1978 was the 25th anniversary of Corvette. To celebrate a competely re-designed body was rolled out with new “fastback” styling. The new wrap-around rear window provided much more space behind the seats but was not a hatchback. Access to the storage space is still accessed from behind the seats. All Corvettes this year came with special 25th anniversay badging. A special “Anniversay Edition” included a unique Charcoal Silver/Silver Metallic two-tone paint job for an extra $399. Production of the anniversay edition was not limited and 15,283 Corvettes were eventually sold with this paint. The 1978 Corvette was the pace car for the Indy 500. Chevrolet created a limited edition pace car replica with a distinctive Black/Silver two-tone paint with a red pin-stripe. Production of the pace car replica was limited to one for every Chevrolet dealership. This amounted to 6,502 pace cars built in 1978. All ’78 Corvettes were built with Rochester Q-Jet carburetors.
Production Options and Build StatisticsTotal 1978 Corvettes Built – 46,776
Serial numbers: 1Z87x8S400001 to 1Z87x8S440274The “Vehicle Identification Number” (also VIN or serial number) is stamped on a plate on the inner vertical surface of the left windshield pillar visible through the windshield.
| Position | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Chevrolet Division |
| 2 | Z | Corvette |
| 3-4 | 87 | Coupe |
| 5 | L | L48 350-cid V8, 175-hp, 4-barrel |
| H | H = L82 350-cid V8, 220-hp, 4-barrel | |
| 6 | 8 | 1978 |
| 7 | S | Assembled in St. Louis, MO |
| 8 to 13 | 400001 to 446558 | production sequence |
Engine Serial Number
1978 Corvette engines have the last six digits of the VIN stamped on the block after the engine number. The date code the engine was manufactured was also cast into the block. The engine serial number includes a production sequence number starting with 0001001 and one of the suffixes below.
| Code | Engine | Horsepower | Compression | Transmission | Fuel Supply | Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHD | 350-cid | 175-hp V-8 | 8.5:1 | Automatic | Four-Barrel Carburetor | California |
| CKD | 350-cid | 175-hp V-8 | 8.5:1 | Automatic | Four-Barrel Carburetor | High-Altitude |
| CKZ | 350-cid | 185-hp V-8 | 8.5:1 | Manual | Four-Barrel Carburetor | |
| CLA | 350-cid | 180-hp V-8 | 8.5:1 | Automatic | Four-Barrel Carburetor | |
| CLB | 350-cid | 175-hp V-8 | 8.5:1 | Automatic | Four-Barrel Carburetor | High-Altitude |
| CLC | 350-cid | 175-hp V-8 | 8.5:1 | Automatic | Four-Barrel Carburetor | California |
| CLD | 350-cid | 220-hp V-8 | 9.0:1 | Manual | Four-Barrel Carburetor | |
| CLF | 350-cid | 220-hp V-8 | 9.0:1 | Automatic | Four-Barrel Carburetor |
The body number plate is located on the engine side of the cowl. The Fisher Body Style Number identifies the model of Corvette.
77-1YZ37 – Corvette CoupeThe body number is the serial number of the body. The trim number represents the color of the interior, the paint color is the exterior paint color.
Production Options
| RPO | Description | Price | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1YZ37 | Base Coupe | $9,351.89 | 40,274 |
| 1YZ87/78 | Limited Edition Pace Car | $13,653.21 | 6,502 |
| A31 | Power Windows | $130 | 36,931 |
| AU3 | Power Door Locks | $120 | 12,187 |
| B2Z | Silver Anniversary Paint (Includes sport striping and two-tone paint treatment) | $399 | 15,283 |
| CC1 | Removable Glass Roof Panels | $349 | 972 |
| C49 | Rear Window Defogger | $95 | 30,912 |
| C60 | Air Conditioning | $605 | 37,638 |
| D35 | Sport Mirrors (LH remote and RH manual) | $40 | 38,405 |
| FE7 | Gymkhana Suspension (Included with ZN1 trailering chassis equipment) | $41 | 12,590 |
| G95 | Optional Rear Axle Ratio | $15 | 382 |
| K30 | Cruise Control | $99 | 31,608 |
| L48 | 350ci. 200hp engine | $525 | 34,037 |
| L82 | 350ci. 220hp engine | $525 | 12,739 |
| M21 | 4-spd, Close Ratio Manual Transmission. | $0.00 | 3,385 |
| MM4 | 4-spd, Wide Ratio Manual Transmission | $0.00 | 4,773 |
| MX1 | Automatic Transmission | $0.00 | 38,614 |
| na2 | Standard Emissions Equipment | $0.00 | N/A |
| na6 | High Altitude Emissions Equipment | $33 | 260 |
| N37 | Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column | $175 | 37,858 |
| QBS | White Letter Steel Belted Radial Tires – P255/60R15 | $216.32 | 18,296 |
| QGQ | Black Wall Steel Belted Radial Tires – P225/70R15 | $0.00 | N/A |
| QGR | White Letter Steel Belted Radial Tires – P225/70R15 | $51 | 26,203 |
| UA1 | Heavy Duty Battery | $18 | 28,243 |
| UL5 | Radio Delete | $0.00 | N/A |
| UM2 | AM-FM Radio Stereo w/ 8-track | $419 | 20,899 |
| UP6 | AM-FM Radio Stereo w/ CB | $638 | 7,138 |
| U58 | AM-FM Radio Stereo | $286 | 10,189 |
| U69 | AM-FM Radio | $199 | 2,057 |
| U75 | Power Antenna | $49 | 23,069 |
| U81 | Dual Rear Speakers | $49 | 12,340 |
| YF5 | California Emissions Certification | $70 | 3,405 |
| YJ8 | Aluminum Wheels | $340 | 28,008 |
| ZN1 | Trailer Package (Included heavy duty radiator, and FE7 Gymkhana Suspension) | $89 | 972 |
| ZX2 | Convenience Group (Included delay switch for dome, headlight warning buzzer, underhood light, low fuel warning light, interior courtesy lights, color keyed floor mats, intermittent windshield wipers and RH visor vanity mirror.) | $84 | 37,222 |
Color Options for 1978
Interior options for exterior colors are suggested by Chevrolet. Any combination could be ordered.
