....wahtever you do, don't buy it without actually looking underneath.

I would NOT pay $11k for that thing....I wouldn't even want to deal with everything that it needs.

 

The frame rust worries me. Maybe its surface rust or maybe its deeper.
Check that very thoroughly. Bang it with a hammer...hard and see if large rust flakes fall off.
If the frame is rusted that nice paint job don't mean jack.

Good thing is the car seems mostly original...even the steering box has a lot of lash left in it.

Your buying an 11k body with nice paint & gaps and lots of parts that may or may not work.
I'd feel much more comfortable if I knew the frame was good.
Good luck.

 

I would get someone from the forum go over with you to check it out alittle closer and ask some questions. 11K sounds like a good deal for what it is or could be, but danger may lurk where he hasn't taken pics.

Good luck!

 

Most everyone is telling you to buy or not to buy this car judging by these pictures . This method is similar to buying on ebay and we know what you get by buying there. Don't make any decision until you physically go there and go over ( and under ) there and go over this car with a fine tooth comb, but if you want this car , you better do it soon or someone might just walk away with it as you are driving up. Seen it happen many times. I went to buy a 68 convertible years ago that was advertised and I was the first to get there . While I was looking it over , within five minutes there were three other cars pulling up.

 

What would be the parts car pric for this car ?
(At this point I am just asking out of curiousity)

 

Unfortunately most of this stuff is numbers matching (engine, trans, diff, frame ect) so its worth more together for someone to restore to original NCRS specs. Its possible with those key items as long as they can be rebuilt. Then again, there's nothing special about a 327 but that its a numbers matching 68 vert is key.
You could sell the parts to some NCRS guys but I think you'll make more $$ keeping it all together. Someone with a shop like ProTeam Corvette (those bastads) would ****** this in a heartbeat and build it to NCRS specs and make a nice profit.
I like a driver so if I were in your shoes and the frame was ok I would pull the engine and trans out of the car and store it and slowly rebuild it to original specs over the years and throw in a crate engine to enjoy the car. Don't do anything to the car that can't be changed back to original so when your done with the car you can put it back to original spec and sell it for a nice price to net you some profit.
Just my two cents. But please understand this car will not be a driver within the next 6 months, your looking at a possible year or two to pull the body and guarantee the frame is preserved for another 20 years.

 

Also I noticed that the upper A-arms have a lot of shims in them.
Check the frame for any dents for evidence that the car has been in an accident. Check the frame horns ("C" shaped channel of metal that extends from the front coil spring buckets to the front end. If the top and lower side of those "C" channels are bent or wavey that could mean it was in a front end fender bender in its life and the frame may be tweaked. Its hard to judge if its a deal breaker b/c you can't drive the car.
But then again if the frame is not rusted out and since your pulling the body anyway (you are) you can take measurements and take it to an alignment shop to get straightened.

If I had a car business I would buy it pending frame inspection and restore it just as an investment.
Since I don't, I would buy it if I would enjoy it.

 

Polished turd. Everything needs to go. price of the paint job 5k, -1 k for the pain it's gonna cost you. 4K max. this guy is looking for a quick sucker. "Bring cash only"

 

Run away!

 

Go and check this out real good, it could either be a diamond in the rough or as someone else put it so well, a pig with lipstick. 68's have a lot of 68 only and Corvette only parts. I had a fun time just finding a stoplamp switch for mine. You better hope the pushbutton lock cylinders are there and they are functional, becuase if you need them they are going to be hard to find and not cheap. There's a pair on ebay now for 475.00 on a buy it now.

I did my apprenticeship at a Chevy dealer in the early 70's and I worked the Vette shop which gave me an advantage in knowing what I was getting myself into. Be patient, check it out and if it's right you'll end up with the car but don't let emotion overrule good sense.

 

100% Keep looking.

 

Looking at all of the photos that car has a need for everything. I don't understand why the paint was done when the car needs a frame off. A lot of rust that will need attention. Also, what is the quality of the paint? I do see in one of the photos that the left headlight lid has chipped the surround. If you are still interested tak eht trip and look at it real good. I would guess it has serious rust issues. Don't let that paint suck you in.

Good luck

 

This could be the car that 2K-C5 is needing. In another post he has the BB Vert with matching engine and want's a car that he can modify.

 

It's now on a well known on line auction service with a buy it now of 12K

 

After seeing the rest of the pics, I would say that anyone who pays more than $6k for this car is a sucker. Basically all you're buying is (what appears to be) a great looking body that you won't have to paint. As for the rest of it, I can smell the rust all the way down here in Florida...

Don't let the body fool you - in spite of what some painters want to tell you, you're MUCH better off buying a car that needs a completely new body than buying a car that needs a completely new everything else, and that's what this one is. There isn't one piece of that car that the pictures reveal that won't need to be rebuilt, replaced, or sandblasted. Looking at the rest of it I wouldn't even try to start it without rebuilding the motor, or drive it without taking the tranny out & if not rebuilding it at least having an expert go through it very carefully. Pick up your favorite parts catalog, be it Ecklers or Mid America or whoever, go to the parts section in the back, and add up the cost of every part in there for this year. That's what it's going to cost you to make the rest of the car look as good as the body - I guarantee it will be a lot more than a paint job.

This car is going to be a money pit, and no, you won't make it back. Trust me when I say this, because I made this mistake once ... bought my first vette for $4,400 thinking I was saving money. $17,000 later it was the way I wanted it - but at the time (90's) I could have bought one that was ALREADY the way I wanted it for $10k-$12k. You can find a matching #'s 68-72 that needs a lot less for the same money.

And maybe it's just me, but it seems to me that "matching #'s" doesn't really matter all that much if the car is the wrong color anyway.

 

Take is form one who was just screwed on a similar deal. In fact if this guy was in FL I would swear it is him. They made a ton of these cars, go find one that is nicer and the seller is not a jerk. You MUST at least go see it before you buy....

 

Well said Ron. I doubt he's listening though. He has apparently been mesmerized by the sparkling paint.

 

Pardon me for quoting myself, but after looking at all his pics, my only real question is are you ready to do a full frame off restoration?

you can get a car with a chassis in much better shape for the same money, that being said , looks to me like you will have to spend a minimum 10k to get it right and thats conservative and assumes you do most of your own work, and that the engine that can be made to run, and that the frame is not made of swiss cheese. That puts you 21k into the car. and lots of work before you can enjoy it. Add another 5-10k if the power train is FUBAR, and if the frame is unservicable than forget it brother (unless you just have lots of free cash of course, then giddy up ).

me myself, I would say nay for the time to enjoy reason first, and loot second, I think the price on this thing should be no higher than 8k beacuse of the paint, but that begs the question, just how good of a paint job is it given the condition of the rest of the car?

A very very close inspection is in order

Caveat Emptor
But if your feeling froggy and just gotta have a 68, its your money and it may not be a complete basket case

 

Sometimes it's easier to spend $11 for a car and not have to scrape together twice that. Then, you get the enjoyment of building the car yourself. If you do a lot of the work yourself, bargain hunt, and take your time...it may only cost you $7K - $10K to finish it over the next five years, and it could be a driver in one year.

 

I and others will probably agree that this car is a "polished turd" as one poster observed. Unless you have all the skills, tools, shop, time and not to mention money, this will be a HUGE money pit. This guy is delusional if he thinks the car is worth 11K. I can only think that the rust prone areas on this car are in far, far worse shape then one would expect. Please do yourself a favor and look for a better car. Good luck on whatever you decide.