Early 68 or late?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 179
Likes: 2
From: Carolina raised but in Loveland CO for tha duration
Early 68 or late?
How do I tell if I have an early or late 68? When I run a vin check it says I don't have a valid vin. Apparently, all valid vins are 17 characters. My vin is 1946785400503. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Jerre
Jerre
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,926
Likes: 304
From: Lansing MI
You have a valid vin, they changed the vin numbers later to a longer number but you won't be able to search your vin on a lot of sites due to the shorter length. That said, the 5 in your vin is actually an S. Your car was number 503 off the assembly line, a very early '68 and it looks like a convertible from the vin.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
"Early" and "late" almost always pertain to specific running changes made on the assembly line. In your case, car #503 would be first month of production (early). What is your time build date?
1 Chevrolet Division of General Motors
9 Corvette
4 half the number of cylinders in the base engine
67 convertible
8 year of production
S plant code, St. Louis
400503 consecutive unit number. The 503rd 1968 Corvette assembled.
1 Chevrolet Division of General Motors
9 Corvette
4 half the number of cylinders in the base engine
67 convertible
8 year of production
S plant code, St. Louis
400503 consecutive unit number. The 503rd 1968 Corvette assembled.
Last edited by Easy Mike; Jun 17, 2015 at 07:43 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 31,497
Likes: 1,313
From: Huntsville AL
503th car off the line in 1968, definitely early.
I would expect that you have, if still original, the larger headlight openings and the low fuel warning indicator (not used, but in the dash), to name a few.
I had a list of the early 68 features many years ago, but it has gone the way of the dodo bird.
I remember looking carefully (in 1989 or so) at serial number 407, also a convertible, and making the list of early 68 features.
I would expect that you have, if still original, the larger headlight openings and the low fuel warning indicator (not used, but in the dash), to name a few.
I had a list of the early 68 features many years ago, but it has gone the way of the dodo bird.
I remember looking carefully (in 1989 or so) at serial number 407, also a convertible, and making the list of early 68 features.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 958
Likes: 88
From: Rexburg Idaho
503th car off the line in 1968, definitely early.
I would expect that you have, if still original, the larger headlight openings and the low fuel warning indicator (not used, but in the dash), to name a few.
I had a list of the early 68 features many years ago, but it has gone the way of the dodo bird.
I remember looking carefully (in 1989 or so) at serial number 407, also a convertible, and making the list of early 68 features.
I would expect that you have, if still original, the larger headlight openings and the low fuel warning indicator (not used, but in the dash), to name a few.
I had a list of the early 68 features many years ago, but it has gone the way of the dodo bird.
I remember looking carefully (in 1989 or so) at serial number 407, also a convertible, and making the list of early 68 features.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,038
Likes: 504
From: myrtle beach sc
Army
None of the early 68's were coupes. The first normal production 68 coupe came out in late December. 68 coupes were to have a targa or one piece roof. When that did not work out, they had to redesign the car and invented the first T-top. This is the reason that there are twice as many convertible 68's, compared to coupes. A lot of people ordered coupes and because of the long delay, settled for a convertible, instead. And the current dumb crop of car magazine writer "experts" tell you people wanted more 68 convertibles...not true! Lou.
Last edited by loup68; Jun 17, 2015 at 09:02 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,207
Likes: 26
From: Ocean County NJ
Great thread. I have a similar VIN 401174, so that would make mine the 1,174th 68 built based on Easy Mike's post. Out on the C3 registry, the PO stated the born date was October 3, 1967 ~ so that would be incorrect?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
well mine is a November 14th 1967 build date and #5682, they did 2271 cars that month which is 114 per day which matches...and it's a convertible...maybe he got the vin wrong...
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 31,497
Likes: 1,313
From: Huntsville AL
I can't recall the details now, but I was pretty sure the early cars had larger headlight doors, which also meant larger headlight openings.
The amount of fiberglass between the headlight door opening and the hood opening was prone to cracking, hence making the headlight door smaller later in the year to increase the amount of fiberglass between the headlight door and the hood opening.
At least that is the way I remember it. But the way my memory works, I am surprised that I remember that 68s actually HAD headlight openings.
The amount of fiberglass between the headlight door opening and the hood opening was prone to cracking, hence making the headlight door smaller later in the year to increase the amount of fiberglass between the headlight door and the hood opening.
At least that is the way I remember it. But the way my memory works, I am surprised that I remember that 68s actually HAD headlight openings.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,380
Likes: 789
From: Redondo Beach, California
The definitive way to determine a early 68 is to...remove the convertible top...look at the moldings a the extreme left and right of the upper windshield frame. These are the moldings that the convertible top/hardtop mount into. These die cast, chrome plated moldings are completely different than those of the latter 68 Corvettes. The moldings of the latter 68 Corvettes looked like those of all the Corvettes for next 14 years.
Also, the early 68's didn't have the frame gussets where the frame kickups (doglegs) occurred to to accomodate the rear suspension.
Also, the early 68's didn't have the frame gussets where the frame kickups (doglegs) occurred to to accomodate the rear suspension.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,038
Likes: 504
From: myrtle beach sc
Army
If the early convertible moldings are that different looking, I wish that someone would post some pictures of them for us. And the later 68 chrome ends my look like the 69-up one's, that you can buy,
but they are a lot flatter in contour than the 69's. Lou.
but they are a lot flatter in contour than the 69's. Lou.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,147
Likes: 284
From: cary Il
they are different in that they are a 2 pc diecast that looks like the later one pc design.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
What's your trim tag say, Lupi?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 904
Likes: 46
From: Crestline CA
If the early convertible moldings are that different looking, I wish that someone would post some pictures of them for us.
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
From: chattanooga TN
I actually laughed out loud and went to look at my vin #, whew its a late model, they might have figured it out by then, but who knows.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 281
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Mine is F03, January 3, 68 vert. Yours look just like mine. Hope I never have to look for replacements. Probably hard to come by original parts.