Seven Hills Motorcars, Inc

$12,900

general specifications

vehicle options

Year:

1978

rpo code	description
1YZ87	Base Corvette Sport Coupe
A31	Power Windows
C49	Rear Window Defogger
C60	Air Conditioning
D35	Sport Mirrors
K30	Cruise Control
L48	350ci Engine
MX1	Automatic Transmission
N37	Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column
QGR	P225/70R15 White Letter SBR Tires
UA1	Heavy Duty Battery
U58	AM-FM Stereo Radio
U75	Power Antenna
ZX2	Convenience Group

exterior color code

83 Corvette Dark Blue

interior color code

292 Dark Blue Leather

Make:

Chevrolet

Model:

Corvette

Transmission:

Automatic

Mileage:

48,375

Engine:

350 ci L48

VIN:

1Z87L8S401173

about the dealership

Seven Hills Motorcars is Cincinnati's premier Corvette specialist and a licensed and registered auto dealer by the State of Ohio. With many years of focused experience I specialize in 1963 to 1982 Corvettes. There is no other dealership that can better meet your needs if you would like to buy, sell, or just find out more information about your Corvette. This is simply a one man operation, and this is not my full time employment. I do it because I enjoy it. I am a collector and enthusiast and therefore look for cars that excite me. I do not purchase at dealer auctions; each car is hand picked by me because it is special or rare to me and because I like it.

contact information

Seven Hills Motorcars, Inc.
9213 Blue Ash Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45242
sales@sevenhillsmotorcars.com

Contact a representative directly:
Matt: 513.708.1468

vehicle description

Seven Hills Motorcars is proud to offer this very low mileage and completely numbers matching 1978 Corvette in excellent condition. This car looks great, drives awesome, and is ready to be enjoyed. This car has a very rare and desirable color combination of Corvette Dark Blue over Dark Blue Leather. This is the correct and original color scheme, verified by the trim tag pictured below. The previous owner of this car is a Corvette enthusiast who is meticulous with his cars. He is a jet engine mechanic who took excellent care of this Corvette. The only reason he parted with the car was in partial trade for a "chrome bumper" Corvette. The low mileage is supported by not only the condition of the car, but also the clear Ohio title showing the mileage as "actual." This Corvette is an exceptional driver and I wouldn't hesitate to hop in and take a road trip. Please peruse all of the photos and numbers below to get a true sense of clean and correct this Corvette really is.

Chevrolet marked Corvette's 25th Anniversary in 1978 with the most extensive redesign of the car since the introduction of the C3 body style in 1968. The new Corvette introduced a large fastback style rear window that drastically increased luggage space in the rear compartment behind the seats. The interior of the 1978 was also significantly redesigned. The speedometer and tachometer were redesigned in a more square and vertical mode. A glove box was added on the passenger side to replace the pocket. The door panels were also completely new and included screw on arm rests to replace the molded style that been the standard since 1965. 1978 Corvettes featured special 25th Anniversary emblems specific to that year.

As a side note, this Corvette is not a dealer auction vehicle. We hand pick each car after careful inspection. Our Corvettes come from owners who expect their cars to go to someone that will give the vehicle the same care and attention as they did. We invite and encourage you to examine the car in person or have the car inspected. Please take the time to scrutinize each picture. We photograph each vehicle to the greatest extent so you can feel confident about your purchase. If you have a question about the Corvette, just give us a call.

numbers

Please note when checking the numbers that not only do the correct stampings and casting numbers appear on the parts, but all of the dates are also chronologically correct. This means that all of the parts were made and assembled in the correct order. For example, all of the dates for the individual engine components and the engine casting date should obviously precede the assembly date of the engine because the parts had to be produced before they could be assembled. All of the parts I checked follow this rule and are dated correctly.

