Ecklers Daytona Kit: 1980 Chevrolet Corvette

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Body kits are certainly a matter of personal taste, and on the whole, I’d wager most enthusiasts would prefer to find their preferred project car without one. In the case of this 1980 Chevrolet Corvette, however, one of the less desirable generations of the platform, the rare and wild Ecklers Daytona kit may actually make it a more interesting specimen. You certainly won’t lose it in a parking lot. Find it here on eBay with a $39,950 asking price and the option to submit a best offer.

While it does look like an escaped prop from one of the 80s Cannonball Run movies, the body kit’s lines seem to work fairly well with the stock Corvette’s shape. Also, one of my biggest gripes with aftermarket kits is how poorly they fit, often a result of amateur installation – and that doesn’t appear to be a problem here. The kits appears to be integrated nicely with no major gaps. I dig the vanity license plate, too.

The fitment of the kit likely has to do with the fact that the installation was carried out by “professional mechanics,” according to the seller, which may have given them an edge over the backyard hobbyist that attempts to fit one of these. Regardless, the paintwork still looks more than presentable and other areas, like the interior, show relatively few flaws (or at least nothing that’s not easily fixable.)

The high-output 5.7L V8 is paired to a Turbo 350 automatic transmission, which isn’t my first choice but also suits the show car-nature of this Corvette. You can bet pulling in slowly to the local meet will ensure every kid within viewing distance will flock to see what planet this Corvette just flew in from. And if you don’t want the attention, you can simply remain inside with functioning A/C and an eight track player for entertainment.

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Comments

  1. Howard A. Howard AMember

    I’m sorry, Jeff, it’s way too early for this.( mopping up coffee) It’s hideous. To think, someone took a cool car, and poured their heart ( and checkbook) to come up with this abomination. It’s certainly not “Ah Sum” to me. ( and they paid extra for the license plate, to boot) I like some customs, but this is too much. And that spoiler, I can hear it now, ” I want the biggest dog gone spoiler I can get”. @ $40g’s and no bids, I doubt this will go far.

    Like 11
  2. leiniedude leiniedudeMember

    I gotta agree Howard. It might look a little better from the side if the tires filled the wheel wells though. If you could buy it cheap, use it on track days, but keep your helmet on all day.

    Like 5
  3. bobhess bobhessMember

    Way too much for a sort of ugly car made even uglier. Modeled after something in the “Cars” movie maybe…?

    Like 4
  4. Jesse Mortensen Jesse MortensenStaff

    These body kits were modeled after the IMSA race Corvettes. Here’s an example of one that ran at Le Mans: https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo13/auction/lots/r167-1976-chevrolet-corvette-widebody-imsa-spirit-of-le-mans

    Like 5
  5. bobhess bobhessMember

    Was at the ’76 race in Le Mans. Greenwood, another IMSA Chevy sedan, and Junie Donlevy’s Ford and Dodge NASCAR cars. The big V8s coming down the front straight really rattled the grandstands. Had pictures of all of that but lost them in the ’17 hurricane down here. Was hanging around the entrance of the pit to get photos close up when Greenwood didn’t go by. They towed him in and a bunch of us helped push the car back to the hauler behind the pits. Blown right rear tire wiped out the fuel cell. It was one of the very few spares that they didn’t bring with them. Donlevy’s cars died about half way with transmission failure. They had half a hauler full of Orange Crush, Nehi Soda, and Moon Pies.

    Like 5
  6. Scott Marquis

    Blech. Sorry to be so technical.

    Like 4
  7. grant

    It looks like something from the old CarToons magazine…

    Like 2
  8. Ike Onick

    “Ah Sum” It is the delivery car for the local noodle shop.

    Like 2
  9. R Soul

    Nope!

    Like 0
  10. Reid Hall

    I remember these way,back in the 80’s way,cool, and possibly a limited edition eckler’s car kit,resale red,gold wire wheels, with crome,ring’s, they did do this,right. Although possibly a 1-2 owner car,looks like they would have cleaned up the interior a little bit better, maybe a crome dress up kit underneath that hood,and or possibly, some crome, and or aluminum exhaust tip’s, away’s not worth 30-40k,know way, $1500.00- $7500.00 maybe more on a good day. This was fad back in the day.Unfortunately some people have a hard time understanding this.

    Like 1
  11. Bakyrdhero

    I hate to kick a dead horse, but the best attribute of a C3 is it’s curves. These body kits butcher that so badly. The cars look beautiful as is, leave them alone.

