Last week we covered this 1968 Chevrolet Impala and it seemed to garner basically a B.F.D. response (and I don’t mean Baltimore Fire Department either). Some of that had to do with the listing expiring early. Today, let’s try to gin up some interest in another ’68 Chevy, though this time, we’ll downshift to an entry-level Biscayne while we up the ante with some serious hubba-hubba action under the hood. This 1968 Chevrolet Biscayne two-door sedan is located in Effingham, Illinois and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $16,100, reserve not yet met. Thanks to local_sheriff for this tip!
As many of you, I’m sure, are aware, in the “old days”, a buyer could mix and match options when buying a car. You could buy a top-line model like a Chevy Caprice with a manual transmission, no A/C, no radio, power steering or brakes, or a bottom of the line model with the largest engine and all of those extras that the Caprice didn’t elect – the world was your oyster. By 1968 muscle car madness was in full swing and at Chevrolet, the go-fast emphasis was on the Chevelle SS396, Camaro SS or Z28, and the newly redesigned Nova SS. The full-size “B” body car had fallen by the wayside when just four years earlier, the dual-quad 409 equipped Impala was all the rage – things progressed quickly in those years. But the big car still had a performance role, it just wasn’t the one that first came to mind when sporting intentions were the goal. And the bottom of the line Biscayne, two-door sedan lent itself perfectly to a hot-rodding endeavor. It was the lightest of the B-bodies and retained a tight structure with its B-post structure and of course, the most powerful engine, along with a four-speed manual transmission and aggressive rear end gearing was available. If you wanted it, all you had to do was ask for it!
At first blush, I was convinced that I had seen this Biscayne before. I stumbled upon a very similar example at an auction in Daytona Beach about ten years ago – the authenticity was remarkable. Upon closer examination, this is not the same car, but it’s close! The VIN checks out, it’s a V8 powered Biscayne coupe, built the third week of July 1968 at Chevrolet’s Lordstown, OH (now Lordstown Motors) assembly plant. Listed as a 37K mile example, this car is a mix of originality and modification. The trim tag indicates that this Chevy was originally finished in code G, Ash Gold Metallic and that is how it has been repainted. Considering the level of restoration, there’s probably no reason to assume that there are structural or integrity issues with this car – it looks perfect. A couple of quick observations, the black painted rally wheels are 18 inchers, way beyond what was available in ’68, the red Chevrolet bow-tie emblem on the header was reserved for the SS427 model only, as was the “427” emblem on the deck lid. While not original, these are all nice additions.
Reality sets in under the hood. The ’68 Chevrolet sales brochure will tell you that a 385 HP, 427 CI V8 was the maximum mo-jo for a B-body car. It wasn’t, there was an option known as RPO L72 which was a 425 HP, 427 CI engine. The selection was listed on the reverse side of the dealership order form, almost as if there was an attempt to hide it. I have seen the form but I can’t put my hands on it right at the moment. Anyway, across all trim levels, there were about 600 B-body cars, out of a total ’68 count of 1.2MM, produced with this engine – and this is one of them. The revealed engine alpha code, “ID” equates to the L72, and the sequence number on the block, “209802” matches that on the car’s VIN tag. The one surprise is the aluminum cylinder heads, known as option RPO L89. They were available as an option on the L71 engine (427 CI-435 HP) as well as the L78 motor (396-375 HP) but I have never encountered a pair on an L72 like this example. Real or added later? No way to know for sure; they do, however, resemble the Winters Foundry heads that made up the L89 option. Continuing with the drivetrain is a Muncie four-speed manual transmission and a 3.73, limited-slip, 12 bolt differential. While the seller doesn’t reference this Biscayne’s operating particulars, which must be stout, he does note the rear brakes have been converted to disc to help corral this Chevy after a full-throttle blast.
The bench seat interior is magnificent in all of its spartan simplicity. It is listed as a radio-delete car but it never would have had one as standard equipment so it’s really a no-radio car. The original Muncie shifter has been replaced by a Hurst unit – good move, it’s a much better piece. And finally, the optional auxiliary gauge instrument cluster, along with a 6,000 RPM, red-line tachometer, was ordered. These turn up occasionally on Impalas, rarely on a Biscayne. The rest of the environment is very clean and shows little sign of use.