item	number	description*
VIN	1Z87L8S401173	The first digit, "1," indicated the Chevrolet division of GM. The "Z" is the series, Corvette. The "87" is the body style, 2-door sport coupe. The fifth digit is the engine, L, correct for an L48 car. The sixth digit, "8," indicates the year, 1978. The "S" is the plant where the car was produced, St. Louis. The last five digits are a sequence number so this is the 1,173rd Corvette made for 1978.
Body Build Date	A17	"A" corresponds to September, and the 17 is the seventeenth day of the month meaning this Corvette's build date is September 17, 1977.
Engine Code	V0909	"V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant. The fist "09" is the ninth month of year and the second "09" is the ninth day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on September 9, 1977.
Suffix Code	CLM	This means the motor was intended for an L48 with an automatic transmission, which is correct for this car.
Engine VIN Stamping	401173	The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 401173, are stamped on the engine pad meaning this engine is original to this car.
Engine Block Casting Number	3970010	The engine block has the correct 3970010 casting number.
Engine Block Casting Date	I 1 7	The casting date was very difficult to read. "I" is September, "1" is the first day of the month, and "7" is 1977 so the engine block was cast on September 1, 1977. Which is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.
Distributor	1103337	The distributor is correct with 1103337 stamped on the housing.
Distributor Date Code	7J01	The "7" is the last digit of the calendar year, the "J" denotes September, and "01" is the first day of the month meaning the distributor was made on September 1, 1977. This is correct as it predates the build dates of the engine.
Intake Manifold Casting Number	346249	The intake manifold is correct with a 346249 casting number.
Intake Manifold Casting Date	I 8 7	"I" is September , "8" is the eighth day of the month, and "7" is 1977 so the intake was cast on September 8, 1977. Which is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.
Vacuum Advance	643	The vacuum advance is correct with a "643" stamping. "643" is the last 3 digits of the part number, 1973643, of the vacuum advance, which is the correct unit for a 1103337 distributor.
Starter	1109052	This has the correct stamping, 1109052, for a 1978 Corvette with an automatic transmission.
Starter Date Code	7G25	The "7" is the last digit of the calendar year, the "G" denotes July, and "25" is the twenty-fifth day of the month meaning the starter was made on July 25, 1977. This is correct as it predates the build dates of the engine.
Left Front Wheel Stamping	K 1 7 7 21 AZ	"K" means the wheels are original Kelsey-Hayes as they should be, "1" means they were made at the Romulus, MI plant, and the first "7" means they were made in 1977. The second "7" is the seventh month of the year and "21" is the twenty-third day of the month. This means the wheel was made on July 21, 1977. "AZ" is a code that was used on wheels intended for a 1978 Corvette.
Right Front Wheel Stamping	K 1 7 7 21 AZ	"K" means the wheels are original Kelsey-Hayes as they should be, "1" means they were made at the Romulus, MI plant, and the first "7" means they were made in 1977. The second "7" is the seventh month of the year and "21" is the twenty-third day of the month. This means the wheel was made on July 21, 1977. "AZ" is a code that was used on wheels intended for a 1978 Corvette.
Left Rear Wheel Stamping	K 1 7 8 23 AZ	"K" means the wheels are original Kelsey-Hayes as they should be, "1" means they were made at the Romulus, MI plant, and "7" means they were made in 1977. "8" is the eighth month of the year and "23" is the twenty-third day of the month. This means the wheel was made on August 23, 1977. "AZ" is a code that was used on wheels intended for a 1978 Corvette.
Right Rear Wheel Stamping	K 1 7 8 23 AZ	"K" means the wheels are original Kelsey-Hayes as they should be, "1" means they were made at the Romulus, MI plant, and "7" means they were made in 1977. "8" is the eighth month of the year and "23" is the twenty-third day of the month. This means the wheel was made on August 23, 1977. "AZ" is a code that was used on wheels intended for a 1978 Corvette.
Windshield	TG	"T" is August and "G" is 1977 so this window was made in August of 1977. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.
Driver's Window	IG	"I" is June and "G" is 1977 so this window was made in June of 1977. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.
Passenger Window	TG	"T" is August and "G" is 1977 so this window was made in August of 1977. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.
Rear Window	AG	"A" is September and "G" is 1977 so this window was made in September of 1977. This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

