NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

[Michael F.]

Hi all, I wanted to go ahead and get my first post out of the way and ask a few questions regarding my first Corvette which I just purchased this week. After a few months of searching, I found a good match for me - a Rally Red 1968 convertible, numbers matching, unrestored, L79, 4-speed. Other than 1969 side exhaust (installed by the dealer), 1969 fender vent inserts, and a couple heater hoses, the car appears to be original and unrestored, but in amazing condition for its age. So to my questions, all of which will help me decide the next steps with this car....

I assume the value of the car is best preserved by leaving it unrestored, but how would I know that for sure - what is the tipping point to restore vs. leaving it original?

I've read a lot of posts regarding judging, classes, and points and I'm left wondering if there's a higher resale value associated with a higher scoring car, or do most of you try to achieve a high score for the glory, so to speak?

Regarding the side pipes, I love the way they look and sound, but understand they are not original. The left cover is damaged, and both covers are pitted, and I'm wondering if the car's value would be impacted less by replacing the cover, or by installing the correct reproduction rear exhaust.

The last question pertains to research. Unfortunately, I don't have much documentation on the car. I ordered the shipping report information when I signed up for NCRS membership, so I'm hoping that will help kick off researching the car's history. My question is whether or not I should remove the tank to access the tank sticker, and if so, should I just take pics and leave it there, or remove it?

Thanks in advance for your time and input, I hope that this original car can be helpful for reference for the group at some point. I don't plan to do a complete restoration right now, I just want to address that side exhaust issue and start researching the cars history.

Regards,
--Mike

[Don H.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Hello Mike,
welcome to the club and congratulations on joining the classic corvette hobby. My advice to you is go slow making any changes to your car, and join your local NCRS chapter. The calendar is full of Fall chapter meets, all over the country, and there are still two Regional meets this year, one in Ont CAN next month and in Frisco TX in October. I encourage you to get out to any meets you can, speak with owners, and watch the judging. You will soon formulate your own answers to your questions. Hopefully your shipping data information will be a start towards learning some history on your 68 shark car. Good luck,

[Douglas L.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

First off, congratulations on the car, sounds like a special car. I'll give you my personal opinions on your questions.

Yes, the more original the car the better value-wise but I think you'd be forgiven for replacing expendable parts like hoses, tires, brake pads, etc. My advise would be to replace things as needed to make the car a nice reliable car but save everything that looks to be factory installed. My 68 had the original lower rad hose and heater hoses, I replaced them with the most correct reproductions I could find but put the original parts in a box just to have them. Luckily there are some very correct reproduction parts out there from retailers like Paragon, Doc rebuild, etc. A AIM and Judging guide as well as this forum will greatly help you determine whats original and what isn't.

While value of a Top Flight car vs. a non-judged car is somewhat subjective, I believe at the very least it makes a buyer more confident paying top dollar for a car if it has been NCRS judged and did well.

Regarding the side pipes, its up to you. If you like the side pipes them leave them on, they look great and sound awesome. If NCRS judging is in your future I would at least think about getting a correct exhaust, you can always swap it back out after judging. BTW, does it still have the exhaust cut-outs in the rear valance?

Research wise, the shipping report will narrow things down a bit but don't be surprised if it leads you to a dead end if you are unable to determine the exact dealer the car was sold at or that the dealer is long since out of business. On the subject of the build sheet, I think most people would remove and save the build sheet if upon inspection with a mirror the build sheet was there and somewhat legible but again, subjective.

Best of luck and and post some pics!, Doug

[Chuck G.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

You don't mention what part of the country you're in, but as Dan's post indicates, there are many local NCRS chapters located around the country that hold Chapter judging events. That might be a good place to start.

[Terry B.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Hi Mike,

Welcome to NCRS and the wonderful and the sometimes challenging world of '68 ownership.