This car is a beast, it was the perfect street sleeper back in its day, the original owner clearly knew what he was looking for and why – redlight to redlight and probably some strip action too. Unfortunately, the days of being able to spec a car like this are long gone but it’s fun to reminisce about the way things were. I predict big $$$ on this Biscayne even though the auction isn’t currently giving that indication – it will eventually go. There are numerous large-sized images included in the listing, be sure to check them all out. If you want a piece of rare, 1968 street performance you would be hard-pressed to improve on this specimen – what do you think, any takers?
Droooool
No. Words.
A real swan song for the big block rocket sleds of the 60’s. This is simply outstanding though it needs some OEM color matched steelies and dog dishes.
Neat car, not so much a sleeper but more a bank robbery getaway machine back then, ha ha. It’s a fast animal for sure with a stalker like menacing look….these days. Back in those days it was just another big Chevy in fleet duty disguise. Love that 427-4speed set up.
What are the relative benefits of a Hurst over a Muncie or is this just a brand preference?
In my experience, the Muncie shifters get sloppy and imprecise rather quickly. Once they wear, I could never figure out a way to take the slop out of the shifter fingers on one of those. Corvette, Chevelle, even a Vega, they all seem to have the same problem.
JO
Got it. I also heard from one or two people with Muncies that they got stuck between gears–never heard about that from a Hurst (though I’m pretty unfamiliar with domestic 4-speeds)
Rosseaux:
That’s exactly what they do! It’s the 2-3 shift, the shift lever doesn’t disengage from second entirely and you would have to go under the car and push the shifter rod/lever forward to free it up.
JO
Almost everyone does not understand the Muncie shifter problem. It is because it is bolted to the crossmember. The engine moves under load but the crossmember does not so the famous binding issue.I think GM did it to sell more cars because once you missed a gear there goes a perfectly good engine up in smoke.
Both of my Chevelles, ’65 and ’67, had the shifter attached directly to the Muncie M-20 transmission – I believe three bolts but I’m not certain now. I had to remove them both so I’m sure of the location. The small spot welds on the body of the shifter in the ’65 actually split, so that exacerbated the problem further.
I worked at a Chevrolet dealership, off and on between, ’72 and ’74 and I was always “unsticking” shifters right in the Service Advisor check-in driveway. I’d walk out of the shop, reach under a Vega, for example, free up the 1-2 shift lever and send a customer on their way. I don’t recall if any shifter mechanisms were ever swapped under warranty, I don’t recall doing it anyway – it was a long time ago.
JO
I really like it. The best part of the listing is that it is in Effingham, IL. I have driven through Illinois and have seen that name on road signs, I think on 57. Call me totally immature, but somehow that name makes me giggle like a school girl.
No. The best part of it is it’s at the Auto Mall of Effingham. “Honey, they didn’t have any gold Camrys left but they did have one of these…”
it’s on I-70 we stayed there on a road trip to New Jersey
Home of Eckler’s Corvette parts house and annual Corvette weekend in September.
I-57 and 1-70 cross at Effingham … it was our first gas stop after leaving Chicago on the way to visit relatives in New Orleans, and half-way to Memphis … it’s north of Dix, IL, which always gave my then-wife a laugh …
effingham is a big truck stop town–Intersection on an E-W and a N-S interstate. Stopped there several times.
Scam alert.
Always Google the VIN. If you do, you will find multiple ads for this car dating back to 2010, when the car was being sold as a roller, without engine or transmission. Later on there are several ads which list the engine size as a 454. Now, it is miraculously listed as a “matching numbers” aluminum head 427.
It’s a nice car, but hard to justify the $75,000 it’s listed for on the sellers website based on its checkered history.
Steve R
Ok Steve, even if this is a scam car, and it probably is, this is the stuff dreams are made of.
It can also be stuff nightmares are made of.
Potential buyers need to do their own research, such as searching by the VIN number. It’s quick and simple, it can protect you from overpaying or buying a car that’s being presented as something it’s not.
Knock 50% off this cars asking price and you are in the ballpark.