| RPO | Exterior | Interior | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Classic White | B-DB-DBR-LB-O-M-R | 4,150 |
| 13 | Silver | B-DB-M-R | 3,232 |
| 13/07 | Silver Anniversary | B-O-R | 15,283 |
| 19 | Black | B-LB-M-O-R | 4,573 |
| 19/47 | Black/Silver | SV | 6,502 |
| 26 | Corvette Light Blue | DB | 1,960 |
| 52 | Corvette Yellow | B-DBR-O | 1,243 |
| 59 | Corvette Light Beige | B-DB-DBR-LB-M | 1,686 |
| 72 | Corvette Red | B-LB-O-R | 2,074 |
| 82 | Corvette Mahogany | B-DBR-LB-M-O | 2,121 |
| 83 | Corvette Dark Blue | DB-LB-O | 2,084 |
| 89 | Corvette Dark Brown | DBR-LB-O | 1,991 |
Color Codes: B=Black, C=Cloth, DB=Dark Blue, DBR=Dark Brown, L=Leather, LB=Light Beige, M=Mahogany, O=Oyster, R=Red, SV=Silver
Interior Colors
| RPO | Color | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 12C | Oyster Cloth | 2,226 |
| 15C | Silver Cloth | 2,606 |
| 19C | Black Cloth | 1,353 |
| 29C | Dark Blue Cloth | 1,168 |
| 49C | Dark Green Cloth | 517 |
| 59C | Light Beige Cloth | 693 |
| 69C | Dark Brown Cloth | 564 |
| 72C | Red Cloth | 1,221 |
| 76C | Mahogany Cloth | 763 |
| 122 | Oyster Cloth | 8,999 |
| 152 | Silver Leather | 5,703 |
| 192 | Black Leather | 7,218 |
| 292 | Dark Blue Leather | 3,207 |
| 592 | Light Beige Leather | 3,338 |
| 692 | Dark Bown Leather | 2,449 |
| 722 | Red Leather | 4,067 |
| 762 | Mahogany Leather | 2,443 |
1978 Corvette SpecificationsMechanical Dimensions
| Feature | Coupe |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 98 inches (2.489 m) |
| Overall length | 185.2 inches (4.704 m) |
| Overall width | 69.0 inches (1.753 m) |
| Overall height | 48 inches (1.219 m) |
| Ground Clearance | 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) |
| Front tread | 58.7 inches (1.491 m) |
| Rear tread | 59.5 inches (1.511 m) |
| Tires | P277/70R-15 steel-belted radial |
| Positraction | Standard |
| Steering | Recirculating ball |
| Front suspension | Independent, unequal-length control arms with ball joints, coil springs, and stabilizer bar |
| Rear suspension | Independent, trailing link, transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs |
| Brakes | Hydraulic, vented four wheel discs; 11.75-inch diameter, single calipers |
| Ignition | HEI electronic |
| Body construction | Separate fiberglass body and box-type ladder frame with cross-members |
| Fuel tank | 24 US Gal (20 Imp Gal) (91 liters) |
Engine Specifications
| Feature | Base Engine RPO L48 | RPO L48 | RPO L82 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | V-8, 90-degree Overhead valve | ||
| Block | Cast Iron | ||
| Displacement | 350 cid (5.7 liters) | 350 cid (5.7 liters) | 350 cid (5.7 liters) |
| Bore & Stroke | 4.00 x 3.48″ | 4.00 x 3.48″ | 4.00 x 3.48″ |
| Compression ratio | 8.2:1 | 8.2:1 | 8.9:1 |
| Brake horsepower | 185 @ 4000 | 175 @ 4000 | 220 @ 5200 |
| Torque | 280 lb-ft @ 2400 | 270 lb-ft @ 2400 | 260 lb-ft @ 3600 |
| Main bearing | Five | ||
| Valve lifters | Hydraulic | ||
| Fuel supply | Rochester M4MC | Rochester M4MC California emissions and high-altitude emissions | Rochester M4MC |