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Tell your friend

Chevrolet Corvette 427 cubic inch L68 V8 1968

General description : The Corvette market has gotten a little wonky recently. If you watch TV auctions, you’re going to think that the only cars you should buy are either high-dollar cars with rare powerplants or resto-mods that someone else built to suit their own tastes. But there are a whole bunch of cars in-between—cars like this fantastic 1968 Chevrolet Corvette convertible—that deliver big fun, a bulletproof pedigree to protect your “investment” and don’t cost as much as a house. Early C3 Corvettes are fantastic cars to drive, offering improved comfort over their older siblings, and that luscious Coke-bottle shape speaks to people more than anything this side of a Ferrari 308. Offering a matching-numbers L68 427/400 engine, a matching-numbers 4-speed gearbox, fantastic preservation, and lots of recent work, this is the Corvette you should own if you want a Corvette that works as a car instead of an investment portfolio.

Looking this car over carefully, we’re reasonably sure most of that code 972 Polar White paint is original. The car shows just 50,112 original miles, and there’s no question about that—with just two owners we know its history dating back more than 50 years. The best Corvettes are always those that haven’t been disassembled because it’s hard to get them tight the way the factory did it. But a good original ‘Vette is a delight in every way and proves that they weren’t poorly-built rattletraps when they were new. There’s a wonderful gloss to the paint that you can only earn through age and while the car has its fair share of chips and other signs of use, none of them are significant enough to warrant additional work. The areas around the headlight doors remains in excellent shape, the hood fits flush, the doors swing closed easily, and it’s nice to see that nobody ever felt obligated to tear it apart in pursuit of perfection, because that would be a shame. ‘427’ emblems on the vented hood command respect and the ‘68s are the only C3s with both a door handle and a push-button on the exterior of the car, so they stand apart. This car also features correct rocker panel trim and grilles, and the chrome bumpers are in great shape.

That’s unquestionably an original “STD” standard black vinyl interior that reflects an easy life and only 50,000 miles of use. The factory seats are still comfortable and there are no splits or tears in the upholstery. The front carpets look almost too nice to be original, but the stuff behind the seats and under the top well is most certainly vintage 1968, and it has a consistent look where nothing really stands out as being too nice or too old. The wood-rimmed steering wheel warms up the all-black interior and it lives on a telescoping wheel, which makes it easy to get comfortable. You’ also note that all the gauges are fully operational except the clock, which is typical. The L68 was a hydraulic lifter engine, so it wasn’t a screamer and that’s reflected in the 5600 RPM redline on the tach. This car also had a new AM/FM/CD stereo installed last year along with a set of removable speakers in the top well, but the original radio and console components are included if you’d like to go back to 100% OEM. The fiber-optic headlight indicators are mostly operational save for the low-beam lights and the heater blows warm air once the big engine warms up. Speaking of the headlights, the snap to attention when you pull the knob but as is common, the windshield wiper door is a bit lazy—the wipers work, but the door occasionally doesn’t retract all the way. We strongly believe that’s the original black vinyl convertible top and it’s in fine condition, and this car includes a removable hardtop that has obviously been repainted at some point because it doesn’t quite match the rest of the car.

The engine is the original, numbers-matching L68 427 cubic inch V8, which was rated at 400 horsepower. It has a correct IM suffix code, denoting 427/400 with a manual transmission, as well as a matching partial VIN. Only 1932 buyers stepped up to the $305.50 L68, making it the second-rarest engine after the mighty L88 (with only 30 built). Why Chevrolet offered so many 427 engines, we can’t say, but we sure do like the way this one runs. All three carburetors were rebuilt just last year and the car starts quickly and easily regardless of temperature. It settles down into a slightly lopey idle that’s befitting a Corvette, and like all big block ‘Vettes, it prefers to run rather than stroll. Around town, treat it gently, and it’s happy enough running on the center carb. But get into it (and you can feel through your right foot when the linkage is about to tip into the outer carbs) and this 427 sings and dances. The harder you drive, the better it works! Tri-Power Corvettes offer that cool triangular air cleaner assembly and chrome valve coves, which are also original to the car, and there’s quite a bit of recent service work including the aforementioned rebuilt carburetors, full ignition tune-up, belts and hoses, fresh fuel pump, and a new master cylinder. You may also note a set of gorgeous long-tube headers and a full stainless exhaust system, and it does sound spectacular at full bore (the original exhaust manifolds with AIR connections are included with the car).

The Muncie M20 4-speed manual transmission is also original to the car with a matching partial VIN. It features a recent clutch with decent action (not too heavy) and there are reasonable 3.36 gears in back, so it’s a good all-around cruiser. Look around underneath and you’ll see that it’s definitely original, so don’t expect it to be shiny and perfect. However, you’ll also note that it’s extremely clean with no rust issues in the normal locations, and there’s plenty of recent work here, too: rebuilt brakes, new brake hoses, fresh sway bar bushings, a composite leaf spring in back, and the aforementioned exhaust system that’s just gorgeous. There’s a spare tire in the well—likely the original one—but we didn’t drop it down to investigate. Steel wheels with those handsome wire hubcaps are a nice change from the garden-variety Rallys and those F70-15 Firestone Wide Oval white stripe tires are possibly only the second set of tires this car has ever worn (we’d recommend replacing them if a lot of high-speed driving is in your future).

Extras include receipts for more than three decades of maintenance, title paperwork documenting the car’s two-owner history, and a bunch of spare parts.

This is not a show car, don’t make that mistake. However, it’s an excellent car to drive and experienced Corvette enthusiasts understand that original cars are sometimes the best ones to own if you like to put them on the road. With a matching-numbers pedigree, an unusual big block V8, and a classic color combination, this is a Corvette you can drive without worries that you’re hurting your “investment.” After all, driving is what Corvettes were built to do and as this one so ably demonstrates, few cars are more fun when you put your foot on the floor. Call today!

Harwood Motors welcomes and encourages personal or professional inspections of any vehicle prior to purchase.

http://www.harwoodmotors.com/vehicles/inventory_details.php?id=1089

1968 Chevrolet Corvette 427 cubic inch L68 V8 is listed sold on ClassicDigest in Macedonia by for $57900.

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