1980 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
"You've got to give Corvette engineers credit for their staying power. Year after year they come back from budget meetings with the same old car and a whole new bunch of government regulations to meet. This season brings the usual mix of good and bad news. The L82 4-speed was gone for 1980, but there are a few nice touches to make up for the loss. Goodyear finally discovered how to build a fat tire that works; the new, fully integrated spoilers cut a cleaner hole in the wind; and a significant number of pounds have been spared from the chassis. So the old girl feels noticeably more nimble than we left her last year." Some positive excerpts from Car and Driver, May 1, 1980
For consignment, a 1980 Chevrolet Corvette with a stunning green on Oyster white combination we rarely see, although exact combo statistics are hard to cull from Chevrolet. That said, dark green was the least common exterior color in 1980 with just 844 leaving Bowling Green in this color. All other colors were well into the thousands with 7,780 coming out white. This T-top car has a numbers matching transmission.
Exterior
Two stage Dark Ivy Green Metallic now coats this car and sorry British sports car fans, it looks darn good on this American two seater. Aerodynamic spoilers were integrated into the body for 1980 and not only does it cut through air better, but it just looks darn cool, giving the C3 a wider, lower looking stance, meaner and more aggressive, like a vicious Sting Ray trolling the ocean floor. The hidden headlights, raised hump on the hood, side vents, and upturned tail are all part of the special profile that can be mistaken for nothing else. Rising front fenders and a wide shoulder line with flush door handles adds to the sumptuous flow of the car. Yes...we're fans! Ginormous twin double exhaust tips exude from the back and mimic the shape and layout of the Vette tail lights between which Corvette is spelled out as lower case letters, just in case you don't know what you're behind. Reflective T-tops sit on high and are easily removed and stowed. The YJ8 wheels are polished in this case and look great. The paint is also very good with a few imperfections that include a scratch near a gap and another random one. The lower front air dam is scraped and partially dislodged.
Interior
Oyster is an off white and starts on the vinyl door panels that are simple and based on an oyster carpeted footer. The two piece deep bucket leather seats are in decent condition showing some patina creases but no tears. Seat tops lean forward for access to the cargo area which is overlaid with the oyster carpet in good condition with some signs of use. Our steering wheel has a stitched aftermarket cover and the oyster colored column leads to a simple dual gauge pod with an 85 mph speedometer and a tachometer that redlines at 5,000 rpms. Embedded in the textured oyster dashboard is the center stack with a fighter jet array of gauges that include a clock. Below them, a Kenwood AM/FM/CD/Aux/USB radio followed by the climate controls in typical GM configuration. A manual shifter, chrome-knobbed and booted in black leather, is housed in the center console which wears a jacket of smooth black plastic, all in very good condition. Oyster carpet is up front and is protected by carpeted mats.
Drivetrain
For the mileage, this is a very clean engine bay under the hood where we find the 350ci L48 V8 that is fueled by a 4-barrel carburetor and rated at 190 horsepower. A numbers matching T10 4-speed manual transmission which sends power to the rear axle and 3.07 gears. Power disc brakes are standard on front and rear.
Undercarriage
Clean underneath with no surface rust, no invasive rust, no heavy grease or road dirt build up. The only fluid we see is some blow back on the right side and it appears residual as no active leak is apparent. The dual exhaust joins at the cat, then splits again to find stock style mufflers which deliver twin chrome tailpipes out the back. Coil springs are up front for suspension and the rear is Corvette's complex system of a frame mounted differential, tubular axle drive shafts, transverse strut rods, torque control arms, and transverse leaf springs.
Drive-Ability
By now, the C3 cockpit is a familiar place for us and that's not a complaint! It's actually a cool place to sit and pilot a car with that long nose ahead and legs outstretched. The 350 turns over and rumbles under our seat and just like that, we're doing the loop! Surefooted and agile, the 1980 might not be the quickest Vette in their lineage, but that doesn't take away from the cool factor of the car itself. The AC compressor cycles on and off but beyond that, all other functions including lights, horn, radio, and gauges work as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
A rare color, a numbers matching transmission, some service records included, and an oyster interior. This Corvette has a lot going for it and let's not forget about those removable T-tops! This car is 44 years old and looks good and we suspect this shape will look good 44 years from now, in 2068, so with some continual TLC, you'll have a show car for the foreseeable future.
1Z878AS438075
1-Chevrolet
Z-Corvette
87-Coupe
8-350ci V8 L48 4bbl 190hp
A-1980
S-St. Louis, MO Assy Plant
438075-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
J31-July 31st
TRIM 122-Oyster White Leather
PAINT 58L-Dark Green Metallic
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
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