A few years back, I went through a phase where I was convinced I needed a ’78 Corvette Indy Pace Car. The dream didn’t last long. It turns out “low mileage” doesn’t always mean “perfect,” and anyone who’s ever picked up the first rock chip on the drive home from a dealership knows how quickly life can leave its mark on a car.

That’s why I’m not shocked to see the chips, scratches, and crazing on this 1978 Pace Car now up for auction on Bring a Trailer. Despite showing just 2,600 miles in 48 years, it carries the kind of wear that comes from decades of storage, not road use. The bidding sits at $17,500 with six days left — and the comments section is already buzzing.

The seller, Brad9350, is refreshingly candid: “It’s nearly a 50-year-old car. It’s not perfect, nor represented as such… I chased this car for years. The original owner still has seller’s remorse — he’s 80.”

Brad says he’d be perfectly happy keeping it, but he’s listing it only because he finally landed his “grail car,” a Y84 Trans Am.

Other commenters appreciate the honesty. Veteran BaT voice Tobyallen praised the natural light photos: “The daylight shots show all the warts and imperfections. Well done! In the hands of some high volume sellers, the car would be on a tarted up setting, shadowing manipulated lighting, making this car look like it just rolled off the assembly line..”

Not everyone is convinced the low mileage tells the whole story. C3Lee points out the corrosion under the hood and the surprising amount of road rash: “That’s a lot of dirt and corrosion in the engine compartment for a 2,600-mile car… and an amazing amount of road rash and scratches.”

Another commenter, carfan1978, notes that many low mile Pace Cars he inspected over the years had factory paint issues from poor fiberglass prep — something he sees hints of here, along with signs of long term humidity exposure. Still, he adds: “The birdcage pictures I can see look excellent.”

That last detail matters. As ZZ48UUP reminds newcomers: “If you don’t inspect the birdcage, it’s buyer beware.”

Brad reassures everyone that the car has lived its entire life in dry storage, and he’s working on getting more underbody photos.

Even with its imperfections, the car retains plenty of charm: the L82 V8, the FE7 gymkhana suspension, the glass T tops, the beautiful silver leather interior, and yes — the 8 track player, demonstrated in the listing with Jerry Lee Lewis crooning “Once More with Feeling.”

It’s not flawless. It’s not pretending to be.

But it is a near new 1978 Pace Car — honest, complete, and carrying the kind of story only time can write. Is that story calling out to you?

Source:
Bring a Trailer

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