Surrounded by an entire shelf of supercharged engines sits this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette, which the seller reports also came with something pretty special under the hood: a 400 HP 427 big block, of which fewer than 2,000 of Chevy’s iconic two-seater came equipped with back in ’68. Although the digits are decipherable, the owner isn’t sure of this one still retains the factory powerplant, a conundrum we’ll delve into at length below. However, if you’re already eyeing this vintage C3 as a project, it’s located in Fabens, Texas, and can be spotted here on eBay. So far, the high bid of $5,700 hasn’t met the reserve, but if you just can’t wait to get started, it can be bought right now for $12,000.
The late sixties were an ideal period for ‘Vette buyers to take a trip to their Chevy dealer, as half a dozen fine engine choices were a possibility in 1968, including five variants of the coveted 427 powerplant. A couple of these are quite rare in today’s marketplace, with the production number for the L88 cars not even reaching triple digits. However, the L68, as this one’s said to have, isn’t exactly common either, with some 1,932 examples reportedly made. What’s mysterious here is the visible engine numbers, as they all match the VIN but are in a different sequence, so the owner is unsure whether the factory accidentally got them out of order on the stamper or if the block is from an entirely different car. In any event, the crank is stuck, but the 4-speed manual transmission has been positively confirmed as the factory unit.
Several of the fiberglass panels appear to be salvageable, but the front end has significant damage and has also been modified with aftermarket headlights, so it may be time to revert this area to stock anyway. The hood and a few other components are missing entirely, including both rear bumpers and all four lights in the back. Fortunately, the frame is described as solid, and the one photo provided from down under appears to show a reasonably strong undercarriage.
A few parts have already been pilfered from the interior as well, and what remains will likely require a thorough refresh if the buyer wants things as spiffy as they were when this car was new. There’s a lot of time and labor ahead here for the next owner, but if he or she can keep their eye on the prize- a functioning 427 C3 with a manual transmission- all that hard work will eventually produce a very rewarding experience. Is this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette worth all that effort?
The console data plate clearly has the base big block L36 numbers on it, 390HP. 7717 made, but still stupid power for 1968. Engien numbering is perplexing.