Classic Corvettes can get rather expensive, which belies the model’s place as a dark-horse American capable of giving exotics fits. If you pine for a Corvette, you often have to deal with low-compression versions that look the part but leave you wanting, yet our Pick of the Day suggests you can have your cake and eat it too. This 1968 Chevrolet Corvette convertible is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania.
The hallowed C2 never really had much horsepower in base form: It started at 250 in 1963, peaking at a more reasonable 300 by the time the generation ended in 1967. Sure, not everything is about slamming your spine in your seat in a banzai run, but C2s can be pricey even in base form.
When the C3 debuted in the fall of 1967, it basically was the same car with a new body. Wheelbase remained 98 inches, but length increased almost seven inches to 182.1. Width was down 0.4 inches, which aroused some complaints the C3 was cramped. This impression was more due to a larger console, door panel design, and a lower roofline, so it was a packaging issue more than reduced measurements (fine-tuned in subsequent years, might I add). Of course, the C3’s design was lifted from the Mako Shark II, a concept car that debuted at the 1965 New York International Auto Show.
Though the C3’s body was all-new, powerplants were shared between the two generations. The base 327 was rated at 300 horsepower, with a 350-horse version featuring 11.0:1 compression being the one small-block upgrade. From there, there were four 427 big-blocks available: L36 with 10.25:1 compression, four-barrel, and 390 horses; L68 — almost identical to the L36, but with three two-barrel carbs and 400 horses; an L71 mechanical-lifter version with 11.0:1 compression, three two-barrel carburetion, and 435 horses; and the mighty L88, a race engine in street clothes featuring 12.5:1 compression, four-barrel carburetor, and an underrated 430 horses. The L79, L71, and L88 required a four-speed transmission.
As such, the 1968 Corvette was a bridge between the past and the future, as the 1969 model brought upgraded 350 engines for its small-block selection, plus automatics were made available for the top two 427s.
This 94,638-mile 1968 Chevrolet Corvette convertible looks fantastic, doesn’t it? Painted Silverstone Silver with a black vinyl interior, it also includes a matching silver hardtop in addition to a black soft top. Power comes from the optional L79 327, which strikes a balance between horsepower and affordability. Behind the Muncie four-speed is a set of 3.36 gears with Positraction. Dig the sidepipes too! No, they’re not correct for ’68, but honestly, would you remove them? Refreshingly, the seller is honest about certain things that ‘Vette folks hold dear: “There is no documentation with the car and no ownership history … That absence of paperwork applies across the board. We have no build sheet, no window sticker, no Protect-O-Plate, no NCRS documentation, and no service records. What this car has going for it is physical evidence rather than paper. The stampings and castings corroborate each other.”
For $29,990, you can have a Corvette convertible with both tops, one of the most famous small-block engines ever, and miles of smiles. Do you really want to miss this opportunity?
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