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1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Matching Numbers 427/390 (L36) Manual

  • Price: Ask a price!
  • Condition: Used
  • Make: Chevrolet
  • Model: Corvette
  • Type: Convertible
  • Year: 1968
  • VIN: 194678S416139
  • Color: Black
  • Engine size: 427
  • Number of cylinders: 8
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Interior color: Red
  • Vehicle Title: Clear
  • Location: Morgantown, West Virginia, United States

Description

Up for sale is an unrestored 1968 Corvette Convertible with numbers matching 427 engine and manual transmission. I purchased it from the owner of the last 30 years. I intended to do a restoration project on it, but just don't have the time. It appears to be all there and ready for a restoration. The 427 engine is out of the car and has been for some time. The prior owner removed it to restore it and put a 1970 corvette 350 in its place. It is currently in the vehicle and turns freely. It goes with the car. The 427 engine was taken apart and cleaned, with all parts there, but not put back together.
I am readily available to answer questions and show the vehicle. It is currently located in my garage in Morgantown, West Virginia.
"Corvette '68... all different all over". That's the quote from the sales brochure for the redesigned 1968 Corvette. The body was completely redesigned with the coupe losing it's fastback window but gaining a removable back window and removable t-tops for that almost convertible feel. The chassis itself did not change much from the 1967 model. The new hidden wipers and hidden headlights are vacuum operated instead of electrical. Door openers now use a push button to open and a push in handle to pull the door, this was only used on the 1968 model. The new auxilliary top for the convertible has a glass rear window. The new standard automatic was the 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic instead of the 2-speed PowerGlide used previously. A new fiber-optic monitoring system was added to the dash and "Astro-Ventilation" was added to improve the airflow in the cabin. The '68 Vette did not have the "Sting Ray" badging on it anywhere, it would return in '69 as "Stingray". 1968 was also the year that Zora Arkus-Duntov was named Chief Engineer of the Corvette.
Production Options and Build Statistics
Total 1968 Corvettes Built - 28,566Convertibles - 18,630
Coupes - 9,936
Convertible Serial Numbers: 194687S100001 to 194678S128566
Coupe Serial numbers: 194378S100001 to 194378S128566
The "Vehicle Identification Number" (also VIN or serial number) is stamped on a plate on the inner vertical surface of the left windshield pillar visible through the windshield.
PositionCharacterDescription
11Chevrolet Division
2 & 394Body Series: Corvette
4 & 567Convertible
37Coupe
681968
7SAssembled in St. Louis, MO
8 to 13100001 to 128566Production Sequence

Engine Serial Number
1968 Corvette engines have the last six digits of the VIN stamped on the block after the engine number
PositionCharacterDescription
1 to 70001001Sequential Production Number
8F or TFlint, MI or Tonawanda, NY
9 to 10Carburetion & Transmission
  • HE = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
  • HO = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.0:1 compression ratio, Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission, and four barrel carburetor
  • HP = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor
  • HT = 327-cid 350-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor
  • IL = 427-cid 390-hp V-8 with 10.25:1 compression ratio, manual or automatic transmission, four-barrel carburetor
  • IM = 427-cid 400-hp V-8 with 10.25:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and three two-barrel carburetors
  • IO = 427-cid 400-hp V-8 with 10.25:1 compression ratio, Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission, and three two-barrel carburetors
  • IQ = 427-cid 390-hp V-8 with 10.25:1 compression ratio, Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
  • IR = 427-cid 435-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and three two-barrel carburetor
  • IT = 427-cid 430-hp V-8 with 12.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission and four-barrel carburetor
  • IU = 427-cid 435-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and three two-barrel carburetors

The body number plate is located on the engine side of the cowl. The Fisher Body Style Number identifies the model of Corvette.
68-19467 - Corvette Sting Ray convertible
68-19437 - Corvette Sting Ray coupe
The body number is the serial number of the body. The trim number represents the color of the interior, the paint color is the exterior "Magic Mirror" paint color.
Production Options
RPODescriptionPriceProduction
19437Base Coupe$4,6639,936
19467Base Convertible$4,32018,630
N/AGenuine Leather Seats$792,429
A01Soft Ray Tinted Glass, All Windows$15.8017,635
A02Soft Ray Tinted Glass, Windshield$10.555,509
A31Power Windows$57.957,065
A82Headrests$42.153,197
A85Custom Shoulder Belts$26.35350
C07Auxiliary Hardtop (Convert.)$231.758,735
C08Vinyl Covering for Aux. Hardtop$52.703,050
C50Rear Window Defroster31.60693
C60Air Conditioning$412.905,664
F41Special Front/Rear Suspension$36.901,758
G81Positraction Rear Axle (all ratios)$46.3527,008
J50Power Brakes$42.159,559
J56Special Heavy Duty Brakes$384.4581
K66Transistor Ignition System$73.755,457
L36427ci, 390hp Engine$200.157,717
L68427ci, 400hp Engine$305.501,932
L71427ci, 435hp Engine$437.102,898
L79327ci, 350hp Engine$105.359,440
L88427ci, 430hp Engine$947.9080
L89L71 Engine with Aluminum Cylinder Heads$805.75624
M204-speed Manual Transmission$184.3510,760
M214 Speed Manual, Close Ratio Transmission$184.3512,337
M224 Speed Manual, Close Ratio, Heavy Duty Transmission (Rock Crusher)$263.3080
M40Turbo Hydra-Matic Automatic Transmission$226.455,063
N11Offroad Exhaust System$36.904,695
N36Telescopic Steering Column$42.156,447
N40Power Steering$94.8012,364
P01Bright Metal Wheel Cover$57.958,971
PT6Red Line Tires F70 x 15$31.3011,686
PT7White Line Tires F70 x 15$31.309,692
UA6Alarm System$26.35388
U15Speed Warning Indicator$10.553,453
U69AM/FM Radio$172.7524,609
U79AM/FM Radio Stereo$278.103,311

