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You are definitely patient.
If it's been this long already, I may have an option for you soon. I'm working on a '68 convertible auto. It has been a three year project - which is about 2 years longer than I planned... I'm on the "finishing up" stuff, now and hope to be done by late spring. Unfortunately, I've sunk more money and time into the car than I ever should have (not the first time that story has appeared on this forum ) so it's going to be up for sale the instant I finish. The only reason I bring it up is that it's very close to what you're looking for and you don't seem to be in a hurry. No AC and British Green (original color and way better than the other greens, imho), but otherwise dead-on for your description. Finished price will be enough under your budget cap to have it shipped and maybe even keep a few dollars in your wallet. I'll put 2 pics from a few months ago (most recent I have with me) at the bottom. Here is the working copy of the ad, so you can see where I'm headed. If you might be interested, feel free to contact me via PM or phone (417-569-5985).
1968 Corvette convertible just completed 3 year refresh/restoration (over 2000 hours of my time). Nonnumbers matching 327. TH350 auto trans (although car was originally a 4-speed). Power steering and power brakes. No rust whatsoever. Birdcage and body mounts look like new. The exterior has been completely redone, finished in top quality PPG base/clear in the original 983 code British Green with excellent chrome (no overseas reproduction parts!). This was a strip-to-bare-glass-and-start-fresh job involving complete disassembly and all new weatherstrip and body seals, new OEM marker lights and door handles, new grilles, mirror, etc. The car is gorgeous.
Nearly every system on the car has been completely redone, including the steering (from the steering column bearings to the tie rods, including all hydraulics), the front suspension (all new from the bushings to the wheel bearings), brakes (from the brake booster to the pads including new steel lines and hoses) to nearly all the little things (door latches and hinges, headlight mechanisms, window regulators, wiper door, convertible top, auto shifter, etc.). All new wiring throughout the car. New fiber optics. When I say redone on these systems, I mean completely. On the top, for instance, I did all the seals, latches, and screws, not just new vinyl. On the wiper door, that includes shipping the door to Paragon for new inserts and replacing all the rivets and bushings. Roughly $6000 in parts receipts [note: this is probably conservative; I haven't added the pile up. Mainly a place-holder in the ad] – everything top quality. I got a good deal on some decent-condition Hooker side pipes, so they are on it now. The car also comes with a new stainless undercar exhaust system in case that's more your speed.
Interior is excellent, though much of it is not ’68 (no key in the dash...). I started collecting ’68 parts (door panels, passenger’s dash, rear quarters) to replace the ’70 interior it came with, but decided the rest was too nice to finish the change out. New console, carpet and insulation and many other parts. Excellent high-dollar, audiophile-grade custom stereo that’s nearly invisible, and has all the modern goodies (USB, Bluetooth, EQ) but can be heard on the highway over the side pipes. New tires and 17” Torq Thrust wheels.
Only three things would be left to call the car truly restored. First, beyond new shocks and bleeding the calipers, I did not touch the rear suspension and brakes. They are fine as-is, but not redone like the rest of the car. After 3 years, I just ran out of steam.
Second would be some clean up and new paint on the underside. Everything in front of the firewall is done (frame properly prepped and painted, all new hardware), but behind that point, the frame itself is original. Since I planned to drive it, I didn’t get picky with the underside. While I had the body off, I did prep and paint the areas you can only get to with the body off. I also put new body mount bushings and hardware and replaced the #4 body mount supports (what a pain...), but didn’t go the final step to show-painting and prepping.
Third, the engine bay is neat and clean (I spent months disassembling, re-plating and repainting everything), but is obviously “incorrect” for the year. I had hoped to drop an LS and six-speed in at some point, so didn’t get picky with correctness. Current 327 starts immediately and sounds absolutely mean. It has a new HEI distributor, all new hoses, new heater core, and a raft-load of other new parts.
I intended to simply spend 6-9 months turning it into a nice summer driver, but the “bones” were so good, I got more than a little carried away… I truly enjoyed the restoration process, so I’m chalking the loss in time and money up as a learning experience. It’s time for somebody else to either enjoy driving/showing it or put a big power engine in and make it truly special.
As far as flaws, I don’t hide anything, so I can detail any and every speck I can find. Independent inspection is welcomed.
You are definitely patient.
