….Please call Matt directly at 513-708-1468 with any questions about this car. Seven Hills Motorcars is very proud to offer this original 1978 Corvette Pace Car Edition in...
….
Please call Matt directly at 513-708-1468 with any questions about this car.
Seven Hills Motorcars is very proud to offer this original 1978 Corvette Pace Car Edition in beautiful condition. The car has nice lines and is totally solid with no rust issues. This Corvette looks great, runs well, and is an awesome driver. The Corvette is finished in the beautiful and highly desirable color combination of Black (19) over Silver (47) with Pace Car Silver (152) interior. This is the correct and original color scheme as verified by the codes on the trim tag pictured in this ad. The Pace Car and special edition Corvettes draw a great premium over their standard Corvette counterparts.
Beside the Pace Car package this Corvette is loaded with highly desirable options such as glass roof panels, YJ8 aluminum wheels with the correct red stripe for a Pace Car, power steering, tilt/telescopic steering column, D80 front and rear spoilers, and much more. This is an excellent opportunity to own a very rare and 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 in years to come as the market on C3 Corvettes is very hot right now and on the rise, especially for the Pace Car Editions and well optioned examples like this car. The low mileage is verified as original by not only the condition of the car, but also the clear Ohio title pictured in this ad that shows the mileage as “Actual.” Please peruse all of the photos, video, and other information in this ad to get a true sense of how nice and clean this Corvette really is.
This Corvette is verified as an original authentic Pace Car Edition by the special VIN sequence, separate from normal Corvettes of the year. The difference is in the eighth digit of the VIN. Only Pace Cars have a "9" in that position while all other Corvettes have a "4." The car is also verified as a real Pace Car by the trim tag, pictured in this ad, showing the correct 2-tone paint and Pace Car specific interior codes.
As a side note, this Pace Car Edition 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.
Model Description
1978 was a very special year for the third generation Corvette. It not only marked the 25th anniversary for the model, but also the first time that a Corvette made laps at the Indy 500 as an official pace car. 1978 saw the most extensive redesign of the car since the body style was introduced. The new design featured "fastback" rear end styling with a large rear window that drastically increased luggage space. The updates also included a newly designed interior with all new gauges, the addition of an actual glove box, and all new door panels.
To celebrate the Indy 500 Chevrolet built a series of pace car replicas. Chevrolet was extremely proud of the fact that as a pace car the Corvette was the first car to use a completely stock drive train, the first to be built from a one piece fiberglass body and the only pure two seater since before World War II. These pace car replicas had their own Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), separate from the standard Corvette, another first for Corvette. As well as having their own identification, the pace car replicas had their own paint scheme which consisted of a two tone paint with a red stripe and optional decals. The extremely high demand for the pace car continually increased the quantity produced and in the end Chevrolet decided to build one for every Corvette dealer, a total of 6,502.
Exterior
The two-tone black and silver exterior is in excellent driver condition. As one can see in the photos, the paint has a great gloss, deep shine, and smooth finish. Often Corvettes will have particularly chipped up front ends, this car does not and even the original low front spoiler is in good shape as one can see in the photos. Both doors open and shut nicely. The factory Pace Car Edition aluminum wheels are in nice condition with a brilliant finish and no major curb rash. The Goodyear Eagle GTII tires have plenty of tread left and are correctly sized 255/60R15. There are no major blemishes that have been intentionally excluded from the photos. There some tiny bumps and small imperfections around the car that were too faint to show up in the photos, but nothing that is very noticeable from five or ten feet away. As one can see in the many photos of the underside of the car, it is very clean and this Corvette has absolutely NO RUST ISSUES. The frame is totally solid with no rust around the "key hole" area in front of the rear tire and I have seen no evidence of corrosion around the windshield, which are the two most notorious spots for rust on a C3 Corvette. We have included specific photos of the areas most prone to rust to show how nice this car looks.
Window Date Codes
Windshield – XJ – The “X” indicates February and the “J” indicates 1978 so this window is original, made in February of 1978.
Driver's Window – LJ – The “L” indicates March and the “J” indicates 1978 so this window is original, made in February of 1978.
