C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

68 refresh build thread

Old Oct 5, 2015 | 11:22 AM
  #21  
E.Murray's Avatar
E.Murray
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 474
Likes: 25
From: Springfield MO
Default

Originally Posted by 7T1vette
This is totally out of context with your rebuild thread (great work, BTW), but I'm very curious. What's the engine code? The engine appears to be an LT-1 from a later year. At least, the carb and intake look like LT-1 components. That would be a really nice mill to get with your purchase.

P.S. You asked about battery cable routing. That would clearly be shown in the Assembly Instruction Manual (AIM) for 1968 cars. If you don't have one, you definitely need one for the work you have ahead. It has drawings showing details of all the assembly work that was performed at the final assembly plant. It also shows all the body bonding details.
Unfortunately, it's not the LT-1 (why can I never get that lucky? ). I believe the engine is out of a '65. Somebody did stick an Edlebrock intake and 4bbl Holley on it, though.
On the battery cable question, that was rvzio asking. And I'm sure he has an AIM, given the level of work he's putting in... I have one as well, but it's not terribly useful since so little on the car is original. Thanks for the reply!
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2015 | 12:55 PM
  #22  
Tampa Jerry's Avatar
Tampa Jerry
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Active Streak: 60 Days
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,541
Likes: 1,975
From: Temple Terrace Florida
Default Wiring

Good call on the wiring. I replaced every wire on my 66 coupe and my 70 SS Chevelle. I would hate to see your car, or any car go up in smoke because of some unforeseen short. It is so much easier to do this stuff now that everything is open. Dr. Rebuild has some great wiring diagrams that show every connection and every plug. Great progress. Keep the pix coming. Jerry
Reply
Old Oct 8, 2015 | 11:29 AM
  #23  
E.Murray's Avatar
E.Murray
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 474
Likes: 25
From: Springfield MO
Default

I got the new underhood and dash/interior harnesses last night. I can't tell you how glad I'll be to yank all that garbage out and have fresh, new connectors and wires. I've been stressing over that stuff for way too long. It was my biggest single purchase so far for the car (over $600 even after the 20% off) and I wasn't excited originally since it wasn't in the budget and isn't a fun add-on (like the side pipes). But I'm more excited about the silly wires than anything yet. That will bump me off-center and get things moving again.
But. It occurred to me as I was looking through the stuff that I probably shouldn't have ordered the '68 wiring... The steering column, for instance, is out of some later year. The wiper motor isn't a '68 (apparently they're different somehow?). And who knows what else I'll run into. Are there 68-specific things that will bite me as I start trying to hook things up?
Reply
Old Nov 9, 2015 | 11:59 AM
  #24  
E.Murray's Avatar
E.Murray
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 474
Likes: 25
From: Springfield MO
Default

Just a quick update. Now that my son's 6-week robotic competition is over, I can get back to the car. I spent the weekend playing with more plating stuff. I got a 3 gallon zinc/copy cad kit from Caswell, along with clear, yellow and black chromate. The plan is to re-plate lots of the underhood stuff. I started with hood latch hardware and part of the wiper door stuff. Below is a picture of one of the latches. I wish I had a "before" pic since it was pretty ugly. The whole thing has a good zinc plate. The base is black chromate treatment and the silver parts are the clear chromate. The silver parts were pretty pitted before I started, so I put several coats of copper plate, sanded and buffed under the zinc. I got rid of most of the pits that way. Overall, not too bad for a first attempt. It should last much better than paint, anyway.

Reply
Old May 31, 2016 | 02:48 PM
  #25  
E.Murray's Avatar
E.Murray
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 474
Likes: 25
From: Springfield MO
Default

Nothing like 6+ months of silence... I got distracted with another car starting in January that I'm finally calling 'done' so it's back to the vette. I did a full front suspension rebuild over Christmas (bushings, springs, balljoints, shocks, etc.) and finally got around to lifting the body last weekend.
The point of pulling the body off is to take care of the body reinforcements at the #4 mount. They were both rusty, even though there's no rust in the rest of the car. Both were a nightmare to get out, but a conversation with DUB helped immensely. I also ended up twisting off one #3 bolt, but got it out clean once the body was off. While it's in the air, I'm going to clean up and use POR-15 to paint the parts that are impossible to get to normally.
Attached Images    
Reply
Old Jun 1, 2016 | 12:15 AM
  #26  
Giddy-up Go's Avatar
Giddy-up Go
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
Community Builder
Liked
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,519
Likes: 506
From: Bussey, IA
Default

Signing on to follow! And glad to have you in the '68 that ain't a '68 club! Sounds a lot like my build! Keep up the good work, warning me of all the grief you encounter and areas like the wiring harness challenges. Keep in touch!
Reply
Old Jun 1, 2016 | 09:03 AM
  #27  
E.Murray's Avatar
E.Murray
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 474
Likes: 25
From: Springfield MO
Default

Andy,
It was reading through your thread that inspired me to post an update in this long-dead thread. From our relative progress speeds, I think it will be you warning me rather than the other way 'round... You'll be long bored with yours and on to new things before I turn a wheel with mine. Good to hear from you!
Reply


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:05 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE