In spite of a massive power disadvantage, this 1978 Corvette more than holds its own against the iconic Boss 302.
As most are well aware, the late 1970s were not a great time for automotive enthusiasts. We were largely relegated to building our own go-fast cars, mostly because automakers were handcuffed in terms of churning out high horsepower rides from the get-go. Pretty much everything built during this era – the Corvette included – was simply underpowered and slow, which is a shame given the fact that the C3 Corvette is such a looker. However, even this 1978 Corvette managed to keep up with and even beat out the mighty 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 at the drag strip recently, as we can see in this video from Cars and Zebras.
Decked out in its Pace Car livery, this 1978 Corvette is certainly a great looking machine, but as one might imagine, it isn’t exactly going to blow anyone’s socks off with its performance. This car’s L82 350 V8 was rated to produce a mere 220 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque, which it sends to the rear wheels via a slush box automatic, which doesn’t do it any favors in terms of acceleration.
In the other lane, we have the legendary 1970 Mustang Boss 302, a car built specifically so that Ford could go Trans-Am racing back in this era. As such, it’s powered by Ford’s 302 cubic-inch V8 that made 290 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque, though those numbers are arguably a bit underrated. Either way, aside from the fact that it likely weighs a bit more than the Corvette, the pony car clearly has the advantage in terms of power.
However, as folks often like to say, that’s why we race. When these two classics lined up against each other while competing in the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race series recently, the 1978 Corvette defies the odds by leaping off the line, catching the Mustang driver sleeping in the process. He doesn’t look back after that, claiming the victory with a 15.15-second pass at 90 mph versus the Mustang’s 15.37-second run at 94 mph.
Things get even worse for the pony car on the second run, as it records a much slower 16.11-second E.T. at 90 mph, while the Corvette runs a slightly slower 15.23-second pass at the same 90 mph. It’s an impressive series of results indeed, and a pretty embarrassing outing for the Boss 302 driver as well, who has discovered what we all already know – sometimes, power isn’t everything.
Keyword: Watch This 1978 Corvette Give a 1970 Mustang Boss 302 Fits at the Drag Strip