    Like 5
  12. LB1

    I remember a yellow one of these being on Car Craft magazine back in the day. Hated it then, hate it now.

    Like 1
  13. gbvette62

    There’s an identical red twin to this car here in Jersey. It’s been for sale for 4 or 5 years now, at about half as much, with no takers, and it’s in much nicer shape.

    Some day someone will explain to me why a person will run an ad trying to sell a car, and not even bother to vacuum the carpet, before photographing it.

    Like 3
  14. 86_Vette_Convertible

    Not my cup of tea. Sorry, I don’t care for the mods done to this car.

    Like 1
  15. Retired Stig

    The IMSA look was quite the fad for a while. Like the “paint everything Coral pink look”, or “billet everything”, and now the patina-rat rod look, it remains to be seen if it holds up in 20 years or merely looks ridiculous. What makes this car a loser in my eyes is that it is such sheep in wolf fur. Stock low performance motor and (gag) an automatic? Sort of like tubbing and wheelie bars on a 4 cylinder Vega.

    Like 2
  16. Humphrey Ploughjjogger

    What has been seen cannot be unseen.

    I’m going to try and bleach my eyes now.

    Like 1
  17. mikestuff

    I bought a 6 month old 1997 Chrysler Sebring Convertible and regardless of opinions generally held, I liked the car. I liked having the top down until I moved to Las Vegas where about the only time you could have the top down was after dark, from midnight until maybe 5am. I still liked the car and it had the first and only vanity plate I ever had, which was “Ah Sum”. (for the most part, friends and family loved the car, hated the license plate)
    It was still more attractive than this thing.

    Like 3
  18. the one

    cosmic debris!!

    Like 2
    • Del

      Ugliest car this week.

      Yuch…

      38 grand too much

      Like 1
  19. rod444

    Ahem…

    Jeff, I believe your fingers may have slipped when you typed “one of the less desirable generations of the platform.”

    That would be the C4 or C5 you’re referring too. I get a ton of compliments on my C3 whenever it’s out with the most oft voiced being “I love this body style the most”

    No need to apologize. We all make mistakes. If I have induced any guilt, feel free to make a donation to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green as due penance and carry on.

    :)

    Like 5
    • PRA4SNW

      I agree. I sold my ’70 convertible several years ago and figured I would move onto a C4. I drove a C5 and it was too antiseptic for me.

      Well, these early 80’s C3s have really caught my eye lately. Someone who lives down the street has one just like yours and I rarely see it out of his garage. I need to “accidentally” bump into him someday and see if he is interested in ever letting it go.

      Like 1
  20. Karl

    First off I am kind of a Vette fan in today’s world there is no better return on your dollars for a very fast aggressive handling car! With that said the C3 series of cars had very little to write home about. The quality of finish was terrible in many cases the 350 ci engine was so dogged with crap that 180 hp was the norm. The application of body glue was so overdone in many cases just to make body panels fit these were SAD days for the Corvette name! Now you start with normal Vette as bad as they were and do THIS to it? I don’t even have words!

    Like 1
    • Frank Sumatra

      @Karl- It would be difficult to be “wronger” C3 is 1968 to 1982. Look up some of the performance figures and HP ratings for the early C3’s.

      Like 0
  21. TimM

    I said it before and I’ll say it again!! It blows my mind to look at someone idea of what’s cool!!! You really can’t improve on what the engineers at Chevy did during this era!! The horse powers were down but that was government regulation like the stupid 35 mph bumpers in the 70’s. but god dang dude you should have saved your money!!!

    Like 0
  22. Gastegall

    Well, on the bright side you could use the rear spoiler as a picnic table at tailgate parties. Just use 99 cent store mustard instead of Grey Poupon.

    Like 1
  23. Clay Bryant

    This car was more then likely built in the 70s-80s and were emulating the LeMans cars which was the driving force for Corvettes performance world wide then. I struggle with 22″ wheels on a car today, oversize and out of proportion. Had one of these back in the 80s and sold it the day after I brought it home. Popular then. I’m sure someone on here thinks neon lights under a car are cool too. Bought my first automatic Corvette this last fall, my 53rd in 50 years. Kinda’ like not having to “row my boat” to get it down the street. I imagine it’s more then likely some of the commentators on here were pushing their hot wheels around when these were popular. Who in the hell would want a Hot Wheels now that had red line tires on it? (Better put lol on that or there’s someone that will take me seriously) Incidentally, I’m paying 200% over original “sticker price”for all red line Hot Wheels………….

    Like 0
  24. Ryan f.

    I was in love till I seen the rearend .

    Like 0

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