Color Options for 1968
Interior colors are suggested by Chevrolet, any combination could be ordered.
RPOExteriorInteriorSoft TopProduction
900Tuxedo BlackB-DB-DO-GU-MB-R-TOB-BG-W708
972Polar WhiteB-DB-DO-GU-MB-R-TOB-BG-W1,868
974Rally RedB-RB-BG-W2,918
976Lemans BlueB-DB-MBB-BG-W4,722
978International BlueB-DB-MBB-BG-W2,473
983British GreenBB-BG-W4,779
984Safari YellowBB-BG-W3,133
986Silverstone SilverB-DB-GUB-BG-W3,435
988Cordovan MaroonBB-BG-W1,155
992Corvette BronzeB-DO-TOB-BG-W3,374
Color Codes: B=Black, BG=Beige, DB=Dark Blue, DO=Dark Orange, GU=Gunmetal, L=Leather, MB=Medium Blue, R=Red, TO=Tobacco, V=Vinyl, W=White
Interior Colors
ColorVinyl RPOLeather RPO
BlackBase402
Red407408
Blue411412
Medium Blue414415
Orange425426
Tobacco435436
Gunmetal442

1968 Corvette Specifications
Mechanical Dimensions
FeatureConvertibleCoupe
Wheelbase98 inches (2.489 m)98 inches (2.489 m)
Overall length182.1 inches (4.625 m)182.1 inches (4.625 m)
Overall width69.2 inches (1.758 m)69.2 inches (1.758 m)
Overall height48.6 inches (1.234 m)
Front tread58.3 inches (1.481 m)58.3 inches (1.481 m)
Rear tread59.0 inches (1.499 m)59.0 inches (1.499 m)
FrameFull-length ladder type with five cross members. Steel box sections, welded.
Front suspensionIndependent, unequal-length A-arms, coil springs; tubular shocks and stabilizer bar
Rear suspensionIndependent, trailing arms, toe links, transverse chromium-carbon steel leaf spring, tube shocks, and anti-roll bar
SteeringSaginaw recirculating ball, 17.6:1 ratio, 2.9 turns to lock, 39.9 turning circle
Rear axle typeSprung differential, Hypoid gear
BrakesHydraulic, vented four wheel discs; 11.8-inch diameter, single calipers
Total swept area259 sq. in. per ton, 461.2 sq. in. total
Wheels6" wide slotted steel 15" 5-lug disc
Standard rear axle ratio3.36:1
Optional rear axle ratio3.08:1, 3.36:1, 3.55:1, 3.70:1, 4.11:1, 4.56:1

Engine Specifications
FeatureBase RPO L75RPO L79RPO L36RPO L71RPO L88
TypeV-8, Overhead valve
BlockCast iron block
Displacement327 cid427 cid
Bore & Stroke4.00 x 3.25"4.251 x 3.76"
Compression ratio10.25:111.0:110.25:111.0:112.5:1
Brake horsepower300 @ 5000350 @ 5800390 @ 5400435 @ 5800560 @ 6400
Torque360 lb-ft @ 3400360 lb-ft @ 3600460 lb-ft @ 3600460 lb-ft @ 4000
Main bearingFive
Valve liftersHydraulicMechanical valve lifters
CamshaftHigh-performance camshaftSpecial-performance camshaftSpecial ultra-high-performance camshaft with .5365-inch intakes
Fuel supplyRochester Type 4MV four-barrel Model 7028207Holley four-barrelThree Holley two-barrelsSingle Holley 850CFM four-barrel

On Apr-20-16 at 09:43:57 PDT, seller added the following information:

As you can see from the pictures of the engine, the engine is a 427 from a very early 1968 corvette. This is what I found regarding the serial number: 3916321 427ci, 390 HP, 2 Bolt Main – This block only used until January 1968 3916321 427ci, 400, 430 & 435 HP 4 Bolt Main – This block only used until January 1968 I do not know at this time whether it is a 2 bolt or 4 bolt main.

On Apr-21-16 at 11:05:41 PDT, seller added the following information:

I've also added pictures of the engine tag. As you can see, it is numbers matching. It also shows the engine to be an IL- 427-cid 390-hp V-8 with 10.25:1 compression ratio, manual or automatic transmission, four-barrel carburetor