Passenger Window – XJ – The “X” indicates February and the “J” indicates 1978 so this window is original, made in February of 1978.
Rear Window – XJ – The “X” indicates February and the “J” indicates 1978 so this window is original, made in February of 1978.
Please note that ALL of the windows on this Corvette, the rear window, both side glass windows, and even the windshield are all date coded and original as each piece predates the car's body build date of April 4, 1978 (H04). Original glass is a good indication that this car has had no major accident history and never sustained significant damage.
Interior
The special Silver interior of the Corvette, which was an exclusive color for the Pace Car Edition, is in wonderful condition. The seats look just as good in person as they do in the photos with just a small amount of wear in the typical spot at the base of the bolster where the driver gets in and out. The gauge faces are crisp and clean and the lenses are clear. The carpet is also in great condition with no stains, rips, or holes. This includes the rear carpet which is often neglected. The door panels are in great shape overall. The door pulls are solid and intact. The dash has been capped and looks great with no cracks, fading, or sun damage. The jack and jack handle are still with the car, stored correctly behind the passenger seat. The spare is still with the car. The right seat belt does not retract properly. This Pace Car has never been smoked in; there are no burns marks and no aroma of cigarettes at all.
Corvette interiors from this era are not known to wear well and the excellent condition of this interior is a huge testament to the meticulous care and attention this car has received throughout its life and another great verification of the very low original mileage.
Mechanical
This Pace Car Corvette seems to be in good mechanical condition. The car starts right away every time, runs well, and idles smooth. It drives great on the road and at highway speeds. In the video below one can observe the car accelerating on the highway up to about 70mph, shifting through all the gears, braking to stoplight, and going through some curves. Please note that there are no strange noises or vibrations and the car performs quite well overall. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. The transmission shifts smooth throughout the power band. This Corvette has plenty of power and is quite fast. The gauge shows that the engine makes great oil pressure. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully clean, detailed, and correct as one can see in the photos with the correct. The car still has its original air cleaner, valve covers, and catalytic converter.
The radio works as do all the exterior lights, interior lights, dash lights, indicators, horn, rear window defogger, power windows, and power antenna. The blower for the heater and a/c works on all speeds. The vacuum system for the headlights works correctly. The headlights go up quickly, evenly, and with no effort or binding in the mechanism. Also, the headlights go up properly with either the headlight switch or vacuum override switch under the dash. There complete operation form both switches can be viewed in the video. All of the gauges work with the obvious exception of the clock. The power locks and a/c do not work. The steering feels kind of tight at full lock. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car, especially with the T-tops out on a beautiful day.
Overall Condition
Overall, this 1978 Corvette is in fantastic driver condition. The Pace Car Edition is probably the most collectible Corvette out of the entire late third generation. Special edition model Corvettes always draw a premium over their standard counterparts and this is especially true with the Pace Car. The originality, rarity, very low original mileage, and the great price make this Corvette especially important and difficult to duplicate. 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 owners. The prices of C3 Corvettes have increased drastically over the past years. They 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.
exterior color codes
19
Black (Upper)
47
Silver (Lower)
interior color code
152
Silver Leather
rpo code
description
1YZ87/78
Limited Edition Corvette Pace Car
A31
Power Windows
A51
Bucket Seat
AU3
Power Locks
CC1
Removeable Glass Roof Panels
C49
Rear Window Defogger
C60
Air Conditioning
DL6
Pace Car Decals
D35
Sport Mirrors
D75
Air Deflextor
D80
Spoilers Front and Rear
D84
Two-Tone Paint
D88
Sport Stripe
K30
Cruise Control
L82
High Performance 350ci V8 Engine
MX1
Automatic Transmission
NA5
Standard Emissions
N37
Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column
QBS
255/60R15 White Letter Tires
U26
Engine Compartment Lamp
U75
Power Antenna
U58
AM-FM Radio, Stereo
U81
Dual Rear Speaker
VK3
License Plate Mount
YJ8
Aluminum Wheels
Z78
Limited Edition Corvette