1968 vettes

[jeffitz]

why are dealers telling me to stay away from 68,s they say quality is a real problem compared to 67 and 69?

 

[78SilvAnniv]

The only reason I can come up with is that 1968 was the first year of that body style and perhaps there were 'bugs' to work out. Also, I recall from other posts I've read that while the C3 body style has many interchangeable pieces from year to year, 1968 has several, or many, items that were exclusive to the 1968 and not interchangeable with other C3s.

If you can find one that has been restored or very well maintained, I'd snap it up. The 1968s are unique and if it has already been gone through (restoration), your work is done for you.
Heidi

 

[chevyaddict]

I have a 68 and haven't had the chance to do a lot of restoration work to it but I LOVE the fact that it is unique in that it is the first of that bodystyle.... so I wouldn't let that sway you. Perhaps the "bugs" is an issue - but I haven't heard too many with 84 vettes say they are plagued with bugs.... mine surely isn't.

 

[sj20343]

Everyone has a different opinion on the '68. Mine has been restored, so I am not plagued by the bugs that are typically mentioned. I was looking for a '69 before I found mine, but the deal that I found on my '68, was too good to pass up.

Having said that, I did a lot of research before I bought mine. The results were 50/50. Some reputable publications feel that the '68 will be a sleeper, and gain in value. Others feel that it will never overcome the bad publicity that it got when it was introduced in '68. When you get down to it, the '68 and '69 are not much different. It is a fact that all the bugs were corrected in the '69, thus, a better car. This, however, can be said of all first year models. For what it's worth, my car appraised for 35K. I think that I would have a hard time getting that price. The appraiser told me that if it was a '69, he would add another 10K to the value. This was 3 1/2 years ago, and opinions vary. The only thing that I can say, is that I see '69's all over the market. '68's in good condition are harder to find, so hopefully it will be sleeper and go up in value.

 

[titan81]

Many feel that GM rushed the release of the mako shark design in 68 and feel it flawed the car. The 69' was supposed to be the actual unvailing, but they got it out in 68' trying to rush sales and such. Bugs are what most new modles where i believe no specific one.

 

[Space Cowboy]

I have a 68 and in the middle of engine compartment restoration/replacement. I've had a few difficulties finding the correct parts on just a couple of items. From what I've been told there were two releases in 68 from GM. The first version had a lot of bugs as mentioned, but the major problem that needed to be "fixed" was the overheating issue. GM had some "left over" radiators from the 67 models, so I guess they thought they would save a buck and use them up. Unfortunately, it was not big enough to cool the engines, especially the 427 series. Even when they went to a larger radiator mid-year, it still wasn't sufficient as most of you probably know. What I'm doing is putting in a 1000HP rated BeCool /w an electric fan from them that hasn't even been marketed yet. From what BeCool has told me, this new fan incorportates a new blade designed by NASA. They told me only 12 of these fans have been out in the field being tested by groups such as NASCAR. Looks like I'm going to be the first actual consumer guinea pig! BeCool claims they are more proud of this fan than their radiators themselves. They should be, it cost like $500+ including wire harness and mounting brackets!

There are other issues that I've come across on the interior such as A/C. There are some differences between the 68 and 69. I'm adding A/C as well and it's also costing big bucks!

I would say, yes... it's been a challenge finding all the correct parts to rebuild this baby, but that's the fun of it right?!?

As soon as the rebuild is complete, I'll post photo's of before/after. So far I've got 6K into parts (without the long block). This is definitely going to be a show peice!

 

[chevyaddict]

So jeffitz..... did this discussion sway you one way or the other so far?

Dawn

 

[John Doe]

why are dealers telling me to stay away from 68,s they say quality is a real problem compared to 67 and 69?

The idea that build quality is an issue in a 36 year old car is laughable isn't it?? If a particular vette has survived this long don't you think any initial quality problems on that vehicle would have been addressed by now? However, the 68 still does suffer a stigma from the very first car magazine reviews. I believe the most infamous was Car and Driver, who refused to even test the car they got because it was such a POS!! I absolutely love my 68, but for a prospective buyer I would only recommend it for someone who has a thick skin and is confident with their choices and does not require the approval of others to feel good about what they have. You should also expect a pricing concession, ie pay less for a 68 then a similarly equipped and conditioned 69. And finally, I would not recommend a 68 for anyone wanting to do a complete NCRS restoration. Too many one year only hard to find parts. You see very few 68s on the NCRS showfield, and more likely to see a bowtie candidate or even an L88 than a restored car.

 

[Stallion]

If I remember correctly, the '68s frame is an inch and some change longer than the '69. Can anybody verify that?

 

[MoeJr]

68's were given a bad rap by media and such. The biggest problem they complained about was poor build quality and cramped interior. That being said don't let that sway your decision. The first year of any model is a learning experience. I own an 84 which is the first year of that model and it has been very reliable and loads of fun yet you will hear people say they are junk because of the Cross Fire Injection. If you like it,buy it.

