MorganBurgess

Hello Vette aficiandos,

Hopefully I am not asking a redundant question. I did some searching, but didn't find much on my specific inquiry. If this has already been covered, please point me in the direction of previous discussions. I will provide some background, but first the core question that I want to ask is this; is a C3 that was manufactured with a big block (but no longer has that engine) worth any more in value than a car that was not a big block model originally?

Earlier this year I purchased my first vintage Corvette, a 1968 coupe. It had been in indoor storage since 1998, and it was a fairly clean car when it was parked. (74k on the odometer.)

A non-numbers matching car was fine with me, as I was looking to build a 427 clone, and I didn't want to modify something special. However, when I arrived to look at the car, I noticed the “427/435hp” tag on the center console. I asked the seller about it and he just shrugged, saying that his mechanic said that anyone could have installed that console. (The sellers have a number of vintage cars in storage in a warehouse, but ironically they are not a "car guys.")

I took a moment to look up the ways that you tell if a car was originally a big block. One item is the tachometer... and this one has the 6,500 RPM redline tach. Another item is the beefier u-joint caps. Sure enough, this car has the bigger caps. (At least they look beefier to me than the normal "straps.") The amount of dirt and grease buildup lead me to believe that this rear end has never been taken apart. Cleaning off the differential tag shows a positraction rear end.

As a person who appreciates originality on the more rare models, I want to factor in the potential that this might have been built as a 435hp car. I have yet to pull the gas tank to look for the build sheet; if the Corvette community convinces me that this car may have additional value as a factory tripower car, then the next question will be about how I go about providing the best verification? Should an appraiser be present to witness the removal of the gas tank? Should a specific trusted Corvette shop be the ones to do that job?

Or, does none of this matter since the original engine is long gone? Let me know your thoughts. The car has been modified in some ways already; according to the trim tag, this car was originally Corvette Bronze with the tan interior. Plus, the fender flares were installed at some point, and the front fender vents are wrong...

I had to rebuild the brakes and the carburetor, and replace one spindle, but I now have a running / driving / registered Vette! And I'm anxious to figure out the direction to take this vehicle. Thanks in advance for your insights!

.

.

dmaxx3500

how many fuel lines?,,1 or 2?

MorganBurgess

There's only one fuel line under the hood. I'm not in a position right now to see if there's a second fuel line back at the tank...

derekderek

I love the way the VIN just says V8. Like there was an option to get a straight 6 in it after 1953. But if this is a tri-power car, yes it is worth more. Not as much more as if the original engine and tripower were there. It could also have been any other big block car too and had that sticker put on it with the heavier rear end. Does the front end sit kind of high? First off, what engine is in it? A big block or a small block? Or none whatsoever? Because the Big Blocks had a much heavier front spring than the small blocks did. Would be another thing to check. Course the downside is finding a good tri-power setup would cost you almost as much as a small block C3.

The13Bats

Who knows with the L88 flares perhaps
it's a very valuable lost l88 or racer,
If you are all into the value, whats it worth and investment thing its worth looking into, bb chromies are almost always more sought after than sb,

Im not at all into value or investment with c3s but when i helped a lady sell a custom 68 435 car i did make sure it was just a 70s customised bb not some weird rare jewel, my research shiwed i was correct,
Irony is the guy who bought it is convinced its a 500k racer, no documents or anything other than he just thinks it is...

bazza77

You could try to remove the rubber seal at the gas tank neck and have a look for the paper ?

does it have the holes drilled to mount a T.I ignition module ? front of left side front fender . while not definitive of a tri power would show it had that option

derekderek

And the tank sticker will have the VIN on it. So you won't have to have somebody standing next to you to verify that it's a legit tank sticker. Take a picture of it before you try to remove it.

MorganBurgess

quote - love the way the VIN just says V8. Like there was an option to get a straight 6 in it after 1953. But if this is a tri-power car, yes it is worth more. - quote

The car is currently powered by a small block 350, backed up by a TH400. The current rear transmission mount is obviously home-made, which leads me to guess that this might have been a stick-shift model originally.

