loup68

On with my story, I love my 68, especially the one year only different interior and four real tail lights! For you newer year shark owners,look at how different the interior is on a 68, than a 69. Especially a coupe. A coupe has interior lights built into the upper rear panels. Anyway, two of the dumbest things chevy did to them was the 1st design seat back latch position. You couldn't get to it and the second design, higher up, is almost as bad.

But my favorite is the one year only brake light switch, after the above mentioned huge 67 carry over steering wheel. I had my car about a year and the switch went out. I bought a new one and it lasted maybe 2 years. I bought another and I think it lasted about a year. Did i mention that to adjust this thing, I had to put the box it came in on the brake pedal and use my head to push it down while sitting up side down in the seat? I went to the dealer and bought the parts for the 69 up plunger. The car was missing the mounting holes for the brackets, so I had to use my torch and braze them on. I later saw someone buying the evil brake light switch and he had a an old Chevy truck!

I have read so many posts on here about people can't open their doors on 69-up cars. I drove my car through some bad winters and my door lock never froze. Remember, my flap handle is just a place to put your hand. No little rod to fail. I did use light oil inside the lock though.

Only one time at work in winter, my starter froze up from freezing slush and I had to have a towmotor push start my stick shift car! We had automotive part "blanks" banded up on a pallet ,wrapped in thin aluminum sheet metal. My bumpers didn't even get scratched, thank goodness.

My car came with a 3:55 rear gear and I had it changed to a 3:70. Everyone in the club ( Corvette Cleveland) thought that it was not enough of a change. I was having trouble getting started from a stop with the 3:55 and the 3:70 has been perfect. This was the first and only manual car that I have ever owned.

As the car got older I was having cooling problems. Since we made the radiator supports, I changed mine to 69-up support and a 69 automatic radiator. I had thoughts of converting to an automatic, but my 2nd wife was right. She said it would not be as much fun to drive.

The Cleveland winter salt eventually got the best of my frame and my wonderful 2nd wife and my son from my first marriage helped me change my frame out. I got lucky. The dealer told me that they had been discontinued three months later, whew! This was in 1989. I hung the body from the center beam in the garage and dropped the old frame out from under it. It took me a week, every night after work, to drill out the rusted body mount bolts with carbide drills from work. What a job. About 2-3 hours or more for each one. We had sold the house and had to move in one week. I ended up putting the car together in one week. Mind you, I was working all this time.

I had ordered a body sling six weeks before and it never came! I finally found a picture of the special shaped ends and made some at work. We had special "Possins safety device" nylon coated cable that I used along with cable clamps to make the body sling. The Possins safety device is a cable that the punch press operators clip to their wrist guards, And as the presses ram comes down, it pulls the operators hands out of the die area so they do not loose their hands.

LemansBlue68

I had to laugh when you made these comments about the dumb things Chevy did with the '68. When I restored my car, I changed out nearly all of them!

I bought late '68 seats with the high release position and headrests and am using those. Much better than the low releases. I removed the big 16" steering wheel and replaced it with an aftermarket smaller wheel with a fatter, mahogany rim. It looks like it belongs in a Corvette, though, and is much nicer to drive with. My big steering wheel is safely packed away and it is in mint condition.

I'm still running the original style brake switch and had completely forgot what a PITA it was to install and adjust. BTW, I was at a swap meet a couple years ago and a guy there was selling new old stock electrical parts. There in a bin was four '68 Corvette brake light switches but advertised as being for a Chevy truck. I bought all of them for about $5 a piece! Had he known they also fit '68 Corvettes he may have been able to get 20 times that!

You forgot to mention the '68 only door pulls where you have to contort your wrist to grab and pull the door closed. I installed the late '68 door pulls (which Chevy actually borrowed from the Camaro parts bin) and am much happier with that arrangement. Technically my car is considered an early '68 but I added the later upgrades because driving and enjoying the car means more to me than a car show judge's opinion. Besides, it's still all '68 (except the for steering wheel which I can change back in 5 minute's time).

loup68

Lemansblue68, I wanted a blue/blue coupe but could not pass up mine for only $2,300.00. You are so right about the 1st design seat back latch. What a joke it was and they delayed the car a year and no one noticed the problem? Give me a break. I bought the parts and changed my seat backs with a BFH and a metal plate to the second,raised location.

