In 1982, Chevrolet celebrated that last of the C3 Corvette production with a special Collector Edition. This example is located in Waxahachie, Texas, just South of Dallas. The Corvette is listed for sale for $15,000 and is said to run and drive great. The car has been listed here on Facebook Marketplace for about 2 weeks. The seller states that the car is an all original survivor which looks good from 6 feet away but up close shows some wear. I applaud the owner for disclosing the condition of the car accurately and pricing the car appropriately.
The interior is the least exciting part of this car. The seats and door panels are showing wear and the seams have separated in a number of places. Late 1970-1980 C3 Corvettes are known for having a lot of options including power windows, air conditioning, remote windows and tilt/telescopic steering. Of course, all C3 Corvettes that were not convertibles had T-Tops. Also, 1982 was the first year for the cross-fire injection 350 cubic inch V8 engine. This throttle body fuel injected 5.7 liter engine was rated at 200 horsepower from the factory. It was only produced with a 4 speed automatic transmission. The transmission had lower first and second gear ratios compared to the 3 speed GM Turbo 350 transmission which helped off the line acceleration.
The odometer shows 23,194 miles but the condition of the interior would indicate that the odometer might be on its second trip around. This was also 1982 so the Corvette had the wonderful 85 mph speedometer. Performance was as you would expect. Car magazine tests showed a 0-60 time of 7.9 seconds and a quarter mile time of 16.1 seconds. This is woefully slow compared to muscle cars of the early 1970’s or today’s performance cars but respectful for the day.
The Collector Edition came with special turbine wheels and paint that made the car stand out. As with many C3 cars, it was not that popular with enthusiasts but it is certainly recognizable. This special edition Corvette also had an operational rear window hatch. I don’t know what it would take to fix the problems with the interior but it looks like a great cruiser.
Does anybody know how many different special edition & collector models out there for Corvette? I swear they average about one every two years.
these were the turning point for corvettes fuel injected, had a different rear end setup tighter built less squeaks, remember no 1983’s, as far as special editions, Mustang’s had the most hands down!
Smokey, I recall several years ago reading that GM built ten 1983’s as study cars but when it came time for production they were titled as 1984’s. The ten 1983’s were all destroyed. However, in an interview with PARADE magazine Charleston Heston claimed to have a 1983 Corvette. Meh, probably not since GM claimed to have destroyed all of them.
I’m not sure anybody could list them all. Besides the four or five Pace Cars and other “Collector Editions” they had the oddballs like the Ron Fellows edition and Will Cooksey (Bowling Green Plant Manager) edition. IMO too many “Specials” keeps a lot of them from being special. Apparently the 1982 CE was not a limited run. It was an option code and if you had the $22, 537.59 they would have been happy to sell 25,000 of them.
I knew a guy in our local Corvette club (RIP) who bought one of these new and bought an extra set of seats, door panels, and carpets because he thought they’d be much harder to find in the future. I don’t think he ever let one speck of dust get on his 1982 CE.
Thankfully, all the interior trim pieces including carpet is available through just about any Corvette special retailer. I had one of these and loved it despite it’s low performance. These were made to be boulevard cruisers, not a musclecar. The first thing I’d want to do is run the VIN and verify the mileage. The second is to replace all the T-top and door gaskets…
That said, even if it is low mileage, it’s about 8K overpriced.
These cars in low mileage generally sale in the 12K – 15K range
I like the look of these, they were new when I was in high school. And since they really aren’t t worth much, an engine swap and a 5 speed would be a must. Oh, and lose those stupid wheels…
No, I would leave it alone and drive. As said above, these were cruisers, not street fighters. Very comfortable on a long trip. Personally, this is the kind of car I like, not an overly aggressive performance car. Of course, I am older than dirt, but it seems I have always been like that. As my wife has always said, I am not the kind of guy you date, I am the kind you marry, solid and dependable.
GM intended those wheels to remind folks of the N90 bolt-on, cast aluminum wheels from 1967. This is from the “Corvette Illustrated Buyers Guide” by Michael Antonick.
Of the 1982 models weren’t these the only ones with the hydraulic lift hatchback, the others sealed back glass? The years have clouded my memory. (I was 6 months old when the first Corvette hit the streets).
Right you are, Sir.
Still my favorite C3 after all of these years. Glad to see the original Delco sound system…
C3s just look fat and heavy to me. GM ended the C2s too early and started the C4s too late, they should have just forgot about the C3s IMHO.
So amigo, you are saying C3’s are “gordo”? Interesting.
Only 200 hp? My bmw 525 it has more than that
Just curious- Does anybody notice your BMW 525?
After they lost all their power, these things became poor man’s Mercedes SL’s. Something for the trophy bride to cruise the malls in. An ok car once you lose the engine and put a stick in it.