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46 years old
1Z876AS435278

VIN 1Z8748S433825






















   
Car Year: 1978
Car's approximate birthday: July 7, 1978
 
Owner: Best of Show Automotive
City: Mentor
State: Ohio
Country: United States
 
Purchase date: Undefined
Status: Current Owner
 
Nickname: Added to Registry 01/21/2010
State: Not Restored
 
Exterior: 13/07 Silver Anniversary (32.67%)
Interior: 15C Silver (Cloth)
Wheels: Alloy (46.57%)
 
Delivery Dealer Zone: Unknown
Delivery Dealer Code: Unknown
 
Options: RPO Option Percentage
Sold [%]
Sales Price
[$]
  1YZ87 Base Corvette Sport Coupe (185hp) 86.10% 9,351.89
  A31 Power Windows 78.95% 130.00
  AU3 Power Door Locks 26.05% 120.00
  C49 Rear Window Defogger 66.09% 95.00
  C60 Air Conditioning 80.46% 605.00
  D35 Sport Mirrors 82.10% 40.00
  FE7 Gymkhana Suspension 26.92% 41.00
  K30 Cruise Control 67.57% 99.00
  L82 350ci, 220hp Engine 27.23% 525.00
  MX1 Automatic Transmission 82.55% 0.00
  N37 Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column 80.93% 175.00
  QGR White Letter SBR Tires, P255/70R15 56.02% 51.00
  U81 Dual Rear Speakers 26.38% 49.00
  UM2 AM-FM Radio, stereo with 8-track tape 44.68% 419.00
  YJ8 Aluminium Wheels (4) 59.88% 340.00
  ZX2 Convenience Group 79.57% 84.00
  Total   0.000156565161796%
(1 Cars)
12,124.89
 
Factory job nr.: Unknown
Export Car: Non Export Car
Other details: Mileage: 98 (Yes only 98 miles)
 
Car history:
Best of Show Automotive has done it again! We have another super-low-mileage time capsule that will be a reference guide for restorers and judges in the future. This 1978 Silver Anniversary Corvette with only 98 original miles and full documentation, still on the MSO.

Cashing in on the birthday cachet, Chevy offered the 1978 Corvette with "25th Anniversary paint," and it appeared as the $399 B2Z option package. The first factory two-toning offered since 1961, it presented silver over a gray lower body with a separating pinstripe, plus aluminum wheels and dual "sport" outside mirrors as mandatory options, which added another $380 to the cost. In addition to adding Silver Anniversary badges to the exterior, changes for 1978 included squared-up instrument-panel housings for the speedometer and tachometer to match the previous year's revamped console gauges, redesigned door panels with new armrests and integral door pulls, and a new glovebox. Fuel capacity increased from 17 to 24 gallons, and the windshield wiper/washer control was moved from the steering column stalk back to the dashboard.

This particular Anniversary model seems to be loaded to the gills with all the desirable options, including the L82 220-horsepower 350, power windows, A/C and the gymkhana suspension. According to the original window sticker still affixed to the passenger's side window, it has the following options:

AU3 Power lock system
A31 Power windows
B2Z 25th Anniversary paint
C49 Electro-clear rear window defogger
C60 Four-season air conditioner
D35 Sport mirrors
FE7 Gymkhana suspension
K30 Cruise-Master speed control
L82 350 cubic-inch V8
MX1 Automatic transmission
N37 Tilt-telescope steering wheel
UM2 AM/FM radio, stereo with 8-track tape
U81 Dual rear speakers
YJ8 Aluminum wheels

All told, the extensive options list added more than 30% to the car's base $9622.89 base price. Documentation also shows the dealer pricing, which is always interesting to see—this car, if sold at full retail price, would have netted Les Standord Chevrolet in Dearborn, Michigan, a tidy $2,819.38 profit. Not too shabby in 1978! Fortunately, this car has never been titled and is still on the Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO), making it essentially a brand-new car as far as the DMV is concerned.

Externally, this car has decent paint in the Anniversary combination of light gray over dark gray. If you remember what GM paint quality looked like in 1978, you know how this car looks today.—Decent shine with acceptable body gaps. No, it doesn't look like a $25,000 paint job on a show car, but it does look as authentic as the judges at Bloomington Gold need it to. Corvette restorers are purists in the best sense of the word.—They know that the original flaws are ALWAYS better than a restorer's perfection, and nothing gives you a better gauge of how the factory did it than a low-mileage car like this. It can serve as a reference guide for restorers trying not to "over-restore" their Corvettes. It's easy to forget how far quality control and painting processes have come in the past 30 years.

The tape stripes that separate the two colors are still tight and fully adhered to the body with no yellowing. The taillight lenses are sharp and clear. The glass, including the new-for-1978 sloping rear backlight, is all in outstanding condition with no marks, chips or scratches. Heck, the original window sticker is still stuck to the passenger's window. The special 1953-1978 Anniversary badge looks perfect as part of the gas filler door on the rear deck. In 1978, the glass T-tops promised by the factory in 1977 finally made it onto the car, and those on this 'Vette are in great condition. Topping off the great upgrades in the appearance department are factory-fresh aluminum wheels sporting the original 225/70R15 Goodyear Polysteel Radials that look awfully good for their age. Oh, and the original spare is still under the car, complete with original tire quills showing that it has never even been removed from its cradle. Nice!

Pop that reverse-opening hood and have a look at the optional L82 V8. Making 220 horsepower (compared to the base L48's 185 and the California-only version's 175), it featured a dual-snorkel air cleaner and a revised exhaust system that helped make the extra power. On this car, all the original components are still present, including the air cleaner, snorkels, belts, hoses and markings. You can see in the photos that the hoses still carry their factory "GM" markings, and that everything is clean and tidy as it should be. The engine fires right up and idles nicely, although we have—obviously—not driven it much.

The driver's environment is pure 1978 state-of-the-art, with oyster cloth upholstery and carpets. The interior was largely redesigned in '78, and this car shows off the freshened styling very well. The carpets are clean, the seats are almost like new, and the original tilt wheel operation instruction tag still hangs from the turn signal stalk. One of the few replacement pieces on the car, a new battery, has been nestled into the battery compartment behind the driver's seat. The new car smell is gone, sadly, but not the new car look and feel. The seats are firm, the steering wheel's leather is unblemished, and you'll be the first to program your favorite radio stations into the AM/FM/8-track tape stereo system.

Documentation includes the window stickers, Preliminary Price Information (Option B3W) sheet, original dealer invoice, original order form, shipping documents, manifest, build sheet, Silver Anniversary Corvette brochure, original GM keys, owner's manual, warranty ID labels, maintenance schedule, warranty information, aluminum wheel information, Freedom battery brochure, 1978 Chevrolet Corvette consumer information booklet, blower motor operation guide, and the Goodyear tire warranty. Whew!

You've heard of reference-quality restorations, well, this is the kind of car they reference to achieve such high standards. The factory marks, tags, stickers, and decals are all still in place everywhere. Especially important to Corvette restorers, the condition of the original components and finishes. Like the body can be an invaluable resource during restoration when you're trying to duplicate factory results. Or perhaps you've always wanted one of these, and with this one, it's like having the ability to get it new all over again. Either way, this is a car that will delight its fans with authenticity and originality. Although a few of these were put away for posterity when they were built, I'll wager few were as well optioned as this one, and all the documentation was properly preserved for a total package. Call today!
Phone : 440-350-1480
Email : joseph.carroll@bestofshowautomotive.com
 
For Sale: No

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