I have a friend looking at a 77 50K miles $9,000 and a 78 56K miles $6500. Both appear to be in similar mechanical condition (runs good and strong as 77 & 78 go) 78 needs paint. In your opinion which would be the better deal 77 at 9K or 78 at $6.5K plus cost of decent paint job all else being equal between the two.

 

Moot point. Which one does your friend want?

You have mentioned only cosmetics. Have you two looked into the specifics of each car?

 

I would buy the 77. Stock power is just a baseline.

As you know these don't have a lot of luggage space so he might prefer a 78.

 

Yes both cars have been looked at and appear to be in the same relative condition, both solid drivers and only minor surface rust on frame of both. So as I was trying to say equally good condition. So is a 78 Anniversary Edition, which is the one he is leaning towards, worth enough more than the 77 to cover the cost of a paint job minus the $2500 difference in selling price. Both parties have been negotiated with already.

 

No, but he should buy the one he prefers. This is best in the long run.

 

If its the 78 with the silver anniversary paint scheme (RPO B2Z)...it does add value with the paint and required aluminum wheels.

PS...it would look like the one in the photo to the left

 

I agree with Ganey and Hunt4cleanair. If your friend wants the 78, that's the way to go.

Personally, I like 77s; the last of the tunnel backs, but I also like the 78 B2Z cars.

Have your friend log in and join the forum.

 

an impossible question to answer. you can only get opinions. they are 2 different cars for the most part (appearance wise), and are 2 different cars functionally if you consider usable "space" in the car. if they are both in the same place, your friend should just look them both over side by side and assuming everything you mentioned in your original post is correct and they are as described, it comes down to a personal opinion as to which they like better. unless the 78 is a pace car or as noted a real anniversary edition, there would probably be a bit more value in the 77 because it was the last non bubble back C3.(it would be pretty minor however in my opinion). BTW also in my opinion 9k for a 77 seems a bit on the pricey side unless the car is in really nice condition.

 

Its been said many times, "buy the best car you can afford" I also tell people, "buy what you love, because you will be staring at it for a long time" If your friend likes the '78 more over the '77 go for it, or vice versa. If the seller is asking $6500 and it needs paint or whatever, take cash and start at $5400 and meet in the middle. Remember, $100 bills are a universal language. If the guy's wife is home during the sell that's a bonus for you. If she is pregnant, double bonus!

Keep us posted.

 

The really good news is that these two cars have much more in common than they do differences. As for differences, well that pretty much boils down to the tunnel back on the '77 and the fastback on the '78. Engines, most options and interior are too close to call. Technically every '78 is a Silver Anniversary, with the exception of the SA paint scheme and of course the Pace Car option.

I would say that it depends on the body style your friend prefers and the colors... tough choices!

Good luck... GUSTO

 

78-82 has significantly different interior/dash from 68-77.

 

Ganey, you are correct...

I forgot that '78 was the year that they changed the dash and instrument cluster, even adding a glove box for the first time since '67. The consoles are the same as are the seats with the exception of the Pace Car seats that showed up in the base Corvette in '79.

Of course the fastback added some additional interior storage space, but nothing a luggage rack can't overcome!!!

Good luck... GUSTO

 

GUSTO
I know you know & that it was a minor slip ... so the

 

There is currently a member selling just the NOS stripe kit for a 78 Silver Anniversary... he is asking $1500 as that is what the set cost him. Something to consider strongly if it is a "SA" car. Add another $2500 to $5000 for a "decent" paint job and the 77 seems a better value.

 

Every 78 is a 25th Anniversary model and has the appropriate nose and fuel door emblems.

Silver Anniversary is the correct term for the B2Z optional paint package. A 78 can be 25th Anniversary and not be a Silver Anniversary car.

I agree the two terms are commonly confused. After all, a 25th anniversary is the "silver" one.

 

Thanks for all the input. My buddy is working on a decission. He has already talked the 78 owner as low as they will go, turns out it is a hot rod shop that bought it and is just turning it around. The hot rod shop told my freind to stay away from 75 to 77 as they hold no value compared to the 78.

 

What do you expect from a 78 seller.

 

I agree, even as a 78 owner there is nothing that makes a 78 intrinsicly more valuable that a 77 (apart from perhaps the pace car).

Mechanically they are essentially identical so I concur with the majority of the posts that leave it to whichever look the prospective buyer finds more appealing.

9k for a 77, I would think it would have to be in very good condition certainly in much better condition than I would expect in a $6.5k 78

 

ITS EASY BUY BOTH ! you get the last of one model and the first of the next, win win

 

Neither the 77 nor the 78 are highly prized collector years, but looking at what you have told us specifically about these two cars, and considering them intrisicaly the same (other than year and the differences you specify), then I'd say they are evenly matched. The 78 needs paint but is priced with that in mind. It is a dead-on even match from what you have said.

Your friend needs to sit and in drive both cars. He needs to decide which year he prefers. Performance wise they aren't very different - the 78 gets a little more horsepower but not enough to notice (and stock performance is as someone said only a baseline unless your numbers match and you want to stay stock - besides..neither car stock was exactly a behomoth of power). Does he like the look of the tunnel or the fast-back? Does he like the look of the instrument panel and dashboard on the 77 or the 78?

It's purely subjective to pick one car over the other. Your friend is going to have to pick the one he likes, knowing that there is no 'right' nor 'wrong' answer beyond his own personal opinion.

That's based purely on two short paragraphs covering the condition of the two cars. One might have them looked at by a mechanic for a few bucks to see what a mechanic thinks. Have the SAME mechanic look at both cars and ask him which he thinks is in better shape, considering the price difference.