Price
$19,900
Engine Size
350ci V8
Transmission Type
4 Speed Manual
Body Style
Coupe
Miles
57,599
Vin
1Z8748S408814
Stock
900969

Silver Anniversary, L82, M21 Close Ratio 4-Speed, EXCELLENT CONDITION, Low Miles

….

Please call Matt directly at 513-708-1468 with any questions about this car.

Seven Hills Motorcars is very proud to offer this completely numbers matching 1978 Silver Anniversary Edition Corvette in excellent condition with the high performance L82 engine, M21 close ratio 4-Speed manual transmission, and only 57,599 original miles. This Silver Anniversary Edition looks fantastic, runs great, and is an excellent driver. It is exceptionally rare with the engine and transmission combination. This drive train combination is the most desirable and sought-after that was available for a late C3 Corvette. This is the best and most performance oriented options one could order for 1978. The original window sticker is still with the car and shows that the car was ordered new with the L82 and the M21 close ratio 4-speed transmission.

The car is totally solid with great lines and no rust issues. The Corvette is finished in the beautiful and highly desirable color combination of RPO B27 Silver Anniversary Two Tone Silver (13) over Dark Gray (07) with Black (192) interior. This is the correct and original color scheme as verified by the codes on the trim tag and window sticker pictured in this ad. This is an excellent opportunity to own a wonderful classic special edition Corvette that is ready to be used and enjoyed at an unbeatable value. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price in the years to come as the market on C3 Corvette is hot right now and on the rise, this is especially true for the Silver Anniversary Edition. The low original mileage is supported not only by the condition of the car, but also the clear Ohio title, pictured in this ad, showing the mileage as, "Actual." Please peruse all of the photos, video, and information to get a true sense of how nice this Corvette really is

Besides the correct paint and trim codes this Corvette is “numbers matching,” meaning the engine in the car now is the sale engine that was installed in the car new at the factory in St. Louis in 1977. The last six digits of the VIN, 408814, are stamped on the engine pad, which is pictured in this ad, and the engine is original to the car. The transmission is also original with the last six digits of the VIN stamped on the main case and pictured. This car is verified as an original L82 4-speed in a number of ways. First, on the engine pad is stamped “CMR.” This suffix code denotes an L82 with manual transmission. The car is also confirmed as an original and authentic L82 by the fifth digit of the VIN. Only the L82 Corvettes with have a “4” in this spot like this car does, a base motor L48 car will always have an “8” in the fifth digit of the VIN.

Please note that all 1978 Corvettes wore the "25th Anniversary" badge. However, only certain cars, such as this example, were the actual Silver Anniversary Editions with the Silver Anniversary regular production order (RPO), "B2Z." This is verified by the trim tag that is pictured in this ad showing the paint to be 13 for the bright Silver upper sections and 07 for the Dark Gray lower section, which was only used in 1978 and only for the B2Z Corvettes, on the darker lower portion.

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 car 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.

Exterior

The Two-Tone Silver (13) and Charcoal (07) exterior is in nice driver condition. As one can see in the photos the paint has a good gloss and a deep shine. The original factory bonding strips are still present on all four fenders, which is another sign that this car has never been in any kind of accident or had body work. Both doors open and shut nicely. The original YJ8 aluminum wheels are in great condition with a brilliant finish. The BF Goodrich Radial TA raised white letter tires are sized 255/60R15 and have about 90% tread left. There are no major scratches, scrapes, or other blemishes that have been intentionally excluded from the photos. There is a small spot on the right rear near the taillight and some other tiny imperfections that were too faint to show up in the photos, but noting that is really noticeable from about five or ten feet away. This Silver Anniversary Edition has absolutely no rust issues and as one can see in the many photos of the underside it is very clean underneath. The frame is totally solid with no rust around the "key hole" area in front of the rear tire and there are no signs of corrosion around the windshield, which are the two most notorious areas for rust on a Corvette of this era. We have included specific photos of the areas most prone to rust to show how nice this car is.

Window Date Codes

Please note that ALL of the glass on this Corvette is date coded and original all the windows predate the car's body build date of December 18, 1978 (E18). Original glass is a good indication that this car has had no major accident history and never sustained significant damage.

Interior

The Black interior in this Corvette is in outstanding like new condition. The gauge faces are crisp and clean and the lenses are crystal clear. The seats look almost brand new and just as good in person as they do in the photos with no split seams, rips, or wear. The seat is not worn in the typical are on the bolster where the driver gets in and out. The carpet is also in fantastic condition with no stains, rips, or holes. The dash and console are in spectacular condition with no cracks, fading, or sun damage. This original radio works and most importantly the dash has never been cut or modified for an aftermarket installation. The door panels are in great shape and the door pulls are solid and intact. The jack and jack handle are still with the car and stored correctly behind the passenger seat. The original spare is also still with the car and has never been used. This Corvette has never been smoked in; there are no burns marks and no aroma of cigarettes.

