With 1968 marking the introduction of the C3, sales of the Corvette reached an all-time high, with 28,566 people splashing out the cash to park a Corvette in their driveway. Barn Finder Pat L referred this very original example to us, so thank you for that Pat. If you fancy your Corvette with a bit of a bite to it, you will find this one located in Cave Creek, Arizona, and listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner is asking $34,500 for this beauty.
The Corvette is finished in Silverstone Silver and seems to present quite well. The paint has a nice shine to it, and there is no sign of any cracking in the panels. There are a few minor scratches and chips visible in the paint, but none of these are too bad. The chrome and trim look to be in nice condition, while I tend to agree with the owner’s assessment that the wheels look new. He also states that the underside of the car is clean, and if it has spent a significant part of its life in Arizona, then that would not be terribly surprising.
If you fancy your classic car with just a touch of wasabi, then this Corvette is probably just the car for you. What lies under the hood is a numbers-matching L36 427ci big-block, producing a healthy 390hp. The rest of the car’s drive-train is also original, including the M22 manual transmission, the Posi rear end, and power steering to make light work of the driving experience. With all of those horses available in a car that weighs 3,265lbs, performance is mighty impressive. A 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds, a ¼ mile time of 13.8 seconds and a top speed of 137mph are not figures to be sneezed at. The owner says that the Corvette has covered a mere 47,000 original miles and that the car runs extremely well. The extra weight of the big-block will obviously have some impact on the vehicle’s handling, but it would still put a smile on your face when you bury the right foot. Interestingly, the Corvette was available with a decent selection of engine options in 1968, but 27% chose the L36, making this the most popular engine in the range in that year. As an option on a Corvette, it cost the buyer a not insignificant (at the time) $200.15, but they were willing to shell out the extra cash for the improved performance that this offered over the base 327.
The interior of the Corvette is fairly tidy for a vehicle of this age, and apart from the seat upholstery, it looks to be completely original. There is some minor wear and aging showing on a few plastic items inside the car, but as a daily driver, it is definitely serviceable. I’m not sold on the covers that are currently fitted to the seats and replacing those would be high on my list of priorities. The door trims, dash, and carpet all look to be in quite reasonable condition, while the original AM/FM stereo radio is still in place. The Corvette also scores power windows and a tilt wheel as nice little extras.
Apart from the covers on the seats, this Corvette appears to be a nice, original survivor. I can see no reason why it couldn’t be restored, and the end result should be one pretty stunning car. Equally, I can’t see any reason why it couldn’t be driven and enjoyed exactly as it stands today. The numbers-matching 427ci V8 and the M22 transmission are a great combination, and make the car a potent piece of machinery, even by today’s standards. Values on the 1968 model are continuing to climb slowly, and with the originality and specifications of this car, I think that it represents quite a decent buy at the asking price.
Very nice 68!
A 68 Shark with a rock crusher? Oh what fun it is to ride
Very nice setup!! The best really!!! One of the last great years of the corvette in my opinion!! Big motors had big declines in horses only a few years later!!!
Wow, priced right and a BBC / 4spd! Being an AZ car for a good portion of it’s life is a huge plus. My only concern is, if my memory serves me, is that ’68’s had inherent chassis issues over time. In fact I believe GM offered a gusset kit for the rear chassis area to be welded in by a dealer. Rust was a huge issue especially in the window supports. Add correct 8″ x 15″ rally’s, upholstery, exhaust and that’s a killer buy!
The 68’s had a lot of first year issues, but the frame wasn’t one of them. 68’s used the same frame as 63-67’s. Two extra braces were added to the kick up area during 68, but this was a running change made to strengthen that area. In 65, different braces had been added in the same area, for the same reason. The 68’s a-pillar rust issues are shared with all 68-82’s. Rust is common to all 63-82’s, with no one year worse than any other year.
The problem with 68’s is that they used many one year only parts, that are both hard to find, and expensive. Some parts even changed two or three times during the 68 model year. For this reason, 68’s are be a good year to avoid, for the uneducated or first time Corvette buyer.
By the way, 68’s came with 15×7 rallys, the 15×8’s came out in 69.
This would be one to buy and drive. No restoration needed. Evidently sold, the listing is gone.
There are those that will drool all over that car, the price is pretty much in line with what I’ve seen before. Personally I would go with a 69 given the choice but beggars can’t be choosers. I’ve been around a few 427’s over the years and though they are impressive on straight line acceleration they aren’t that good on the road courses.
Had chance to buy one once, right before the sale closed he spun a bearing in the engine and decided not to sell it.
Gonzo.
Yeah, those seat covers and console need to go back to stock. No big deal, easy to do.
I noticed that the seller did the vintage plate on the front. A lot of Vette guys do that in states that changed their plates yearly – I had a ’70 NH plate on the front of nine.
Just reminiscing here. My dad had a 1968 Convertible. Red. Black interior white soft top and black hardtop. 4 speed and a 427 given to him on his birthday from my mom in Buffalo Ny…. this was back in the late 70s. I remember one Saturday dad saw smoke coming from the dash and my mom called the fire Dept. ( the entire company came) he sold the car to a dealership in The very early 80s in Buffalo. Wonder whatever happened to that car…. sorry guys. Just strolling down memory lane…
@Jamie- Don’t worry about “strolling” most folks here LIVE on Memory Lane.
@Jamie- Sounds like your mom was pretty cool too! I’m from Buffalo and I wonder if I ever saw your dad’s car. And that engine was made right there in Tonawanda! Proudly sporting the “No.1 Team” decals on the valve covers. Jeez, now you got me strolling down Memory Lane!
Ike Onick. Email me. shamus302000@yahoo.com
68’s were not available with a tilt column, only a telescoping one, that doesn’t look like a 68 tele column? Also, the seller may be claiming it has an M-22, but if it does, than it’s not original to the car. Only 80 68’s came with an M-22, as it was only available with the L-88.
It’s an old wives tale, that big block Corvettes don’t handle. I’ve built and crewed on a number of road race and autocross Corvettes, and know a big block will handle just as well as a small block.
The engine sits behind the front crossmember on 63-82 Corvettes, not over it like most cars, and the seats are almost on top of the rear axle. Because of this, big blocks have a perfect 50/50 front to rear weight balance, while the small block has an even better 49/51 balance. With a set of aluminum heads, the big block matches the small block’s 49/51 balance.
I noticed an aluminum intake, the 390hp came with a cast intake if I remember correctly.
angrymile is correct. 67 390 hp did not come with M22.