Steve R
In the mid seventies a teacher in the neighborhood bought one just like this as a winter car to protect his new Corvette convertible.
Even as a 12 year old I knew that was so wrong! How he drove it in the snow with that power I still don’t know.
By the end of the 70’s the body was rusted out and if I remember he yanked the motor and scrapped the car.
Last time I saw him several years ago he did still have the vette convertible so I’ll give him that.
The original factory shifter was replaced with a better, tighter Hurst shifter.
The factory shifters were not great
I’m not a Chevy guy but big block, 4 speed, bench seat sedan is pretty sweet! Just needs dog dish hubcaps
Baby moons :)
i worked for a guy in 1970 he bought a 68 biscayne 427 at a auction it was a ex cop car
Steve’s point about the car history is very interesting. But regardless, what a great write up Jim. I really enjoyed it.
Oh Yeah grandma slammin gears embarrassing all the youngins out there
What a fun car to have and build. I’d sure like to have one like it. However let’s get real on the write up here. There are so many red flags – it’s a nice resto mod and that’s what it’s not being called.
Love this car! Dad had a new ’68 teal blue Biscayne 307 Powerglide. The car’s nickname was “Biscuit”. LOL
@ Autoworker: we had a ’67 that we called Biscuit too! Great (or is it juvenile) minds think alike!
As a young guy growing up you run into strange things. Neibors Galaxy had a dead battery so I jumped it for him. He had wrecked it, though not totalled. His wifes car for many years. I watched it chase beer and groceries for over 20 years. On this day as this old slug still decorated with flowers on the back deck and antenna was getting ready to be scrapped I had finally really looked at this car. A smaller Galaxy, bucket seat console 2 tone car with to my surprise a dual quad v8. I never realised the uniqueness of this car.
It sold as a 1967 in California in 2010 for $10.500
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18419/lot/483/
Don’t see how – the body styles, while close, are different – re round tail lights in bumper – and a place like Bonham’s should know the difference …
Don’t see how – the body styles, while close, are different – re round tail lights in bumper – and a place like Bonham’s should know the difference …
Sold at auction “sans engine and transmission”…..yeah, right…it’s a roller!
Had one of these ‘rare’ cars… A 1970 Pontiac Strato Chief (Canada). Bottom of the line model. It was dark green with the ‘heavy duty trailer towing package’, radio delete and hub caps. The REALLY UNIQUE part was it had a 454 4bbl which the VIN noted as 390HP. I was surprised when I looked to buy it that the metal side badges said 454 over the red ‘V’? Normally you’d see the 350 or maybe 455 over the V but GM configured it in Canada with the Chevy engine! I’d bet that there were only a handful of these ever produced. Ended up selling to a friend so he could use the engine and badges for his ’69 Firebird. Would have been priceless…
Blues Brothers car.
A friend of mine in high school bought a ’68 either Bel-Air or Biscayne, (I don’t remember which), 4 door, former Sheriff’s car. It had a 396 auto. That was the first car I rode in that could get 2nd gear rubber from an automatic trans.(Not the last one by a long shot).
@ Steve R. great tip, great job of research. The info may or may not change the car, but it should change the price.
Some years back (mid 80’s) there was an unrestored 4 door version of this running around Milwaukee, same color but a 4 door version. Bench seat 4 speed, 427 not sure which version. It was originally a Wisconsin Forestry Division car and was still carrying the windshield stickers and door lettering. What a sleeper
schwiiinnnggg!!!
In 1968 I bought a new 396″ Chevy Suburban for my family. Turned out to be the perfect tow vehicle for my buddies 427″ Biscayne. We would tow to the strip and then run both of them. Him in B/S and me in L/S/A.
Wow, I would buy a Biscayne sleeper in this great condition, but NOT for $40,100 (reserve not met with 30 hours left).