Corvette interiors from this era are not known to wear well and the excellent condition of this interior is a huge testament to the meticulous care and attention this car has received throughout its life and another great verification of the very low original mileage. The interior looks just as good in person as it does in the photos.

Mechanical

This Corvette seems to be in very good mechanical condition. The L82 engine starts right away every time, runs well, and idles smooth. It drives amazing on the road and at highway speeds. In the video below one can observe the car accelerating on the highway up to about 70mph, shifting through all the gears, braking to stoplight, and going through some curves. Please note that there are no vibrations or strange noises and the car performs quite well overall. The shifter is tight, the M21 close ratio transmission does not pop out of gear, and the clutch feels good. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. The car runs cool and does not overheat. This Corvette has plenty of power and is quite fast with the L82. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully clean, detailed, and correct as one can see in the photos.

The radio works as do all the exterior lights, indicators, and wipers. The blower for the heater and air conditioning works on all speeds. The a/c itself works and one can see the a/c compressor engaging properly in the video. The vacuum system for the headlights works correctly. The headlights go up quickly, evenly, and with no binding in the mechanism. Also, the headlights go up correctly with either the headlight switch or vacuum override switch. All of the gauges work with the obvious exception of the clock. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car, especially with the extra power from the L82, the 4-speed close ratio manual transmission, and the T-tops out on a beautiful day.

Overall Condition



Overall, this 1978 L82 4-speed Silver Anniversary Edition Corvette is in amazing condition and is an excellent car. Special and Anniversary Edition Corvettes always draw a premium over their standard Corvette counterparts. The L82 engine and 4-speed combination, the originality, the low miles, the highly desirable options, the anniversary edition package, the great extent to which all the numbers match, and the excellent overall condition make this car especially important and hard to duplicate. Numbers matching is very important in the Corvette market and in Corvette pricing, especially for rare and high performance models like this car, and as one can see this car is very correct. This car is remarkably correct and original and there are photos in this ad of the VIN stamp on the engine block, suffix code, engine assembly date, transmission casting number, transmission casting date, transmission assembly date, and transmission VIN stamp. The prices of C3 Corvettes have increased drastically over the past years. This is especially true with the Silver Anniversary Editions in our experience. These cars have been catching up to the '78 Pace Cars in value and many people, myself included, prefer the Anniversary Edition over the Pace Car. This Corvette always gets a ton of attention driving down the road. It is very apparent that the vehicle has been well taken care of by its previous owners. The Silver Anniversary Edition Corvettes are secure and wise investments for a collector. One could easily enjoy this vehicle for several years and sell it for more than the purchase price with minimal effort.

Other sellers are not taking the time to show the car is in such great detail to give you all of the numbers, options, photos, and video. As stated above, numbers matching is extremely important in Corvette pricing and will become even more important as time passes and this car becomes older and even more rare. This information is very valuable and important for pricing. Any perspective buyer, for any of our vehicles or from other sellers, should ask for all the numbers and information before he or she makes a purchase.

Thank you for looking and please do not hesitate to email or call with any questions.

item
number
description*

VIN
1Z8748S408814
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, 4, correct for an L82 car.  The sixth digit, "8," indicates the model 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 8,814th Corvette made for 1978.

Body Build Date
C09
"C" corresponds to November and "09" is the ninth day of the month meaning this Corvette's body build date is November 9th, 1977.

Engine Code
V1031
"V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant.  The "10" is the tenth month of year and the "31" is the seventh day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on October 31st, 1977.  This is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.

Suffix Code
CMR
This means the motor was intended for a 1978 220hp Corvette with a manual transmission, which is correct for this car.

Engine VIN Stamp
408814
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 408814, are stamped on the engine pad and pictured below, meaning this engine is original to this car.

Engine Block Casting Number
3970010
The engine block has the correct 3970010 casting number for a 1978 Corvette.

Engine Block Casting Date
J 8 7
"J" is October, "8" is the eighth day of the month, and "7" is the last digit of the calendar year so the engine block was cast on October 8th, 1977. 

Carburetor
17058211
This carburetor is correct and original for a 1978 L82 corvette with a manual transmission

Carburetor Date Code
3047
"304" is the day and "7" is the last digit of the calendar year, meaning this carburetor was made on October 31st, 1977.

Transmission Casting Date
8-2-77
The "8" is the eighth month of the year, the "77" is the year, and the "2" is the day so this transmission main case was cast on August 2nd, 1977, this is correct as it predates he assembly of the transmission.

Transmission Main Case Casting Number
13-04-065-908
The transmission main case has the correct 13-04-065-908 casting number

Transmission Tail Housing Casting Number
13-04-066-903
The transmission tail housing has the correct 13-04-066-903 casting number

Transmission Side Cover Casting Number
13-04-097-901
The transmission side cover has the correct 13-04-097-901 casting number

Transmission Date Code
WK2672
"W" is the the plant Warner, "K" is the month November, "26" is the twenty sixth day, "7" is the last digit of the calendar year, and lastly "2" is the second shift of the night. Meaning this transmission was made on November 26th, 1977, during the second shift at the Warner Plant.

