Barn Find of the year – 1978 Corvette Pace Car with only 13 miles on the clock
We have all heard of “Barn finds” but this is one rather extraordinary example in the fact that it was found completely unharmed, with no damage whatsoever, no rust, and even the original factory protective plastic interior coatings in tact after being left uncovered for 33 years by the previous owner. We surely thank Corvette Mike for sharing this story below.
“Mike Millian of Corvette Mike New England bought a 1978 Corvette that was left in a barn for 33 years! The car is in pristine condition from headlights to taillights, despite a thick blanket of dust that has built up over 33 years. The 1978 Indy Pace Car Corvette sitting in the showroom of Corvette Mike New England was uncovered last month from a barn in Detroit, MI. She’s not been driven in 33 years and has logged only 13 miles. The interior still has that ‘new car’ smell and the plastic from the factory still covers the bucket seats and steering wheel. Everything is original, right down to the dealer’s key ring. It is a brand new 1978 Corvette.
Mike Milian’s friend from Bud’s Chevrolet in St Mary’s, OH, Bud Schoenleben said the previous owner, a friend of his, bought the car in ’78 as an investment and never drove it. In 1995 he (the owner) sold his house and moved into a high rise apartment and had no place to put the car, so he put it in a barn. He then locked the door and walked away from it, never looking at it for 16 years. About a month ago the owner decided to get rid of the car because he could use the money and he called Bud, out of the blue. The collectible was buried under boxes and has never been covered. However, the car was undamaged. So they pumped up the original tires, pulled it out of the building and brought it to Plymouth, MA. Even the half a tank of the 33 year old gas didn’t even hurt the car. In fact the only thing that had to be changed was a dead battery. The car started right up!
The engine was not frozen up and all the seals never got a chance to rust and go bad. A limited number of 6,502 of the 1978 Indy Pace Car Corvette replicas were made, one for every dealer in the country. The limited edition black and silver T-top with 350 V-8 engine was part of the 25th anniversary year of the Corvette.”