'78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock

[Kevin M.]

Re: '78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock

One of the best examples of "orange peel" I've seen, it's a keeper thanks for sharing.

Kevin

[Kevin M.]

Re: '78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock

One of the best examples of "orange peel" I've seen, it's a keeper thanks for sharing.

Kevin

[Ken K.]

Re: '78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock

I have a 78 non Pace, non SA. that I've owned since new. It still has the original Red paint and the same poor quality. Typical of that era. I can also remember there was a 6 month delivery if you ordered a new one so the quality didn't seem to matter much back then. Most of the 78's I've seen are either Pace or SA's. I have a buddy with a yellow one. I can't remember ever seeing another Red '78. Does anyone out there have or know of a Red '78?

[Steven B.]

Re: '78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock

I have a 12,000 mile B2Z Silver Anniversary my Dad and I ordered for him in '77. We watched it come off the truck in November 1977. The back upper bumper has a stamped (ink?) part number showing through as clear as this type. Up front on the top of the bumper there is approximately a two inch piece of tape stripe added over a torn section of stripe. Neither end of the added stripe matches up with the two original pieces it touches. The dark gray on the lower half has dozens of grinder marks and the drivers door panel has about a three inch "L" shaped tear that appears to be glued with weatherstrip glue. All of this and more on a car that rolled off the tuck in front of us. The dealer was great and told Dad he would take care of all of the problems but Dad told him to let it go. 'Glad he did now!

When my '77 rolled off the truck the front and rear bumpers were scratched down to the primer, there were light spots where you could see the primer and runs all over it, especially on the lower panels behind the rear wheels, around the side marker lights and behind the doors. The passenger seat leather had a four inch scratch on the seat before dying. It was also a November delivery ('76). The same dealer (who delivered the '78) repainted the car and sanded and buffed before he would let me have the car. His paint, factory 72 Medium Red, was 100% better than factory.

Unfortunately the quality was pretty bad then.

[Ray G.]

Re: '78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock

Hello gentlemen;
As Service Manager at Hall Chevrolet in Milwaukee in the '70s we did what we could to keep customers from seeing their Corvettes before we could get them to the paint repair. Our dealer held two Pace Cars back in inventory by putting high prices above MSRP on each Corvette. We painted one particular SA three times before the Chevrolet ASM told the customer "The is not a show car, the paint is as good as it's going to get".
Interestingly the car sold(by the original owner)with low miles in 2006 to a friend of mine . In the ad the seller stated "original paint"
We had a chuckle about any late '70s Corvette stating original paint as we did body work and painted most of them.
That's my 2 cents.
Ray

[Tom R.]

Re: '78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock

Hello gentlemen;
As Service Manager at Hall Chevrolet in Milwaukee in the '70s we did what we could to keep customers from seeing their Corvettes before we could get them to the paint repair. Our dealer held two Pace Cars back in inventory by putting high prices above MSRP on each Corvette. We painted one particular SA three times before the Chevrolet ASM told the customer "The is not a show car, the paint is as good as it's going to get".
Interestingly the car sold(by the original owner)with low miles in 2006 to a friend of mine . In the ad the seller stated "original paint"
We had a chuckle about any late '70s Corvette stating original paint as we did body work and painted most of them.
That's my 2 cents.

Ray

And we (78 judges) take this in account when judging exteriors...benefit of the doubt to the owner.

[Loren L.]

Re: '78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock

1978 - contractor friend calls and tells me the Chevrolet dealer in Prescott had an L82, 4 spd Pace car for $24,500. I told him to hang up the phone, get his Hemmings and buy the first 3 or 4 1957 Corvettes he could find.
Still get a free one when we meet, even though he only went halfway; he nixed the Pace car but didn't buy the 57s.

[Roy B.]

Re: '78 Pace Car: paint quality & sticker shock


I ordered my wife's 78 months before GM had a pic of what it would look like , I took delivery ONE day before Xmas right off the truck , dint even have it washed .As all my new Corvettes I ordered it with a trailering package , that night I washed it and have to say the paint was great and saw no problem at all with it. Xmas day she asked what I got her for Xmas and when I opened the garage door and she started it I dint see her till later that night, she drove every where showing it off to friends . One of the best options was the Radio CB that we used when going on tripe's talking with truckers