The Corvette was introduced by Chevrolet in 1953 and they were off to the races from there! They have been produced ever since and are among the most popular sports cars on the road today. They are still considered sports cars but the current generations are starting to fall more in line with supercars. They were known for their performance and distinctive styling. They had multiple generations where the look changed almost entirely throughout their run. The C3 Corvette was the third generation and was the 2nd to carry the name "Stingray." Looking at those bodylines it is clear why this name was selected. Even more than the previous generation the C3 with their thin pointed nose is clearly a nod to its animal namesake. In 1976 various new things were introduced like steel floor panels, removal of the cowl induction, and a new rear nameplate. Interestingly, no convertibles were offered for this year but the Corvette continued to break sales records. This '76 is a very nice car and has been adult owned in Texas for a majority of its life. It was repainted in 1996 and has been garage kept and well maintained since so is in excellent condition. The Bright Blue color is code 22 on the trim tag which is correct for this car. It has the factory removable T-tops and does come with the covers that can be strapped down in the back when not in use. The glass is in good condition throughout with no issues. All of the lights work properly including the flip up hidden headlights. The nose and rear bumper cover have been replaced which were often problematic areas that would crack over time. The car does have the rear luggage rack which looks great and underneath is where you will find the gas cap. The car rides on a set of Rally wheels with chrome center caps, chrome beauty rings and Indy 500 Firehawk White letter tires.
The car is badged as a L82 but is a L48 350 ci car. The motor runs great and has the finned valve covers with chrome air cleaner that has the snorkel that is ducted over the radiator to pick up outside air directly. Combined with the motor is the optional Turbo Hyra-Matic 3 speed that shifts smoothly with no issues. It is a nicely optioned out car with 4 wheel power disc brakes, power steering, and air conditioning. The suspension and brakes are all stock and function correctly. The car sounds great through dual exhaust that is routed to the rear around each side of the spare tire cover.
At the same time the paint was redone the interior was all redone in its correct code 152 Smoke Gray leather upholstery. It has dual bucket seats and is in very nice condition throughout. The dash pad, door panels, dash, carpet, and everything are in great condition. Between the seats is the emergency brake handle, power windows, the automatic push button shifter and the AC controls. Moving further up the dash an aftermarket Pioneer AM/FM/CD/Aux stereo has been added that looks right at home. It also has a remote control which fits like a glove sitting in the ashtray. Above the stereo is the factory auxiliary gauge cluster, vents and wiper controls. In front of the driver is the matching 4 spoke steering wheel on a tilt/telescoping column, 160mph speedometer, and tachometer which work properly.
This is a very solid C3 Corvette that looks great and is being offered up at a very reasonable price. We don't suspect this one will be around long!
