Some project cars get attention because of rarity, others because of the story behind them. This 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe listed on eBay manages to bring both to the table. Located in Columbus, Ohio, the silver-over-black C3 is being offered as a long-stored project with what the seller describes as just 32,770 original miles. It’s also packing some serious hardware, including an L79 327 V8, an M22 “Rock Crusher” four-speed, and a factory 4.11 Positraction rear axle. That combination alone is enough to get Corvette people talking. Thanks for the tip, Curvette!
According to the listing, the car has been with the same owner since January of 1983 and spent years in storage after being parked in a garage facility. The seller says it is a completely together project car and emphasizes that all the parts are included. It is not currently roadworthy and will need to be trailered from its current location, but the listing makes it clear this is being sold as a starting point rather than a finished driver.
The drivetrain setup is one of the bigger talking points here. The seller states the car retains its L79 327 cubic-inch “Turbo Fire” V8 rated at 350 horsepower along with the Muncie M22 four-speed manual transmission. Factory 4.11 gears out back only add to the performance image these early C3s carried when new. The seller even mentions the car was tuned and maintained by Jegs High Performance in Columbus during its earlier years and says the Corvette “always ran very strong.”
Beyond the engine and transmission, the equipment list reads like a snapshot of what made the first-year C3 such a departure from the earlier mid-years. The ad mentions four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel power disc brakes, T-top roof panels, removable rear window, pop-up headlights, bucket seats, chrome bumpers, and the aircraft-inspired instrument cluster Chevrolet promoted heavily in period advertising.
The listing also notes that much of the 1968 model year was unique to that first production year of the C3 generation, something longtime Corvette enthusiasts already know well. First-year cars tend to attract their own following, especially when paired with performance-oriented drivetrains like this one reportedly has.
Included with the sale are assorted manuals, receipts, Corvette magazines, and catalogs collected over the years. The seller says retirement and downsizing are the reasons for finally letting the car go after more than four decades of ownership.
Projects like this usually appeal to a pretty specific buyer. Someone who enjoys digging into the details, researching casting numbers, sorting through parts, and slowly bringing a dormant performance car back to life. The fact that this one is described as complete probably helps its case quite a bit.
I was going to scoff at a 327 as being “serious” but that little mill rated at 350HP ain’t no slouch – or shouldn’t be, that is. But boy howdy, that body is going to put the credit card on the skillet fo sho.
This leaves scattered around the car leads me to believe this Vette was stored in an open air “barn.” I wonder what the underside looks like?
The seller is basing his price on sentimentality, not reality. He starts off the as by touting the cars ORIGINAL, LOW mileage. It may be rare, but the $10,000 asking price is unrealistic.
Steve R
This Vette looks beaten down and now a parts car.
The barn must’ve been in a tornado with no roof.
I bet the dog legs are toast as the rest of the car sadly.
The entire car needs regel-coated. Be prepared for hours and hours of hand sanding.
Woof… Where to start… All older vettes leak… Especially ones with T tops… I found that even the caulking they used to seal body parts dry up and crack from sitting and driving. First thing you want to do is remove the kick panels and look at the bird cage. That will tell you if you should run away. 10k to play, is pretty steep, for a car that needs 25k in repairs
You are being extremely generous with “25k in repairs”.
Hard to say.what a final number might be, but given how rough it is, I think that something north of 50k would expected.
The other thing that I would be very dubious about is the drive train. An L-79 with a M22 would be quite a find. Not unheard of, but certainly somewhat rare. That is where the intrinsic value is with this thing. Absent that, I wouldn’t touch it, even at 10k, it’s just too rough.
Yep, I was being generous. I was dumb enough to think I could refresh a 75 Vette, with 50, 000 miles, and flip it… Got about 20k into the refresh* still need tires and AC handled. Might have to mothball it for 10 years to get my money back… And mine was in better shape then this, but if you are going to dive into one, better to grab one with pedigree…
Alex, I’ll take trashed out Corvettes for $500 please.
Pile of junk. I’ve restored two C3s. Credit card bills insane. 68s are the hardest C3 to restore. Many one year only parts, doors, headlamp buckets, dash, seats, steering wheel, the list goes on. And I doubt an L79 came with an M22. Very few cars came from St. Louis with that transmission.
They didn’t come with 4 bolt mains either. The seller was throwing around terms to try and make the car appealing to potential buyers.
Steve R
Just reading the add without seeing the car you would think you would be buying a car that needed little to get to a nice driver. Nothing to verify the mileage or the motor. Spot on with the seller throwing around terms to try and make the car appealing to potential buyers
Sad: That a ’68 Corvette has gotten to this condition.
Even sadder: That a seller thinks it is worth 10K. Not even close.
9 grand too much. It’s past the point of “worth the effort to save it”.
If you want to sell a project like this drag it out pressure wash it take pictures of all the parts and frame this guy is lazy
what boggled my mind is how a car especially a vette that is all fibre glass with only 32,000 miles get in such a mess.sorry guys but something is definitely amiss here and to ask 10,000 for it is crazier than the owner.
Absolutely, my thot exactly on how it got in that condition with that few miles.
As for the M22? Not unless it was put in after.
Not a car for the faint of heart.
Poor thing.