 

[7NT1VETTE]

68

The 68 is less "refined", it has the ignition key on the dash, push locks on the doors, no stingray emblems, no map pocket, and other noticeable changes at first glance, they do not hold as near a value as a simarly equipped 69 has. Near my house there is a guy that is selling his 68 all original convertible and he cant even get $8000 for the car. But if you like it buy it.

 

[BlueL36]

The 68 is less "refined", it has the ignition key on the dash, push locks on the doors, no stingray emblems, no map pocket, and other noticeable changes at first glance, they do not hold as near a value as a simarly equipped 69 has. Near my house there is a guy that is selling his 68 all original convertible and he cant even get $8000 for the car. But if you like it buy it.

If anyone cannot sell an all-original chrome bumper roadster for $8K, it has issues you or the seller have not identified.

 

[7NT1VETTE]

68

If anyone cannot sell an all-original chrome bumper roadster for $8K, it has issues you or the seller have not identified.

I never said it was in excellent condition. After all they did produce more Convertibles in 1968 than Coupes, (18,000 verts to 9,000 coupes) the price on a convertible is not the same as other cars because there were so many more produced.

 

[John Doe]

The 68 is less "refined", it has the ignition key on the dash, push locks on the doors, no stingray emblems, no map pocket, and other noticeable changes at first glance, they do not hold as near a value as a simarly equipped 69 has. Near my house there is a guy that is selling his 68 all original convertible and he cant even get $8000 for the car. But if you like it buy it.

see? this is why I said what I said above:

I absolutely love my 68, but for a prospective buyer I would only recommend it for someone who has a thick skin and is confident with their choices and does not require the approval of others to feel good about what they have.

This is the crap you will have to put up with if you buy a 68!!!

:L:cry

 

[Stallion]

There is nothing wrong with a '68. Sure, they are a little more different, but there is just as much support and aftermarket for them. It's not like you'll be walking through junkyards looking for parts.

If you find the right price, then go for it. $8k sounds pretty tempting to me.

 

[BlueL36]

I never said it was in excellent condition. After all they did produce more Convertibles in 1968 than Coupes, (18,000 verts to 9,000 coupes) the price on a convertible is not the same as other cars because there were so many more produced.

You first stated that your friend had an all-original '68 convertible, which implied a kind of survivor status. Now you say that a two-to-one ratio of convertibles to coupes mean convertibles with a 1968 vintage are worth less. Is rarity a condition of desirability? Not in $8K cars. And if you're looking at $8K cars, you aren't going to get much more than a restoration project. It's expensive to restore any year, whether you go the NCRS route or you make it a very nice modified street rod. So your comparison really isn't a comparison. Quality cars, similarly equipped, one a '68 and the other a '69, will have little price difference. You may prefer the '69, and that's okay. My suggestion to someone buying is to spend as much as they can afford on the best car they can find, no matter what year C3 it is.

 

[7NT1VETTE]

Im not trying to argue or anything after all we still both own great cars. By all original I meant an original motor and stock looking car, sorry if I made it sound as if it was all original "survivor" never touched since 1968. What I meant by the statement that they made more convetibles than coupes was, is there are more convertibles on the market to choose from and if somebody wants one they will have some options whereas if someone is set on a 1968 coupe he might have to search a little bit harder and might have to pay that higher asking price due to its lower production amount. But when you said that 1968's and 69's that are simarly equipped will sell around the same I have to disagree with you because I have seen many 1968 big block convertibles in the 20,000-24,500 range in very good condition and almost the same 69 for 27-35,000. There is a higher demand for the '69 hence the higher prices. I am not lieng to you when I tell you this one of my friends honest to god just bought a '68 Blue Convertible 427 4-speed for 11,000 dollars a couple of months ago and I admit he got a damn good deal for it. If people lightened up and realized the '68 is not a horrible car they to will appreciate even more.

 

[wallyknoch]

Noting wrong with 68`s. If it was such a bad year I don`t think GM would have run the the same body style for another 14 years. Minor changes are appartent throughout all the years. I like mine because of the HP and the fact it doesn`t have a "stingray" emblem. Unfortunately not many of todays owners of C3`s has ever purchased a new 68 to actually know and drive one that has not been pump jockey modified with mail order junk. I wouldn`t trade my 68 for any of the other 14 years.

 

[John Doe]

here is a 68 at carlisle

here is a nice 68

 

[olouieo]

I have a 68 and I love it. When you hear the negative talk about a 68 consider the source. When someone says something about a 68, I ask them if they ever own one and their answer 99% of the time is NO . Like it was said before must or all of the first year bugs should have been addressed after 36 years. I do agree that some parts for 68 only are hard to get or more expensive (IE. inner or outer window seals ) but is a small price to pay to be unique. IMHO.