1968 Chevy Corvette convertible GORGEOUS - 327 auto - no reserve

Condition: Used
Make: Chevrolet
Model: Corvette
Type: Convertible
Year: 1968
VIN: 194678S400194
Engine size: 327
Number of cylinders: 8
Transmission: Automatic
Drive type: RWD
Options: Convertible
Vehicle Title: Clear
Location: Pleasant Hope, Missouri, United States

Description

1968 convertible just completed 3 year refresh/restoration (over 2500 hours of my time). Non numbers matching 327. TH350 auto trans (although car was originally a 4-speed). Power steering and power brakes. No rust whatsoever. Birdcage, trailing arm pockets, body mounts, etc. are all excellent (have lots of pics).
Exterior: 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.Paint is wet sanded and polished. Body gaps are decent (it's a 50-year-old fiberglass car).
Mechanical: Nearly every system on the car has been completely redone. Below is a partial list:
- Steering (top to bottom, from the steering column bearings to the tie rods, including all hydraulics)
- Front suspension (EVERYTHING all new from the bushings to the wheel bearings including springs, KYB shocks, etc.). I pulled everything apart, sandblasted, treated, POR-15, then used POR's "hardnose" paint. Did this to the frame in front of the firewall as well.
- Rear suspension (complete trailing arms from Bair's, Vansteel monoleaf spring and adjustable strut rods, VB and P lowering bolts, new shocks, etc.)
- Brakes (EVERYTHING from the brake booster to the pads including new steel lines and hoses, calipers, wheel bearings, rotors, etc.). Parking brake is 100% new (all cables, stainless hardware, etc.)
- Lots and lots of little things (door latches and hinges, headlight mechanisms, window regulators, wiper door, convertible top, auto shifter, etc.).
- All new wiring throughout the car - all of it.
- New fiber optics.
- Body mounts and #4 reinforcement
- New tires and 17" Torque Thrust wheels (and lowered it a little to get the stance right)
When I say redone on these systems, I mean completely. On the convertible 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 in the mechanism. I didn't do a great job of keeping receipts, but still have over $10,000 worth just for parts.
Interior: The interior is very nice, though much of it is not '68. I started collecting '68 parts (door panels, passenger's dash, rear quarters) to replace the '72 interior somebody had put in it, but decided the cost-benefit for me wasn't worth finishing the change out. Note that the key is in the steering column, not the dash. New console, carpet and insulation and many (many, many) other parts. Excellent high-dollar, audiophile-grade custom stereo (with Bluetooth and hidden USB) that's visually subtle and didn't require cutting any metal (proper 3-way front stage and 10" sub in a properly-designed box, 5 channel amp).
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, like the tops of the frame rails (took pics). You wouldn't have to pull the body to finish re-doing the frame if a show-condition underside is important to you. I also put new body mount bushings and hardware and replaced the #4 body mount supports (a nightmare job), but didn't go the final step to show-painting and prepping the underside. Right now, the underside is in "honest" condition. Not grimy, but not "show."
Engine Bay: The engine bay is neat and clean (I spent months disassembling, re-plating and repainting everything), but has some "incorrect" stuff for the year. It's a non-numbers car, so I didn't care if, for example, the radiator is a later one (which actually works, unlike the '68) or the ignition is HEI (which is, again, better). I had hoped to drop an LS and five-speed in at some point, so didn't get picky with correctness. The 327 starts immediately and sounds absolutely mean. It has a new distributor, all new hoses, new vacuum stuff, new heater core, rebuilt Holley 4-barrel, and a raft-load of other new parts.
Driving: This car starts, stops and handles like a modern car. The relatively-loud sidepipes are the biggest driving indicator that you're not in a Honda. If you're not into "extrovert," the car comes with all new undercar exhaust (I was going to use it when I found a good deal on used headers/sidepipes). It also comes with the original wood steering wheel. I thought it was too big, so I changed to a more modern size, but kept the original.
I have many pictures and can take more of any detail things you'd like to see. As far as flaws, I don't hide anything. See below. Independent inspection is welcomed.
I built this car for me, so it reflects what I wanted in a '68 Corvette. Specifically: Drop-dead gorgeous exterior. Hop-in-and-drive-anywhere reliability. Great interior with an excellent stereo. Modern driving experience. Complete indifference to mechanical originality. If that sounds like you, this is your next car!
Title is clear and in my name.
Flaws: The clock doesn't work, can see left rear body seam in the right light, a small drip from the rear of the engine (maybe a nickel-sized drip every couple days), no jack, some pockmarks in the passenger's seat bottom, speedometer quit (haven't dug into it, yet). I dropped the price from 28k since I managed to crack the windshield last night. It's not directly in front of the driver, but will need to be replaced. Windows have a gap at the top when rolled up. Not enough to rain in, but water will get in if you're not careful when washing.For my mental health, I need to be done with this car. I have thousands of hours in it and have skipped out on the rest of "life" for over 3 years. I want a happy buyer, so I'm detailing everything. Most of the cars out there just gloss over the flaws to get it sold ("Real nice car" is not a description...). It's important to me to know everything (good and bad) when I buy on ebay, so I try to describe the car completely when I sell.For somebody, this will make a killer deal. As an example, I took it in to get a professional 4-wheel alignment this week and the owner of the shop came out specifically to shake my hand for the beauty (and the sound of the pipes, lol!).
Please note that this is a 50-year-old car and, though a very nice example, has the quirks that are "baked in." Something will always be leaking at least slightly, for example. And this is before the days of overdrive, so the engine will be singing (and drinking gas) on the highway. The '68 was the first year for the body style and, as such, is missing some of the improvements GM made for the later cars. For example, on the '68 Corvettes, using the wipers safely (so they don't bind with the vacuum-operated door) is a 2-step process. If you just turn them on, there's a 50-50 chance they'll hang up on the door when the shut off. GM made gradual improvements in '69 and '70 before giving up completely on the wiper door in '72. As another example, the window glass tends to rattle in the '68's (and never seals well on a convertible) so they changed the door design in '69.These aren't "flaws" but my concern is that this car will be cross-shopped with a modern car by somebody not familiar with older cars. If you're trying to decide between a classic Corvette and a Mazda... pick the Mazda. If you understand '60's technology and quirks, you'll love the car. At a cruise-in, you absolutely will draw a crowd.
Note that the car is for sale locally, so if a local buyer pops up, I'll end the auction.

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