Maybe the bidders on this ’78 Corvette Indy Pace Car just want the L82 engine under the hood.
The seller – who says he’s owned this car for 21 years – says the more powerful L82 engine “still runs pretty good!” as he attempts to sell it in an eBay auction slated to close on Saturday.
We’re surprised to see the high bid climb to $9,400, considering all the work that will apparently need to be done to restore this Corvette back to its glory days when the whole world seemingly wanted a piece of this black-and-silver star, thanks to a Wall Street Journal article praising it.
Photos with the listing are mostly close-up and don’t really give a good idea of exactly what does need to be done to this car, including the condition of the seats that aren’t even pictured.
We do see enough to know that the paint will definitely have to be replaced, and depending on the level of perfection being sought by the new owner, that could run $10,000 or more by itself. There’s also the matter of repairing some minor damage done to the rear bumper at some time in the past, and one of the T-tops will need to be replaced, according to the seller. Might as well go for a matching set while you’re at it, which won’t be cheap in the aftermarket.
Underneath, there’s some surface rust that hopefully doesn’t indicate any more serious damage to the frame and birdcage. But that’s always an area of concern for a restorer.
As already noted, the only shots of the interior don’t reveal what kind of shape the bucket seats are in, but we do see enough to tell that the factory radio has been replaced with an aftermarket Kenwood unit. The odometer also shows 33,641 miles, though if that figure is accurate, it just shows that low-mileage doesn’t always translate into excellent condition.
On the other hand, this car is one of 2,384 Pace Cars (out of a run of 6,502) equipped with the 220-horsepower L82 engine and an automatic transmission, according to figures from the December 1978 issue of Vette Vues magazine. Most of the others were L48 350 automatics that made just 185 horses.
And the owner says his car is still in good running condition, so maybe that means a little less money will be required in that area and can instead be used toward aesthetic improvements like new paint and interior.
Personally, it seems that it might make more sense to pay more up front for another Pace Car in better shape, though many of the higher-priced ones we’ve seen still have some paint flaws like chips and scratches, especially noticeable on the front end. If that’s the case, then a perfectionist like me would still want to repaint such a car, so maybe it does make more sense to start with a lower-priced PC like this one. What do you think?
Source:
eBay Motors via BarnFinds.com
Related:
Corvettes for Sale: Fuelie 1957 Corvette For Sale on Craigslist
Corvettes for Sale: Lady’s One-Owner 1978 Corvette with 26K Miles
Corvettes for Sale: 83-Mile 1986 Corvette Malcolm Konner Edition
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 L82 V8 engine in the car still runs pretty good according to the seller.){kind=link}