#'s Match, Low Miles, EXCELLENT CONDITION, Mahogany/Doeskin, PRICED TO SELL!!

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

Seven Hills Motorcars is proud to offer this numbers matching 1978 Corvette in excellent condition with only 82,490 original miles. This Corvette looks stunning with beautiful paint, runs great, and is an excellent driver. The car is totally solid with excellent lines and no rust issues. It is finished in the beautiful and rare color combination of Mahogany (82) over Light Doeskin Leather (592). This is the correct and original color scheme as verified by the codes on the trim tag, pictured in this ad.

Besides the correct paint and trim codes this Corvette is "Numbers Matching" meaning the engine and the transmission are the original units that were installed new in the car at the factory in St. Louis in 1978. Even very detailed parts like the intake, distributor, and carburetor are all correct and original. The last six digits of the VIN, 426574, 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 Corvette is ready to be used and enjoyed. We have this car priced to sell and are offering an excellent opportunity to own a very desirable Corvette at an unbeatable value. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price in years to come as the market on C3 Corvettes is very hot right now and on the rise, especially for an extra clean premium example like this car. The low original mileage is verified not only by the condition of the car, but also the clear Ohio title, pictured in this ad, that shows the mileage as "Actual." Please peruse all of the photos, video, list of numbers, and other information to get a true sense of how clean and nice this Corvette really is.

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.

Model Description

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.

Exterior

The Mahogany (82) exterior is in fantastic driver condition. As one can see in the photos the finish has a terrific gloss, deep shine, and smooth finish. Both doors open and shut nicely. The original YJ8 aluminum wheels have a brilliant finish and no curb rash. The raised white letter tires have plenty of tread left and are correctly sized 225/70R15. There are no major imperfections that have been intentionally excluded from the many photos. There are some faint imperfections and hairline cracks around the car that were too small to show up in the photos, but nothing else that is really noticeable from about five or ten feet away. This car has no rust issues. As one can see in the many photos of the underside of the car, 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 we have seen no evidence of corrosion around the “birdcage” or windshield frame, which are the two most common spots for rust on a C3 Corvette. We have included specific photos of the areas most prone to rust to show how nice this car looks.

Window Date Codes

Please note that almost of the glass on this Corvette, both side windows and the rear are all date coded and original as each piece predates the car's body build date of I12, which is May 12, 1978. Original glass is a good indication that this car has had no major accident history and never sustained significant damage.

Interior

The Light Doeskin interior in this Corvette is in excellent condition. The gauge faces are clean and crisp and the lenses are clear. The dash and console look awesome with no cracks or sun fading. The seats look just as nice in person as they do in the photos. The seat is not overly worn in the typical area on the bolster where the driver gets in and out. There are a few spots of wear on the seat bottoms. The carpet is also in great condition overall with no rips, holes, or stains. The door panels are in good shape overall. The door pulls are solid and intact. Please note that both seat belts work and retract properly. This is a common problem on this era Corvette and an issue many buyers do not think to check. The jack and jack handle are still with the car, stored correctly in the compartment behind the passenger seat. The original spare is still with the car. 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 low original mileage.

Mechanical

This Corvette seems to be in very good mechanical condition. The original numbers matching L48 engine starts right away every time, runs well, and idles smooth. The car drives great 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 and the car performs quite well overall. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. The transmission shifts well throughout the power band. The car runs cool and does not overheat. This Corvette has plenty of power and is quite fast. Also, the engine compartment is beautifully clean, detailed, and correct as one can see in the photos. The original air cleaner, stamped steal valve covers, and catalytic converter are still on the car.

The radio works as do all the exterior lights, interior lights, indicators, horn, wipers, and power windows. The blower for the heat and a/c works on all speeds. 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. There complete operation form both switches can be viewed in the video. All of the gauges work with the obvious exception of the clock. The air conditioning does not blow cold. 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 1978 Corvette is in excellent driver condition. The low mileage, the rare and desirable color combination, the beautiful paintjob, and the excellent overall condition make this Corvette particularly desirable and very hard to duplicate. Numbers matching is important in the Corvette market and in Corvette pricing and as one can see this car is quite correct. There are photos in this ad of the VIN stamp on the engine block, suffix code, engine assembly date, transmission date code, transmission casting number, transmission casting date, and transmission VIN stamp. This Corvette always gets a ton of attention driving down the road. It is apparent that the vehicle has been well taken care of by its previous owners. The prices of C3 Corvettes have increased considerably over the past several years. They 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, especially for an exceptional example like this car, 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
1Z87L8S426574
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 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 26,574th Corvette made for 1978.

Body Build Date
I 12
"I" corresponds to May and "12" is the twelveth day of the month meaning this Corvette's body build date is May 12th, 1978.

Engine Code
V0227
"V" means the engine was build in the Flint, MI plant.  The "02" is the second month of year and the "27" is the twenty seventh day of the month meaning the engine was assembled on February 27th, 1978.  This is correct as it precedes the build date of the car.

Suffix Code
CUT
This means the motor was intended for a 1978 Corvette with an automatic transmission, which is correct for this car.

Engine VIN Stamp
426574
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 426574, 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
D 26 8
"D" is April, "26" is the twenty sixth day of the month, and "8" is the last digit of the calendar year so the engine block was cast on April 26th, 1978. 

Intake Manifold Casting Number
346249
The intake manifold is original and correct for a 78 Corvette with an automatic transmission with a 346249 stamping.

Intake Manifold Casting Date
C 23 8
"C" is the month March, "23" is the twenty third day of the month, and "8" is the last digit of the calendar year, Meaning this intake manifold was casted on March 23rd, 1978.

Distributor
1103353
The distributor is original and correct for an L48 corvette with a 1103353 stamping.

Distributor Date Code
8 D 20
The "8" is the last digit of the calendar year, the "D" denotes April, and "20" is the twentyth day of the month meaning the distributor was made on April 20th, 1978. This is correct as it predates the assembly date of the engine.

Carburetor
17058206
This carburetor is correct and original for a 1978 corvette with an automatic transmission

Carburetor Date Code
1188
"118" is the 118th day from January 1st 1978, and "8" is the last digit of the calendar year meaning this carburetor was made on April 28th, 1978.

Transmission Main Case Casting Number
8640300
The Main case of the transmission has the correct 8640300 casting number

Transmission Main Case Casting Date
4-78 10
"4" is the month, "78" is the year, and "10" is the day meaning this transmission was cast on April 10th, 1978

Transmission VIN Stamping
426574
The last 6 digits of the car's VIN, 426574 are stamped on the transmission and pictured below, meaning this engine is original to this car.

Driver's Window
GJ
"G" is April and "J" is 1978 so this window is original, made in April of 1978.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

Passenger  Window
CG
"C" is November and "G" is 1977 so this window is original, made in November of 1977.  This is correct as it predates the build date of the car.

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

exterior color code

82
Mahogany Metallic

interior color code

592
Light Doeskin

 

 

 

 

 

 

rpo code
description

1YZ87
Corvette Sport Coupe

A31
Power Windows

AU3
Power Door Locks

C49
Rear Window Defogger

C60
Air Conditioning

D35
Sport Mirrors

MX1
Automatic Transmission

N37
Tilt and Telescopic Steering Column

QGR
White Letter Tires 225/70R15

U58
AM-FM Radio, Stereo

U81
Dual Rear Speakers

YJ8
Aluminum Wheels

ZX2
Convenience Group