Steve R Where do you Find out the History of Older vehicles by the Vin number
I Didn’t think that was Possible by like a car fax
And R Soul How did you Find it Selling in 2010
Sounds like Someone Stamped Their Own Vin number in the Block
I Have been Looking For My Old 1968 Camaro for Over 30 Years
Any Help Would be Greatly Appreciated
By Anyone out there
Thank you
Many times dealers and auctions will list the VIN numbers of cars they are selling. You simple Google search the VIN number by itself with no other words or phrases. It’s not like carfax where the number is part of a data base. People on many car specific forums have been doing this for years, they will often list a VIN number of clones or cars that have a tainted history. If someone inserted this cars VIN in this thread, it too would come up if someone did a similar search. It’s a firm if self policing to help keep potential buyers from buying something that is being misrepresented. This is also a way you might possibly find your Dads old car, there are many instances of people finding cars by conducting a search via the VIN.
Steve R
Googled the VIN and it shows up on a site called badvin.org…wonder if the $40K+ bidder knows that.
When these cars were common (60s/70s full size chevys) the ones I saw or rode in belonged to grown ups and almost always were automatics with steering column mounted selectors.
Looking inside this one with that big floor mounted Hurst, it’s like a middle finger flaunted at conformity. Just beautiful.
Owning the 69 version of this car I can say they are no slouch in the acceleration department. A first to second gear power shift at the 6000 rpm redline is like a 2nd stage rocket booster going off.If you come across one of those sloppy Muncie shifters do not throw it away. They are worth big money because they were big car only hardware.Even the shifter lever was different then any other car. Talking 68 and 69 here.It would take double his asking price for me to part with mine. My car has been in magazine’s since 1984
Another scam artist trying to cash in. Smart people do their homework. And it is not the Eckler Corvette show. It is Mid America Fun Fest. Despite the red flags on this car, why waste $75,000 on a dumb Hellcat when you can have this.
I have to leave one more interesting commit on this car. Lordstown Ohio assembly plant did not build any L-72 cars. I had two neighbors that worked at that plant back then.I worked there too but not when these big cars were being built there. My car 69 Biscayne was built in the Atlanta plant.
If that’s the case, then this seller would have had to restamp the block because the “ID” (L72 code) is followed by “18U209802” as in 1=Chevrolet, 8=1968, U=Lordstown, and then the six-digit sequence number which does match that on the dashboard VIN tag. There is a very clear image of the engine ID pad included with all of the pictures.
Your ’69 Biscayne would have been technically built at “D” the Doraville, Georgia plant. “A”, the Atlanta plant, was building A-bodies (Chevelles/El Caminos) in ’69.
JO
And do you think that has never been done before. Restamping a VIN is as common as changing a diaper today.I can guarantee no L-&2 ever came out of the Lordstown ,Ohio plant. But all 67 ram air Firebirds did.
Someone restamped the block, but who. This car looks like it’s changed hands several times with different drivetrain configurations. It’s pretty safe to assume that whoever did it did so for financial gain. I’d bet it was done previous to the current seller, a volume dealer has too much to lose. However, I’d be surprised if they hadn’t searched the VIN prior to listing the car. The language in the ad has a built in fudge factor, they are professionals, they would know how to research a car in this manner.
Steve R
Not sure what the 1 of 124 means but I can tell if this was original they did not make that many aluminum head cars for all the 69 Chevrolet cars built. This car is a fake and wish my friends that worked there were still alive to tell everyone that. I got hired there in 77 and met the people that got hired there in 1966 when the plant opened . The stories they told me about the early days of that plant.
I agree with you on the heads, I’ve never seen an L72, as I stated in my article, with the L89 aluminum heads. That said, they were probably added later though the cooling “bungs” on the front to look like genuine Winters Foundry heads.
Blocks do sometimes get, dishonestly, restamped. But if that’s the case this is truly an excellent job. The left side of the number pad has the correct Tonawanda engine foundry font and the right side has the correct assembly plant font.
JO
Both those plants were in Atlanta. I have owned my Biscayne for over 15 years and no the history of this and 99% of the other cars and there are some great people that have helped me with this process of documenting these rare cars. 1 of 77 L-72 cars built in 69 is rare and to have one with the original drivetrain is almost unheard of.
“A” was in Atlanta proper, “D”, Doraville was in the northern Atlanta suburbs. Check your VIN, the 7th digit should be a “D” – let me know.
