  

Buff magazines showed a 0-60 time of 7. 8 seconds with a top speed of 123 mph. while in a shoot-out on a test track in Ohio. the L-82 version was deemed “Fastest Car in America. with a 134 mph top speed and a 0-60 time of 6. 6 seconds

But the big news for collectors and enthusiasts alike was the addition of two limited-edition versions of the Corvette. Anniversary editions featured a “25th Anniversary Paint” B2Z option. It was a distinctive two-tone silver paint treatment with a silver-metallic upper body and a charcoal-silver lower body. (If you are chasing an Anniversary Edition make sure it's not a silver car where someone painted the lower body to resemble the real thing. )

Pin stripes accentuated the front-upper profiles. wheel openings. front fender vents. hood. and rear license plate cavity. Optional aluminum wheels and dual sport mirrors were required for the Anniversary package.  

The second Limited Edition (and much sought after) Corvette was the Pace Car Replica. which commemorated Corvettes being used as pace cars in the 62nd Indy 500.

The Pace Car Replica was decked out with a black upper body and silver-metallic lower body plus the alloy wheels and fat Goodyear tires worn by the Silver Anniversary model. It also came equipped with front and rear spoilers. The identifying “Pace Car” decals were supplied separately so the owner could apply them if desired. The decals were a bit overdone (in our humble opinion). which probably explains why there are genuine Pace Cars with the decals missing.  

Upholstery choices included a silver leather or silver leather/grey cloth combination. The seats were of a new design scheduled to be introduced in 1979. Standard equipment included power windows. electric rear window defroster. air conditioning. sport mirrors. and several other features which boosted the price of the Pace Car Replica to $4000 more than a base Corvette.

Because of its limited availability. new Pace Car Replicas fetched upwards of $28. 00 (the suggested list price was only $13. 53) almost immediately and a flood of fake Pace Car Replicas entered the market. The only clues to a real Pace Car Replica are the seats. which should resemble those of a 1979 Corvette. and the serial number. which should be between-900001-906502.  

While the 1978 Pace Cars and Silver Anniversaries captured most of the attention. Chevrolet also managed to sell plenty of normal ‘Vettes (base price $9. 52).

The interior also underwent a number of changes: The speedometer and tachometer were redone and took on a more rectangular profile. A glove box was added. New inner side-door panels with arm rests were introduced. The washer controls were moved to the instrument pane

So what will it cost you to own this classic? Although the “numbers matching” mania has finally begun to subside. correct. low-mileage cars always command the best prices. Thankfully the 1978 Corvette is not the kind of car big-money collectors are seeking because of the quantity still available. That gives the average buyer a chance to own a historically significant automobile that is affordable. yet has a stable value for years to come 

An average car should sell for $12. 00-$20. 00 with genuine Anniversary cars going for over $20. 00. Because Pace Cars are scarce. it is difficult to offer a guideline. Watch for bogus Anniversary and Pace Cars; the possibility exists that even the original owners were deceived by unscrupulous dealers or middlemen. If you're buying. check the numbers and consult with experts who can tell the difference between the genuine article and an attractive fake. This is a REAL coded all number match Anniversary L82!!! 

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

Ron Carboni investments is glad to offer this low mileage and COMPLETELY NUMBERS MATCHING 1978 Silver Anniversary Edition Corvette that is an excellent driver and priced to sell. The car is totally solid and rust free. It runs great and is a blast to drive. The Corvette is finished in the beautiful and highly desirable color combination of RPO B27 Silver Anniversary Two Tone over Red Leather interior. which is the correct and original color combination as verified by the codes on the trim tag. pictured below. Most Anniversary Edition Corvettes have Oyster interior. Red is much more rare. striking. and attractive in my opinion. On the engine pad. pictured below. is correctly stamped the last six digits of the VIN meaning this Corvette is numbers matching. This is an excellent opportunity to own a classic Corvette that is ready to be used and enjoyed at an unbeatable value. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price. The low mileage is supported not only by the condition of the car. but also the clear Ohio title. pictured below. that states the mileage as. "Actual. " Please peruse all of the photos. numbers. and ten minute video below to get a true sense of how original and correct this Corvette really is.  