If it's been this long already, I may have an option for you soon. I'm working on a '68 convertible auto. It has been a three year project - which is about 2 years longer than I planned... I'm on the "finishing up" stuff, now and hope to be done by late spring. Unfortunately, I've sunk more money and time into the car than I ever should have (not the first time that story has appeared on this forum ) so it's going to be up for sale the instant I finish. The only reason I bring it up is that it's very close to what you're looking for and you don't seem to be in a hurry. No AC and British Green (original color and way better than the other greens, imho), but otherwise dead-on for your description. Finished price will be enough under your budget cap to have it shipped and maybe even keep a few dollars in your wallet. I'll put 2 pics from a few months ago (most recent I have with me) at the bottom. Here is the working copy of the ad, so you can see where I'm headed. If you might be interested, feel free to contact me via PM or phone (417-569-5985).
1968 Corvette convertible just completed 3 year refresh/restoration (over 2000 hours of my time). Nonnumbers matching 327. TH350 auto trans (although car was originally a 4-speed). Power steering and power brakes. No rust whatsoever. Birdcage and body mounts look like new. The exterior has been completely redone, finished in top quality PPG base/clear in the original 983 code British Green with excellent chrome (no overseas reproduction parts!). This was a strip-to-bare-glass-and-start-fresh job involving complete disassembly and all new weatherstrip and body seals, new OEM marker lights and door handles, new grilles, mirror, etc. The car is gorgeous.
Nearly every system on the car has been completely redone, including the steering (from the steering column bearings to the tie rods, including all hydraulics), the front suspension (all new from the bushings to the wheel bearings), brakes (from the brake booster to the pads including new steel lines and hoses) to nearly all the little things (door latches and hinges, headlight mechanisms, window regulators, wiper door, convertible top, auto shifter, etc.). All new wiring throughout the car. New fiber optics. When I say redone on these systems, I mean completely. On the top, for instance, I did all the seals, latches, and screws, not just new vinyl. On the wiper door, that includes shipping the door to Paragon for new inserts and replacing all the rivets and bushings. Roughly $6000 in parts receipts [note: this is probably conservative; I haven't added the pile up. Mainly a place-holder in the ad] – everything top quality. I got a good deal on some decent-condition Hooker side pipes, so they are on it now. The car also comes with a new stainless undercar exhaust system in case that's more your speed.
Interior is excellent, though much of it is not ’68 (no key in the dash...). I started collecting ’68 parts (door panels, passenger’s dash, rear quarters) to replace the ’70 interior it came with, but decided the rest was too nice to finish the change out. New console, carpet and insulation and many other parts. Excellent high-dollar, audiophile-grade custom stereo that’s nearly invisible, and has all the modern goodies (USB, Bluetooth, EQ) but can be heard on the highway over the side pipes. New tires and 17” Torq Thrust wheels.
Only three things would be left to call the car truly restored. First, beyond new shocks and bleeding the calipers, I did not touch the rear suspension and brakes. They are fine as-is, but not redone like the rest of the car. After 3 years, I just ran out of steam.
Second would be some clean up and new paint on the underside. Everything in front of the firewall is done (frame properly prepped and painted, all new hardware), but behind that point, the frame itself is original. Since I planned to drive it, I didn’t get picky with the underside. While I had the body off, I did prep and paint the areas you can only get to with the body off. I also put new body mount bushings and hardware and replaced the #4 body mount supports (what a pain...), but didn’t go the final step to show-painting and prepping.
Third, the engine bay is neat and clean (I spent months disassembling, re-plating and repainting everything), but is obviously “incorrect” for the year. I had hoped to drop an LS and six-speed in at some point, so didn’t get picky with correctness. Current 327 starts immediately and sounds absolutely mean. It has a new HEI distributor, all new hoses, new heater core, and a raft-load of other new parts.
I intended to simply spend 6-9 months turning it into a nice summer driver, but the “bones” were so good, I got more than a little carried away… I truly enjoyed the restoration process, so I’m chalking the loss in time and money up as a learning experience. It’s time for somebody else to either enjoy driving/showing it or put a big power engine in and make it truly special.
As far as flaws, I don’t hide anything, so I can detail any and every speck I can find. Independent inspection is welcomed.
They are usually less than a chrome bumper 68 to 72 but are basically the same car. I have owned three in addition to 71 and 72’s. They are a little quieter inside and have rubber body mounts that isolate you a little better from the road. The driving experience is the same as earlier cars.
03-15-2018, 01:40 PM
) so it's going to be up for sale the instant I finish. The only reason I bring it up is that it's very close to what you're looking for and you don't seem to be in a hurry. No AC and British Green (original color and way better than the other greens, imho), but otherwise dead-on for your description. Finished price will be enough under your budget cap to have it shipped and maybe even keep a few dollars in your wallet. 
I'll put 2 pics from a few months ago (most recent I have with me) at the bottom. Here is the working copy of the ad, so you can see where I'm headed. If you might be interested, feel free to contact me via PM or phone (417-569-5985).