*All information obtained from Alan A. Colvin's Corvette by the Numbers and Mike Antonick's Corvette Black Book.

condition

Exterior

The Corvette Dark Blue exterior is in nice driver condition. As one can see in the photos the finish has dazzling gloss, smooth finish, and deep shine. Often many Corvettes will have particularly chipped up front ends, this car does not. The underside of the front end, very fragile part of the car, is in great condition as evidenced by the photos. The wheels are in nice condition with no significant curb rash on the beauty rings. There are no major imperfections that have been intentionally excluded from the photos. There are some blemishes, touch ups, and other spots on the car that were too small to show up in photos, but nothing that is really noticeable from ten feet away. This Corvette has absolutely NO rust issues. The frame is totally solid with no rust in front of the rear tire and I have seen no evidence of corrosion around the windshield.

Please note that all of the glass on this Corvette is date coded and original to the car as it predates the build date of September 17, 1977. Original glass is a good indication that the car has not been in a major accident and never sustained significant damage.

Interior

The Dark Blue Leather interior of the Corvette is in great condition for original. The seats look in person just as they do in the photos with some wear on the drivers side in the typical area. Please note that these are the original seats, not some cheap aftermarket replacement. The carpet is in excellent condition and looks like new with no stains, rips, or holes. This includes the rear carpet with is often neglected. The door panels are in great shape and unlike many Corvettes of this age, they fit well and tight to the door. The dash and console are in awesome condition with no cracks, sun damage, or fading. The rear cargo cover operates properly and has no rips or tears. This car has not been smoked in and there is no aroma whatsoever. The original pedal pads are not excessively worn and, as one can see from the pictures, show normal wear for a car with this mileage. The original jack and jack handle are still with the car. Corvette interiors are not known to wear well and the good condition of this original interior is a testament to the meticulous care this car has received throughout it's life.

Mechanical

This car is in awesome mechanical condition and ready to be enjoyed. It is an exceptional driver that is tight on the road and at highway speeds. There is no smoke when starting or driving the car. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. It starts right away every time, idles well, and runs well. The transmission shifts smoothly throughout the power band. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully clean and detailed as one can see in the photos. This Corvette has plenty of power; the catalytic converter has been removed and replaced with a true dual exhaust system. The horn works as do the headlights, headlight override vacuum switch, all gauges (with the obvious exception of the clock), all interior and exterior lights, power windows, and wipers. Even the cruise control and power antenna work, which are notorious common issues on this vintage Corvette. Like most of the classic cars we deal with, this car does have some leaks. The only other item I am aware of on the car that does not work is the a/c, which most likely needs to be recharged. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car, especially with the t-tops out on a beautiful day.

Overall Condition

Overall this Corvette is in great condition. In addition, this car is also optioned with a very rare color combination. Numbers matching and originality are extremely important in Corvette pricing, and as you can see this car very original and correct. The value of the late C3 body style cars has gone up dramatically in the past few years. They are all solid investments for a collector. Cars like this are the Barrett Jackson stars of the future. Someone could drive and enjoy this vehicle for several years and sell it for more than the purchase price.

Thank you for looking and please email or call with any questions.

vehicle pictures

Click here to view all full size photos

Seven Hills Motorcars, Inc - 1978 Corvette

Seven Hills Motorcars, Inc - 1978 Corvette

1/11/2012

sales@SevenHillsMotorcars.com

sales@SevenHillsMotorcars.com

Please be sure to check our other Corvettes on eBay

worldwide shipping

The vast majority of cars sold by Seven Hills Motorcars are shipped across the country or even across the world to their new owners. Therefore, we are very familiar with the shipping process and glad to help our customers with it. We are more than happy to assist in having your car transported to anywhere in world. For our domestic customers in the United States we can handle the entire process in-house without the need or added expense for a shipping broker. Please feel free to contact us for a shipping quote.

All content � Seven Hills Motorcars, Inc.