Roy Braatz's 1978 SA Corvette

[Tom R.]

Roy may shoot me for this but I've got to say that his 78 Corvette was truly unique as far as 78 Corvettes go. He saved the build sheet but I continue to find it one of the most unique configurations that I've got in my modest library of 78 build sheets. Yes...it was loaded with all the convenience items.

I got some comments from an NCRS reader on the Build Sheet article published in the Restorer back in the winter some time which caused me to go back and review my rationale for some statements made in the article. Well the basis was the build sheet from Roy's 78 (now sold...and sold for some time).

I was reviewing it and confirmed that indeed an L48 with ZN1 was equipped with VO1 heavy-duty radiator...same as was equipped with L82 with either C60 or ZN1 (with ML code). All other L48s were installed with the base radiator carrying broadcast code MK. The interesting fact was that the L82s did not call out V01...I assume it was base equipment. But somewhere I learned that L82s with no C60 or M38 were equipped with the base radiator as well.

[Roy B.]

Re: Roy Braatz's 1978 SA Corvette

Tom
IT don't matter to me what you write about the 78 I had, I special ordered that Corvette direct from GM for my wife's Xmas gift I bought three at the same time . It was a early 78 because I argued with them to put a RED interior in because at that time you could only get white or black. I ordered Heavy duty , radiator 5 core , gray shocks,alternator, front and rear sway bares ,am fm CB radio,option tires (which you could see that they grind the front area fenders to fit you name it even the silver 6 piece luggage that fit the rear area , and other accessories. Later in production they did offer RED.
I dare say if to day I ever took it to NCRS they would again argue about interior RED the options and accessories.
Vary few were ever ordered with a trailer package ,and the way to tell if one was ever ordered is to look at the front spoiler and you will see an added RUBBER spoiler pop revited on ( YES POP REVITED ON) that gave it away as having the OPTION trailer package .
Oh well I always seem to own an odd-ball Corvette like now my 67 and 55

[Roy B.]

Re: Roy Braatz's 1978 SA Corvette

By the way I got it for %10 less then the bottom price

[Tom R.]

Re: Roy Braatz's 1978 SA Corvette

Actually on the judging field...red interiors is common for model year 1978...yours pushed the envelope for non-recommended color combinations. Your VIN is/was 11,105. My 78 VIN is 9,041 and was also a non-recommended color combination with a Mahogany interior.

The objections for doing special orders came from dealers rather than Corvette. Corvette has (had) a policy to build non-recommended color combos in 78 and through 2000...as my C5 attests to.

[Jack H.]

Re: Roy Braatz's 1978 SA Corvette

I think you'll find the policy (non-recommended color combinations) is STILL true today if you pick up a current Corvette sales brochure, look for an asterisk marking a footnote on the color chart, and read the fine print that's indicated.

Cars built outside the current model year's recommended combination chart do NOT require COPO approval as long as the requested colors are among those supported by that year's regular production selection. Bottom line, these 'special' can and do happen but:

(1) They account for so few cars that they amount to well under 1% and don't generally show up in the year end production table figures.

(2) They'll have a bona fide trim tag that calls out the 'unique' color combination.

(3) Yes, some less experienced judges will tend to believe these cars were 'impossible' build items, but the more experienced judges understand Chevy policy and go by what the trim tag tells them DESPITE what the standard recommended matrix was in a given model year....