Another day, another tired pace car waiting for rescue. This 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car is baking in the sun somewhere near St. Petersburg, Florida, in need of cosmetic and mechanical restoration. The C3 Pace Cars were intended to be limited production rides, but in total over 6,000 were made. Today, they are available in almost every grade of condition, from bubble cars to projects like this one. This example is listed here on craigslist for $4,000.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Patrick S. for the find. The interior is tired, with plenty of sun damage to correct in the form of worn leather seats and cracked surfaces here and there. The dash isn’t visible under that cover, but I’d be willing to bed the top of it is cracked as well. Despite the relentless exposure to sun under those glass T-tops, it’s not as bad as it could be in here.
Each Chevrolet dealer at the time got a Pace Car replica for display purposes, which helps explain why there are so many still available at a given time. The seller says this one runs and drives but is in need of an engine rebuild, and obviously a full exterior repaint. Truthfully, I’m not sure what compels C3 fans to buy one Pace Car project versus another, other than perhaps finding one without the door graphics already applied.
I suppose the most entertaining way to explore Pace Car ownership would be to determine which dealer your car was allocated to. Did it go to a Chevy dealer in St. Petersburg, or has it traveled halfway across the country? Putting your Pace Car in front of the original dealer that sold it could yield a fun road trip in the process, but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to this example before a long-distance drive is planned.
I always wanted a 78 pace car corvette but this car needs everything. It would be cheaper to spend more money up front and buy a nicer one. Aleast it is a L82.
Funny in 10/20 years we will be looking at this like we do the C1/C2’s that were left out like this and as we say today – why ? Actually one of my fav body styles of the later ones.
I doubt it.
Most C3’s were produced at the height of the smog era and have little to offer, performance wise, when compared to most other Corvettes. The mid-80’s and later cars are so much better when it comes to power and handling that Corvette enthusiasts will flock to them as drivers. The 57-73 cars had much more character, there isn’t much that will draw people to cars like this. They didn’t have much of a racing history to fall back on, nor did they have any street credibility, even a high number of special interest cars such as the Pace Cars weren’t driven enough to develop the same following as the Bandit era Trans Ams.
My pace car
So fast that original owner urinated all over the seat !
Leaky T-top no doubt.
Great patina, clear coat it and install some red hoses and enjoy
If I could get this I would have to strip the clear coat and touch up the paint if it needs it and reclear coat it so it didn’t look like a piece of trash that needs to be in the junk yard and get rid of that worthless 350 and small block transmission drop in a 435hp 427 tri power engine with the m22 rock crusher Muncie 4 speed manual transmission and maybe side pipes I don’t know why anybody would want to clear coat over rust instead of cleaning it off and repaint the vehicle so it don’t look like crap since this car is fiber glass it won’t rust and that is just the clear coat peeling off the car
Watching an episode of a Mecham Auction that happened recently a very nice clean and detailed 78 Pace car with 41,000 original miles and shined like a new penny needed nothing but a driver. Sold for $11,000.
That makes this dead and baked example a very bad investment for $4000. Even if the seller would accept $1000. it wouldn’t make sense to restore. Part out maybe. Either way I would pass. There will never be a shortage of Corvette Pace Cars. The word rare doesn’t apply.
@AMC- You nailed it! So many good examples out there at a decent price.
A refresh of the weathered paint and interior. Then shift attention toward a healthy 5.3 LS/ 6 speed swap. It’s the only way to make this era of Vette worth a damn. IMO of course.
IMO you are spot on. This is the type of Donor-vette that should be used as the new owner sees fit as opposed to hacking up the well-kept 1976 posted earlier. There are only so many nice examples left. The pile of junk shown here can be found anywhere, anytime.