I personally like my 1st design "stealth" inside door handle. If you have an early car, how do you like your 1st design, solid inside door handle release? My completely hollow on the inside driver side snapped off and I replaced it with the early solid pair from the P/W doors that I had gotten to put P/W in my car. The NCRS manual for 68-69 claims that the second design had two ribs, but I could swear that they had no ribs, and even wrote that down on paper that there were no ribs. After the one snapped, I threw both of them away, couldn't see keeping the passenger side if it would snap off down the road. By the way, I have a real bomb to drop soon, about original 68's in the future. Wish you lived closer to Myrtle Beach to meet. Lou.

BanTonic

Hey,I still live in Parma! Nice to read about some history.

Actually,work down the street from the old shell of MTD. My cousins` husband still works for them,out in Valley City.I think they just make Cub Cadet parts now.A Machinist/Tool & Die/Foreman,myself.

Yankeededandy

Love this thread I find myself sitting on the sofa and hoping for new chapters every time I check it.
Loup, the only complaint I have is "no pictures". Any chance you have some?


Martin

LemansBlue68

I'm pretty sure you're right on the 2nd design door releases being solid with no ribs. I have a pair of them but they need re-plated before I install them. They are heavy! It was as if Chevy knew they screwed up the 1st design and then over compensated with the 2nd design. I believe change over was right around the time my car was built so I think they would still be correct. My car had the 1st design releases with the hollow backs originally. A PO had apparently broken the driver's side because it had been replaced with the ribbed back style. The passenger side was still the hollow style. It was bent a little but not broken. I'm running repop handles now until I get the 2nd set re-chromed. I saw a hollow back release at a swap meet some time ago and was about to buy it but realized it was another passenger side. Probably not many driver's side of the 1st design still around that aren't broken.

Funny, I also installed electric windows. I figured that since I was replacing the door panels and e-brake console, I may as well make the switch. I'm much happier with the PWs than having to reach over and down to roll down the passenger window.

How far are you from Charlotte, NC? I was planning a trip down there toward the end of April to attend the Charlotte Autofair.

69 Chevy

Looks like we have something in common, Loup. We both bought used Vettes in July '72. Here's my recollection:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...milestone.html

I offered my friend and neighbor a chance to drive my car the summer I bought it, before I changed out the 4:88"s for 3:70's. He's 6'3" and 265 pounds. He knew how to drive a stick shift, I thought. He grabs the steering wheel at 12 o'clock with his left hand and the Hurst Comp Plus with the right in first gear. Tachs it up to about 3 grand and sidesteps the clutch.

We both get thrown back in our seats but we're heading for the left ditch. I look over to see what the hell's happening. He used the steering wheel as a grab handle to overcome the G forces and snapped it clean off where it mounts to the lower spokes at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock. He managed to stab the disc brakes and stop short of going off road.

I suppose that 33 degree seatback angle takes getting used to!
BTW, he never offered to buy me a new steering wheel.

loup68

Lemansblue68, Please don't hate us coupe lovers! That's from another post,guys. We are right about the inside release handles being totally hollow inside. I just found my pass. side one. I guess I didn't toss it. I am sure that the original low number cars had the heavy, solid smooth inside. My car is mid production, 14,840ish. This has to be the 2nd design one. They were probably trying to same money on the pot metal content. The handle is very thin and has a smooth, hollow inside. What is your production number to straighten this out? I will try to meet up with you if you make it down here. I live in Socastee, which is almost to Conway. It is about 110 miles to Charlotte.It is such a pain to crank that passenger side window down.

DRC

I've had a 66 convertible, 70 LT-1, an 2009 convertible, and now a 69 L-68 convertible. To recap:

66 convertible - most comfortable seats & ride of the old vettes.

