I would be willing to bet some serious money that in 50-years time, early examples of the C3 Corvette are going to be at least as desirable then as they are right now. Of course, when you are talking about a car like this one, then that money should be as safe as houses. Because not only is this an original survivor, but there is something pretty special lurking under the hood. This is by no means a perfect Corvette, but the potential is there for it to be transformed from something special into something truly awe-inspiring. If you feel as though you are up to the challenge, or you simply feel like you would like to own a potentially brutal classic that is ready to be driven immediately, then you will find the Corvette located in San Diego, California, and listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN price for this Corvette has been set at $56,400.

The photos that the owner supplies do leave a bit to be desired, but they tend to indicate that the Le Mans Blue Corvette presents quite well. The vehicle has spent its life in California, so I’m not surprised by the owner’s claim that the vehicle is completely rust-free. The paint looks quite nice, but it isn’t clear whether this is original, or whether the vehicle has been the recipient of a repaint at some point. There are no signs of any potential issues with the fiberglass itself, with no visible cracks or issues with the bonding strips. The way that the sun hits the car in the photos makes it difficult to see whether there are any issues with discoloring, but the owner does score some pretty big points in my book by actively encouraging potential buyers to undertake a personal inspection. That is always a positive sign and reinforces the impression that there is nothing to hide with this one.

Come on, admit it. This is what you were really waiting for, wasn’t it? Potential Corvette buyers in 1968 were spoiled for choice when it came to engines, but what we find under the hood of this car is without a doubt one of the most highly-coveted of the bunch. This is the L68 option, which is the 427ci Tri-Power V8. This monster pumps out 400hp, a figure that many people believe was quite a conservative claim made by the good people at GM. All of that power is fed to a 4-speed manual transmission, and on to the original 3.08 rear end. That rear end will be a real blessing for the majority of potential owners because while it might slightly impact the Corvette’s acceleration figures, it will make it a more relaxed cruiser on the open road. Even with that taller rear end, this is a classic that should lay waste to the ¼ mile in around 13.7 seconds, but still wind its way through to 150mph. Both of those figures are mighty impressive in isolation, but when you combine them, it really seems to support my statement that this could be one pretty brutal car. Mind you, it would also be an awful lot of fun, and that’s never a bad thing. Not only is this a full numbers-matching car, but the owner claims that it runs and drives perfectly. So, it all appears to be good news up to this point.

If the exterior photos are a bit wanting, the interior shots are probably worse. We can’t get a full overview of the interior condition, but it generally seems reasonable. The carpet has some light staining on the driver’s side, and some of the plastic pieces on the console look to be damaged. The driver’s seat appears to have a seam separation, but this might be able to be repaired. The two biggies here revolve around the steering wheel (no pun intended) and the radio. There is a pretty ordinary aftermarket wheel fitted to the Corvette, and that would be finding its way to the trash can fairly quickly if I bought the car. Similarly, the original radio has made way for a Pioneer radio/cassette player. Admittedly, this would have been a top-of-the-line unit when it was new, but its days are definitely numbered. The installation has not been performed to a particularly high standard, but at least it looks like the dash has remained intact. Therefore, substituting a genuine radio shouldn’t be a big job. In all honesty, there are some obvious faults there, but rectifying these in your average home workshop is a very real possibility. Given the ready availability of trim pieces, this process also should not prove to be particularly expensive.

If you trace the value for the 1968 Corvette over the past 5-years, the line has basically been on a continuous upward trend. There has been a slight hiccup over the past couple of months, but this is a common theme across virtually all classic cars at present. There is some indication that things are set to improve in the near future, meaning that anyone with the available funds who is considering purchasing a classic car, should probably think about taking a good look at what is on offer right now. I would still be consulting the appropriate experts before making a move, but it will cost nothing to at least start with some personal investigations. You never know, but this Corvette could prove to be exactly what you are searching for. As for the money that I would be willing to bet? Well, what would be considered to be serious money now would be little more than pocket change in 2070. Also, unless humans begin to live well into the triple-figure territory, there’s a better than even chance that I won’t be about to pay-up by then anyway. That all conspires to make it feel like a pretty safe bet!