PLEASE NOTICE that all 1978 Corvettes wore the "25th Anniversary" badge. However. only certain cars. such as this example. were the actual Silver Anniversary Editions with the Silver Anniversary regular production order (RPO). "B2Z. " This is verified by the trim tag that is pictured below showing the paint to be 13 for the bright silver upper sections and 07. which was only used in 1978 and only for the B27 Corvettes. on the darker lower portion.

Chevrolet marked Corvette's 25th Anniversary in 1978 with the most extensive redesign of the car since the introduction of the C3 body style in 1968. The new Corvette introduced a large fastback style rear window that drastically increased luggage space in the rear compartment behind the seats. The interior of the 1978 was also significantly redesigned. The speedometer and tachometer were redesigned in a more square and vertical mode. A glove box was added on the passenger side to replace the pocket. The door panels were also completely new and included screw on arm rests to replace the molded style that been the standard since 1965. 1978 Corvettes featured special 25th Anniversary emblems specific to that year.

As a side note. this Corvette is not a dealer auction vehicle. We hand pick each car after careful inspection. Our Corvettes come from owners who expect their car to go to someone that will give the vehicle the same care and attention as they did. We invite and encourage you to examine the car in person or have the car inspected. Please take the time to scrutinize each picture. We photograph each vehicle to the greatest extent so you can feel confident about your purchase. If you have a question about the Corvette. just give us a call.

NUMBERS

PLEASE NOTE when checking the numbers that not only do the correct stampings and casting numbers appear on the parts. but all of the dates are also chronologically correct.   This means that all of the parts were made and assembled in the correct order.   For example. all of the dates for the individual engine components and the engine casting date should obviously precede the assembly date of the engine because the parts had to be produced before they could be assembled.   All of the parts I checked follow this rule and are dated correctly.

VIN        

1Z87L8S417301   The first digit. "1. indicated the Chevrolet division of GM.   The "Z" is the series. Corvette.   The "87" is the body style. 2-door sport coupe.   The fifth digit is the engine. L. correct for an L48 car.   The sixth digit. "8. indicates the year. 1978.   The "S" is the plant where the car was produced. St. Louis.   The last five digits are a sequence number so this is the 17. 01st Corvette made in 1978. which places the car's build date in January of 1978.

BODY BUILD DATE                

E20   "E" corresponds to January. and the "20" is the twentieth day of the month meaning this Corvette's build date is January 20. 1978.

ENGINE CODE       

V0111   "V" means the engine was built in the Flint. MI plant.   The "01" is the first month of year and the "11" is the eleventh day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on January 11. 1978.

SUFFIX CODE         

CUT   This means the motor was intended for an L48 with an automatic transmission. which is correct for this car.

ENGINE VIN STAMPING       

417301   The last 6 digits of the car's VIN. 417301. are stamped on the engine pad meaning this engine is original to this car.  

ENGINE BLOCK CASTING NUMBER       

3970010   The engine block has the correct 3970010 casting number.

ENGINE BLOCK CASTING DATE             

A 10 8   "A" is January. "10" is the tenth day of the month. and "8" is 1978 so the engine block was cast on January 10. 1978.   Which is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.

CARBURETOR MAIN BODY     

17058204   The original carburetor has the correct stamping for a 350ci L48 Corvette.   The fourth digit. "5. means the carb was built in the 1976 - 1979 production run.   The fifth digit. "8. means it was built for the 1978 model year.   The six digits. "2. indicate that it is a 4BBL carb.   The seventh digit. "0. means it was built for the Chevrolet division of GM.   The last digit. "4. means it was intended for use in an automatic car such as this.

CARBURETOR DATE CODE     

2907   The first three digits. "290" indicate the 290th day of the year.   The last digit. "7" is the year it was produced. 1977.   So the carb was stamped on October 17. 1977.

DRIVER WINDOW   

CG   "C" denotes November and "G" denotes 1977 meaning the driver's side window was made in November of 1977.

PASSENGER WINDOW          

UG   "U" denotes July and "G" denotes 1977 meaning the passenger's side window was made in July of 1977.

REAR WINDOW     

VG   "V" denotes December and "G" denotes 1977 meaning the rear window was made in December of 1977.

