Description

1968 Corvette Convertible. Excellent correct code 988 Cordova Maroon paint ( 1 of 1,155 this color ) with correct STD Black interior with a Tan top. Drive train is a matching numbers L68 427/400hp tri-power, matching numbers M21 4 speed transmission with correct posi rear. According to the NCRS shipping data report this corvette was produced 8/7/1968 with a dealer delivery code of 519, zone 20 Don Steves Chevrolet in La Habra CA. The corvette received a body on restoration 2 1/2 years ago that included full drive train rebuild with added Cam in engine. (original cam comes with car). All new interior and top, new chrome all around, and new correct paint. The car is believed to have 53K original miles. Have California pink slip from 5/30/1982 from Vandenberg AFB. Very correct car with all correct date coded components besides carbs. Please call for more details.

The 1968 C3 Corvette is every Corvette collector’s dream machine. It is the first year of the third-generation body style.

The 1968 Corvette was sculpted to resemble the Mako Shark II show car of 1965. The 1968 Corvette Stingray design was refreshed, and the third generation of Corvettes was born. The C3 was longer, wider, and lower than the C2 that preceded it. In fact, the ’68 Corvette had gained weight over the previous generation with a Curb weight on the Coupe of 3210, and the Convertible was 3220.

The body was completely redesigned on what is basically a carry-over chassis. The coupe lost its fastback window and gained a removable back window and removable t-tops, giving it an almost convertible feel, although full convertibles were still available. The battery was moved to a compartment behind the seats. Nineteen-sixty-eight was the last appearance of the ignition switch on the dash until 1997. Also unique that year was the door-opening mechanism. It has a spring-loaded finger plate with a separate release button.

If you ordered the 1968 Vette, you could get a factory-installed anti-theft alarm system as an option, only 388 cars were so equipped. Air conditioning was also an option and cost $412.90, with 5,664 orders.

The “Sting Ray” badge did not appear anywhere on the ’68 Vette, but it did return in ’69 as “Stingray.”

The Corvette’s instrument panel also went through a complete redesign to be as up-to-date as the exterior. For collectors of third-generation Corvettes, the 1968 model is highly valued and is recognizable by its chrome front and rear bumpers.  Many were decked out with a rear luggage rack.

The Corvette C3 Stingray sales had a total of 28,630 Corvettes! The sales for the new “Shark” were a new all-time record and set the stage for the fifteen-year run of the third-generation Corvette. The 68 was built in two different body styles – coupe and convertible.

This third-generation model lasted from 1968 through 1982 and is referred to as the Shark model. This third-generation Corvette started a 15-year run.

What did the C3 1968 Base Corvette cost?

• Base Corvette Coupe with 327 cu. in. 300 hp engine and three-speed manual transmission: $4,663.00.
• Base Corvette Convertible with 327 cu. in. 300 hp engine and three-speed manual transmission: $4,320.00.

C3 1968 Corvette VINs

• Serial No. 194678S400001 – 194678S428566

How many Corvette coupes and convertibles were produced in 1968?

The 68 Vette had a Total Production of 28,566.  There were 9,936 Coupes and 18,630 Convertibles.

What were the Exterior and Interior Colors for the 1968 Corvettes?

1968 Chevrolet Corvettes came in ten exterior colors and were available in either vinyl or leather for the interior. The following is a list of both Quantity and Options Codes.

CODE – EXTERIOR – QUANTITY
#900 Tuxedo Black 708
#972 Polar White 1,868
#974 Rally Red 2,918
#976 LeMans Blue 4,722
#978 International Blue 2,473
#983 British Green 4,779
#984 Safari Yellow 3,133
#986 Silverstone Silver 3,435
#988 Cordovan Maroon 1,155
#992 Corvette Bronze 3,374

CODE – COLOR – INTERIOR
Standard – Black Vinyl
#402 Black Leather
#407 Red Vinyl
#408 Red Leather
#411 Dark Blue Vinyl
#414 Medium Blue Vinyl
#415 Medium Blue Leather
#425 Dark Orange Vinyl
#426 Dark Orange Leather
#435 Tobacco Vinyl
#436 Tobacco Leather
#442 Gunmetal Vinyl

The title of the 1968 Corvette brochure was 1968 CORVETTE: THE TRUE SPORTS CAR FROM CHEVROLET.

1968 Corvette Engine Options

The 1968 Corvette gave customers the opportunity to select from six different engines. Ranging from a conventional 300 horsepower, 327 cubic inch small block – installed by the manufacturer and mated with a three-speed manual gearbox – or if they wanted a more thrilling experience, they could pick the 1968 Corvette 427 cubic inch L71 V8 engine with 435 horsepower.

RPO# L36 – 427ci, 390hp Engine – 7,717 sold – $200.15
RPO# L68 – 427ci, 400hp Engine – 1,932 sold – $305.50
RPO# L71 – 427ci, 435hp Engine – 2,898 sold – $437.10
RPO# L79 – 327ci, 350hp Engine – 9,440 sold – $105.35
RPO# L88 – 427ci, 430hp Engine – 80 sold – $947.90
RPO# L89 – Aluminum Cylinder Heads with L71 – 624 sold – $805.75

We will take a look at three of these 1968 Corvette engine options in more detail.

Corvette’s 1968 L71 427/435 HP Mark IV big-block V-8 – a milestone in Corvette engine development.

In 1968, the most powerful production engine on the Corvette Stingray sports car was the L71 427/435 HP Mark IV big-block V-8 with tri-power carburetion. Thanks to Zora Arkus-Duntov’s insistence on continuously upgrading the Corvette’s performance, this was a watershed achievement.

Already by 1968, the big-block Corvette had gained fame as a capable sports car, especially on the track. The one recipe for it is as follows: Hot Rod components and a chassis with an unsurpassed ability to withstand anything.

The heavy cast-iron block uses a 4-bolt main bearing caps anchoring a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods. With forged aluminum pistons, 11.0:1 compression, oversized valves in cavernous rectangular-port heads, and one of the wildest solid-lifter cams of any Chevrolet engine. This engine offered big breathing potential, and it was optimized by the engine’s three Holley 2-barrelled carburetors positioned in line, which were installed on a Winters aluminum intake manifold.

By sucking in air from the central carburetor, the L71 offers excellent low-end tractability. However, once the progressive linkage is opened, the engine offers unrivaled power – making this option for someone seeking linear power delivery.

This was the ultimate level of production of Corvette power, which would not be surpassed for thirty years.