For some people, owning a perfect classic can be a stressful experience. The thought of a stone inflicting damage to its paint or panels on an outing can prove too much to bear. That is where cars like this 1977 Corvette fit into the big picture. It isn’t perfect but is a tidy driver-grade vehicle offering years of relaxed classic motoring. The seller refers to it as a fun toy, which is a statement I find easy to believe. If that sounds like a winning deal, it is listed for sale here on Craigslist in Columbia City, Indiana. If you hand the seller $10,000, you could be driving away behind the wheel of an iconic American classic. I must thank Barn Finder Rocco B. for spotting this beauty for us.
Chevrolet offered Corvette buyers a choice of twelve colors for the 1977 model year. Of the 49,213 buyers who decided to give one of these classics a home, 12%, or 5,967, selected Light Blue. This car wears that shade, and while it isn’t perfect, its presentation is acceptable for a survivor. There are a few chips and marks, with most of those on the front bumper. The new owner may elect to treat the car to a repaint, but restricting the work to a bumper touch-up would preserve its originality. The paint shines well for its age, and the fiberglass looks good. The Rally wheels are spotless, and the same is true of the glass.
The Dark Blue leather interior trim the original owner selected nicely complements the exterior shade. The seats carry the creases that are part of the character of aging leather, but there is no wear. The dash looks good, and the carpet is surprisingly free from the fading that is common in these classics. This car has avoided the almost inevitable crumbling plastic, and aftermarket additions are limited. Someone has replaced the wheel, while a retro stereo occupies the spot usually reserved for the factory radio. These changes are minor, and reversing them to recapture the vehicle’s originality would be easy and inexpensive. Comfort features include air conditioning, cruise control, and power windows. The only non-functioning items are the clock (surprise!) and the A/C. It isn’t clear what the fault with the last item is, but rectifying it may be as simple as performing a recharge.
The seller indicates that lifting the hood reveals this Corvette’s numbers-matching 350ci V8. Its power feeds to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transmission. I’m unsure whether the small-block is the standard L48 unit producing 180hp or the L82 that pumps out 210hp. If it proves to be the low-power unit, the journey down the ¼ mile will take 17.2 seconds. If it is the L82, that figure will drop to 16.4 seconds. The seller recently replaced the radiator, thermostat, and tires. They claim it has a genuine 91,000 miles on the clock but don’t mention supporting evidence. The Corvette runs and drives well and is a turnkey classic that needs nothing but a new owner.
The first thing that struck me about this 1977 Corvette is its overall originality. Someone has made minor interior changes, but reversing those would be easy. It could benefit from a repaint, but it remains extremely presentable if the new owner is happy to retain its survivor status. However, its affordability could prove the ace up its sleeve. Chrome-bumper ‘Vettes remain the most desirable examples of the C3, although later cars are “growing legs” in the classic market. Values have increased by an average of 15% in the past year, and that trend shows no signs of slowing. The seller’s asking price looks highly competitive, raising the possibility of the buyer owning an enjoyable classic that is a sound long-term investment. I would advise potential buyers to do their homework, but this Corvette could prove a winner for the right person.
I’m betting that it’s the standard L48 engine. The L82 would have aluminum valve covers. Doubtful that someone would remove them for the steel ones.
Also no tilt and tele wheel. Has stupid Vega steering wheel. If you ordered tilt wheel car came with leather wrapped wheel to match interior color. 77 has many one year only parts.
I thought GM dropped the “Vega” steering wheel in 1977?
If it’s the original hood and is an L82 motor, I believe it would be designated by a hood emblem indicating that.
No 77 Corvette is worth $10,000. you can buy a newer Corvette for that price.
See my comment below. My buyer was happy to give me $12,500 for mine. There’s a lot more to a car than a shiny paint job, especially when it comes to a 45 year old car.
where?
My first job in college was as a ramp agent for a small commuter airline. One of my co-workers was a knockout honey blonde whose personal car was a twin of this one. On the days that she’d run late, she’d park in the pay lot right across from our gate instead of in the employee lot. One night as I was going to dinner she asked if I could get her car out of the pay lot and move it to the employee lot and gave me the keys. I was pretty pumped, but when I headed down the access road out of the garage, I gave it some onions and found that it had a hard time getting out of its own way. Very docile, but it was the perfect car for her.
Definitely L48. L82 had the finned valve covers, as mentioned, and also a different air intake with dual snorkels. They don’t list the VIN but I believe there is a character in that sequence for the engine for these years. That “Vega” steering wheel was standard issue for non-tilt cars 1977 and 1978 for sure.
This seems like a steal, compared to some of the rust-buckets I see going for 3 times the price. I’m no expert; what am I missing?
For 10k on the surface this appears to be just what it claims to be, a driver. Perfect for weekend drives up the coast or some New England back roads for not an obscene amount of money and if you can’t resist throwing that malaise era 350 in the dumpster and replacing it with an updated engine all that much better
180, 210, 221, whatever it takes (In my best Michael Keaton voice). It really does not matter, it is underpowered, but what a great car for date night and we both can make believe it is the ’68 435 hp I when we dated. Old men have an imagination, too.
I just sold my 77 Vette in Ohio for $12,500. I put a 400ci motor in it and that made it a good runner. I had offers for around $10k, but I blew them off. Only takes one person to buy if you wait long enough.
Wow. What a nice original car at a reasonable price.
I love it. Too bad most of this era of C3 were automatics. I’d probably already have one in the garage if this were not the case.
I had an Orange ’75 and a White ’77, both with the L48 … I ran 15.3 at Oswego Speedway with the ’75 … I often traveled I-57/I-55 between Chicago and New Orleans, once covering it in ten hours, never turning the engine off … the ’77 would “float” and undulate at higher speeds … I really liked driving those cars …
Hi John, I can concur about how some of the C3s would want to lift at 75-80mph. Mine stood too high and that was probably part of the problem. I always wanted to lower it, but never got around to it.
I had the same problem with the F150 I have. I’ve had a 01, 04, and I still have the 07. The first two drove fine at high speeds. But the 07 never felt stable. I finally put a slitter on the front and that helped. It also was about an inch higher than the rest and I think that added to poor stability at high speeds too. Being a 4×4 doesn’t help either.