Corvette Generations:
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8
Corvette: Year by Year
1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 19631964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
June 8, 2011 Part Two
- The interior had been redone; the owner later showed me a $2,000 receipt for the work.
- The center console had the correct amount of "patina". There were the right amount of scratches and nicks such that it didn't have the repo part look but was still in great shape.
- Below: Inside rear view mirror was in bad need of replacement. Not only was it severely tarnished, the mounting was loose and it had to be constantly adjusted.
- Above: The windshield had some delaminating. The various ID markings were present and it could be the same glass as installed in 1968 although I've been told it is possible to buy correctly marked reproduction windshields.
I drove it briefly through the streets of Santa Monica. This is a crowded part of town which was unfortunate because there is no opportunity to safely test the potential of a performance automobile. Still, all looked very good. It pulled well and was typical of Corvette base engines of the time. Shifting and clutch action was very good. The steering worked well, with the only drawback being the lack of power assist. A pleasant surprise was the overall solidness that the car exhibited. It was completely silent while traversing rough spots in the pavement. I later learned that it had Dynamat sound deadening installed, a $260 line item as part of the $2,000 interior job.
I was very satisfied with the inspection and test drive, so the owner and I met in a conference room at the owner's workplace. I looked over the title and other paperwork which consisted of receipts for recent work, totaling about $8,300. I mentioned the asking price of $21,500 and asked if he would accept $21,000. He said that he had intended to fix some of the problem areas such as the non working clock and missing floor mats. I replied that I was fine taking the car as it was. He looked up at the ceiling a bit, kind of let the concept bounce around between his ears and said "OK".
The drive home was a bit nerve wracking as it involved traffic on the 405 freeway between Santa Monica and home in the San Fernando Valley. All signs continued to look good with great oil pressure and water temperature around 160° despite the hot day.
Next: The Early Days
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Comments (3)
Just wanted to add to my comments. I never thought of the C3 body style as "coke bottle" rather I referred to it as "Mako Shark" type.
Great information thank you for all your work putting this together. I had a 1968 convertible 327/350 hp, LeMans Blue/ white top, 4spd.I bought it in 1970 and it still had the firestone redline tires on it. Two weeks later the right rear axle bearing basicly melted, what a learning experience that was. 10 years later I was the Corvette,heavy duty truck,and motorhome mechanic at lyman Slack Chevrolet in Portland Oregon.A couple of things I noticed as per differences between early and late 68's was the late's had a brace between the fender and the wheel well at the hood hinge area to help keep the Fiberglas from cracking in that area.Also the trim piece that runs under the front fender back to the rear wheel well was black on the early's but silver on the later models (as I remember it ) so I painted mine silver. My steering wheel looked to be wood and I never had a left hand clearance problem with it.
I Love Corvette Stingrays. Always have‼ i used to work at a Corvette shop in Westport plaza in Maryland Heights Mo. from 1977 to 1982. I've owned a 67 a 73 and a 79. Always something to learn. Great hobby❗