JO
Blocks are now and will always be restamped and if you have a Corvette the NCRS even allows a restamp in the show field. I think that is a sin of the times and I am sure they have it down to a fine art that only the guys that actually did the original stamp will be able to tell. I worked on the engine line and watched them stamp the blocks on the 1977 vans at Lordstown. Got bumped off of that cushy job to hang the rear axle to the line. Not for the faint of hart on that job.
Yes the vin on my car is a D built car. Not sure what west coast cars were building L-72 cars but with only 546 L-72 cars built in 69 not all the plants had that inventory. I remember being told 9 plants were building big chevys back then including Canada.About the same amount of 68 L-72 cars were built.Think about in 69 they built 1015 Camaro’s with the L-71 engine an not sure how many Chevelle’s . I am sure someone know’s that number
Perhaps you mean L-78′? That’s the 396-375 HP engine used in Carmaros, Chevelles, and Novas. The L71 was the triple carburetor 435 HP 427 for Corvette use only.
The ’69 L78 count in the Chevelle was 9,400 cars, don’t know about the others.
JO
The L-72 was put into 1015 camera’s in 69 under the copo program not sure about the Chevelle number but Yenko sold 99 L-72 copo Chevelle’s at his dealership .There were some 68 COPO camera’s built but this is still being debated but some people with 68 cars have the paperwork to prove it. L78 cars are a whole different can of worms but most of those engines have been counted for like the 311 69 L-89 Camaro’s. that cost $868.95 as a option.
Yes meant L-72 cars my typo on that one not L-71
Video ……puleeeeeeeeeeeeeze
Nov. 2010 – sold with NO MOTOR OR TRANS: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18419/lot/483/
So either someone tracked down and reinstalled the original block, or what is in it now is a RESTAMP.
Advertised in 2020 with a 454 with aluminum heads, on two different sites:
http://topclassiccarsforsale.com/chevrolet/583688-1968-chevrolet-biscayne-454-high-performance-muscle-car.html
http://davidsclassiccars.com/chevrolet/438069-1968-chevrolet-biscayne-454-high-performance-muscle-car.html
But it is obviously the very same engine as in the current pics.
So, this wipes out the idea that someone tracked down and reinstalled the original block. If it was the original block it would never have been listed as a 454 in the other ads.
So unless the 2020 ads were done by someone really unknowledgeable and are incorrect about the engine size, then it would appears that it has a 454 in it now that has been RESTAMPED with a 427 L72 code!! If they would post the casting number of the block that would answer that question one and for all.
The car may or may not have been born with a 427 in it (the tach that is in the car in the 2010 auction would support the idea, but of course could be a transplant). But unless somebody can weave a mighty creative tale on how it went from no motor to a 454 with Al. heads that appears identical to what is in it now, then the 454 magically shrunk to a 427 and grew a matching set of stamps, then the seller of this car is flirting with outright FRAUD in the description of this car.
Lastly, if the car was a real L72 (and therefore hens’ teeth rare), then no on in their right mind would ever have done what has been done to the suspension, brakes and wheels on this car.
On a side note, as to the question of whether you could get aluminum heads in a Biscayne/Belair/Impala in 68, you could not, period. There was never any engine suffix code issued for an L89 in a Biscayne/Belair/Impala in 68. In the models for which L89 heads were an available option, those engines have a different suffix code from their iron head counterparts.
Like I said before NO 1968 or 1969 L-72 cars built at the Lordstown,Ohio assembly plant.Car is a fake . period
The Bonham link links to same car as R Soul’s link above …
Jeff’ Damn that was spoken with some authority!
Had a one owner ’68 Caprice 4 dr.hardtop.numbers matching 396 325 horsepower engine.the original owner had bought to tow her camping trailer. so it had factory air shocks and tow hitch. dual exhaust,12 bolt posi.Cloth interior with a split 60/40 bench seat power mind you..and it had Camaro Backs.power everything,it had a rare option which was a fiber optic turn signal,headlight,taillight indicators on the fenders.she had also ordered it with a full set of Rally Wheels,but it had Full Caprice hubcaps on them..that was odd.didn’t figure that out until i was looking under the car for leaks,and looked at one of the wheels.I got the tire tool out of the trunk,popped all four caps off..n there they were.a complete set of Rally’s.She had it serviced entirely by the dealership she bought it from. Cool Car.