Transmission VIN Stamping
408814
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 408814, are stamped on the main case of the transmission and pictured below meaning this transmission is original to this car.

Rear Differential
OJ309W7
"OJ" is the code for the gear ratio, "309" is the day, "W" is the plant Warren, MI, "7" is the last digit of the calendar year. Meaning this Posi 3.70:1 rear axle was made on November 5th, 1977 at the Warren, MI plant.

Windshield
UJ
"U" is July and "J" is 1978 so this window is original, made in July of 1978.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

Driver's Window
YG
"Y" is October and "G" is 1977 so this window is original, made in October 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 is original, made in August of 1977.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

Rear Window
TJ
"T" is August and "J" is 1978 so this window is original, made in August of 1978.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

exterior color code

13
Silver

interior color code

192
Black Leather

 


 


 


 


 

rpo code
description

1YZ87
Corvette Sport Coupe

A31
Power Windows

B2Z
Silver Anniversary Paint

C49
Rear Window Defogger

C60
Air Conditioning

D35
Sport Mirrors

L82
220hp V8 Engine

M21
4 Speed Transmission

QBS
255/60R15 White Letter Tires

U58
AM-FM Stereo Radio

YJ8
Aluminum Wheels

ZX2
Convenience Group

Engine

Engine Type
Gasoline
Engine Size
350ci V8

Body

Body Color
2-Tone Silver (13) over Dark Gray (07)
Body Style
Coupe
Doors
2

Basic

Year
1978
Make
Chevrolet
Model
Corvette
Miles
57,599

Interior

Interior Color
Black Leather (192)
exterior color code
13 Silver
interior color code
192 Black Leather

 

 

 

 

 

rpo code description
1YZ87 Corvette Sport Coupe
A31 Power Windows
B2Z Silver Anniversary Paint
C49 Rear Window Defogger
C60 Air Conditioning
D35 Sport Mirrors
L82 220hp V8 Engine
M21 4 Speed Transmission
QBS 255/60R15 White Letter Tires
U58 AM-FM Stereo Radio
YJ8 Aluminum Wheels
ZX2 Convenience Group
item number description*
VIN 1Z8748S408814 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, 4, correct for an L82 car.  The sixth digit, "8," indicates the model 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 8,814th Corvette made for 1978.
Body Build Date C09 "C" corresponds to November and "09" is the ninth day of the month meaning this Corvette's body build date is November 9th, 1977.
Engine Code V1031 "V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant.  The "10" is the tenth month of year and the "31" is the seventh day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on October 31st, 1977.  This is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.
Suffix Code CMR This means the motor was intended for a 1978 220hp Corvette with a manual transmission, which is correct for this car.
Engine VIN Stamp 408814 The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 408814, are stamped on the engine pad and pictured below, meaning this engine is original to this car.
Engine Block Casting Number 3970010 The engine block has the correct 3970010 casting number for a 1978 Corvette.
Engine Block Casting Date J 8 7 "J" is October, "8" is the eighth day of the month, and "7" is the last digit of the calendar year so the engine block was cast on October 8th, 1977. 
Carburetor 17058211 This carburetor is correct and original for a 1978 L82 corvette with a manual transmission
Carburetor Date Code 3047 "304" is the day and "7" is the last digit of the calendar year, meaning this carburetor was made on October 31st, 1977.
Transmission Casting Date 8-2-77 The "8" is the eighth month of the year, the "77" is the year, and the "2" is the day so this transmission main case was cast on August 2nd, 1977, this is correct as it predates he assembly of the transmission.
Transmission Main Case Casting Number 13-04-065-908 The transmission main case has the correct 13-04-065-908 casting number
Transmission Tail Housing Casting Number 13-04-066-903 The transmission tail housing has the correct 13-04-066-903 casting number
Transmission Side Cover Casting Number 13-04-097-901 The transmission side cover has the correct 13-04-097-901 casting number
Transmission Date Code WK2672 "W" is the the plant Warner, "K" is the month November, "26" is the twenty sixth day, "7" is the last digit of the calendar year, and lastly "2" is the second shift of the night. Meaning this transmission was made on November 26th, 1977, during the second shift at the Warner Plant.
Transmission VIN Stamping 408814 The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 408814, are stamped on the main case of the transmission and pictured below meaning this transmission is original to this car.
Rear Differential OJ309W7 "OJ" is the code for the gear ratio, "309" is the day, "W" is the plant Warren, MI, "7" is the last digit of the calendar year. Meaning this Posi 3.70:1 rear axle was made on November 5th, 1977 at the Warren, MI plant.
Windshield UJ "U" is July and "J" is 1978 so this window is original, made in July of 1978.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.
Driver's Window YG "Y" is October and "G" is 1977 so this window is original, made in October 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 is original, made in August of 1977.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.
Rear Window TJ "T" is August and "J" is 1978 so this window is original, made in August of 1978.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.
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