and here was his reply...
chris,
i been in the bussiness of selling cars for last 35 years,everyone in my town knows the person i am,i am sorry to say you are offending me bu minding my business,if you intrested in the car please go to the next corvette if this one does not appeal to you or you don't like the decals.please let me worry about my self and bad raps.for someone who don't even know me,you sure care alot,for that i thank you from bottom of my heart.i am retired and i do want to stay that way and enjoy my days in peace.
have a great day and take care of your self.........paul

ps please don't write me back


I thought I was trying to help the guy not look like a tool.

 

wer2xu
You were trying to help but his reply is almost intangible, he seems to be all upset as he types, the fellow is into car sales, he knows how cheesy the decals are he doesn't care he wants a sucker to buy it,
It's funny that with his disclamer he is safe from being sued for selling a real pace car that isn't



Clams,


I am sorry if that struck a raw nerve but no "whining" from me,
Even though I dig customs I still find some things silly, or down right tacky cheesy,

I was very tired when I posted that, I admit I should have been a tad bit more careful and said that it's tacky cheesy, stupid to have an emblem/decal on a car that isn't what the car and or engine really is,

My way of thinking comes partly from my over 30 years into kit cars, I find "fake" and Pseudo very asinine, people stick real Lambo and Ferrari emblems on everything from Fieros to Avengers and it's just dumb,
I have seen fake v12 engine covers for the Fiero 4 lungers and even fake wheel spacers that look like high end disc brakes, I know one fellow with a Laser 917 he thinks his bass speaker tube that looks like a NOS bottle is cool....

On a vette for example most people into cars will look at a "427" emblem and expect a big block Chevy in there so I see a cool irony of a 427 Small block under the hood, but a 68 Corvette ( did you mean Corvette, you didn't say ) with 78 Pace car Corvette decals while it will fool the occasional Yokel won't be worth all the snide remarks from 99% of dyed in the wool Corvette fans about it being a "fake" people won't get past the decals to enjoy the rest of the car no matter how well it's built,

I support your right to build it and it might even look pretty cool but calling it a "Pace car" with Pace car decals will still be cheesy, just like the car that's for sale in this auction, people like the car but not the Pace car decals on a car that isn't....

 

How can one tell that this is NOT a pace car Vette?

 

I thought all real Pace cars had the Black and silver paint,

Because 78Vette-SA says the VIN isn't a pace car VIN....Oops should I have not trusted that?

 

Maybe your question is innocent, PrestonM, but I hope you've got a quality flame suit at the ready for asking what is considered by most to be common Vette knowledge, but...

The car in question has a two-tone silver/gun metal Silver Anniversary paint scheme instead of the two-tone black/silver Pace Car scheme, which ought to be obvious from across town, and Pace Cars have ...900000 series VIN's instead of ...400000 series VIN's. So, this is somewhat "duh" info to most of us.

The thing that gripes us is that this dealer doesn't care that he's coming off as either a moron or would be rip-off artist among a rather knowledgeable group of otherwise possible customers.

 

I was just curious how to tell if it isn't a pace car Vette since I am a Corvette Noob.....

 

Gotcha....and flame suit at the ready sir....I expect that in the land of the Noob....

 

paint color, interior color, seats, VIN...

 

Welcome to the shark tank.

 

You're cool. Welcome Corvette brother.......

 

If you are new into this stuff there are lots of books and info out there on the 1st Corvette to be used as a pace car. Black and silver, spoilers, new silver interior. Big deal back in '78 for the 25th anniversary. Any dealer selling Vettes or any cars of this era KNOWS this.

Now, which one do I put the decals on? I'm kinda confused now.

 

I am surprised that a dealer would not do this research before taking a car like this in on a trade-in

 

Yes... I got the 427 irony, but also with the advent of the 7.0L SBC there's no compelling reason to tie up the weight and compartment space with a big block. I mean even the new Vette's use big SBC's. So whle it's ironic, I also consider it an "evolution" of sorts.

Yes.. the Pace Car thing is tricky - I'll give you that. Problem is, the 1st month I had it in '78, I parked it next to a new Pace Car at Portsmouth Paper Company in NH. I was not a fan of the soft bumpers, and even less of a fan of the bubble back window. (IMHO the bubble back should have been styled more like the 63-67 if they wanted the extra space so badly) So anyway, I'm looking at my car and looking at the pace car (back and forth) and it seemed to me that the whole scheme would look even cooler on a chrome bumper convertable. The "vision"(tm) was born. Being dimly aware of the decal issue, I did a "vision" without the decals and it falls flat. Even a real Pace car without the decals doesn't rise to the level of some of the other 2-tone bubble back schemes. Something about the red accents and all the red lettering on the door is what takes it over the top.

Now that it's 30 years later... I'd like to believe it doesn't matter as much anymore. The C3 has faded into automotive history. We all know that GM (after much fiasco) built one "limited edition" Pace Car replica for every dealer back in 1978. Fine with me... I'm doing one more omage "replica" of the replica if you will. The C3 was indeed the Indy pace car in 1978, and I have a C3. I'd like to believe anyone who don't know Vette's will just think it looks "cool", and those that do will know it's obviously an omage to the pace car - and nothing more.
I *think* I'd feel more like you do if I saw it done to a 1979 or 1980 for example - in that it might "fool me" for a moment. I don't expect a '68 with chrome bumpers and an L88 hood to fool anyone at all.
-W

PS: For whatever reason... switching to a '74 type silver interior just didn't cut it for me.. I studied the pics and decided to stay with black inside - for totally inarticulable reasons.

 

I think it's clear he knows what he's doing.

-W

 

The one on the right?...

Yeah I remember people climbing over each other to see these Corvettes back in the day. And they were kind of a rare site on the road at the start, around here anyway, because so many were getting put away for safe keeping. In 30 years or so you might have your retirement fund....

Oh. That started last year....

 

For reference my L82/4spd Origional Pace Car #1660 to be exact. Since this pic I have had the red stripe on the tires re applied, they were there just worn.

 

something stinks about this "low milage" one as well, can anyone spot what is wrong with it? May be real but I think its past is questionable?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevr...fCarsQ5fTrucks

 

For a correct SA... Wheel centers are wrong, should be black w/bright trim cap only. Rear window trim should be part black part bright, not fully bright. Pin-stripes missing around side vents, fenders, and rear plate. Not sure the bumper guards are properly blacked. Plastic ignition shield missing. Non-original radio. Didn't think the L48 came with 140mph speedo. Believe that's it, but I'm sure I could have missed something else, as I'm certainly no NCRS judge.

 

Low miles with air ducts missing. Dist shield missing. and what is that dipstick for on the passenger side? Cruise control on a 4spd in 78? etc.

 

Wrong t-tops, and horn button. I might be wrong, but I think you could get cruise on a 4spd.