Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

[Greg L.]

I found out about this one a couple weeks ago...remember that really nice pic I posted of tha tobacco interior?

Well here are some pics of it that were sent to me and I would like to know what you all think about it as far as your gut feelings go. It's supposed to be a 41k mile car but I see that a few things have already been replaced like the lower ball joints and engine mounts, AIR pump and diverter valve...

From what I can see this car has no options what so ever other than the engine.

The following numbers were sent to me.

Engine T0227IR and 18S413140. (no idea about carbs, distributor, etc)

Transmission: P8B21 (shouldn't the transmission have a s/n too?)

Rear end: AWW (symbol) 69E2 (replacment rear end?)

TRIM TAG: paint 992 trim 435

VIN #: 194678S413140

It's supposed to drive really nice and have "10 foot" paint with slight crazing in a small area. He says he has documentation with it but I haven't seen any pic of that yet. Please have a look at the pics and tell me if you see anything out of the ordinary for a 41k mile car.
















Thanks for looking.

Greg Linton
#45455

[Dick W.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Master cylinder and cap, B + connection boot on alternator, smog tube check valve should be dichromate, radiator cap, normal deterioration of finishes, hard to tell, but valve covers have been replated?, fan clutch replaced. In the photos the interior looks like a dark saddle, not tobacco. Seats, dash, carpet do not look right. Chassis to me would be typical for a 40k mile driver.

[William C.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Agree with Dickie, but think how may 40000 mile cars have had exhaust, shocks, and lower ball joints all replaced, and showing signs of aging that would the replacement look not recent?

[Verle R.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Greg,

Are you planning to go look at the car or have someone there look at it for you?

Verle

[Joe L.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Greg-----

As you noted, the AIR system has been replaced. Very likely, this occurred due to the fact that someone removed the system once-upon-a-time and someone replaced it later. Given the fact that it looks like the whole system has been replaced and in consideration of the aforementioned, that does not bode badly for a 41,000 mile car. However, most of the parts are incorrect (although likely they are functional). The pump, diverter valve, and check valves are incorrect.

The transmission should have a VIN derivative stamping. The date code is about right for the car, though.

If the differential coding is as described, then it's a replacement. Might the "9" actually be an "8", though?

It appears to me that not only the lower ball joints have been replaced, but the tie rod ends have been replaced, too. That would seem quite unusual for a 41,000 mile car. Calipers have been replaced but that would be very normal, even at 41,000 miles for a car this old.

Master cylinder has been replaced. Seems unusual but possible for 41,000 mile car.

Motor mount replacement not too unusual for a car with 41,000 miles, but this old. They might even have been replaced to obtain the benefit of the locking style mounts.

Oil pan has been replaced. It's not even a Corvette oil pan. I don't know what this one's off of.

Exhaust system looks like 2", but I'm not sure of that. NO 1968 Corvette ever had a 2" exhaust system. However, ALL 1969 Corvettes had a 2" exhaust system. IF it is a 2" system, that would be VERY, VERY strange for an original 41,000 mile car. Why would anyone change the COMPLETE exhaust system to 2"? But, as I say, I don't know it's a 2" system; it just looks like that from what I see.

Note the "plates" welded onto the crossmember in the area of the transmission mount. This is NOT factory---these were added. Were they added to replace the crossmember brackets in this area? Why?

Since this car has "vanity plates", there's no way to tell if it's an original California car. ALL 1968 Corvettes originally delivered new in California and remaining there their whole lives would be yellow on black. A car originally delivered in California but leaving the state and coming back could NOT be registered with yellow-on-black plates (unless it came back while the yellow-on-black plates were still being issued and that ended in September, 1969). If it lived part of its life outside California, there might be corrosion problems somewhere although I can't see much evidence of same.

[Joe L.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Greg-----

What's that "yellow thing" where the starter should be? I can't see it well enough to figure it out.

[Phil P.]

who is the dealer selling the car will make a diff *NM*

[Terry F.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

In my opinion, there has been too much small stuff on the car for 41,000 miles. It is possible the last owner had it since 41,000 miles and just disconnected or turned back the odometer on it. Hard to say. But, I can see a lot of stuff that has been tampered with. I have seen 75,000 mile cars that looked better from an originality stand point. Just my humble opinion. I like the unusual color combination. Depends on the price and your expectations. I could pick it apart but what fun is that if the price is right. Hey, the crossmember is dented, I can sell you a tool to fix that ??? Sorry, just joking around. But serious, a lot has been changed or messed with for such a claimed to be low milage car. My humble opinion, Terry

[Joe L.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Terry and Greg-----

Yes, I agree. It just doesn't "feel right" to me to be a real 41,000 mile car.

Also, actual, original mileage on these old cars is a real "crapshoot". The odometers only went to 99999.9. Then, the car became a "zero mileage" car and everything "started all over again". Even without anyone ever doing anything which might constitute fraud, there's just no way to know how many times the odometer has "turned over".

The odometer in my 1969 currently reads "00000.0". It's NEVER been driven disconnected, it's NEVER been "turned back", and it's NEVER been replaced. Just before I put it in the garage "some time ago", it was VERY close to "turning over", so I drove it up and down the street until it did, then backed it in the garage. So, right now, to look at the odometer, the car has NO miles on it. However, I can tell you that it has 200,000---it's "turned over" twice.

I believe that the same is true for MANY of these "low mileage cars".

It's just too bad that the auto makers didn't add the extra digit onto the odometers a LONG time ago. It wouldn't have really cost that much and it would have done a lot for assessing the history of vehicles.

[Greg L.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Well thanks guys for your input so far.

I'm not really getting that warm fuzzy feeling about this car that I had a few weeks ago. I personaly think that it has a lot more than 41k miles and that is just based what you have said as well as a comparison of what my 65k mile 69 looks like against what this 68 looks like under the hood and body. Many of the parts that look like they have been replaced on this 68 are still original on my 69 so that is a bit of a flag. That being said though, I'm not too hung up on what the actual mileage is anyways. On these older cars, HOW they spent their time on the road is far more important than the actual distance recorded by the odometer.

What I am really concerned about is that it is in fact a real L-71 car. It looks like the diff has been replaced which I'm not to impressed with however the trany appears original but he never provided me with a S/N on it.
I'm also still waiting for good clear pics of the stamp pad and documentation that proves it to be a L-71 as well...

The car is located about an hour north east of the San Francisco Bay area at a place called Corvette Express. The guy I talked to about it was really nice and knowledgeable about Corvettes and he says that for sure it's a L-71 car but I need a little more than that to go on before I jump in with both feet! I had planned to fly down and look at it in person but because it's taking so long to get stamp pad and documentation pics I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it...something just doesn't seem right. Does anyone know anyone in the bay area that would be able to go and have a look at it for me and of course I'd pay for thier gas and time.

I think that just about answers all your questions... oh Joe, the yellow thing you asked about is the starter field housing and end plate. Your guess is as good as mine as to why it's yellow.

Oh Terry, please do pick away! The more I get "into" these 68s the more I find them interesting!

[Greg L.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Joe I thought the oil pan looked wrong too with the drain located where it is but thought that it might be a 68 thing. Should it be configured the same a 69?

[Grant W.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Wrong Oil pan!! Should be same as your original 69? Shifter Boot is Wrong too. They must of ripped it when taking out the engine or tranny for some reason. But if you can get it cheap then go for it. Thanks, grant

[Joe L.]

Re: Looking for advice on a 68 L-71 purchase in CA

Greg----

All 1965-74 Corvette big block oil pans had the drain plug in the same location---on the lower, rear surface of the pan, slightly offset from center.