70 LT-1 - 4.11 rear, 4-speed....can you say FAST!

09 convertible - sold it after a year, hated it, rode like a new family car, told the wife I was selling it because it was too nice.

69 L-68 convertible - LeMans Blue, Bright Blue interior, 4-speed, PS, PB, the one I always wanted and it took years to find this exact combination.

Other cars have been big block Chevelles, currently also have a 68 SS 350Chevy II Nova.

In summary, my 69 in excellent like new condition, stock exhaust, better shocks & radial tires I find rides quite nice. Fairly quiet & comfortable. Maybe I'm odd but I love these older ones and I find them very pleasing, reminds me of the old days.

In my older age (62) I don't think it's too good for your health to get too comfortable!

mrvette

My '72 vert was primarily parked in a garage for some 25 years, old custom show car owned by a series of 2 chicks, it had a perfect burgundy paint job when I bought it in '95.....in '97 I moved from the DC region to Florida....the car has undergone much in modifications since then and it had late shark mudflap flares and '68 Olds tail lights and a new top when I got it....

there in not one major part of the car that is stock, from wheels to roof, you name it.....I had to repaint it green/black and replace the top, because even though still garaged with me, Florida sun still took it's toll...

so from wheels to roof, it's all changed....

LemansBlue68

No hate here! I recognize the handicap that you coupe owners must deal with and respect that! Again, just kidding!!

My production number is 7600 and something. Build date was Dec 27, 1967. You may be right, the thin one may be the 2nd design and the fat, heavy one, the 1st. Never thought of it that way! Maybe some early '68 owners will chime in here to verify.

Sounds like a plan! In fact, I've never been to Myrtle Beach, so that may be a worthwhile excursion. I'll be with a buddy but I'll probably be the one driving, so he won't have much of a choice if he doesn't necessarily want to go, will he? Seriously, my family vacations on Hilton Head Island some years. Nice place! But I think that's quite a bit further south from you. Look for a PM from me as the date gets closer and we can firm up plans.

loup68

BanTonic, As I said, I worked at MTD for 34 years. I was originally hired into maintenance as a pipefitter/plumber. At 52 they made us take classes to become millwright/machine repair men. That was rough! I never thought that I would have to go back to school at 52 years old. They bid on a huge chevy job that our one engineer told them not to,and lost a lot of money on it for 4 1/2 years. Then things got bad, economy wise and they sold us and the Liverpool (Valley City) plant to Shiloh Inc. that MTD had the controlling interest in. After over 7 years they closed our plant and I had to retire early.

The Cleveland plant of Modern Tool and Die (later our plant was called MTD automotive) was the original plant built in 1932. It paid for them to buy all their other plants. For those that do not know, MTD is the worlds largest maker of outdoor power equipment (lawn mowers,snow blowers,shredders, rototillers,ect.) While I was there,they bought yardman, and cub cadet from International Harvester. Now I think they bought Bolens and Troy-Bilt. They make products for everyone, like JC Penney,Montgomery Ward, Sears,ect. MTD had changed both of our plants to all automotive parts.

We made all of the Corvette 1960-1982 radiator supports. We made the "dog leg" outer front bumper braces for 68-82 Vettes. A BB smog pump bracket. We made the two ribbed panels in the bird cage behind the seats. For the C-4 Corvettes we made all of the windshield pillars,upper w/s pillar piece, aluminum under dash braces from pillar to pillar, the aluminum a/c "crotch cooler"under the steering wheel, The two square tubing braces from the hood lock down to the front frame and lastly,the whole 37 pound aluminum rear frame/rear bumper assembly. For the C-5 they shocked GM by telling them that they did not want to make any more Corvette parts. I was told that because of the low volume numbers for the Corvette parts, that they did not have the floor space to have the machines sit idle. For BanTonic what shop do you work at? Take care , Lou Palfy.

08vycpe

That aluminum/nylon timing chain was not unique to the Vette. I had a '66 Bonneville with a big block that stripped the teeth on the gear and left me stranded. Luckily it did not destroy the engine.

