Chevrolet made the C3 Corvette for so long (1968-1982) that it can be hard to tell with a quick glance just which model year one of them is, especially if it’s passing you on the highway. But if you become the next owner of our Pick of the Day, a 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition posted on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Florida, it’ll be clear where it falls on the Corvette’s timeline.
There are a few reasons for that. Let’s start with the most obvious: the colors. To mark the end of the third-generation Vette, Chevy covered the 1982 Collector Edition in silver-beige metallic paint with pinstripes and fade-away striping on the hood, fenders, and doors. A pair of bronze-colored glass removable roof panels protected passengers from inclement weather. There’s more silver-beige metallic in the leather interior, with the bucket seats and door panels upholstered in an array of neutral colors.
Then there’s the equipment. The center console houses the shifter for the new-for-1982 four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. Elsewhere in the cabin of this particular Collector Edition you’ll find power controls for the windows and mirrors, power locks, power driver’s seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel on a tilt and telescoping column, and air conditioning. Fitting luggage in the back is easy thanks to the lift-up glass rear hatch, another new addition to the Corvette.
The 1982 model’s engine stayed the same size as before (5.7 liters), but came equipped with Cross-Fire Injection, which delivered gas through dual throttle-body fuel injectors. Output for the L83 was 200 horsepower at 4,200 rpm and 285 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 revs.
Over the past 43 years, this final-year C3 hasn’t been mothballed or driven into the ground. It’s actually been enjoyed (as all Corvettes should be), but not much: there are only 32,330 miles on it. For $39,997, you can add this 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition to your collection of cool cars, then decide how many more miles you’ll put on the odometer.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
