Being a first year model, are there ay problems unique to this year I should be aware of?

I hear OEM '68 parts can be hard to find- true?

 

Original equipment items I'd say yes, but manufactures like Year One sell just about anything you would need for a restoration.

 

If you are restoring one there might be a few issues. There are several parts that are unique to a 68 only that are somewhat more expensive to replace than other years. Door panels, shift plate, gauge bezel, dash pad I think even that dash has different stitching and I know there is more. Other years my interchange but are not correct

 

Do you think they're any more or less desirable than other 68-72 model years?

 

As far as the desire goes that comes down to personal preference I guess. I am not really sure about the real value or demand for a 68. When they came out they did not get very good reviews. A good friend of mine refers to them as “The first and worst” of the C-3’s . I am not really sure I agree with him. Others say that they are in demand because it was the first C-3.

 

'68's are nice cars. When they were new, they did have a lot of quality control issues. Not only were they the first year of a new car, but also GM started to build them as a mass produced car. This was while Zora Duntov was hospitalized and couldn't over-see the cars' development. As a result, body panels did not fit well, ***** fell off, the car had over heating problems, fit and finish was worse than the previous year. When Zora came back to work, he worked on the over-heating problem, and made the door panels 1/2 thinner to make more interior space. The improvements were made for the '69 model year.
On '68s the sunvisor mounts are different from later cars, the reverse lights are under the rear bumper. Only year for the 7" rims, doors have a button to open instead of just depressing the flap, console is different, ignition key on dashboard, no map pouch on the dash, unique windshield wiper arm without the washer nozzle etc...

With all of that said, the cars are 43 years old. Many of the teething problems inherent to '68s have probably been solved over the years. Its that the reputation persists. Because of this reputation,(which probably is NOT deserved by the majority of '68s) they are not typically as desirable as an equivalent '69. If you want to learn more about these cars, I suggest getting a copy of the book Corvette: America's Star Spangled Sports Car by Karl Ludvigsen

 

No. There may have been some back in '68, but not now.

True. OEM parts for any C3 are likely to be hard to find. The cars have been out of production for nearly 30 years.

Here ya go:


This is also good if you can find a copy; it might be out of print.

 

I never let the fact that the 68 had a number of one year specific design features that did not carry forward, nor did it bother me that the car had unfortunate reviews, nor the fact that the reputation has stuck with the 68 for 43 years. All of those issues were corrected decades ago, and new after-market parts are more advanced than the original OEM parts. Now, I bought my restored / modified 68 to have fun with it, not as a museum piece or a garage queen, or to hang on to an original first year release in hopes it one day rises to a six figure value in the collectors market, so my buying criteria may differ from yours. All that being said, do not be afraid to buy a 68. If it's what you want. Buy it.

 

Your car really sits nice. Very tasteful mods

 

Thanks for the nod Scott!

 

DAMN - THAT IS SWEET - I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT LUPIGIATO73's '68.

 

No at all. 68 and 69 remain the most desirable of the "bumper cars" as a general rule. All the 68 "teething problems" have long since been resolved.

-W

 

I think the 69 & 70 are the most desirable C3s.

 

Good to know that the existing 68s are as good as anything else. I like the idea of a first year model- a little more like owning a piece of history, which is part of the enjoyment of these cars.

 

68's, like others have a desirability factor based on what the configuration is such as coupe/convertible, big block/small block etc. I do believe Richard Prince is gathering information to release a new guide. There are a few very unique parts for 68's but usually, everything out there that you made need is available, for a price.

 

There is nothing about a 68 that would deter me from owning one.

 

I am not an expert but I would guess
69 BB
70 LT1

 

Dang,that looks just like a 69.

 

@ Blair - thanks again.
@ Roger - PO bought the 68 which already had the 69 doors, but he replaced factory exhaust with the Hooker tubes / Sweet Thunder side pipe system, and numerous performance upgrades under the hood - and yeas, that's a long hood too. It's not stock, but as I said earlier, I wanted a Vette to have fun with it, which I am. So, when the day comes when I am too old to drive Vettes, I can get into the collector NCRS game. Until then, if you see me approaching in your rear view mirror, the 2nd time you look I will already be ahead of you.....

 

If it has a BB, it's desirable regardless of year. If you are taking a basket case to an NCRS standard, parts are going to be hard to find and expensive when you do. there were over 300 changes from '68 to 9 and alot of them are little bit maddening if you want a "correct" car.

If you're looking to go the resto mod route, have at it. '69 and up parts will fit if you don't mind doing a bit of mesaging or replacing an entire system to get everything to fit well. Here's two examples, The night I brought my '68 home the d/s upper door hinge broke in two. '69 and up are larger, so I had to grind the opening in the door to make them work (or replace them with '69 up doors). I wanted tilt/tele. '68s had a one year column. I had to replace all the hardware behind the dash at the firewall and open up the hole under the tach/speedo. Both sound a little Bubba (and maybe they were) but it was a race car so I really didn't care too much. The right way to finish that swap would be with a '69 up dash.