is 68 a good year

[Tina]

I was on another site and they had a poll for the best Corvette.
Almost everyone said 69 and 70. Least popular was the 68. Was there anything wrong with the 68 cars, or is it probably just a personal preference thing?

 

[B/STOCK]

In 69 I dad a 68 coupe,427,400hp,4 speed. Beautiful car. Spent more time at the dealers than my gararge. I couldn't imagine why someone had traded the car when it was less than a year old. Found out.
They should be ok now. I am sure all the kinks are out of them. Michael

 

[ssvett]

Tina, The people at Chevrolet learned a lot from 1968 to 1969. The 68 was the first year for the new body so, problems were bound to come up. The main problem with the 68's is parts are so differant and one year only they are hard to find. While most parts are now available many parts are more costly. ..........Steve

 

[Tina]

68 vette

This will be our first vette. 427/390,m-21, convertible,restored,
engine compartment (chromed), interior, exterior including
chassis appears to be in very good condition. Original restored
trans. and rear end. All looks new. I beleive I was told it has
the standard rear for this set up 3.96? The cars location
is out of state for me so viewing and driving is tough. What
should I expect performance wise on this car? What should
one pay for a car like this? (incidently, the car is an original
427/390 but the motor is a CE and may be a 69)

 

[vigman]

Why a 68 for your first?

The 68 was the first year so bugs were aplenty..but your car sounds like everything has been gone thru.

There are better, more reliable vettes out there for less $$$$$.

This one with a high gear in the rear, refered to as rear end ratios ( eg every time the input shaft turns 11 times you would get 4 revolutions to the output shafts ( tires )

So in the 4/11 case the car would SCREAM off the line with tires squealing all the way.. but is horrible for freeway driving since you have to rev the engine so high. 3 93 is really 9.3 to 3

3 93 dosen't sound right to me however.

Std. ratio's

( 4 11 3 73 3 56 3 07 2 59)

259 would be the best for highway cruising.. but would be a bit of a slug off the line.. but the BIG BLOCK will more than make up for that ( mucho - mas horsepower)

68's run from $12.5K ( daily driver unrestored to beater car) to 26.5K numbers matching show gold car aka Top Flight.


So it's supply vs demand ( with a pinch of..I gotta have it..in the mix)

Ask more questions, the more you know.. the better desicion you can make.

Be objective.. DO NOT DRIVE IT YET.. the minute he get's behind the wheel...it's as good as sold... short of it catching on fire during the test drive.

Mike

 

[Edmond]

I must say that for your first Vette' a 68' 427 is one hell of a ride! And to think I have to settle with my little 350.

 

[Tina]

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm not crazy about cars myself, but you motor heads sure do seem like nice people Now my husband has found a 1969 original engine, numbers matching
427 435hp in very good condition. It has M21 trans and sidepipes, headers. Has original exhaust system, posi rear, convertible, and leather interior. The seller wants 27,000! For that kind of money I want a true investment. Is that a reasonable price?

 

[Edmond]

I would have it checked out by a mechanic, check out the market values for it and possibly see the history of the car.

It's real tricky buying a used car like that. If you spent $27,000 on a new car and something went wrong, you just go and get another car. But if you spend $27,000 on an old car from a private collection as opposed to a dealership, you're pretty much SOL.

Point is, you can never be too careful and never rush to judgement about something like this. If this isn't right, be patient, there are so many Corvette's out there waiting to be had. Like that saying goes, "There's someone out there for everyone." Well, my saying is that there's a Corvette out there for everyone.

 

[ssvett]

Investment

UUhhhmmmm, Investment. An investment is something you can't look at, can't play with. It's a 401 K plan, IRA, and CD's and you certainatly can't drive one of those. While a Corvette is generally, an investment, of sorts, please don't buy a Corvette for an investment. Buy it to drive and enjoy. Of course you don't want to loose money on it and by the fact that they are in demand, they do become investments. If for no other reason, they get older everyday. I had a guy tell me his 79 wasn't worth much and never will be, I told him that everyday another 79 is getting crashed or ragged out beyond repair and every time this happens to one, his is worth more, as long as it is kept up. I can have a lot more fun in a 5000 dollar 74 Corvette then I can in a 60,000 dollar 67...........Steve

 

[Edmond]

Re: Investment

UUhhhmmmm, Investment. An investment is something you can't look at, can't play with. It's a 401 K plan, IRA, and CD's and you certainatly can't drive one of those. While a Corvette is generally, an investment, of sorts, please don't buy a Corvette for an investment. Buy it to drive and enjoy. Of course you don't want to loose money on it and by the fact that they are in demand, they do become investments. If for no other reason, they get older everyday.

Isn't this what happened to the ZR-1 when it first came out? People bought them as investments, hoping that they would keep their value/go up in value. Well, with the introduction of the C5, the performance got closer to the ZR-1 and the C5 is mass produced unlike the ZR-1.

 

[69MyWay]

$27K is not bad for a complete clean car.

Just for comparison, I have well over $30K in my 69 and nothing to show for it yet. It is an investment, just not in the traditional ways. The return on investment is the fact that you will have tons of fun and meet many new and interesting people. When you invite friends and family over, many of the conversations will end up taking place out in the garage, and the visit won't be complete until everybody has gone for a ride.

When you are cruising down the road in a sexy sleek and powerful piece of history, all eyes will be on you. Drop the top, and hang on, because the roar of raw untamed power, fuel burning rich, and tires squeeling will make you feel like a kid again.

A Z06 could cruise right by and nobody would notice compared to that wicked rag top shark.

So, if you can afford it, and it is not rusted out underneath, then buy it. The good news is, while you may not "make" money off it, chances are you will at least be able to resale it later at or near the current price. You can't say that for a new car, even if you buy it at invoice.

Please post some pics when you bring one home.

All I can really suggest is you get a real close look at the frame from underneath, especially just in front of the rear tires, the radiator core support, and the windshield frame. If it is a "frame off restoration, demand to see photos of the process and feel free to share them our way and we can tell you if it was really frame off restored, or just got a fresh coat of paint.

 

[vigman]

Read the post

in the 84-96 zone
Common problems for Corvette's

The last few postings....

This is what your hubby will turn into...Yeee Gads...

And maybe YOU TOO!

Mike

 

[69vettester]

The seller is calling this car a numbers matching 69 with lots of very nice options, yes 27K is not that awful high IF it is totally what he claims it to be, If it isnt for some reason, That price is not good. Its up to you to check out this numbers matching claim, its tricky but there are pro's who will inspect the claim. If everything looks real good and my heart was throbbing over it, I would get The car thoroughly inspected as to this numbers maching claim . If the report came back valid, get the car, If there is discrepancy, then get him to come down in price accordingly..perhaps way down!
This is the dance I did when shopping for a good to excellent c3 vette, Ended up taking me 6mos to get my 69.
Good luck with your purchase
Tom

 

[Edmond]

This is the dance I did when shopping for a good to excellent c3 vette, Ended up taking me 6mos to get my 69.
Good luck with your purchase
Tom

And it was a dance well worth it wasn't it?

It's all about patience and not caving into your emotions of seeing that beautiful car. With all those Corvette's out there, I'm sure there is one just right for you.