1978 Corvette Pace Car Is a Pristine Survivor

Pristine Perfection

Nice, well-kept Corvette Pace Cars are really nothing new. After all, lots of people bought them and proceeded to store them in hermetically sealed chambers for years, believing that one day they would be able to sell those cars for a huge profit. That day never really came, but their efforts weren't in vain. Because that means that today we're treated to pristine original rides like this absolutely perfect 1978 Corvette Pace Car recently featured over at Hot Rod.

Wildly Popular

The late '70s were far from a great time in the automotive enthusiast world, but these stunning black and silver 'Vettes were one of the few bright spots. They were so popular, in fact, that Chevy had to ditch its original plans of building only 300 of them. Instead, the automaker cranked out 6,502 Pace Car replicas - at least one for every Chevy dealer in the U.S. 

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Perfect Example

And sure, many of those cars were lovingly cared for and/or rarely driven. But many of them were, and they were driven hard. But that certainly isn't the case with Len Russo's time capsule. The Fairview, New Jersey resident's '78 is one of the more original and pristine examples of the breed we've ever seen. 

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Unique and Original

That's to be expected for a car that's only traveled 22,000 miles in 40 years. Along the way, Russo has only replaced wear items, including a handful of A/C parts. The interior, however, is 100% original, right down to the special 25th-anniversary badge in the center console that was unique to all '78 models. 

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Rarely Optioned

The exterior of this 'Vette is, of course, pure perfection. Including the removable glass roof panels, which were standard on 1978 Pace Car replicas but optional on standard models. Regardless, only 972 of the latter were ordered with that option. 

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Sometimes Driver

Interestingly, though he obviously babies it, Russo isn't afraid to drive his stunning Corvette. In fact, over his 10 years of owning the car, he drives it at least three times a month. But as most car guys know, this is one key to keeping these cars in good running shape. 

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Uncommon Option

The black and silver two-tone paint looks no worse for wear, however. That combo, along with the red pinstripe, were one of the only options on the 1978 Corvette that wasn't available on any other model. 

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Sans Decals

Russo's car doesn't have the decals affixed to the doors, however. Which, in our opinion, gives it a nice, clean appearance. It makes you wonder why more people didn't opt to leave off those decals, which were dealer-installed and optional. 

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Less Slow, but Still Slow

The '78 Pace Cars weren't exactly barn burners, but what was during this era? But they still sported the Corvette's best engine option of the time - the L82 350 small block producing 220 hp. Unfortunately, an MX1 automatic slushbox doesn't help matters, either. 

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Award Winning

As nice as it is to see such a pristine survivor, it's equally nice to see Russo out enjoying his car. This old Corvette makes the rounds at a number of local car shows, where it's fittingly racked up quite a few trophies over the years. Fittingly, because it's easily one of the nicest original Pace Cars you'll ever see!

>>Join the conversation about the 1978 Pace Car right here in Corvette Forum.

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