I was also told that GM did this for noise but lets face it, it's cheaper to mold the gear teeth than to machine them from metal.

loup68

http://

loup68

Guy's for my photos,only, please go to the new thread "loup68". My wife and I have been slaving on posting these pictures for quite a while. Why don't they make it harder so no one can figure out how to post a picture! And she is very computer literate, not like me.

bkvette3

Really enjoying your stories about your '68 Vette. Post more if you got them.

68/70Vette

I bought my 68 in perhaps 73. The body didn't look good..cheap collision repair but the interior was nice, no frame damage, and the price was really cheap. Maybe around 60,000 miles on it. So Cal car with no rust. I've redone all the body work, actually I did that in the late 70's. Today, the interior is still almost all factory stock. I've done a restore on it, frame off, and today every moving part is completely new....except for the Muncie tranny. I'll be buying a Tremac 5 speed very soon, so all the drive train will be new. The engine is a ZZ4 with a General Motors Performance Parts Serpentine belt kit. Be Cool radiator with fans. Factory 69 side pipes and Hedman sidepipe hedders. Rear suspension by Tom's. Stainless Steel Corporation Brake aluminum calipers and Vette Brake Products fiberglass rear spring. New Quanta fuel tank, stainless steel brake and fuel lines, new MC, PS, 17 inch Wheel Vintiques stock looking wheels ....Oh I still have that 68 steering wheel. Being 6'2", I have to slid into the car!

loup68

69 chevy, You don't know how lucky you were when that friend revved to 3 grand and popped the clutch. I had my car about 25 years and always heard about doing that. I tried it once because the traffic was heavy and pow! I had cracked the inside differential carrier housing. Never tried that expensive trick again. Glad you are enjoying these stories and I really enjoyed your personal story in the above link. Lou.

loup68

I just wanted to have a "heads up" for newer C-3 owners to check their differential covers and lower rear spring leaves for cracks, especially if the car is all original. I had gone somewhere and bumped into a guy that also had a vette and he told me to check mine. I had been in Corvette Cleveland for many years and then had left and I had never heard of such a thing. I went out and checked mine expecting it to be okay, and was shocked that my cover was broken in two. The rear spring can flip out and that would not be a good day! Maybe this should be a sticky because of the safety involved.

You guy's will love this one. I had raced at Nelson's Ledges road course twice until NCCC changed the stock class rules. Paul Newman raced here sometimes. I took my 1st wife on a parade lap and she grabbed the door with both hands and screamed, continuously, all the way around the lap of the short course! I'm lucky that she did not leave fingernail holes in my door! I was doing pretty good for someone that didn't know much about racing and "the groove". The second time that I raced, They said that they would time us differently on the course, to make things interesting. Instead of the fastest lap, they would add all three lap times together. I did fair the first time, but spun around on some gravel the second time and lost some time. The third time out, I ended up winning by only 2 hundreds of a second through the lights when all three times were added together.

I was not there but this couple had a beautiful 71 coupe. She raced and rolled the car a couple of times. The car was probably totalled and she had only broken one fingernail. I heard that they stealthly moved the wreck onto a road somewhere so that the insurance company would cover the accident. They will not cover the car if you are racing it. Lou.

LemansBlue68

When I tore into it, I found my '68 had both spring perch "ears" broken on the cover. Keep in mind, I bought my car with only 45,000 miles and it had been stored 20+ years prior to my buying it. The PO parked it due to leaking brake calipers and at the time didn't have the money to fix it. Little did he know, that was only the beginning of his problems! I also found that the posi carrier was wrecked due to the pinion digging in to it. What started as a standard $500 rear end rebuild was $1200 before all got fixed properly. One more thing, I found a stock unbroken rear end cover later but then decided to go with a new one from Muskegon Corvette. They sell a high strength iron cover that has reinforced spring perch ears. I figured it was safer that way. The next owner of my car can have the original cover to install if he prefers originality over safety.