If you are sitting reading this article and lamenting the rapidly approaching winter, you may be wondering what you will do to occupy yourself during those colder months when classic motoring and outdoor activities look less attractive. It could be that is simply fate telling you the time is right to grab a project to park in your workshop. The online markets are full of potential candidates, but maybe I can save you the trouble by offering this 1968 Corvette Convertible as a possible candidate. It needs work, but the photos suggest it is a rock-solid vehicle that could look stunning with the right level of TLC. With chrome-bumper ‘Vettes also representing a sound investment, there could be a long-term financial benefit to considering this classic. If I’ve grabbed your interest, the Convertible is listed here on eBay in York, Pennsylvania. Bidding sits at $7,880, which is short of the reserve.
The history of this Corvette is unclear, although there are signs that it received at least one repaint in what I believe to be its original shade of International Blue. The photos confirm that a repeat performance is in its future, but the buyer will face repairing a few minor cracks and imperfections in the fiberglass before they pick up the spray gun. None of the panel issues are severe, and I don’t think they necessarily require the attention of a specialist. The car features a Black soft-top, and while it could be loosely classed as serviceable, losing the back window means that spending $400 on a replacement top would seem the wise course of action. Rust is always a subject worth considering, and the news doesn’t look bad. The seller doesn’t provide much information in their listing, but this underside shot suggests little beyond surface corrosion on the frame. It would take an in-person inspection to confirm this, but the signs are encouraging. If the buyer seeks a high-end build, they may tackle this as a frame-off project to ensure the Convertible remains structurally sound for many decades.
If anything surprises me about this Corvette, it is that it has survived for more than five decades without any interior modifications or additions. The factory wheel is intact, and the original AM/FM radio still occupies its rightful spot. Before spending a dime, I would meticulously clean the entire interior. That process will allow the buyer to compile a list of required parts without splashing their cash on unnecessary pieces. The list will include new seat covers, door trims, a carpet set, and the rear console section. The dash and pad look fine, as does the rest of the console. If the buyer performs the work themselves, returning the interior to the point where it could be considered a tidy driver-quality classic will not break the bank.
We will undoubtedly have readers disappointed that this Corvette is not numbers-matching. This is a significant consideration when tackling the question of potential value. Still, it isn’t the end of the world for those seeking a classic they can transform into a comfortable and relaxed driver. It may have rolled off the production line with a 327ci V8 under the hood, but that has made way for a later 350ci small-block. Its specifications are unclear, but when this car was roadworthy, the power was fed to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. The seller says the engine doesn’t run, although it will cough into life with the aid of starting fluid. The brakes are inoperative, and the ‘Vette will require some mechanical TLC before returning to active duty. Reviving the 350 is possible, although slotting in a big-block or something more modern could prove too attractive to resist. It will come down to personal taste and the buyer’s vision for this classic.
For purists, the fact this 1968 Corvette can never be 100% original or numbers-matching will prove disappointing. However, that doesn’t mean that we should dismiss it lightly. It would be an ideal candidate for someone considering a build where they can showcase their talent and individuality. Reviving the existing drivetrain looks feasible, but other options are worth considering. Slotting a period-correct big-block under the hood is possible, while a restomod build would retain the style and charisma of a chrome-bumper C3 in a more user-friendly form. If you do have space in your workshop and seemingly unlimited time stretching before you this winter, I can think of worse ways to fill both than tackling this Corvette.
Wheels look good w/o the trim rings – once u put them on, the wheels are scratched. Maybe just switch to an earlier shorter center cap?
An old used car dealers trick, hose the car down and shoot pics of it while it’s still wet, to make it look better. $8200 for a car that has the wrong motor, doesn’t run, and has no brakes, and the reserve hasn’t been met? I want to meet the people that have been bidding on this one.
68’s are probably the worse of the 68-82 Corvettes to restore, with many of the parts being rare, over priced, one year only parts. Now add at least $10,000 to professionally strip and paint the car, and that’s only if it doesn’t need any body work once the paint is off or it. Then $3500+ for an engine rebuild, $500 for brakes, hoses pads, etc, $2000 plus the labor for an interior, and $1500 for a top (the author’s right, a top’s $400, but weatherstrip and installation, which is something most people can’t do themselves, quickly raises the cost of a top). The under car shots are nice, but they don’t make any effort to show the typical Corvette frame trouble spots.
Save your money and buy a 69 that’s already been done for $25000, you’ll have a better car and be way ahead in the end.
1 good thing about the ’68 any chevy is the ignition switch on the dash & the much simpler no linkage to the key non locking steering column. I know of plenty of original ’68 ignition switches still workin like a charm after all these years! & i have a good laff at people in modern “cars” with bad switches on the column & the keys gettin stuck in the switch & the shifter linkage to the column getting screwed up, necessitating a tow,
O.K., there is something fishy while looking at the engine bay. A potential buyer needs to consider the 350 engine sitting on it’s motor mounts. There are too many indicators that that car either sat out in the weather, for some time, with the hood up, or the car was partially submerged. Look at the radiator crossmember; fan; hood hinges; intake manifold; hood latches; vacuum booster and the list goes on, setting off the “corrosion alarms” warranting a deep dive for a potential owner to thoroughly examine the bird cage and general condition of the undersides of this car.
Could be just all of the road salt this thing ingested during the long PA winters. People drove their Vettes during the winter then.
I would like to find one without engine/interior to build a road carver out of but the prices these days are way to high
What gbvette62 said. Many one year only parts. I have restored two C3s. It is not CHEAP. Best route for this heap is restomod. 68s were about the worst quality cars made. Read the original road tests by Car and Driver. It is amazing GM sold any at all.