1978 Chevrolet Corvette C3

1978 was the Corvette's 25th anniversary, and in celebration and recognition, was offered the official Pace Car position of the 62nd running of the Indianapolis 500. For some reason, this was the Corvette's first year to perform pace car duties at the Brickyard.

Chevrolet produced two special edition Corvettes, one being a Pace Car appearance edition and the other a special silver anniversary paint package. The silver anniversary paint package was a $399 option of which 15,283 were produced. 6,502 Corvettes were Pace Car editions, an impressive figure considering Chevy had originally set production at 300 cars, but demand soared and they finally decided to build one for each dealer. The price of the Pace Car edition was $13,650 while the base model sold for $9,350. The L48 engine was standard with the L82 optional. The 25th Anniversary Edition color scheme was reportedly one of the last design suggestions by GM Styling chief Bill Mitchell before his retirement. The black and silver combination of the Indy Pace car was actually the third year in a row to use that color scheme. The Corvette pace car, however, was the first in many years to have a purely stock powertrain, in the form of the L82 and Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 transmission.

Chief Engineer Dave McLellan's plans for the 1978 Silver Anniversary included a return to the fastback styling with a large new rear window that re-energized the car with a whole new look. The interior received a redesign and new glass roof panels became available. Along with the special Silver Anniversary paint scheme, it was offered with aluminum wheels and sport mirrors. All Pace Car Edition Corvettes were finished in two-tone Black-over-Silver paint separated by a Red pinstripe at the beltline. They were given front and rear spoilers, and polished aluminum wheels and special White-lettered Goodyear GT Radial tires. Along with the glass roof panels, the Pace Car Edition Corvette incorporated several options as standard equipment, including power windows and locks, tilt/telescopic steering column, AM/FM radio with 8-track tape player, power antenna, sport mirrors, rear window defogger, and air conditioning. The interiors were finished in Silver leather upholstery and redesigned seats that were set for production in 1979. Completing the package was a set of decals owners could affix to the doors. The standard L48 engine was the base motor for the Pace Car editions.

The Pace Cars were also the first Corvettes to have their own unique VIN sequence. While earlier coupe and convertibles Corvettes all followed the same unit sequence scheme as they rolled out of the St. Louis Assembly Plant, the Pace Car editions started with unit sequence number 900,001 in lieu of 400,001 for all other Corvettes in 1978.

By this point in history, the muscle-car era was a distant memory, and General Motors was hard at work downsizing its passenger cars in the face of a new wave of economy imports. The 'Big Block' engines had been dropped, catalytic converters had arrived, a steel under-tray had been added, and a revised dashboard introduced. The Corvette roadster had been deleted in the expectation that Federal auto legislation would effectively outlaw convertibles. The name 'Stingray' had been dropped at the end of the 1976 season. The fastback roofline of the 1963-1967 Sting Ray had been reinstated for 1978, complemented by a wrap-around rear window.

The third-generation Corvette was in its tenth year, yet sales remained strong and rising. With the optional L82 205-hp engine, the Corvette could charge to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds.

1978 Chevrolet Corvette Specifications
The 1978 Chevy Corvette, part of the C3 Third Generation (1968 to 1982), rested on a 98-inch wheelbase. Initially having a length of 182.1 inches, a width of 69.2 inches, and a height of 47.8 inches, the C3 would grow to 185.3 inches in 1982, and its width measured 69 inches and a height of 48 inches. The chassis was carried over from the second-generation models, and continued to use the fully independent suspension (albeit with minor updates) and a four-wheel braking system.

The box-type ladder frame with cross-members was clothed with a fiberglass body.

Engines
The standard engine (RPO Code L48) powering the 1978 Corvette was a 90-degree, overhead valve V8 engine with a cast iron block and head, a 350 cubic-inch displacement, hydraulic valve lifters, a four-barrel carburetor, 8.2:1 compression, and five main bearings. The engine produced 185 horsepower at 4,000 RPM and 280 lb-ft of torque at 2,400 RPM.

An optional version of this engine had 8.9:1 compression (RPO Code L82) and produced 220 horsepower at 5,200 RPM and 260 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 RPM.

The four-speed manual transmission had floor shift controls and a standard final drive ratio of 3.36:1 (a ratio of 3.70:1 with the L82). The optional three-speed automatic had a standard final drive of 3.08:1 (3.55:1 with the L82).

The 15 x 8-inch wheels were wrapped with P225/70R15 SBR tires or optional P225/60R15. Stopping power was via 11.75-inch discs, and steering was by recirculating ball. The front suspension used unequal-length control arms with ball joints, stabilizer bars and coil springs. The rear suspension was independent with trailing-link, and transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs.