Aloha All,
Welcome to the Thread “The Don” Project as most of us know sagebrush rebel, recently became ill and cannot continue his 1968 Corvette. I am a firm believer of preserving history. Don originally bought the car in Ohio as a rolling chassis, before shipping it to Reno, NV in 2013. For almost a decade, he has spent hours, blood, sweat, and I’m sure tears into the project. As some of you know I myself had to pass down my 1990 convertible, when I had to relocate from Hawaii, and have been missing it. I am honored to be the proud owner of this Corvette project, to continue putting it back on the street. This thread will detail the progress of the project not just for my record, yet also allow Don to track the progress. I know this heavily modified C3 is far from original, will she go back to being original ….no, at least not anytime soon, so from here on it will only referred to as a C3 (Cut, Chopped, & Converted). Thank you in advance all for input and help I will be asking along the way. This build will go by Combat Communications rules:
1. Get it up
2. Make it Work
3. Make it Pretty

I will be taking inventory and updating the specs this weekend but here is what I know good and bad, the list will grow as I find things or fix things.

Details I know so far:
1968 Chevy Corvette L88 Replica. Heavily modified with an Ecklers Cam Am wide body kit fitted from Greenwood Corvette, frame off restored, custom 30G stainless fuel tank with baffles.
Windshield - Cracked , no wiper system yet, electric side windows, shaved door handles with some sort of popping device (not Installed).

Drivetrain: Dart 4-bolt main 415Cu block, Crane billet roller cam/rockers, Forged Eagle crank, Stef's aluminum oil pan, Bordix intake, Brodix heads, FAST EFI fuel system (not installed), Tremec 600 5-speed, Lakewood shield, McLeod dual clutch, U-Joints 1310, Driveshaft shortened 2”, 3.70 rear end gears.

Suspension: Borgensen steering, tubular control arms (Tie rods not tightened down, wheels out of alignment during transport)

Cooling: Be Cool radiator, Fans (tbd)

Brakes: Hydro boost brake Sys (not working), Willwood calipers (not working), Boyd wheels

Interior: some present (not installed), Inteletronix Gauges (not installed), Vintage Air (not installed), and Ron Francis Wiring Harness (not installed).

Lighting: L88 Style headlights (1/2 installed).

This is a huge process, bigger than I initially though and will need a lot of work, so positive post please. Stay tuned as I will update this thread with daughter threads as I go through the various systems.

Any C3 owners within the DMV area, lmk.
Cheers,
Karp


it in here parking spot for now.

 

I'm very interested in how the motor runs and sounds. It was my last 3.875 stroker that I had laying around. Do you have the cam card? I'm pretty sure that I put a billet XEHR comp cams in it.

 

Can you provide more info on gas tank?

 

Sagebrushrebel here on the forum was a most excellent race car fabricator from many years of circle track stock car racing and later on Dwarf car racing. so the stainless tank is just a stock car tank made with internal baffles. You can buy them.

 

I just talked to him and he made the 30 gallon SS tank

 

I would love to see some pics of the gas tank myself. Good luck with this. Keep posting pics so we can enjoy the show...

 

Cool project!

I hope you have somewhere else to spread out and work, but at least one of our members was able to transform his car in a parking garage.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ld-thread.html

When you are back on the road, Katie's Cars and Coffee in Great Falls is worth attending. There are usually a few classic Corvettes there. This was a cold morning in late winter.

 

Thanks George! If you are interested Sagebrush please send pm. I am going solid roller with Procharger and e85.
I will be needing more capacity.

 

If you don't have a spare tire like me you can put in a big tank. Like 65 vettes had an optional I think 36 gallon tank. My 79 came with a 25. One of the EFI guys on the forum cut the bottom out of the stock unit to add an in tank fuel pump and pickup bringing his up to the 30 gallon size.

 

 

looks like one heck of a project ahead of you.
will be watching.

 

Aloha all,

Last night was the first night I could get in the car. I got all the pieces out and started sorting them. Here is what I have so far and there is still a long way to go. Tonight I plan on starting laying Noico matting and maybe figure out some of the wiring. I think all the wiring should be incased split wire loom, heat shrank, then wrapped in Tesa tape (at least in the engine bay). This is going to be a long process, and will need the community to figure out some things as I have boxes of pieces that I don't recognize or know where they fit. here are a few pictures, including a few of the bottom of the fuel tank. Should I start a new thread on the matting and keep different sections separate or just keep this thread going longer and longer? thought rules, thanks. Time to wash/wipe down the interior and get ready for matting.


Ron Francis Wiring

Engine Bay

Engine Front

Driver interior

Poly one piece top no bolts, anybody have ideas, maybe something with easy turn handles

FAST EFI

Rims and tires

Fuel tank back, I may need to make a fiberglass rear skirt to cover?

fuel tank driver side and rear suspension

bottom fuel tank

side fuel tank welds

rear vehicle and fuel tank filler

Fuel tank filler

Just noticing Transport damage

Just noticing Transport damage 2

Just noticing Transport damage

?? part of the steering wheel, anyone wanna help me out

Passenger side door latch, tabs broken, will need a new one

Passenger side door latch, tabs broken, will need a new one 2

center console

FAST EFI

FAST EFI 2

Ron Francis 2

Parts

 

I did a body off restoration on my 61 outside of the barn find. I did a painless complete wiring kit and it took me a month of evening and weekends. Including the dash and gauges

Then I moved onto the interior matting and then took my car to a car interior shop . Which did carpet and all upholstery. My friends and I did the show quality painting

 

Update 18-20 July, (my weekend) I put down matting, and put in 1/2 of the FAST EFI System. I originally only got 36yds of Noico Matting and some aluminum tape, I got from the firewall to just past the seat and ran out, When I went to order more it couldn't get here till Aug. So, I decided to get another 36yds of Kill Mat as I could get it the next day. I also ordered some LED headlights, they should be here in a few days. Next Ill have to figure out and order some tail lights as I have no sockets.
Tonight I got some Tesa tape and wrapped the FAST EFI harness, installed the carb, lines, and routed the wires to the interior of the car, as I think the original mount in the engine bay may get too hot. Next few days I'll make a plan to run the Ron Francis Express wiring, MSD ignition box, and headlights.

Does anyone around Northern Virginia or Maryland know of a Junk year or C3 part cars. I need to source a few automotive style bolts, hood latches, and I'm sure I'll find more as I put this back together.

Back Section Kill Mat

Front Section Noico Mat

Back Section

FAST EFI mounted, still need to clean up Spark Plug wires.

FAST EFI mounted and ran

Engine with the Holley Carb

 

ZIP products had a Corvette Junk yard they privately owned but they sold it a while back. I am not sure of any good resources for used parts for the 1968. I have a 1968 Corvette convertible that started off as a 427 four speed Corvette but now sports a Factory L88 Hood for the 1968 year along with many other engine parts from ma L88. For most of the stuff I need I use ZIP as they are right near Richmond and can have the parts in your hands very quickly. I buy lots of stuff from them and they are good and have okay pricing.

Your EFI system might be more of a challenge than you are bargaining for. I have recently installed a Holley Stealth Sniper on my Corvette and it works well with my high compression 427. The Holley systems are very easy to setup and run with and EFIsystemPro is an awesome place to buy them from. I bought all my EFI parts from them and it was about $1700 for the entire system. It depends on your knowledge of EFI systems, I am not that familiar with the FAST Brand of EFI equipment but you may be an expert which could really help you.

I hope that you got lots of the parts for the car with it as the availability of some of the 1968 items for the dashboard are getting scarce. Have you been to Corvettes@Carlisle up in Carlisle PA.? I live right outside of the beltway at RT 50 in Fairfax and it is 103 miles from my door to their gate. That is the very best place to find the missing parts for your Corvette. It is always a good place to score some good deals on needed parts both interior and exterior. When in need that is my first place to go as the vendors there come from all over the east coast and the used parts are very plentiful.

I am available if you have any questions regarding the 1968 models and the L88's in particular. I am close to you and have a lot of experience with a 1968 as I have owned mine since July of 1991. I bought it in Irvington VA where it had been stored in a barn for years. It has been a learning experience but a fun one!

Best regards,
Chris
If you need me for anything please feel free to PM me!

 

As part of a strategy for a 68 parts quest, you might join the NCRS and use their Driveline magazine to request parts. Locally I use J&D Corvette, Bellflower CA. They have a large inventory of used C3 parts, some are probably 68.

 

Thanks, for the reply, Carlisle PA would be years off for this car (mechanics, body, paint) but it might be cool just to go as a spectator. and all the inputs on where to obtain parts. Thanks for letting me know.

some of the items I will be needing (to order) are:
 Seat Belts – both sides
 light sockets – All rear, side, front
 Front Grills – both sides (with brackets)
 Wiper Arms – both
 Side Grills – both (with brackets)
 Center Grill (with brackets)
 Passenger side door latch
 Passenger side door handle
 Window switches – both
 2” transmission shift handle off set
 Brake switch
 Clutch safety switch
 4x door hanger bolts (ones on inside of door)
 Hood hold down lock latches –both sides and top/bottom
 Hood support bolts – two hood side, one frame side
 Sun visors – both, niceties
 Steering wheel components (tbd) (def horn button and cap)
 Carb Link (Cable to Arm)
 License Plate Light
 Brake light, clutch safety switch
 Horn, horn button retainer
 2” offset for shifter?

and I'm sure there will be more here and there. Yet my first goal is to get her together and started.

So far I have been laying out the wiring harness, I heat shrink labels on both sides of the cable to indicate what they are, started running then through the car.
Then I plan to tape it with High Temperature Heat Resistant Polyimide Tape every 3" or so, ensuring they all works properly. (lights, signals, etc)
Then, remove the harness re-tape with Tesa Tape, before reinstalling an hooking up the connectors.
Thanks for all the tips and the email that said Tractor Supply sells automotive style bolts with the flange heads. I'm planning a trip there.

 

Its been a good weekend, I appreciate all the good vibes and messages on this project, I printed heat shrink labels for all the wires, ordered and started putting in the New LED headlights, started putting quick connectors on the Inteletronix gauges and routing the wires through the car. Once I have all the wires in place Ill do a soft electrical test, then start wrapping them up. Its a slow process but I would rather do it slow and correctly than doing it twice.

I've been reading about people who put Reflect (HVAC shielding) over the matting and under the carpet to help keep the interior cooler. It doesn't seem too expensive a roll is less than $30 at Lowes and the aluminum tape is under $10 a roll. Anybody actually did this? is it worth it with side pipes?

Next days off, I plan to put GM connectors on the fan controller, obtain a horn and hook it up, and keep chugging along. I'll keep ya'll posted on updates.

Inteletronix Gauge

Wires with Heat Shrink labels (used a brother P-Touch label maker)

New LED Headlights

 

Aloha All,
Its been slow since my wife returned but I did get a little done this last weekend. Since the Vette is mostly fiberglass, I decided to place a mesh network of grounding points that connect not only the grounding blocks but back to the frame as well. I have the front headlights, turn signals connectors, marking light connectors, fans, all wired up and in conduit back to the firewall. I need to get a power source and test each system before I Tesa tape the conduit and secure them to the firewall.

I also relocated the EFI brain

Nice 2" hole punched right in the blower cover

My new Korean Taxi Horn, straight from Korea last week.

The grounding blocks I found to use, then used some aluminum to drill out a longer connecting rod.

Front grounding blocks mounted under the headlights. (I should have thought about mounting them at a different angle, as its difficult to put the washers and nuts on upside down.

headlight harness in conduit awaiting testing/tesa tape
to the inside of the vehicle as I have read that the excess heat and vibration from the engine can effect the FAST system. Luckily I had access to a Green Lee hydraulic knockout , which punched a hole through the blower motor cover like butter.
I didn't have a horn, so my cousin bought me a Korean Taxi horn for my Birthday. Which, I think will be hilarious as they make a loud bong sound that wavers as it fades out (BOOboonboonng.....).

 

So glad that you are moving forward