MorganBurgess

Awesome. If the sticker has the VIN, then my questions are, for the moment, answered. I will pull the tank and see if the sticker is still there...

Faster Rat

Morgan
This question gets asked many times. The correct answer is always the same. If the car no longer has the original engine, it is no longer any more special than any other car without it's original engine. It doesn't matter what it used to be...it no longer is. There were over 553,000 C3s produced and most no longer exist or do so without their original engines. Nobody can return a car to original...they are all only original once. If you can find the original engine, or if you can find the tank sticker or window sticker or protect-o-plate documenting that the car left the factory with a 427/435 engine and can find a correct 427/435 replacement engine from another car, then you might be able to convince some buyer in the future to pay you more for the car...after you dump a ton of time and money into it. I would advise you to just do whatever you want with this car and enjoy driving it.
FR

Faster Rat

Not true. The window sticker has the VIN on it. The tank sticker does not. Once removed from the tank, an important connection is lost. It usually has a build sequence number penciled in, which may or may not relate to the VIN in some manner...or not.

vettebuyer6369

Ive heard a lot of people suggest a car that "used to be" a big block originally is worth more, but Im not sure how that actually relates to value. It only comes into play if the owner plans to get serious about a "restoration engine" and have it re-stamped.

If not, I just dont see how an NOM that used to be a BB would have any intrinsic value beyond any other NOM.

hope2

lot of people are right. Documented BB car with NOM is worth more than same SB, no question.

John 65

Car looks like a lot of fun, enjoy it.

A few things, big block cars had the 7 leaf heavy duty rear spring.
Also a rear sway bar.
Your car had the bronze paint and tobacco (a very dark brown) interior, which really is a great combo.
Your rear end is not 68, there would be lower reverse lights.

Good luck with it.

The13Bats

Right and faster rat really summed it up,
But my remark about bbs being more sought after i did chose that word and not a "value" idea,

the simple fact is the bb c3 has a stigma right or wrong true or false that people are drawn to the bbs and LT1 sbs,

Perhaps to some its a misplaced extra bragging rite too,

The bbs did have a few different parts some beefier so thats a draw and tge idea i bb must be faster,

but my base sb 69 has all that and a very nom 454, Frankenstein,

So while a nom or missing engine bb c3 in most cases isnt or shouldnt be worth a penny more than a comparable sb c3 people are drawn to them,

Some will actually pay more for one,
It is weird

ed427vette

The tank sticker does NOT have a VIN number on it, its sometimes partially written on some and there is a 3 digit number written in usually at the top right corner that can help indentify it.

It can be indentified and tied back to a VIN by the two control numbers (Ident and Order numbers) through the NCRS shipping reports but even that can be forged on fake stickers as the shipping reports do not have option information. So a legit small block sticker can be used to create a fake big block sticker with correct control numbers used from the real small block sticker. You have to know what to look for to cut down on chances that a tank sticker is a fake and not the real deal.

As for value, its probably not much more than any non original drivetrain big block but the parts left on the car themselves can make the car as a whole more valuable. If its something very rare like an L88 or L89 then it will have some more value and demand for some collectors even without the original drivetrain.

An L71 may have a little more value but overall it won't amount to very much.

I like the flares. It would make a nice L88 tribute road racer.

sullyman56

For info 68’s did not have an engine data plate on the shifter console. There was only a set of crossed flags below the fiber optics indicators. Engine data plates didn’t show up until the 69 model year.

Tiger Joe

68 also wouldn’t have a engine data plate on the console.

^ posted at the same time!

KingRat

You could look at the bottom of the differential carrier to see if the rear axle code is still legible. The date will tell you if it is original to the car and the gear code will tell you if it was a bbc or sbc.

LT1M21Vette

This, pretty much.

Just do what you want with it, drop a BB, smoke the tires, tell everyone it's a BB and enjoy the car.