 *All information obtained from Alan L. Colvin's Corvette by the Numbers and Mike Antonick's Corvette 

EXTERIOR

The Two Tone Silver (13) and Charcoal (07) exterior is in good driver condition. As one can see in the photos. the paint has a nice gloss. deep shine. and smooth finish. Often Corvettes will have particularly chipped up front ends. this car does not. There are no major scratches or scrapes. There are some small blemishes but nothing that is really noticeable from five or ten feet away.  The previous owner recently had the original rims refinished so YJ8 aluminum slotted wheels are amazing shape with a brilliant finish and no curb rash. THERE ARE NO RUST ISSUES WITH THIS CAR!!!!!! as one can see in the photos of the underside. The frame is totally solid around the "key hole" area in front of the rear tire and there are no signs of corrosion around the windshield. which are the 2 most notorious areas for rust on a Corvette of this era.

WINDOW DATE CODES 

Please note that side glass and rear window on this Corvette are date coded and original as each piece predates the car's body build date of January 20. 1978 (E20). Original glass is a good indication that this car has had no major accident history and never sustained significant damage.

The Corvette looks just as good in person as it does in the photos

INTERIOR 

The Red Leather interior of the Corvette is in good condition for being all original. The seats look in person just as they do in the photos with some usual wear on the driver's side in the typical area. Please note that these are the touched up original seats. not some cheap aftermarket replacements or covers. The carpet is in great condition with no notable stains. rips. or holes. This includes the rear carpet with is often neglected. The door panels are in okay shape overall. but there are two small tears in the right door panel. which are visible in the photos. Unlike many Corvettes of this age. the door panels actually fit well and tight to the door. The console is in good condition with no cracks. sun damage. or fading. The rear cargo cover operates properly and has no rips or tears. There is one crack in the dash. which is visible in the photos and video. This car has not been smoked in and there is no aroma whatsoever. The original pedal pads are not excessively worn and. as one can see from the pictures. show normal wear for a car with this mileage. The original jack and jack handle are present with the car and stowed correctly. which is pictured below along with the original jack decal on the compartment lid. The T-top storage bags are also included with the car. Corvette interiors are not known to wear well and the good condition of this original interior is a testament to the meticulous care this car has received throughout its life.

The interior looks just as good in person as it does in the photos.

MECHANICAL

This car was just serviced by Chevrolet with complete tune up. changed all fluids and valve cover gaskets using all AC Delco parts and seems to be in overall good mechanical condition. The car starts right away every time. runs well. and idles well. The car drives well and is relatively tight on the road and at highway speeds with no vibrations. The transmission shifts smoothly. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. This Corvette has plenty of power and is pretty fast. When started cold the car initially goes into high idle as it should and after a couple minutes properly goes into normal low idle.  Also. the engine compartment is beautifully clean and detailed as one can see in the photos. The horn works as do all the exterior lights. all gauges (even the clock runs). turn signals. wipers. and blower for the heater and a/c on all speeds. The radio works well and even the power antenna works correctly. which is a very common problem on this era Corvette. The vacuum system for the headlights works from both the headlight switch and the vacuum override switch. but occasionally the left light needs a hand up. The a/c is functional and the compress clicks on properly.  There are some items on the car that do not work such as the cruise control. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car. especially with T-tops out on a beautiful day.

OVERALL CONDITION 

Overall. this 1978 Corvette is in great condition and would make an excellent driver. Special and Anniversary Edition Corvettes always draw a premium over their standard Corvette counterparts. MATCHING NUMBERS IS VERY IMPORTANT in Corvette pricing and as one can see this car is very correct. The prices of C3 Corvettes have increased drastically over the past years. This is especially true with the Silver Anniversary Editions in our experience. These cars have been catching up to the '78 Pace Cars in value and many people. me included. prefer the Anniversary Edition over the Pace Car. This Corvette always gets a ton of attention driving down the road. It is very apparent that the vehicle has been well taken care of by its previous owner. The Silver Anniversary Edition Corvettes are secure and wise investments for a collector. One could easily enjoy this vehicle for several years and sell it for more than the purchase price with minimal effort.

Thank you for looking and please do not hesitate to email or call with any questions.

Must see video!! Click on link below!

http://youtu. be/J5wg9CusOv0

WILL SHIP ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!!

Also published at eBay.com

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