It seems like the Indy 500 pace car tributes often land in two categories: delivery mileage trailer queens or dilapidated dumpster fires that the seller thinks is still worth real money. This example is pleasingly in the middle, as it has real-world mileage of 78K but appears to have been loved in that time with no major cosmetic flaws and the original pace car decor surviving nicely. The Corvette is located in Miami, Florida and is offered at no reserve here on eBay where bidding is at $8K.
Truth be told, I think this is the best way to buy a pace car edition Corvette if you’ve been hunting for one. This is for a few reasons: one, the demographic that finds this car attractive to own as an investment/collector’s item is beginning to fade. If a Gen Xer or millennial wants a pace car, the white-on-gold Trans Am is probably where they’ll start. Therefore, buying a top-shelf example with delivery miles now is an investment that likely won’t make much sense later on when the audience for such a car is increasingly low. This keeps your outlay at a reasonable level.
Two, this is an example you can actually drive. In my mind, owning a pace car requires that you get out into traffic, or the sunset strip, or wherever there’s a crowd and roll this piece of eye-candy slowly on by. It’s hard to justify that type of behavior with a classic that is too nice to leave uncovered in your garage, let alone rub bumpers with careless parallel parkers in some downtown area. This Corvette may have higher miles, but the interior looks like it belongs in a car with far fewer miles – a testament to the owner(s) that kept it in such good shape.
Finally, the basketcase examples are going to still be too expensive with no chance of pay-off down the line because you’ll need to sink so much more cash into it, especially if you have to track down any of the original details pertaining to its pace car tribute status. This one is definitely nice enough that you don’t have to worry about the desirable trim bits going missing, and the engine bay again confirms that the previous owner lavished this car with love and affection. Not my jam, personally, but lots of people like pace cars and this example seems like a smart buy to me.
Could you send me a clear picture of the vin tag? Thank you
Contact the seller, not Barn Finds.
I still have a soft spot for those silver leather seats. I still hate those decals. My Members Only jacket is long gone & it looks like the stereo won’t play my cassettes.
I’m totally with you on the decals. I really like Corvettes of this era, my personal young and golden age back then, I just do not car for the decals on these.
L-48 automatic. Meh. The buyer will be paying for the paint job cause that’s all they will be getting that is different from any other 1978 Corvette.
Seller has 3 negative Corvette sale feedbacks in the last year… good luck.
I do not want any writing on my car unless it’s my sponsor’s and cannot understand the attraction of having large factory decals or paint on a person’s personal car but saying that apparently many do.
The 78 corvette pace car is not real. Wrong vin #
Power steering? belt below the alternator is off the pulley. hmmh.
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JjcAAOSwtpBeepMQ/s-l1600.jpg
He doesn’t reply that the vin number is not one for a real PACE car….I say stay clear of the car.