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VIN 1Z8748S433825
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Car Year: |
1978 |
Car's approximate birthday: |
July 7, 1978 |
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Owner: |
Best of Show Automotive |
City: |
Mentor |
State: |
Ohio |
Country: |
United States |
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Purchase date: |
Undefined |
Status: |
Current Owner |
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Nickname: |
Added to Registry 01/21/2010 |
State: |
Not Restored |
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Exterior: |
13/07 Silver Anniversary |
(32.67%) |
Interior: |
15C Silver (Cloth) |
Wheels: |
Alloy |
(46.57%) |
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Delivery Dealer Zone: |
Unknown |
Delivery Dealer Code: |
Unknown |
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1YZ87 |
Base Corvette Sport Coupe (185hp) |
86.10% |
9,351.89 |
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A31 |
Power Windows |
78.95% |
130.00 |
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AU3 |
Power Door Locks |
26.05% |
120.00 |
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C49 |
Rear Window Defogger |
66.09% |
95.00 |
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C60 |
Air Conditioning |
80.46% |
605.00 |
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D35 |
Sport Mirrors |
82.10% |
40.00 |
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FE7 |
Gymkhana Suspension |
26.92% |
41.00 |
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K30 |
Cruise Control |
67.57% |
99.00 |
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L82 |
350ci, 220hp Engine |
27.23% |
525.00 |
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MX1 |
Automatic Transmission |
82.55% |
0.00 |
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N37 |
Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column |
80.93% |
175.00 |
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QGR |
White Letter SBR Tires, P255/70R15 |
56.02% |
51.00 |
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U81 |
Dual Rear Speakers |
26.38% |
49.00 |
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UM2 |
AM-FM Radio, stereo with 8-track tape |
44.68% |
419.00 |
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YJ8 |
Aluminium Wheels (4) |
59.88% |
340.00 |
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ZX2 |
Convenience Group |
79.57% |
84.00 |
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Total |
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0.000156565161796% (1 Cars) |
12,124.89 |
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Factory job nr.: |
Unknown |
Export Car: |
Non Export Car |
Other details: |
Mileage: 98 (Yes only 98 miles) |
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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 |
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For Sale: |
No |
Number of visits on this page by other users: 384
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