I would reaffirm what Don and Douglas said, go slowly on any changes you make on the car, if any, that you believe to be original. What you might have is a great learning tool for other '68 owners and judges. With it's possible originality, this would put your car in the category for Bowtie judging. This judging is done at the National Convention only. To be a candidate for Bowtie, you need to register for Flight judging at a Regional and tell the team leader you want to be considered for Bowtie. From there the car will be evaluated and you should know if you need to pursue going on with the Bowtie judging process. There are many people on this forum that have taken cars through Bowtie judging and can advise you in process and preparing the car. I just would reemphasize, if you have an original car and you believe it to be a Bowtie candidate, do not remove an original part.

Good luck in your process,

Terry

[Michael J.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Welcome to NCRS and I hope you enjoy it. You have been given good advice here, but the best advice is that it is your car and you should always be guided by what you want to do with it and what your goals are. There are many ways to participate in NCRS depending on what turns you on, from all the awards at various levels and various paths, like Flight, Bowtie, Founders, Duntov, etc., or just driving your car to meets, like Sportsman and Road Tours, to just learning more about the process and your car by having it judged, and in the various schools and seminars that are offered at all the meets. You can also get involved in judging and learning the ropes that way, but everything requires participation, so the way to start is with that local chapter.

As for the tank sticker, yes, you need to confirm first it is there and in readable condition. Removing it or not is up to you, but if you plan on driving the car much, remember that sticker is very fragile and old as it sits. Good luck, and BTW, we love pictures here and they are easy to post, so give a look at your car.

[David H.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Michael,

Good advice in the above posts. I would get the car assessed (Flight Judged) BEFORE you do anything. That includes cleaning the car - very easy to "clean away" original stickers / stamps / etc. There are 4500 points in Flight Judging - 80 points relate to how clean the car is - not a cleaning contest.

Casting numbers / stampings /etc have to be visible - most likely, a local chapter will have an experienced judge that can help you.

Once you determine what you have, you'll have a better idea where you want to take the car. Again welcome!

Dave

[Jim T.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Michael enjoy your 1968 purchase. I have a original owner 1968 convertible with hardtop and soft top that is the same color as yours. Have the L79 engine, M21 4 speed transmission, and 3:70 rear end. Enjoy driving it very much.

[Michael F.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Thanks Don! I'll check out my local chapter - Norcal and try to get out to a few meets before the summer is over. Your advice to go slow is well received! I'm definitely one of those guys who proceeds with caution!

[Michael F.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Regarding the side pipes, its up to you. If you like the side pipes them leave them on, they look great and sound awesome. If NCRS judging is in your future I would at least think about getting a correct exhaust, you can always swap it back out after judging. BTW, does it still have the exhaust cut-outs in the rear valance?
Best of luck and and post some pics!, Doug

Thanks for your thoughts on this Doug! I see your point about the confidence factor going up if the car has been judged and did well. This would be helpful for a car like mine with relatively little historical documents at this point.

And yes, the rear valance still has the cutouts. There are what appear to be fiberglass covers or plugs that are installed in the cutouts. They're painted red but don't match the car very well. I was told that dealers would put these plugs in when they performed the side pipe installation.

I'll post some pics as soon as I get some time and figure out how to do that!
--Mike

[Jimmy P.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Hi Michael, and welcome to the NCRS!
Take it from me, heed the advice from those more experienced above. I'm still relatively new at all this restoration process but I have also learned a ton from these guys on the T.D.B. while restoring my 73 for Flight Judging. More importantly I've made many new corvette friends along the way. My first suggestion also mentioned previously would be for you to purchase the AIM and the NCRS Judging Manual for your 68. Use the JG as a tool to look for and determine original parts, correct date codes etc.
Next, like Don mentioned join your local NCRS chapter and start going to meetings and judging events that they sponsor. I've learned a great deal from our Pittsburgh Chapter judging meets. Let me caution you about the JG (manual), it is not always exactly correct so use it as a very good reference. If you find something in it that is not the same as you find on your car don't change your part, to match the manual without FIRST asking on this TDB. ( Don't ask me how I know this! lol! ) These guys will almost always steer you in the right direction.
I would also suggest copying the judging sheets for the 68 from this site. These will provide you with an excellent guide/checklist of what to look for especially if you plan on having your car judged. These go hand-in-hand with the Judging Manual. I also agree, to have your car Flight Judged at a chapter meet before going crazy with changing things.
Please be very careful if you start cleaning things in the engine bay, firewall,fender wells, and all the suspension parts. You could very easily wash away some very important original documentation/job numbers/dates etc. I almost washed away my 73's job number written in white grease pencil while trying to clean grease and grime away from my kick panels and inner fender wells. ( I wrote a tech article in our Pittsburgh Chapter Spring Newsletter warning other Newbies about this very thing).
Going through all this is a very educational experience. It is both rewarding and very frustrating at times. Don't be afraid to ask questions on here.
As for the build sheet if it is still present, if you lower the tank I would take some very good pictures of it and leave it intact by preserving it, even if you need to replace your tank. Leave it as is, because it will surely fall apart when you try to remove it.
Good luck with your car, and I wish you many miles of smiles with it.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Jimmy

