1978 Vette for only $70,000!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Last edited by I'm Batman; Jul 17, 2007 at 02:01 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 16,978
Likes: 7
From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
IF this is a genuine Greenwood car the price is appropriate. For you C3 noobs who don't know the history of the car your driving (which is most of you judging from all the bashing of this car), John (driver/engineer) and Burt (fabricator/engineer) Greenwood were as close to the C6R teams as you could get in the late 60's thru the 70's. Sure, lots of teams had L88's and inside help from ZAD but none were faster. These would be million dollar cars today if they had won all the races they lead including the Sebring 12 hr. and 24 hrs. of Daytona and LeMans. Although crashing ocasionally, mechanical DNF's were usually the cause and most of them transmission faliure (even the venerable M22 could not handle the hp these cars were capable of).Greenwood partially funded their racing efforts by building road cars similar to the racers de-tuned for the street. The shark you love owes it's racing petigree to these cars. The bodywork you find so ugly is not some "Pimp my Ride" kit, but the state of aerodynamics in the 70's (look at racers from BMW and Porche to compare). John's "Drifting" (before those who coined the term were ever born) driving style of an 800 hp 14" wide rear tire monster endeared him to all who witnessed it back in the day (even the French!). If all this is news to you, I encourage you to educate yourself at http://www.greenwoodcorvettes.com/
The thing that makes me think this might be the real deal, the pop up hatch. The thing that has me questioning if it the real deal, the 5 speed. I'll be asking my buddies on makoshark2 who may know this car. /:\
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
From: Lancaster South Carolina
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,562
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
At $70k, that car is a bargain. Check out this $5 million T-Bird
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0HPm2:Featured
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0HPm2:Featured
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 7,009
Likes: 11
From: Philadelphia, sub burbs Wynnewood, PA
IF this is a genuine Greenwood car the price is appropriate. For you C3 noobs who don't know the history of the car your driving (which is most of you judging from all the bashing of this car), John (driver/engineer) and Burt (fabricator/engineer) Greenwood were as close to the C6R teams as you could get in the late 60's thru the 70's. Sure, lots of teams had L88's and inside help from ZAD but none were faster. These would be million dollar cars today if they had won all the races they lead including the Sebring 12 hr. and 24 hrs. of Daytona and LeMans. Although crashing ocasionally, mechanical DNF's were usually the cause and most of them transmission faliure (even the venerable M22 could not handle the hp these cars were capable of).Greenwood partially funded their racing efforts by building road cars similar to the racers de-tuned for the street. The shark you love owes it's racing petigree to these cars. The bodywork you find so ugly is not some "Pimp my Ride" kit, but the state of aerodynamics in the 70's (look at racers from BMW and Porche to compare). John's "Drifting" (before those who coined the term were ever born) driving style of an 800 hp 14" wide rear tire monster endeared him to all who witnessed it back in the day (even the French!). If all this is news to you, I encourage you to educate yourself at http://www.greenwoodcorvettes.com/
The thing that makes me think this might be the real deal, the pop up hatch. The thing that has me questioning if it the real deal, the 5 speed. I'll be asking my buddies on makoshark2 who may know this car. /:\
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Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,206
Likes: 8
From: Belmar NJ
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
True, however not many of the body kits were sold with the Greenwood IRS. I was going to buy one from them last year but was told that set up cost $20,000! That pop up hatch is impossible to find unless you are going to scrafice a CE. And these items became factory original in the C4 and 5. I wonder how the C5 and C6R clones will be percieved 30 years hence......and a vintage Greenwood customer car is worth about 250k, 3 or 4 times that if it was one John campaigned himself
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 473
Likes: 6
From: New Port Richey FL
While definitely not my favorite car, and I doubt my ‘73 owes much to a ‘78 that may or may not have been raced, it seems to me this could be settled quickly. Perhaps racing "improved the breed" and lead to the anemic power options for the 81-82 cars. Personally I think the car could be the "real deal" just because I find it hard to believe "modifications" such as these would have survived this long otherwise. The car is about a mile from my work, so if someone has something that can prove this cars pedigree... I can take a picture or two of the "proof" and one of the other members can post the pictures. Perhaps then we can put to rest whether this car is "the ****" or simply the later.
Just another Corvette guy
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,518
Likes: 3,865
From: Palm Springs, CA.
While I don't mind a mild custom Vette every now and then, very seldom does it enhance the original car.
Even with all the big performance names lurking behind this "possilbly" original car, in my humble opinion, it's just an overpriced, cheesey looking disco era custom.
And while some will point out the obvious benefits of the suspension/drivetrain updates it's simply not enough to offset a bad looking car.
Case in point:
In the late 70's some of the fastest cars in America were the custom built small block Vegas. They'd tear up any Corvette/Chevelle/Cuda/etc. in the quarter mile, but when it was parked in the driveway it was still just a cheap, low budget, unattractive Vega, just like your grandma used to drive to Piggly Wiggly to buy cat food and liver pills.
It can't just be fast....it's gotta look good too.
Best,
Greg
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,206
Likes: 8
From: Belmar NJ
There should be a sticker (plate? I don't remember) on the cowl near the windshield base if it was built by Greenwood.
Either way, this car is optioned like no other widebody I've seen (I'd really like to know the make and year of mfg. for the 5 speed). /:\
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,593
Likes: 103
From: Southern Indiana
Its better tahn some of the circus freaks thats been showing up lately.
Ya know its funny, you look at it and laugh but then a real Baldwin Motion shows up with that paint brush looking paint scheme or the camaros with the firebird wing and pontiac wheels or the gaudy yenko 69 Camaro and people fall all over the place trying to get an autographed pic of it!!!!
I really can't relate to those companies can change out engines and the price hits the moon, but if I do it the price goes to hell?
Thats why I could care less about original anything to a car.
although other than the headlite conversions or a big cowl hood and wheels, vette bodies should be left alone.
Those "Greenwood conversions" look like a golf corse special!!!!
Ya know its funny, you look at it and laugh but then a real Baldwin Motion shows up with that paint brush looking paint scheme or the camaros with the firebird wing and pontiac wheels or the gaudy yenko 69 Camaro and people fall all over the place trying to get an autographed pic of it!!!!
I really can't relate to those companies can change out engines and the price hits the moon, but if I do it the price goes to hell?
Thats why I could care less about original anything to a car.
although other than the headlite conversions or a big cowl hood and wheels, vette bodies should be left alone.
Those "Greenwood conversions" look like a golf corse special!!!!
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 21
Likes: 8
From: Central PA
You guys are not very nice. This car has a long history. As the agreement between greenwood and ACI came to an end - this was one of the last cars ACI built and badged it as an ACI AMERICAN TURBO. It is identical to the Turbo version but they could not put John Greenwoods name on it due to the contract no longer existing. It originally had a aluminum block with the turbo but one of the owners blew the engine and replaced it with a 454. It was white and this dealer painted it red. There was a greenwood Turbo plack on the drivers door near the door striker - removed when they painted it red. This was not just a bolt on kit, the rear suspension was modified as well as the back storage area in order to fit the greenwood suspension in. All in all I hapen to like this car - and have it sitting next to my 1982 collector in my garage now. No it did not cost $70,000 or $40,000 or even $20,000 - I got a good deal from the dealer that wanted to finally sell this car. I like it and thats all that matters and the bonus is the history on the car.
Larry
Last edited by mrlarrys; Jun 24, 2017 at 08:26 AM.