1968 Chevrolet Corvette L89 427/435 Convertible 4-Speed

This 1968 Chevrolet Corvette convertible is one of 624 produced with the 427/435 L89 aluminum head package. Finished in Rally Red over a red leather interior with a white convertible top, it's powered by the original, matching-numbers 427ci/435hp L89 V8 paired to a 4-speed manual transmission, this C3 Corvette shows 62k miles on the odometer and has spent the last 10 years under the seller’s ownership in Phoenix, Arizona. This C3 underwent a concours-quality restoration by the previous owner.  It is offered with a clean New Jersey title. 

This L89 was refinished in its factory Rally Red (974) color as part of a nut-and-bolt restoration just over 10 years ago, which was done prior to the sellers acquisition. The car features a white convertible top with vinyl rear window.  A matching color coded Rally Red removable hardtop is included in the sale. As the first year for the C3, the 1968 model Corvette features vacuum-operated pop up headlights and wipers, as well as the one year only top-mounted door handles with push-button release

Factory original 15” Rallye wheels are fitted with 205/75-15 tires featuring a 3/8" redline sidewall. The Firestone tires are bias-ply reproductions and period correct for the vehicle.

During the restoration, the interior was reupholstered.  The manually-adjustable bucket seats were recovered in factory-correct vinyl and the carpet was replaced with factory correct carpeting. Windows and locks are manually-operated on this C3 and the original AM/FM radio is still present. The factory 16" 3-spoke wood-look steering wheel has been retained.

Instrumentation is anchored by a 160 mph speedometer and a tachometer with a 6,500 rpm redline. Additional gauges are located above the radio and indicate fuel level, water temperature, oil pressure, battery voltage, and the current time. The five-digit odometer indicates 62k miles, and approximately 100 miles have been added by the seller over the last 10 years. 

The 427ci “L89” V8 was factory rated at 435 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, similar to the L71 427ci V8, but with lighter aluminum cylinder heads. Only 624 cars were produced in 1968 with the L89 option, which carried a price tag of $805.75. The 427 cubic-inch V8 is paired to a 4-speed manual transmission, which the seller states was rebuilt at the time of the restoration. The car is currently equipped with non-original aluminum Chevrolet performance heads that were swapped with the factory pieces when the car was restored, the original aluminum L89 heads are included with the sale of the car. Per the seller, the previous owner had swapped out the original heads to prevent any damage to the original aluminum heads. The engine block stamping contains the correct "IU" suffix code indicating a 427 L89 with a sequential VIN stamping of "18S420123" corresponding to the VIN on the car.

The undercarriage was cleaned and painted as part of the restoration, all hardware and components were refurbished to like-new condition. A standard dual exhaust system was installed. Additional photos showing the undercarriage are provided in the gallery. 

The seller states the vehicle received a concours level nut-and-bolt restoration over 10 years ago, prior to the seller's acquisition. This C3 comes with a documented NCRS Shipping report and original Protect-O-Plate. Additional original sales literature and owners information is included as well

AUTOHUNTER ADMIN UPDATE 9/16/20 12:40PM PST: An inspection PDF has been added to this listing and can be found at the top