[Michael F.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

You don't mention what part of the country you're in, but as Dan's post indicates, there are many local NCRS chapters located around the country that hold Chapter judging events. That might be a good place to start.

Thanks for the encouragement Chuck! I'm from Dublin, CA (SF Bay Area). Looks like there's an NCRS chapter for NORCAL close by in Oakland. I'm definitely going to look them up and get myself to a few events!

Thanks!

[Don H.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Mike
your local chapter has some of the friendliest, most helpful people in the club, starting with the co-chairpeople Sharyl and Mike Ingham. Mike also happens to be President of the National club right now. You can get excellent assistance and advice on your car from NoCAL chapter people.
And if you are up for a bit of a drive, on Sept 10 is the NoCAL Fall meet at Folsom CA. Come on out, perhaps even enter as a Sportsman entry (a display car with parking amongst the judged cars) just for fun. If you click on the Contacts tab in the big tool bar above, then find the NoCAL chapter in the drop down, you can find the website for the chapter along with contact info for the chapter officers.
Hope to see you in the NoCAL chapter soon.

[Michael F.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Hi Mike,

Welcome to NCRS and the wonderful and the sometimes challenging world of '68 ownership.

I would reaffirm what Don and Douglas said, go slowly on any changes you make on the car, if any, that you believe to be original. What you might have is a great learning tool for other '68 owners and judges. With it's possible originality, this would put your car in the category for Bowtie judging. This judging is done at the National Convention only. To be a candidate for Bowtie, you need to register for Flight judging at a Regional and tell the team leader you want to be considered for Bowtie. From there the car will be evaluated and you should know if you need to pursue going on with the Bowtie judging process. There are many people on this forum that have taken cars through Bowtie judging and can advise you in process and preparing the car. I just would reemphasize, if you have an original car and you believe it to be a Bowtie candidate, do not remove an original part.

Good luck in your process,

Terry

Thanks Terry! The common message I'm getting from this thread is that I should proceed with a measured approach. When I bought the car, I did as thorough an inspection as I could, and this car really does seem legit. I've ordered a few reference books and plan to do a full assessment to satisfy the questions I have in my mind - there are just some things on this car that are unbelievably well preserved for 48 years old, yet they certainly appear to be original. After I double check everything that I couldn't get to when I bought it, I'll be confident proceeding with the judging process. Thanks for your advice!

--Mike

[Michael F.]

Re: NEWB with a few questions about an unrestored '68 Convertible

Michael enjoy your 1968 purchase. I have a original owner 1968 convertible with hardtop and soft top that is the same color as yours. Have the L79 engine, M21 4 speed transmission, and 3:70 rear end. Enjoy driving it very much.

Thanks Jim! I think mine is the M20 and I'm not sure yet about the rear end. There's a positraction sticker on the storage compartment door, but I understand those could be misleading. I'll be crawling under the car to verify these options in the next few weeks.

Also, I don't have the hardtop with mine, but I can tell it wore a hard top at some point in it's life - there are marks on the rear deck from it. A hard top is on the list of items I'd like to get eventually just to complete the package.